It’s established here that Lt. Columbo is afraid of flying. We see him getting nervous in both a helicopter and a light plane. Let’s see if this trait shows up again.
Columbo himself, is more dishevelled and “lived-in” than on his previous outing, and shaping up to be the character that springs to mind when his name is mentioned. The hair is fuller and more tousled. The raincoat practically permanently worn. The green cigar is in hand. Pens are regularly misplaced or fumbled for.
There’s a really nice bit of business when Leslie’s stepdaughter Margaret - convinced of Leslie’s guilt - comes to find him eating chilli at a cafe where he’s evidently a regular and he seems to struggle to divert his attention from his spicy lunch. “The crackers make the dish”, he tells her profoundly as he breaks them and sprinkles them on.
As Margaret, Patricia Mattick is great. Seething with teenage hot-blooded rage. So keen to prove her stepmother’s guilt that she fakes evidence. Something on which she is quickly pulled up by Columbo. The red hair and round granny glasses put me in mind of Batgirl’s alter ego Barbara Gordon in her initial comics appearances. Or perhaps Lucy Ewing’s friend Muriel Willis. But once again it’s the redhead connected to the murderer that proves their undoing when Columbo persuades her to help with a setup. As with the previous episode, the setup seemed very elaborate for a police Lieutenant to arrange. Inappropriate, even. And this time I’m slightly less convinced that Leslie would have fallen for it quite so easily. But all involved sell the idea.
Lee Grant is great in her role. Quite glam but also cool and calculating (visually, she kept reminding me of a number of different people - from Fenella Fielding to Stefanie Powers to Dana Delany). She excels in this kind of role that balances light and dark - Damian: Omen II springs to mind, and makes a worth adversary for Columbo. Once again, there's a scene in which the two share a cosy drink despite their battle, and I loved the respect that came across.
As in the Telefilm, the sets are gorgeous and Richard Irving's direction is superb, with are some truly cinematic moments. The murder itself - with the moment of the gun blast being frozen still in time as the camera moved round - looked incredible. My favourite moment of the entire picture was a dissolve from Leslie’s face to a car driving at night, with the car headlights appearing to shine from her eyes. There’s a lot of work that’s gone into making this look so good.
With the speedy opening act and the slightly convenient denouement I found this a less compelling episode than Prescription: Murder. But it’s certainly still a very good episode, which gives us a Columbo who feels closer to the finished article and some important character details - from the crackers on chilli to the fear of flying - that help set the tone for a terrific series.
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Anything to get the suspects to relax and think of Columbo as a slow-witted fanboy.
