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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 287447" data-attributes="member: 23">Strange Bedfellows <img src="https://pics.filmaffinity.com/Columbo_Strange_Bedfellows_TV-677926444-large.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 493px" /><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBLhW2oWkAAiH1M.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 504px" /> As far as format goes, we’re back on track here, with a decent amount of time in the opening act devoted to the murderer and his victim - in this case his brother - before getting into the cat and mouse game with Columbo. Some of the notes hit evoke earlier episodes. If memory serves, the folding bicycle in the car boot was used by Donald Pleasence in Any Port In A Storm. Even the Gotcha - with Columbo extracting an ironclad confession by threatening to leave his target to a more brutal form of justice - feels like I’ve seen it before, though I can’t remember in which specific episode (it also reminded me of that Knots Landing scene where Sid’s killers were rounded up). Unoriginal as some of those choices might be, other familiar ingredients are in place to help make this feel like a true Columbo episode. From the high profile killer’s impressively scenic estate (which looked very much like Gary's Knots Landing ranch) to Columbo eating chilli while bantering with the diner owner. There’s also a nicely queasy Columbo introduction clutching a bottle of Pepto Bismol, having had some bad clams the night before. As Graham McVeigh, George Wendt makes a decent enough killer. I wouldn’t say he fascinates, nor that scenes between he and Peter Falk crackle with energy. But there’s a workmanlike watchability to their scenes, and there are some nice moments of Columbo subtly laying down the gauntlet, delivering veiled warnings to Graham with a grim smile. Incidentally, do Americans pronounce the name “Graham” as “Gram”? I heard it pronounced that way quite regularly throughout. Along similar lines, do Americans have a different definition of a tiny mouse? Because the one Columbo pulled from the bin was enormous! More than perhaps any other episode I noticed a lot of continuity goofs. In particular there was the scene in which Columbo visited the restaurant to speak to the hostess, where the boom seemed to be almost permanently in shot no matter which camera was used. The business with the mob gave some exciting moments, particularly the car chase scene. Rod Steiger's performance added a sense of genuine menace and gave us a sense of McVeigh's world closing in on him. And Columbo’s relationship with the boss gave us the title. Once again, Columbo has gone to extremes to get his man, raising questions of ethics. Though in context it all worked for me and gave a very decent instalment by the standards of these later episodes. </blockquote>

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