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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 281823" data-attributes="member: 23">The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case continuedSam Wanamaker gives Lt. Columbo a wonderfully dramatic entrance, literally using smoke and lights to create an impact as the Lieutenant appears in a doorway, face in shadows and wreathed in a thick cloud of cigar vapour. It only lasts a moment or two, but feels longer because of the memorable effect. In fact Wanamaker gives us a number of very nice directional moments used to create suspense, tension or interest. One of the best examples is probably the disposal of the gun in the park under Columbo’s very nose. Brandt hides the gun in the middle of the bin, but someone else puts something in immediately afterwards and Brandt is horrified to realise the items have moved and the gun can be seen pressed against the mesh. We feel his relief as the bin is collected and taken to be dumped, but as Columbo chats on, Brandt - and we - are acutely aware of the bins being emptied out in the background, with the very real possibility that one of the refuse collectors will spot the gun. Similarly, there’s the business with Brandt realising he has powder on his face from the handkerchief he used to clean the gun of prints. As he works to get it off before someone comes into the room we can almost feel him panicking and wondering how long it’s been there and if it has been seen already. It’s a really nice bit of symbolism, reminiscent of Lady Macbeth’s “damned spot”. For an episode set in a think tank, the cover up for the murder is suitably clever. In fact it seems to use a bit of all those ingredients that make for a great Columbo killing: ingenuity, technology and chutzpah. All of which makes Columbo’s numerous deductions feel hard-earned and rewarding. As always, there are some questionable methods. Columbo taking Brandt’s umbrella not least. Even if he had taken in in error (which I doubt), to then take it to a laboratory without any authorisation or warrant may well undermine any case he has. But it wouldn’t be Columbo if he did things by the book. And as mentioned before, perhaps it’s enough for him to win the battle at any cost, and leave the war for others to deal with. And he does definitively win this battle. Once again, Columbo uses his foe’s hubris against him as he presents a murder theory that’s close to the actual fact, but not quite clever enough and Brandt cannot stand that his genius is being underestimated. He has to show Columbo how the murderer would have made that book fall to the ground, only to get that classic look of realisation that he’s shot himself in the foot, making this a fun and satisfying Gotcha. </blockquote>

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