I found this episode to be utterly confusing. I thought the writing was so bad that after I viewed the episode, I checked the Internet to see if it had been written during one of Hollywood's periodic writer's strikes. (No, it wasn't.) The episode was so confusing - even to Rockford and Dennis - that it almost seemed like a spoof. The ending - coming out of nowhere (in my opinion) - was just bizarre. The acting, throughout, seemed almost tongue-in-cheek, going beyond - or falling short of - the typical Rockford humor.
Part of the confusion stems from the fact that the key events occurred many years ago. Several prime characters are referenced, but never shown - they are long dead. It is difficult to keep the names straight because some of the primary players in the story are never seen. The genesis of the story goes back several hundred years, and the telling of the story - by some French detectives - bores and exasperates even Rockford and Dennis. The worst Rockford episode ever.