WINSTON ZEDDEMORE, SUPER DETECTIVE

Boo-Dunit

Original Air date: October 30, 1987^[1]

Writers: Dennys McCoy and Pamela Hickey

Director: Dale Schott

Main Cast:

• Lorenzo Music as Peter Venkman
• Frank Welker as Raymond Stantz
• Maurice LaMarche as Egon Spengler
• Arsenio Hall as Winston Zeddemore
• Laura Summer as Janine Melnitz
• Frank Welker as Slimer

(Rating 4 of 5)

Summary: Agatha Grisley, the famed mystery novelist, has died.  The executor of her estate has arrived for the formal reading of the will before the family.  The executor puts the will on the desk and as he goes to open it a sword appears out of nowhere and stabs it so he can’t.  He pulls the sword out and tries again but another appears and does the same thing.  They decide to call the Ghostbusters.

                The Ghostbusters are watching a mystery movie and once again Winston easily solves it, before any of the rest can.  This is starting to breed some small resentment, but then they are called to the job.  Winston is really excited to be heading to Agatha Grisley’s place for he is a big fan of her work.

Who murdered this unreal girl? I don't know but Egon almost poisons this unreal guy.

                When they arrive they find that the executor is still there next to a pile of swords, and he demonstrates to the Ghostbusters what keeps happening.  As they explore the house they are chased by many more randomly appearing weapons and spirits who seem to resemble book characters.  They find an unfinished manuscript and conclude the ghost of Agatha Grisley wants them to find the answer and finish the novel.  Since Grisley books are Winston’s thing they decide to have him read it while the rest of them try to survive the house of bad characters who do bad things.  The worst thing the evil characters do is plant a bomb and expect it to go off. 

Okay Winston please figure out the problem before we all blow up!

                Finally Winston completes the manuscript and solves the mystery.  With that the characters and all their weapons, including the bomb, disappear.  The ghost of Agatha Grisley appears and thanks Winston for finishing her work for her.

Agatha Grisley, glad her final story is complete.

                The other three Ghostbusters figure out that if they want to enjoy a mystery move the have to bind Winston and gag him.

Winston we are glad to have solve mysteries when our lives depend on it, but not during the movie.

My Take: Well this was an insight into Winston’s character.  We already know he loves baseball but in this we learn, while he is being tortured with a stretcher, that he doesn’t like basketball.  Okay some people are one-sport sports fans.  He is also a geek for mystery books, I suppose that is why decided to answer the Ghostbusters’ ad in the film, it is already up his alley.

                Now for my stray observations:

·         I am assuming Agatha Grisley is based on the real novelist Agatha Christie, who passed away eleven years before this episode was made.

·         The butler is a dick.

·         The stack of swords was funny.

·         This episode the Ghostbusters behave less like themselves and more like Melinda Gordon from Ghost Whisperer.  They don’t seem interested in busting Grisley’s ghost just helping her “pass over.” Which I though was odd because I thought their standard was “do something harmful at living people and we will take you down.”  But here they are just being nice, maybe because it was her family that had hired them?

Anyway it was an interesting episode and worthy of being watched. 

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[1] Listed original air dates for entire syndicated season may not be correct.