Myrtle Beech, the Wedding Destroyer
Myrtle Beech (Delta Burke) is the main villainess from "Swear to God, This Time We're Not Kidding," episode 4.03 of Lois & Clark (airdate October 6, 1996).
Backstory[]
Some time before the episode's events, Myrtle Beech was once a woman set to marry her fiancee, Roger, who she believed was the love of her life. However, Roger was actually cheating on Myrtle with her bridesmaid, Emily Channing. On the night of Myrtle's wedding, Roger was on his way to the church with Emily (in separate cars), and he was going to tell Myrtle the wedding was off. Roger was killed in a car accident on his way to the church, leaving Myrtle distraught.
After Roger's death, Myrtle went to Dr. Voyle Grunman, a grief counselor, to deal with her loss. Unbeknownst to Myrtle, Voyle had learned about Roger's philandering and his plans to call off the wedding, but he intentionally kept the truth from Myrtle and used her grief to make her a maniacal and vengeful villainess. After she was convinced by Voyle that Roger was her last chance at true happiness, Myrtle began crashing and sabotaging weddings; committing acts such as poisoning a wedding cake, among other acts that threatened the lives of couples set to marry. Dubbed "The Wedding Destroyer," Lois and Clark reported on Myrtle's psychotic acts, which led to Myrtle being put away in an insane asylum.
Events[]
The opening scenes of the episode featured a cackling Myrtle escaping from the asylum, using explosives that Voyle sent her to blow up her cell door. She learned about Lois and Clark's wedding and made her plans to destroy that wedding as well, referring to this mission as an act of pure revenge during her interview with sleazy reporter Leo Nunk. After learning that Nunk had been talking to Lois and Clark (as Superman), Myrtle and Voyle met Nunk at an alley one night and revealed that they had created a wedding band with an electronic charge, which can be set off by remote control. Voyle activated the ring, non-fatally electrocuting Nunk, and Myrtle attempted to gain information regarding what Nunk told Lois and Clark. However, Voyle pressed the button again; this time killing Nunk, much to Myrtle's dismay.
Myrtle needed Lois' actual wedding ring for her plan, which she gets after paying someone to steal it from her. On the day of the wedding, after Clark places the ring on Lois' finger, Myrtle appeared and set off the charge, electrocuting Lois. She threatened to activate the ring again and kill Lois if she is followed during her escape, but it was at that moment that Lois and Clark revealed the truth about Myrtle's deceased fiancee. Myrtle refused to believe it at first, while Voyle claimed that they were speaking out of desperation. Once Voyle's deception was fully revealed, though, Myrtle knocked out Voyle, but still was set on killing Lois. Clark managed to get through to Myrtle and retrieved the remote, while Myrtle broke down in tears, out of grief and possible remorse. Both Voyle and Myrtle were arrested.
Trivia[]
- Less than a month prior to the episode's airdate, Delta Burke appeared as crazed villainess Tracy Horton in Maternal Instincts, and she later appeared as the villainous Laura Bancroft in 2003's Going for Broke.
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