Jessica arrives to bail out a friend, Ellen Wicker, the owner of a local diner in Dry Wells who's just been accused of murder for the second time in her life. Jessica tries to get to the bottom of things, but is hampered by the local sheriff, who's more interested in Ellen's attractiveness than her innocence.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Always Murder: Played with. Two of the victims, older men, died from arsenic from the old tannery seeping into the groundwater. However, one, Ross Corman, was murdered by his wife for pining after Ellen.
- Attempted Rape: After failing to talk Ellen into sex in exchange for dropping charges, Sheriff Hays decides to take what he wants by force, even starting to unfasten his belt before his deputy interrupts with news on the case.
- Boring Insult: When someone makes a nasty phone call to Ellen, Jessica tells him that he's embarrassing himself with his ignorance if he thinks that they haven't heard such words before, used much more originally.
- Chekhov's Gun: The tannery that was shut down years ago and the earthquake that happened prior to the plot are both vitally important to the solution; the toxic waste from the tannery was buried in dry wells, but the earthquake broke the barrels and allowed them to contaminate some of the groundwater.
- Convicted by Public Opinion: Jessica helped clear Ellen Wicker of her husband's murder in Boston some time prior, but the majority of Dry Wells still believes she is guilty. Thus, when Ellen is accused of being responsible for a recent string of poisonings, the town is quick to turn on her.
- Daddy Issues: The first murder victim, Jake Gerringer, was despised by his daughter Doris for apparently stifling her, to the point that she takes advantage of her father's sudden death to spend his insurance money.
- Death by Woman Scorned: Laura Corman was spying on Ross the night he invited himself to Ellen's for a drink (having told his wife he had a business meeting). He had apparently cheated on her a lot before (which necessitated her working as a nurse since her husband spent most of his money on his mistresses) but his abiding interest in Ellen infuriated her. She poisoned him, knowing she could get away with it by pinning the blame on Ellen.
- Dying Town: Dry Wells has been struggling since its tannery closed down, costing half the populace their jobs, and a 6.8 magnitude earthquake destroyed many homes and shops, causing residents to move away. However, after Jessica's investigation reveals toxic waste contamination in the wells, the Women's Club decides to start revitalizing the town.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Perverted and corrupt as he may be, Sheriff Hays doesn't like being undermined or manipulated. He finally agrees to cooperate with Jessica after she uncovers the true cause of the victims' deaths and is furious when Laura confesses she framed Ellen, banking on Hays not caring about her innocence.
- Glad I Thought of It: Doc Logan chews his nurse out for calling poison control in the case of a guy he diagnosed as dying of a heart attack. However, he's altogether too happy to take credit for the decision.
- I Choose to Stay: Despite all the trouble she went through and the scrutiny she'll continue to face, Ellen decides to stay and help her home town after being offered to join the Women's Club committee.
- Laser-Guided Karma: For his corruption, instigating the town against Ellen, and attempt to rape her, Sheriff Hays is fired at the end of the episode.
- Redeeming Replacement: At the end, Sheriff Hays is fired and his deputy, Ray Gomez, takes his place. Given that Gomez actually seems interested in upholding the law (for instance, scaring off a local who tried to ram Jessica with his motorbike), presumably the town will be a better place with him managing law and order.
- Shipper on Deck: Jessica tries to nudge Ellen towards local lawyer Herb Apple, who she's known for a while and who remains on her side through the entire ordeal. Though Ellen says that she's never thought of him "like that", she seems to take Jessica's advice. The ending has her calling to ask him to an upcoming dance.
- Shout-Out: Herb corrects Jessica calling him "Mr. Apple" because it makes him sound like someone from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Poor Ellen is subjected to unwanted advances from men, and envy and scorn from women. Doris was implied to have gotten her fired from her first job years ago with Mr. Gerringer by framing her for stealing (which led to her unfortunate first encounter with the sheriff), Hays repeatedly tries to coerce her into sex in exchange for releasing her, Edge Potter sleazily hits on her at the diner and harasses her when she's accused of murder again as revenge for politely turning him down, Ross attempts to force himself on her after pretending to be an ally, and his wife Laura tries to frame her for his murder. Ellen even lampshades her struggle in the episode.Ellen: Isn't it funny, how I manage to bring out the best in people?
