Columbo: Dead Weight Rewatch

August 21, 2014 7:06 PM - Season 1, Episode 3

In which Eddie Albert (Oklahoma!, Dreamscape, Green Acres) is a charismatic general who shoots a military contractor, and Suzanne Pleshette (The Bob Newhart Show, The Birds) is the sole witness. Boating ensues.
posted by condour75 (5 comments total)

Something I kept thinking while watching this is that the main witness was going to be a love interest at some point, but no, of course not because it's Columbo. That's such a staple episodic detective fiction that it's almost unnerving (though not bad) to not see it happen.
posted by codacorolla at 7:12 PM on August 21, 2014 [2 favorites]

So happy to see "Columbo" on FanFare! I've been Netflixing my way through the first season this year*, so this particular episode is a bit dim in memory, but I may go back and review if this is going to be a regular feature.

I do remember somebody making a cute joke about Columbus/Columbo.



*(In contrast, I marathonned "McMillan & Wife" during a month-long Rock Hudson binge.)
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:12 AM on August 22, 2014

I didn't like this episode so much. Columbo didn't really do very much - the whole case basically falls into his lap when the body is discovered, and he really shouldn't have needed the House-style tip off that the General was lying about the replica gun. It took way longer than it should have for him to realize a murder even occurred.
posted by zixyer at 9:07 PM on August 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

I found it interesting how Helen throws her lot in with Martin even though she at least lightly suspects him of murder. She doesn’t seem to see herself as having options, and her terrible mother pushes her towards him. Sure, he might be a killer, but any husband is better than none — and he’s rich!
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:41 AM on January 19 [1 favorite]

I'm watching Columbo for the first time and I agree with you, corpse and zixyer. This has been the least enjoyable episode of the five (including the pilots) I've seen. Columbo's only real contribution was understanding that someone as sentimental about his military past wouldn't just move on from losing his signature pistol. However, everything else is just luck. It's enjoyable to watch Columbo sweat the general, though.

And Suzanne Pleshette's character is sad: divorced in an era when that is a kind of social death, combined with a truly awful mother, and romanced by a manipulative murderer. Oof.
posted by riotnrrd at 11:32 AM on February 18