07:30 Columbo
09:30 90210
Columbo. Episode 12. "The Most Crucial Game" Very enjoyable. There's no real cat-and-mouse game, but we get to see lots of great Columbo moments where we see him noticing things and react while nobody is watching him. This episode also boasts one of the very best endings. The ending is moderately clever and satisfying, but the way it is shot and edited raises it up towards being magnificent. The revelation is followed by no dialogue, just multiple close-ups and silence until the eventual fade to black.
Robert Culp returns to the show to play the killer again, but he and Peter Falk share very few scenes. Instead, the rumpled detective behaves more like a typical TV detective and spends a lot of his time with other people: a football coach (James Gregory), a private eye (Val Avery) and a prostitute (Valerie Harper). All three guest stars are terrific and these scenes allow us to see another side of Columbo: the tough detective. He's not bumbling with he lays a trap for the pi or when he forces the call girl to give him some info. And every step of the way he's the clever observer we know and love. This movie is filled with great Columbo moments (the water, the telephone, the off-switch, the clock). Time and time we see that this is a clever guy and we root for him.
90210. Episode 6. "Model Behavior" Some elements are good, but most of this one is plastic nonsense. Only in the crazy world of 90210 could this happen: a fashion photographer desperately needs Debbie's help for a fashion shoot/show and - soon - all the kids are involved. Nonsense. Normally I will accept this if the she can throw something good into the mix, but there is little to enjoy in this one. Best bits? The Kelly/Brenda fight over Dylan, Adrianna's problems and the stuff between Naomi and her boyfriend. Their break-up scene in the car was wonderfully underplayed and rather heartbreaking. The show needs more of this and less of the "I desperately need your help with this fashion show" crap.
Highlight? Columbo (clever hero)
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Sat, Oct 4, 08 - Columbo, 90210
