New posts

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 277342" data-attributes="member: 23">Any Old Port In A Storm <img src="https://i1.wp.com/columbophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/any-old-port-titles.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 546px" /><img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODU4MThlOWYtMTJlNC00Y2RlLTgyMWMtMzViM2I4OGEzZjM0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjYyODY4NDU@._V1_.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 517px" />Knowing this is one of [USER=33]@Angela Channing[/USER]'s favourite episodes and a firm favourite with Columbo fans, it’s fair to say my expectations of this episode were higher than usual. This always comes with a concern at the back of my mind that I might be disappointed. I needn’t have worried. As things unfolded, it quickly became apparent why this is such a highly regarded episode. And this only became more evident as the episode drew to a close. That’s not to say I didn’t have my quibbles with the episode. Let’s get them over with first.My gravest doubt isn’t so much about the Gotcha - which is first class - but about the choices made by Carsini which gave Columbo the opening for his Gotcha. Namely: why on earth would he risk spoiling his precious wines by switching off the air conditioner in the first place? It seems to me he’d find some other way - any other way - to do the deed.Then there’s the practical question of how he got a body into a wetsuit when it’s been dead for some five days. Wouldn’t rigor mortis have been an issue? And even though it was accepted that Ric suffocated rather than drowned, wouldn’t it have been apparent that he had been in the water for hours rather than over a week?It also seems a risk to leave his brother alive - even if he is unconscious and bound. But since Carsini is a man who lives on the edge, I can believe that level of risk-taking. As I said, expectations were high, so perhaps this is why I’m being extra nitpicky with some of my concerns. Overall, though, the episode was simply firing on all cylinders for me.There are some nice Columboisms in this episode. Columbo’s unofficial theme tune makes its debut in this episode as he whistles This Old Man more than once. There’s a tease when he says he might bring his wife along to the dinner, but it turns out they couldn’t get a babysitter (is this the first we hear of Columbo having kids? I can’t remember a previous reference). While we don’t meet Mrs Columbo, we do at least see his end of a phone conversation with Mrs Columbo where they discuss… the weather.And that’s just the beginning off this episode’s greatness. There’s a whole lot of ground for me to cover with this one. continued...</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?