"Just one more thing...": Rewatching Columbo

[Mel O'Drama]

A Friend In Deed
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With A Friend In Deed straying so far from the usual Columbo setup, there’s every reason for me to think I wouldn’t like it at all. I remember criticising Suitable For Framing because the murder took place in the opening minute. This time round, the murder was committed offscreen. Likewise, episodes where we meet Columbo before the main murder have invariably felt a little off to me. And this really happens here. One could argue that we’re asked to invest in one murder story only to find that not only is it not the main murder, but the killer isn’t even the episode’s main antagonist. And by episode’s end, Columbo hasn’t even caught the person who committed that first kill.

Some of Columbo’s episode’s deductions are just pure brilliance. From the nightgown to the fingerprints to the clothing worn by Margaret. Peter S. Fischer gives him an incredible eye for detail which is very rewarding.

The twists and turns in this story are really impressive. The high stakes helped me invest - this investigation has seen Columbo’s job seriously on the line. And I must confess I didn’t see that final twist coming.

The shift in power in that final scene is tangible. The atmosphere created feels very much that every moment we’ve watched has led us to this point. When Halperin tells Columbo “You just lost your badge, my friend”, there’s a finality that I believe. And when the jewels Halperin planted in the burglar’s apartment are found it seems that there’s no way out. At the very last, I thought this meant a cut to commercials followed by another act for Columbo to work his way back from this.

Instead, it takes him a mere two minutes to wrap things up, pulling the rug out from Halperin and me with that final revelation:

He doesn’t live here. I live here. These are my shirts. That’s my underwear. My brother in law.

There’s so much to process in a very short space of time with this scene. Not only is it a contender for the best Gotcha yet by virtue of its very genius, but there’s a whole lot of Columbo in there.

For a few moments, there’s a bit of a fake-out. A feeling that we’re standing in the Columbo family home. It’s exciting, but also a little anti-climactic. Like Mrs Columbo, it’s an area that’s best left to the imagination. But then Columbo reveals that he took out the lease on the apartment that very morning. So it’s not really Columbo’s home. Phew. All the same, we do get a quick peek at his brother in law. I wonder if it’s George, who spoke to Nora Chandler back in Requiem For A Fallen Star.

Who else but Columbo could get away with using their own underwear to catch a killer, and then waving that underwear beneath the killer’s nose? Now you wouldn’t catch Jessica Fletcher doing that!

 

[Alexis]

A few episodes to read back on! I just came to post that it came up in my Facebook memories that Peter Falk died 10 years ago yesterday. I don't know if that's been mentioned already. I was clearly upset by his death and felt the need to post about it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I just came to post that it came up in my Facebook memories that Peter Falk died 10 years ago yesterday. I don't know if that's been mentioned already.

Thanks for this, Alexis.

God - a whole decade. It seems like no time at all. I still remember how saddened I was at the time by his death, and the cruel illness he had. And I'm sure we would have talked about him on the old site at the time.

I hadn't realised the significance of the date, but I'm glad that I kind of marked it by watching one of his finest episodes.

 

[Angela Channing]

A Friend In Deed is one of the great episodes of Columbo. I saw it for the first time about 10 years ago which was unusual because up until that point I thought I had seen every episode of the original run of Columbo and I couldn't understand how this excellent episode have previously eluded me.

In a comment I made after one of your previous Columbo reviews, I said how I liked when they played with the format because although sometimes it doesn't work and the episode falls flat, when it does work you get a stand out show and I was thinking about A Friend In Deed when I posted that.

In so many ways this isn't a typical Columbo episode, they don't just play with the format, they completely rip it up and start with a blank page. It's more serious than usual, like and episode of Hill Street Blues, Murder One or Law and Order. There's none of the cosy humour that you often find in Columbo, this one is serious stuff from beginning to end. There's none of the warmth or rapport between the murderer and Columbo that is a feature of all the best Columbos, here the interactions are formal and often quite terse and the balance of power is different as the lieutenant isn't in full control.

The quid pro quo arrangement with each helping the other cover up a murder evoked Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train.

That's a really good comparison and it's what makes this murder one of the most creative and interesting murders of the series.

The end result is top tier Columbo. It’s surprising. It plays out the “howcatchem” in a unique and interesting way while still staying true to the series’ raison d’être. To borrow Angela's analogy, this is definitely Premier League!

I got a bit carried away yesterday when I said this episode was Premier League because I previously said I didn't want to influence your opinion of it but it's hard not to appreciate how good this episode is.

Richard Kiley isn’t an actor with whom I’m familiar, and that worked in this episode’s favour.

I can't recall seeing him in anything other than this episode but that meant he didn't have any baggage of previous shows to colour how I perceived his character. He was great in this role, he had an air of danger about him, plenty of gravitas and very authoritative.

One could argue that we’re asked to invest in one murder story only to find that not only is it not the main murder, but the killer isn’t even the episode’s main antagonist. And by episode’s end, Columbo hasn’t even caught the person who committed that first kill.

Sometimes when there is a double murder, the show focusses on the original murder and the subsequent one is almost treated as an after thought. Here, the reverse is the case.

Not only is it a contender for the best Gotcha yet by virtue of its very genius, but there’s a whole lot of Columbo in there.

Yes, it is my favourite Columbo gotcha ever. It's jaw-dropping in how unexpected it is and it's brilliant in it's planning and in how it conclusively nails the killer.

A feeling that we’re standing in the Columbo family home. It’s exciting, but also a little anti-climactic. Like Mrs Columbo, it’s an area that’s best left to the imagination. But then Columbo reveals that he took out the lease on the apartment that very morning. So it’s not really Columbo’s home. Phew.

Although I'm totally fascinated by Columbo, I like that all we know about him is what he tells us and sometimes you wonder if he's always telling the truth or if some of the stories about his wife and home life are made up to open up a line of questioning with the killer. Seeing where he lived was surprising and briefly almost thrilling but also a relief when we found out it wasn't his real home. It's like a scene in the episode with Faye Dunnaway when she asks him for his first name and you want to know and you don't want to know at the same time (the answer he gives is that his first name is "lieutenant").

Who else but Columbo could get away with using their own underwear to catch a killer, and then waving that underwear beneath the killer’s nose? Now you wouldn’t catch Jessica Fletcher doing that!

You remind me of an episode in the reboot series when Columbo repeatedly refers to the victim's "panties". I don't think I've heard anyone refer to women's underwear as panties so many times in one scene.

 

[Angela Channing]

A few episodes to read back on! I just came to post that it came up in my Facebook memories that Peter Falk died 10 years ago yesterday. I don't know if that's been mentioned already. I was clearly upset by his death and felt the need to post about it.

It is really 10 years. I remember when I heard he died and was genuinely saddened even though he was old and was previously living with dementia. I had previously seen a piece of footage of him at a fan event towards the end of his life and it was quite sad to see how badly the dementia had affected him.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I saw it for the first time about 10 years ago which was unusual because up until that point I thought I had seen every episode of the original run of Columbo and I couldn't understand how this excellent episode have previously eluded me.

That sounds like a really nice surprise. I'd love to stumble upon previously unseen gems from an old favourite series.

In so many ways this isn't a typical Columbo episode, they don't just play with the format, they completely rip it up and start with a blank page.

Don't they just. On that level it feels like it's not essential Columbo. But then you only have to watch it once to realise it is essential.

It's more serious than usual, like and episode of Hill Street Blues, Murder One or Law and Order. There's none of the cosy humour that you often find in Columbo, this one is serious stuff from beginning to end.

It's funny you should say that. When I was watching the scene approaching the Gotcha with Columbo's decision to press on even though it put him in conflict with his superior, the situation and tone felt very much like a scenario from Cagney & Lacey. It's not often I think of other police dramas while watching.

There's none of the warmth or rapport between the murderer and Columbo that is a feature of all the best Columbos, here the interactions are formal and often quite terse and the balance of power is different as the lieutenant isn't in full control.

Yes. In a way, the cat and mouse type battle of wills and power that usually typifies Columbo's interactions with the killer was shifted over to the dynamic between Halperin and Caldwell. That's where a lot of the guesswork went for me in this episode.

I got a bit carried away yesterday when I said this episode was Premier League because I previously said I didn't want to influence your opinion of it but it's hard not to appreciate how good this episode is.

Oh, I don't mind at all. I know what you mean that certain comments can influence how it's viewed, but I found the Premier League comment quite tantalising and intriguing and wondered if it would become clear to me why you felt that way.

He was great in this role, he had an air of danger about him, plenty of gravitas and very authoritative.

Absolutely. I found him fascinating. Even though his interactions with Columbo were different from most (for obvious reasons), they were still incredibly watchable. I really got a sense of them weighing one another up and setting their respective traps.

Sometimes when there is a double murder, the show focusses on the original murder and the subsequent one is almost treated as an after thought. Here, the reverse is the case.

Yes. And because I've been conditioned for things to happen a certain way it felt very surprising. I'm glad they didn't play round with the series' structure too much, but it's exceptions like this that make it all pay of beautifully.

Yes, it is my favourite Columbo gotcha ever. It's jaw-dropping in how unexpected it is and it's brilliant in it's planning and in how it conclusively nails the killer.

And I can't even fault his methods here. Renting the apartment is above and beyond what most officers would do, but it's all completely credible. And Halperin's face was a picture.

Although I'm totally fascinated by Columbo, I like that all we know about him is what he tells us and sometimes you wonder if he's always telling the truth or if some of the stories about his wife and home life are made up to open up a line of questioning with the killer. Seeing where he lived was surprising and briefly almost thrilling but also a relief when we found out it wasn't his real home.

Same here. Less is more with Columbo, but it's fun to get the occasional little piece of the puzzle. Just as long as I'm not in any danger of seeing the complete picture.

You remind me of an episode in the reboot series when Columbo repeatedly refers to the victim's "panties". I don't think I've heard anyone refer to women's underwear as panties so many times in one scene.

I'm sure I'll remember this conversation when I get to it.

 

[Angela Channing]

One slight gripe I have with this story is why Halperin would request Columbo to attend, despite surely being aware of Columbo’s reputation as a bloodhound who always gets his man.

I forgot to comment on this. I think he wanted Columbo on the case because he was the best homicide detective at the LAPD and as he knew the victim of the crime, it would look suspicious if he chose someone else. and being Columbo's superior, he probably thought he could influence the investigation away from himself.

Same here. Less is more with Columbo, but it's fun to get the occasional little piece of the puzzle. Just as long as I'm not in any danger of seeing the complete picture.

There's another episode in which we see Columbo's home (or is it?) in the revival series.

I'm sure I'll remember this conversation when I get to it.

It's the second time I've referred to the Faye Dunaway episode and it isn't even a favourite of mine, although it is quite good. I suppose it stuck in my mind because it was the only episode that Peter Falk wrote.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I forgot to comment on this. I think he wanted Columbo on the case because he was the best homicide detective at the LAPD and as he knew the victim of the crime, it would look suspicious if he chose someone else. and being Columbo's superior, he probably thought he could influence the investigation away from himself.

Yes - that makes sense to me. It's only a small detail, so I'm happy to fill in the gaps when it comes to motive around it. Because, let's face it, if Columbo wasn't on the case there's no episode.

There's another episode in which we see Columbo's home (or is it?) in the revival series.

Oh - that's ringing distant bells for me. I have a feeling it might seem familiar when I get to it.

It's the second time I've referred to the Faye Dunaway episode and it isn't even a favourite of mine, although it is quite good. I suppose it stuck in my mind because it was the only episode that Peter Falk wrote.

I'd forgotten that Peter Falk wrote an episode in addition to the one he directed. Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.

 

[Angela Channing]

I just checked where my favourite episode (Try and Catch Me) features in the running order and it's not until the final season of the original run (season 7) so you have some way to go. I'm looking forward to what you think of it because we haven't always agreed with what we think are good and bad episodes.

It's amazing to think that one of the best episodes was produced that late in its run.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I just checked where my favourite episode (Try and Catch Me) features in the running order and it's not until the final season of the original run (season 7) so you have some way to go.

I'm sure it will soon come round. Even though I'm averaging just one episode per day it feels like they're going by quickly. I'm already over halfway to the end of the original run.

I'm looking forward to what you think of it because we haven't always agreed with what we think are good and bad episodes.

I'm looking forward to watching it. And I have another favourite of yours coming up in the next couple of days.

It's amazing to think that one of the best episodes was produced that late in its run.

Isn't it just? I love the emphasis on quality over quantity with Columbo. Each episode comes with a sense of event and for me there's been plenty to enjoy in every one so far - even the ones that I've found less impressive.

 

[Angela Channing]

I'm looking forward to watching it. And I have another favourite of yours coming up in the next couple of days

If it’s the one I think you mean, one of the main reasons why I love it is because of who the murderer is. It’s also a very good Columbo story.

Isn't it just? I love the emphasis on quality over quantity with Columbo. Each episode comes with a sense of event and for me there's been plenty to enjoy in every one so far - even the ones that I've found less impressive.

I completely agree. When Columbo was originally broadcast it was part of Mystery Movie series that used to rotate episodes with others from several different detective series in the same time slot. When I first watched them in the 1970s, ITV split the Mystery Movies into 2 groups with Columbo on a Saturday, rotating with episodes of McCloud and the Tuesday Mystery Movies were rotating episodes of MacMillan and Wife, Tenafly, The Snoop Sisters and Banacek (there might have been other shows as well but I don't remember). This format meant there was less pressure on the producers of Columbo to make more episodes because the network could fill the time slot with shows from the other series which meant they had time to put more emphasis on the quality of the show.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

When Columbo was originally broadcast it was part of Mystery Movie series that used to rotate episodes with others from several different detective series in the same time slot. When I first watched them in the 1970s, ITV split the Mystery Movies into 2 groups with Columbo on a Saturday, rotating with episodes of McCloud and the Tuesday Mystery Movies were rotating episodes of MacMillan and Wife, Tenafly, The Snoop Sisters and Banacek

I knew that was the way they'd aired in the States, but I had no idea that ITV had kept the "wheel series" format when originally airing them, so that's fascinating to me.

Incidentally, I've never watched any of the other series you mention being in rotation with Columbo. Even looking at all fourteen series that were part of the rotation during Columbo's original run I think the only one I've seen anything of (apart from Columbo) is Quincy, M.E. And even there, I don't think I've watched an entire episode. I remember I occasionally caught the end of it during daytime repeats, so it must have been on before something I wanted to see.

If they have the quality of Columbo, perhaps I could seek some of them out.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Season Four (1974-75)

An Exercise In Fatality

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We’re well and truly entrenched in featureville at the moment. This is the third of six consecutive two hour films, which without adverts adds up to around 95 minutes per pop. Quite an investment at the moment, but well worth it.

An Exercise In Fatality is an episode so rich in careful and thorough plot detail I feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of writing about it. Because of that I’m not going to say too much about the story itself, which is just packed full with clever details and needs to be seen.

It feels like a particularly dark story. Despite his tanned perfection and outward charm, there’s something particularly seedy about Milo Janus. The frozen smile hides a smug superiority. The piercing blue eyes seem to look right through other characters. He’s played very convincingly by Robert Conrad.

Similarly, the gym might seem like a new and aspirational environment, but there’s something unnervingly otherworldly about the way it’s presented here, especially during the murder sequence which takes place after hours. In its favour, though, is the clientele, which appears to mostly be upper middle aged gentlemen with very ordinary physiques. I’ve never really been one for attending the gym anyway, but this does look like the kind of place I’d feel comfortable, as opposed to the usual Hollywood type gym full of iron men who are all wearing expensive leisurewear.

Indeed, Columbo himself joins this gym. I must confess it took me several moments to recognise him as I’m so used to seeing him in his raincoat.

It’s great fun to see reactions to the fitness trend, which I’d guess was quite a new lifestyle at the time - even in California. Columbo’s lifestyle - with his cigars and coffee and lack of exercise - is the antithesis of Janus’s and so he’s perfectly equipped to look with amazement at being given tablets for his breakfast along with a glass of carrot juice which he mistakes for orange juice that’s gone bad.

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[Mel O'Drama]

An Exercise In Fatality​

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Columbo has a great introduction, which is reminiscent of A Stitch In Crime in that it’s early morning and his caffeine hasn’t yet kicked in. He’s carrying a thermos and very bleary eyed as he wanders round the gym-cum-crime scene. I love early morning Columbo.

This is balanced with more darkness in the character of Ruth Stafford, the victim’s wife. She’s one of the most fragile and tragic characters yet seen on the series. Her alcohol dependence and permanently sedated, artificially upbeat state reminded of Vickie Hayward from Candidate For Crime, but the loneliness seemed to be more pronounced here. In her first scene she talks about she and her husband having drifted apart after their adult child left home, and there’s such sadness to her. She’s beautifully played by Collin Wilcox: a name and face I instantly associate with her relatively small role as the ichthyologist who measured the bites on the dead Orca in Jaws 2, and gave Brody some key information which would prove useful at film’s end.

Following a meeting with Janus, Ruth is hospitalised after taking a cocktail of tablets and booze - with a degree of ambiguity over whether this was an accident or a suicide attempt. And in the hospital waiting room, after he’s paid Ruth a visit, there’s a brilliantly raw scene where Columbo becomes angry towards Janus, and is completely direct with him. It’s an unexpectedly emotional moment for him.

It’s different from his coffee pot banging outburst in A Stitch In Crime. Here, it feels very much as though he’s speaking to Janus man to man, as someone who cares about seeing a human being treated so poorly. It’s a wonderful performance from both actors and because Columbo has now shown his hand it really elevates the stakes of this episode. There’s no bumbling or innuendo. Columbo makes clear his understanding of Janus’s guilt and states his intention to bring him to justice. And Janus in turn essentially tells him that he’ll never be able to prove it. It’s a true “game on” moment and it means there’s a lot riding on the Gotcha.

The Gotcha itself seems almost underwhelming because it’s actually a series of things that we’ve been shown through the entire episode. Yes, the shoelaces are the “main” thrust of the Gotcha, but there’s the coffee stain on the carpet and the burn on Janus’s arm; the cut-and-spliced answering machine message; the scuff marks from the brown shows; the conversation Janus claimed to have with Janus saying he was in his gym gear… the list goes on. No single clue is definitive enough to nail Janus, but put it all together and it shows the same consistency of writing seen in the entire episode. Janus knows he’s defeated in that moment, and that’s all I needed to see. Best of all, the Gotcha is prefaced by the immortal line:

I’ll tell you how you did it, if you’re interested.

continued...​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

An Exercise In Fatality

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Peter S. Fischer’s writing is not only nuanced, clever and darkly dramatic, but it’s balanced out with some absolute gems of humorous dialogue and light character moments - some of which I suspect were also enhanced by Peter Falk’s delivery and perhaps also his ability to ad lib.

There’s his phone call to Mrs Columbo at the beginning of the episode, where they sort out arrangements over family members who are coming to eat. We hear his side of the conversation as his wife talks over concerns over what food to prepare. He suggests spaghetti but so and so can’t eat it because she’s on a diet, which Columbo feels is silly. None of it is really needed to the plot (though it does move his mind towards the chinese food Stafford had eaten) but it’s just full of character and warmth.

And there's the post-beach-run sequence where a sweaty, out of breath Columbo speaks to Janus who is energetically continuing his exercise routine in his garden and pool. As he speaks, Columbo takes off his shoes and inspects the sand inside. Then the direction gets on board with this little character moment as we see Columbo from behind, holding the shoe behind his back and covertly pouring the sand onto Janus’s bedding plants.

Another nice directional moment is where Ruth throws her drink in Janus’s face in the restaurant. There’s a nice subjective shot where Ruth throws it directly at the camera before we see it land on Janus. It must have taken a few goes and at least two different setups. Better yet, there’s a nice response from someone ono a table in the background who apparently also got some of the drink on him, and we see him take a napkin and start dabbing the arm of his suit. I do like when background characters are aware of characters acting dramatically and react to them, rather than continuing their rhubarbing as if nothing has happened.

My favourite scene of the entire episode may surprise, because it’s prolonged and ultimately not really necessary at all: it’s Columbo’s visit to Tricon Industries. Susan Jacoby is perfect as the crisply efficient receptionist who initially tries to dismiss Columbo several times, before telling him off for not informing her sooner that he’s on police business. When he asks for an ex-employee's address she then proceeds to print out an entire file which takes several minutes. We stay with Columbo in real time as he reacts to the receptionist and the whirring machine. There’s a moment a couple of minutes in where it stops and he leans forward hopefully, only for the printer to start again. It’s a wry statement on old technology versus new, and how progress and efficiency is often neither. He simply wants an address, but there’s nothing simple about how it’s provided, and the receptionist will brook no criticism of her ultra modern system. The whole scene is a masterclass in how to get across the frustration of red tape and Peter Falk gets to do his thing for five minutes straight. His facial expressions - ranging from amused to exasperated - are just wonderful.

Even the intense Gotcha has a brilliant Columboism where he reaches into a bag for a piece of evidence, and first pulls out a small plastic bag and mutters that it’s his lunch and not to pay any attention to that. It’s a tiny moment, but it’s just enough to tickle the ribs.

Oh, and there’s also the gym’s quirky jingle playing over the end credits, which feels very ahead of its time.

 

[Angela Channing]

I knew that was the way they'd aired in the States, but I had no idea that ITV had kept the "wheel series" format when originally airing them, so that's fascinating to me.

Incidentally, I've never watched any of the other series you mention being in rotation with Columbo. Even looking at all fourteen series that were part of the rotation during Columbo's original run I think the only one I've seen anything of (apart from Columbo) is Quincy, M.E. And even there, I don't think I've watched an entire episode. I remember I occasionally caught the end of it during daytime repeats, so it must have been on before something I wanted to see.

If they have the quality of Columbo, perhaps I could seek some of them out.

I only have a vague memory of these show because I was only about 7 when they were first broadcast. My memory of Columbo is good because it has been repeated often since its first screening.

Of the Tuesday Mystery Movies, I recall liking McMillan and Wife the most and Tenafly (very rare to see a black actor in the lead role in a TV series in the 1970s) but I don't remember much about the content of either show and I have no recollection of the other shows. I didn't realise Quincy was part of this group of shows and when it became a full blown series in its own right, it went out at 9pm on Monday which was too late for me as by then I was in junior school.

On Saturdays, McCloud was ok but I was always disappointed when it was on because I preferred to see Columbo which I thought was the better show.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Of the Tuesday Mystery Movies, I recall liking McMillan and Wife the most and Tenafly (very rare to see a black actor in the lead role in a TV series in the 1970s) but I don't remember much about the content of either show

I'm sidetracking a little bit here, but my main association with McMillan & Wife is from a one-off comedy starring Leonard Rossiter. His character drops in on a family who are watching television, and the main plot revolves around him becoming convinced he's seen Burt Reynolds in the episode of McMillan & Wife they're watching, while everyone else knows he's wrong.

It sounds daft, and it is. But it's also brilliantly written and performed. The episode was part of a series of TV pilots - all written by Galton & Simpson - and I'd love to have seen a series based on this. It seems a bit like a precursor to The Royle Family:

 

[Angela Channing]

An Exercise In Fatality

I really like this episode because I thought the way the murderer tried to cover his crime by putting the barbell over the victims throat was clever, Columbo's observations and detective work were superb and clue with the shoe lace was a good one. The interactions between Columbo and the murderer were great too. Whereas in other episodes these scenes show a mutual respect between Columbo and the murderer, this time they show how much they irritated each other almost to the point of the contempt they had for each other.

Even the intense Gotcha has a brilliant Columboism where he reaches into a bag for a piece of evidence, and first pulls out a small plastic bag and mutters that it’s his lunch and not to pay any attention to that. It’s a tiny moment, but it’s just enough to tickle the ribs.

Those little moments of cosy humour is what makes Columbo so watchable. It provides just the right amount of light relief to contrast with the seriousness of the murder investigation.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I thought the way the murderer tried to cover his crime by putting the barbell over the victims throat was clever

Same here. He'd obviously thought it through because of the object he used to crush his victim's throat which was very similar in width to the barbell.

Columbo's observations and detective work were superb

Yes. Even by series standards the thread of deductions throughout was really impressive.

The interactions between Columbo and the murderer were great too. Whereas in other episodes these scenes show a mutual respect between Columbo and the murderer, this time they show how much they irritated each other almost to the point of the contempt they had for each other.

Definitely. By the time Columbo vented his spleen in the hospital waiting room it felt like all bets were off.

Those little moments of cosy humour is what makes Columbo so watchable. It provides just the right amount of light relief to contrast with the seriousness of the murder investigation.

It's done so well, and I'd say it's all down to Peter Falk.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Negative Reaction

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I feel fortunate that I don’t have any strong association with roles when it comes to Dick Van Dyke. There’s his terrible Cockney accent in Mary Poppins, of course. But he looks (and sounds, mercifully) so different in this role I don’t even think of him as the same person. The only thing I think of on seeing him is Return To Eden’s Dr Dan Marshall who has a similar groomed and bearded silver-haired daddy thing going on.

I must confess I went into this episode with higher-than-usual expectations, knowing it’s viewed as a Premier Leaguer. Once again, though, that piqued my interest and I was curious to see if the reason for its placement would became apparent to me as it went along.

A good first act for me runs between 15 and 25 minutes, and this hit the sweet spot in the middle of that, with twenty or so minutes passing before Columbo arrived on the scene. I appreciated taking the time to see Paul Galesko’s plan take shape, especially as it was a particularly detailed one involving a fake kidnapping, purchase of property, breaking and entering and framing an ex-con for both the kidnap and murder.

A little like Ruth Stafford in the previous episode, Galesko’s wife Frances is shown to be sozzled before noon, and has apparently drifted apart from her husband, echoing both Ruth Stafford and A Friend In Deed’s Margaret Halperin. Also like Margaret, Frances is more valuable to her husband dead than alive and an intricate plan is developed to make the death look like it’s at the hands of a known criminal.

Ruth, though, was a most sympathetic character. Margaret was shown to be sad about the distance between she and her husband. Not so with Frances Galesko. On face value she is perhaps the most disagreeable character ever to grace the screen on this series.

Granted, we only see Frances interact with husband Paul, and it’s clear their marriage is in bad way. But every line she utters at him positively drips with bile. Her tone and her words are loaded with criticism after criticism and she appears to care nothing for him. It’s easy to get a sense of Paul’s entrapment living in an atmosphere of psychological warfare.

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