True, but
the man she loved was murdered, and no way would his daughter want her keeping house anymore. Besides, the daughter would likely be abused by her hubby. He had a VERY short temper. I could see him abusing his bride. That's why I think that the housekeeper would be best off just moving away and experiencing life elsewhere. She wouldn't have to be involved in all the hoopla/drama.
Just my humble opinion.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen

That why I want
her
as the sheriff, kicking butt and taking names!

The Chinese Dog:
Personally, I hope that
Tilda McDonald moves away and finds some happiness in a completely different setting. She was treated like dirt for years in that town, both by her employer and by his daughter.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen

Here's an alternative one for
The Chinese Dog
:
With his only competition in prison for murder, Henry Palmer wins the sheriff election easilybut proves to be no more apt than his predecessor. In the next election, he loses to Tilda McDonald, who proceeds to clean up the town once and for all!

I just realized Richard Queen does have a sister or
sister in law
. He mentions her in the Eccentric Engineer. Aunt Agatha 'The cobra with the Ipana smile.'
That would be my vote.

I sure hope that she faded out of Ellery's life ASAP. He really had no respect for her. This is one episode which I just can't bring myself to watch, simply because of the way he treated her. When she acted like someone who wanted to publish a book, he couldn't stand her. Suddenly she put on that sexy dress and he was interested. At no other time did he treat women that way. Much as I like him, I admit that this woman would have been better off ditching him and publishing her book on her own.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen

I just realized Richard Queen does have a sister or sister in law. He mentions her in the Eccentric Engineer. Aunt Agatha 'The cobra with the Ipana smile.'
She might be the mother of Ellery's cousin. But I still think it was more than likely his late wife's baby sister's kid.
Speaking of which, I like to think the company went on maybe hiring the Bobby Sherman character to take Roger's place. He is the brother of the woman who's husband owned the company.
And Loreli went on to write her book, but she had to publish it herself. Eventually she just faded from Ellery's life.
How sad, that you were not born in my time, nor I, in yours.

Oh yes, I sure hope that the movie that they were filming in
The Sinister Scenario
was scrapped. That movie looked like junk. Even Ellery thought so.
As for your second paragraphI sure hope so!
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen

Back to what happened to the characters who weren't the killers
Sinister Scenario: I think definitely the whole picture was scrapped. The leading lady (sorry, can't remember her name, got her chance at that better movie, but was quickly replaced because the woman CANNOT act worth a darn.
Gil's widow turned out to have a real flair for production, and later developed a series for television: a mystery with an Ellery-type character, but wasn't Ellery. She and the Vincent Price character ironed out their differences, and he became her chief director for her Emmy-winning series.The replacement Ellery actor continued to act in leading man type roles but nothing earth-shattering. Just a good stock-actor.
How sad, that you were not born in my time, nor I, in yours.

True. But if she had appeared in several episodes, they would have had to explain the relationship, no matter how distant. More family members would have had to make an appearance eventually. Ellery did say in that scene that he promised her mother that he would take care of her. So who is that mother? The producers would have had to present her eventually if Penny hung around. Would she have been a regular on the show, too?
Having Penny there for such a short time - and in the pilot episode, too - meant that they didn't have to bother with any explanations.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen

Keep in mind that "cousin" can cover a lot of groundPenny can be the child of Ellery's first cousin, which would make her his first cousin once removed.

Excellent point. The family connection would have had to come out sooner or later if that girl stayed on as a regular, and I don't remember Ellery having any family (outside his dad) in the stories/novels.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen

I figured the reason the kid didn't show up again is because it would lead to other characters having to drop by. If she is Ellery's cousin, and so much younger, that means Richard Queen has a much younger brother or sister, (never mentioned in the novels) or Ellery's mother (we don't even know how SHE died) had a much younger brother or sister, and she is their child.
Just as well, really, basically, I think she was there for a reason for the son and his fiance to have a reason to follow Ellery around and then get his help.
How sad, that you were not born in my time, nor I, in yours.

Ha ha.I think you're right! Certainly
that Carson McKell didn't deserve to have such a good wife. And that Penny was one annoying brat..thankfully she was only in that one episode.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen

Ooh, I like this!
Too Many Suspects:
Carson and Marion McKell divorce soon after their son's trial for murder. Gail Stevens leaves New York, moves to Cleveland, grows old, and eventually rents her house to three career women from LA. Penny reveals the ending of yet another novel before Ellery's finished reading it, and he really does break her neck, but he's smart enough to cover his tracks to that not even his father can find out whodunnit.