Written by: Bruce Lansbury
Directed by: Anthony Pullen Shaw
Jessica tries to disprove charges against her friend's boyfriend, suspected of murdering a Las Vegas casino manager
Tropes:
- Big Damn Heroes: Jessica was still in the process of gathering clues on the stairs leading to the Hotel penthouse when she's forced into a confrontation with the murderer of the episode (unlike previous instances wherein said confrontation was a deliberate trap set by Jessica in cooperation with the police). She's forced to play her hand and was about to be thrown off the balcony when Larry Thorson comes to her rescue.
- Brick Joke: Before her trip to Las Vegas, Ahmed asks Jessica to place a small bet on a casino game so he can win a small change. When Jessica returns from Vegas, the expected small change has ballooned to a large sum of money thanks to the episode's running gag.
- Casino Episode: With an episode set in Las Vegas, this is unavoidable.
- Chekhov's Gun: During her first chat with Larry Thorson, Jessica mentions some background information about the McSorley hotel she's going to that she had read. These prove vital later.
- Jessica notices the security cameras on the elevators of the McSorley hotel. These become important later.
- Katherine McSorley's compact also becomes a clue to the killer's identity.
- Double-Meaning Title: "To make a killing" means to have great financial success, either by luck, business acumen, or even crime. And of course, the wordplay describes the murder(s) of the episode, which are set in Las Vegas.
- Fixing the Game: Eddie Wheaton and Frank Stinson were scamming the casino by pocketing some of the chips. The Casino Manager, Jerry Pappas is also part of it.
- From Bad to Worse: First, Eddie is arrested for the murder of the Casino Manager. Then, when searching for more clues, the police discover that Eddie's partner, Frank, was killed too...and Eddie is again the suspect.
- Games of the Elderly: A stereotypical old lady with a cup full of change asks Jessica to watch her slot machine for her. She tries the machine out of curiosity...and wins the jackpot.
- Running Gag: Jessica accepts Ahmed's request to place a small bet on a casino game not because she was aiming to win, but she was hoping to teach Ahmed An Aesop about the futility of gambling. Then, Jessica somehow keeps winning every casino game she finds herself in despite her lack of effort or interest. It ends up being a
Broken Aesop at the end. - Two Aliases, One Character: Jerry Pappas turns out to be an alias for Alex Rogus so he can be a part-owner of the hotel and pose as Casino Manager.
- Viva Las Vegas!: Jessica journeys to Las Vegas for a book convention.
