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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 287341" data-attributes="member: 23">Undercover <img src="https://lthumb.lisimg.com/900/9111900.jpg?width=280&sharpen=true" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 482px" /><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbilder.fernsehserien.de%2Fepg%2F1d9%2F1d922375db8867b2db9770ce28e5c039de08c6a3_b.jpg&f=1&nofb=1" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 549px" /> The kindest thing to say about Ed McBain’s material on this series is that the format is always going to disappoint because viewers are expected to change storytelling mindsets, which is a huge thing to ask. And it’s not just the absence of any real Columbo formula. In short, the tone is quite simply wrong for this series. The deaths are an example of this. Usually in Columbo death has meaning. That’s half the point of the series. The series has always been effective because of its “tell, don’t show” approach to death and its aftermath. Generally our focus is on Columbo as he looks at a body, and this tells us all we need. This episode goes the opposite route, by giving lingering looks at dead bodies, eyes wide open in horror and with holes in necks and chests from knives and bullets. Yet it all feels vacuous, disposable and generic. I really couldn’t bring myself to care. Columbo going undercover is just ridiculous. Why would he volunteer to do this at his age? And without a mention of the fact that Mrs Columbo isn’t going to like him moving out of his home and into a seedy apartment. None of it makes sense. Which means none of it can be believed. In turn, this simply means we’re watching Peter Falk goofing around with his wife and buddies playing dress-up. The viewers tune in to watch Columbo with his little idiosyncrasies. With him pretending to be someone else, the series loses any remaining appeal. Incidentally, Columbo’s hair has the brown rinse once again. With such huge gaps between episodes, surely they couldn’t be short out of order? In short, just a horrible episode that gives the impression that all involved no longer care about the quality of their output just so long as they’re paid. I’m boggling that this crap can follow directly on from an episode that got it so right. Not even Tyne Daly can save this one. </blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?