Maybe I need a lotto ticket. Woke up early and saw a Cheyenne episode featuring "a bad seed," and happened to be watching Diagnosis Murder and now an episode with the same theme. Here it's clear from the start that high school student Noelle Andrew is not only a manipulator but a murderer. It seems Noelle likes having fellow students confide in here what they would like; and then she arranges to have obstacles removed to "help" students who are then in her thrall. Dr. Mark Sloan happens to be doing some guest lecturing at the high school and becomes suspicious; especially after there are two deaths at the high school. Mark has Steve do a background workup on Noelle and he discovers she has a "very disturbing" background leaving a wake of deaths and broken people behind her. Student Kelly Denero is being blackmailed by Nicolle because she had threatened to release cockroaches in her parents' restaurant. Kelly breaks down and tells Mark what she knows. When Mark confronts Nicolle, he has really made an enemy more dangerous than he thought. Nicolle tries to threaten Kelly to poison Mark or it's possible her parents' business could burn down. And it looks as though Mark might be next but . . .. Yes, she will be caught but there are people who are twisted and are sociopaths but even this episode doesn't make it clear if it's nature or nurture. A good episode.
3 Reviews
Teen drama meets Grey's Anatomy & Murder She Wrote
EllieMBlake4 August 2023
I don't usually watch Diagnosis Murder, but I saw Will Estes from Blue Bloods and ended up watching bits. I hadn't realised Estes started off as a child actor. Seeing Dick Van Dyke too, who was in Mary Poppins, then googling to read he is 97 years old and going to the gym still. I recognised one of the actresses as also once being in Charmed.
The disturbed teenager story was interesting. I might actually watch more Diagnosis Murder episodes now. I can see why it lasted so many seasons. I remember watching Murder She Wrote as a kid but I've not really ever gotten back into the genre other than the law / procedural crime dramas.
I wasn't drawn into the love interest medical staff plotline that had Grey's Anatomy vibes. Perhaps it's because I don't know or nor am I invested in these characters.
There's something nostalgic about these older shows which seem more PG / family friendly that feels like it's so rare these days.
The disturbed teenager story was interesting. I might actually watch more Diagnosis Murder episodes now. I can see why it lasted so many seasons. I remember watching Murder She Wrote as a kid but I've not really ever gotten back into the genre other than the law / procedural crime dramas.
I wasn't drawn into the love interest medical staff plotline that had Grey's Anatomy vibes. Perhaps it's because I don't know or nor am I invested in these characters.
There's something nostalgic about these older shows which seem more PG / family friendly that feels like it's so rare these days.
Child's Play
safenoe5 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Actually more like Foster Child's Play, because Noelle, a foster child with the mind that's really femme fatal territory (deliciously played by Danielle Harris) is really a manipulative psychotic who does favors to get what she wants, whether it be sex games (losing one's virginity) or even murder. There's a very dark undertone in this episode where Noelle is the Queen Bee with perpetual sting for sure.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews