Eva Marie Saint guest stars in the first episode up this week, Every Daughter’s Father is a Virgin. It debuted on 17 February, 1986, and was written by Debra Frank and Bruce Franklin Singer.

It has a cold open with David (Bruce Willis) and Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) answering mail about whether or not they were ever going to get it on. From there they debate whether they will even kiss this season or next.

From there we are shot into an episode featuring Maddie’s parents, Virginia Hayes (Saint) and Alexander Hayes (Robert Webber) who are in town for a visit, but Virginia is worried Alexander is having an affair and wants him investigated. Maddie agrees, but David takes it on to spare Maddie any discomfort.

As David follows Alexander, appropriately listening to Papa Was a Rolling Stone, he comes to a sad conclusion, and it hurts him to have to reveal that and hurt Maddie. But is there something else going on? or is he really having an affair?

And how will Maddie and Virginia handle it? And will Maddie tell Virginia and confirm her fears?

It’s a straightforward episode and story, and deals with loss, pain, love and the way a marriage can begin to crumble even if they still love one another. It’s well-crafted tale, that adds some nice layers to Maddie’s character and also shows the series can do other stories besides the rote mysteries that type of show is expected to do.

Witness for the Execution was written by Ron Osborn and Jeff Reno and first debuted on 11 March, 1986.

Lawrence Everette (Roberts Blossom) shows up at the Blue Moon Detective Agency and reveals that he is dying from an incurable disease and that he thinks he is going to be murdered for the insurance money. He hopes that Maddie and David will serve as his witnesses as proof, as he wants to die.

Maddie doesn’t want to take the case, surprise, and David is all for it, surprise.

The episode starts off in what would, today, be a real issue, David is more than a little hungover having been on a bender all weekend. From there, however, it moves, once again, to a fairly solid story, as it deals with a person’s right to choose to die.

As the story progresses David seems to be set up and framed as the murderer, and finds himself on the run until he and Maddie can figure out a way to prove his innocence, and discover the truth about what really happened.

The episode also features their first real kiss and then in typical Moonlighting fashion they argue over who did it and then settle on an agreement that it didn’t happen.

The casework for the Blue Moon Detective Agency continues next week as I continue to enjoy Moonlighting.