This is one of the best 1989+ Columbos because it relies on that old standby of the 1970s classic era, a great performance by a heralded movie actor, this time Rod Steiger. Columbo's interactions with the mob chieftain and his utilizing him to get a confession out of the murderer are nothing short of fantastic.
Additionally, the double murder plot is very reminiscent of the Columbo halcyon days gone by. I mean, couldn't you just picture Jack Cassidy in the George Wendt role? And while many of the 1990s era episodes involved slip ups in the use or proof in the form of the technology of the time, there is none of that here. Wendt's mistakes are small and not definitive; as in the good old days, they are just enough to make Columbo suspicious and he then has to rely on his guile and wits to get the murderer to incriminate himself; in this case revealing where the most crucial piece of evidence is hidden.
And reviewers who claim that it is out of character for Columbo to use less than honest methods to trap his prey must not be familiar with a few of the very best Columbo episodes like A Friend in Deed, Death Lends a Hand and Negative Reaction. Basically, once his instincts convince him who the killer is, he would do just about anything to see the case through. In fact, Columbo admits to pretty much exactly that in the 1989's Columbo Goes to College.
All and all, an extremely entertaining later entry in the series which hearkens back to the golden years.
Additionally, the double murder plot is very reminiscent of the Columbo halcyon days gone by. I mean, couldn't you just picture Jack Cassidy in the George Wendt role? And while many of the 1990s era episodes involved slip ups in the use or proof in the form of the technology of the time, there is none of that here. Wendt's mistakes are small and not definitive; as in the good old days, they are just enough to make Columbo suspicious and he then has to rely on his guile and wits to get the murderer to incriminate himself; in this case revealing where the most crucial piece of evidence is hidden.
And reviewers who claim that it is out of character for Columbo to use less than honest methods to trap his prey must not be familiar with a few of the very best Columbo episodes like A Friend in Deed, Death Lends a Hand and Negative Reaction. Basically, once his instincts convince him who the killer is, he would do just about anything to see the case through. In fact, Columbo admits to pretty much exactly that in the 1989's Columbo Goes to College.
All and all, an extremely entertaining later entry in the series which hearkens back to the golden years.