This one's not as much fun as I remembered it to be. Some typical 'Columbo moments' just didn't come off right, which is a rare thing for me to say about Peter Falk's acting, because I think that's mainly where the problem lies. The bunch of happy house-mates (gathering round, singing 'Kumbaya') and the monkey were no great addition either. Jamie Rose's contribution was only so-so, even if she's easy on the eyes. But Gary Kroeger and especially Rip Torn made this episode still a pretty good one. Torn's interpretation of yet another sleazy murdering Columbo scumbag was a mere delight to witness.
The plot had a lot of potential, but it drowned farther and farther into the quicksand of whimsical and / or far-fetched details. This is particularly regrettable, since the ending partly had the right idea of playing out the two baddies against each other.
A small 7 out of 10, mostly thanks to Rip Torn's terrific performance.
The plot had a lot of potential, but it drowned farther and farther into the quicksand of whimsical and / or far-fetched details. This is particularly regrettable, since the ending partly had the right idea of playing out the two baddies against each other.
A small 7 out of 10, mostly thanks to Rip Torn's terrific performance.