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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 287203" data-attributes="member: 23">Butterfly In Shades Of Grey <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-eKyLvkfzW_g%2FUxwfY8AjClI%2FAAAAAAAMneo%2FN4l4NLlI1yo%2Fs1600%2FColumbo-Butterfly_in_Shades_of_Grey-1994-CSS1-004.jpg&f=1&nofb=1" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 524px" /><img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51FB9JPVpUL._AC_SX425_.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 491px" />Firstly, I hold my hands up and admit that the title - arty as it sounds - has gone over my head. I like it, but I can’t work out its relevance to the story. But no matter…The first act proved very watchable thanks to spending time with both victim and killer and getting a sense of the killer’s motive. There was a fair bit of backstory to absorb and it turns out some of the information given wasn’t directly related to the murder. I’d wondered, for example, if Fielding Chase was somehow involved in the deaths of his stepdaughter’s parents. Would this prove to be his original sin? Well, no. If memory serves, this episode marks the first time overtly gay characters have appeared. The closest we’ve come before now was the hair stylist in 1976’s Old Fashioned Murder, but that was all very wink-wink. Some progress has been made in the Seventeen and a bit years between these two episodes. Not only is the word “gay” used and the characters in question allowed to have love lives, but the presentation of the characters is less stereotypical than previously seen - certainly in the case of the victim, though we did still get Chase attempting to frame Gerry’s lover by leaving a handkerchief smeared with foundation. Swings and roundabouts. Columbo seemed a little awkward on realising that Gerry was gay, and when discussing this with anyone. One one level it’s a little surprising, since he so often lets stuff just wash over him. But on reflection it’s in character for him to be slightly uncomfortable with any hint of sexuality (think the nude sunbathing or the artist’s model), and so this is probably his more conservative Italian side coming through. It’s also worth considering that the victim didn’t have to be gay. There wasn’t any element of the plot that hinged on this and so - while in 1994 terms it might have raised eyebrows - the key gay character wasn’t defined by his sexuality. Along these lines, there’s some noticeable inclusivity in casting with the P.A. played by Ann Noël (now Anika Marinelli) who has a visible disability. It’s refreshing to see this kind of casting and writing which adds a degree of realism to the show. continued...</blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?