Jack Cassidy. Lots to enjoy here.
- Columbo appears without his trademark raincoat for most of this episode. His wife has given him a new one. He hates it, but wears it nonetheless. Amusingly, we see him repeatedly try to ‘lose’ it.
- Bob Dishy is back for a second appearance as our hero’s sidekick. Great comic timing and wondering chemistry with Peter Falk.
- This is one of the most elaborate/complex murders we’ve ever seen on the show. There are many elements to the planning and execution. The first twenty minutes of the story play like an episode of Mission: Impossible. And they are fun to watch. It’s also a lot of fun watching Columbo work his way through the various elements, one by one. In fact, there is more than enough material in this to full out the running time. It’s possibly the only entry in the series that could have even been a half-hour longer!
- The scene with the handcuffs is a highpoint in the entire series. And from that point onwards the gloves are off, and the two men are dueling quite openly.
