Jonathan fakes his death in order to smoke out the bad guys trying to swindle him out of his money. This episode would have sat better with me if Jennifer had been pretending to be the grieving wife in the immediately days after Jonathan's "murder." But instead she's her own bubbly self, which shoudl have been a tipoff to the bad guys right there. Alas, the rest of the episode was entertaining. Jonathan dons a pretty good disguise for the time, and his glasses are actual prescription, which you can tell during certain camera shots. It's always fun to see Deanne and Stanley. Jonathan's disguise isn't going to fool anyone, but it's entertaining. My favorite part was the name dropping of Frank Westmore, "Hollywood makeup artist." Which he is. Also the uncle of Michael Westmore, famous makeup artist in his own right, mainly known for his award-winning Star Trek work.
5 Reviews
Frothy Fun!
amorehl28 December 2023
This one was a fun episode to watch, as long as you are good at putting your common sense and knowledge aside (granted, pretty much a prerequisite for viewing this show). Someone is trying to kill him, so Jonathan gets a disguise from the best: Frank Westmore, renowned Hollywood makeup artist, turns him into his "Swiss uncle." Contrary to what some others think, it's so good that the other characters wouldn't see through it. They know he's related to Jonathan so there would be a certain amount of resemblance anyway. And people generally aren't that great at faces (and a lot like me are incredibly *bad*), perhaps because, understandably, they are more focused on themselves.
As others note, Jennifer is her usually bubbly self in spite of her husband's "death" - on this show *nothing* gets the Harts down for long! This is also 1 of 11 episodes with Lee Wilkof as Stanley Friesen, and having Stanley along is always a big entertainment plus. OTOH, having Max as the spokesman for Hart Industries to announce his death struck me as quite odd and inappropriate. His unpolished persona is wrong for that role, but then the writers had to give him *something* to do in this show. Peter Mark Richman, a well-known actor accomplished at playing sinister bad guys, plays a fine one here as greedy lawyer Owen Grant. Royce Applegate is also fun to watch as Richman's accomplice, good old Oklahoma boy "Billy Ray Thompson," who's not really cut out for murder. But as we know, "the love of money is the root of all evil" . . .
Last, there is the excellently forged will in which Jonathan leaves everything to Billy Ray. No one even considers that California, quite famously, is a community property state (as are 8 other states). This applies not just to divorce, but death. And even if a wife is left out of a will (an "omitted spouse"), she is still entitled to her "widow's share." No, Billy Ray, hold on, you would never have been taking over anytime soon!
As others note, Jennifer is her usually bubbly self in spite of her husband's "death" - on this show *nothing* gets the Harts down for long! This is also 1 of 11 episodes with Lee Wilkof as Stanley Friesen, and having Stanley along is always a big entertainment plus. OTOH, having Max as the spokesman for Hart Industries to announce his death struck me as quite odd and inappropriate. His unpolished persona is wrong for that role, but then the writers had to give him *something* to do in this show. Peter Mark Richman, a well-known actor accomplished at playing sinister bad guys, plays a fine one here as greedy lawyer Owen Grant. Royce Applegate is also fun to watch as Richman's accomplice, good old Oklahoma boy "Billy Ray Thompson," who's not really cut out for murder. But as we know, "the love of money is the root of all evil" . . .
Last, there is the excellently forged will in which Jonathan leaves everything to Billy Ray. No one even considers that California, quite famously, is a community property state (as are 8 other states). This applies not just to divorce, but death. And even if a wife is left out of a will (an "omitted spouse"), she is still entitled to her "widow's share." No, Billy Ray, hold on, you would never have been taking over anytime soon!
Hide and seek
seacoast196317 August 2019
The murder of Jonathan Hart
coltras3516 September 2023
After two attempts on his life, Jonathan stages his own murder to see who's trying to get him out of the way---and why a stranger who once helped him out of a snowdrift turns up with a will supposedly leaving Hart Industries to him . . . And with representation by Jonathan's own corporate lawyer (Peter Mark Richman) who's now putting moves on Jennifer...
In order to fish out whoever is trying to kill him, Jonathan fakes his death, disguises himself very well thanks to a Hollywood makeup artist and things happen like the cowboy claiming to be a heir to the Hart industries and the main villain showing designs on Jennifer. It's a fun episode though Jennifer looks too happy to be a grieving widow.
In order to fish out whoever is trying to kill him, Jonathan fakes his death, disguises himself very well thanks to a Hollywood makeup artist and things happen like the cowboy claiming to be a heir to the Hart industries and the main villain showing designs on Jennifer. It's a fun episode though Jennifer looks too happy to be a grieving widow.
For Entertainment Purposes Only
aramis-112-80488025 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Jonathan fakes his own death to find out who's trying to kill him.
A good ol' boy turns up with a will purporting that Jonathan left him everything. That's the least of his worries. Jonathan adopts the guise of a German cousin and all he has to do is strip the stuff off and say he didn't write it. But he has to find out who put the good ol' boy up to it.
Then there's the lawyer who suddenly shows more than a legal interest in Jennifer.
The whole idea is sound if Jonathan fakes his murder and lies low. After all, the police are in on it. That's a card he should have played earlier. And his disguise wouldn't fool many people in real life. Silly, but a comfortable little bit of play-like.
A good ol' boy turns up with a will purporting that Jonathan left him everything. That's the least of his worries. Jonathan adopts the guise of a German cousin and all he has to do is strip the stuff off and say he didn't write it. But he has to find out who put the good ol' boy up to it.
Then there's the lawyer who suddenly shows more than a legal interest in Jennifer.
The whole idea is sound if Jonathan fakes his murder and lies low. After all, the police are in on it. That's a card he should have played earlier. And his disguise wouldn't fool many people in real life. Silly, but a comfortable little bit of play-like.
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