Day 264: Columbo, Undercover

Show: Columbo

Episode Particulars: S10EP9, “Undercover”, original airdate May 2^nd, 1994.

 Summary: While investigating a double homicide, Columbo and the other investigator, Brown (Harrison Page) discover that the men killed each other over a piece of a photograph. As they’re trying to puzzle it over, insurance investigator Irving Krutch (Ed Begley Jr.) arrives in the precinct and tells them about a bank robbery several years ago where all the thieves were killed, but four million dollars still went missing. Now Krutch has picked up the trail of the money, having figured out that the robbers cut up a photograph showing the location of the cash and gave the eight pieces to various loved ones. Intrigued, Columbo and Brown convince their captain to let them look for the other pieces, even if it involves them driving all over town and interacting with criminals. And that’s before Columbo gets injured in the line of duty.

Standalone Thoughts: This is another Columbo episode that deviates from formula, which may bother some people but works just fine for me. Yes, part of this is because it provides some variety after seeing sixty-two somewhat similar episodes in rapid succession, but I think I’d still enjoy this episode even if I was watching the show at a more reasonable pace. This is because the plot is basically a glorified treasure hunt, and I love things like that. I enjoy figuring out clues and looking in unlikely places for the next one, so watching someone else do it is almost as pleasurable for me. If you have similar tastes, then you’ll probably have a good time too.

I also ultimately like the fact that Columbo goes undercover and has to act differently than usual, even going so far as to wear different clothes and drive a different car. It lets Falk stretch his range, and he does a pretty good job of it too. And while he’s saying and doing things he doesn’t normally do, he never seems wildly out of character, so at least there’s a little consistency despite the unusual material.

Really, what the episode most reminds me of is noir, where someone gets pulled into something that runs deeper than they thought, and they need to rely on their skills and toughness to survive. Given that I love noir too, I’m more than happy to see it pop up in something else I like. I wouldn’t like Columbo to be like this all the time, but as a brief deviation from the norm? I’m wholly supportive.

Number of “Columbo-isms”: A definite 4/6, and I’m on the fence about “Just one more thing”. Columbo does say “one more thing”, but it’s not in the usual circumstances, so I’ll leave it up to you to decide if it should count or not. What does count is the car, “This Old Man” on the soundtrack, a glimpse of Dog right at the very end, and some subtle, mostly offscreen fumbling in one scene. I’m a little surprised Columbo never mentioned his wife, especially since he had to leave her to go undercover, but what do I know?

Other: *I do kind of like how blasé the landlady is when she hears the shots that kick off the adventure. It’s a great way to convey information about her and her situation without drawing too much attention to it. Well done there.

*When Columbo and Brown are sitting at a desk discussing the double homicide, look carefully and you’ll see that Columbo appears to be drinking coffee from a measuring cup. It fits with Columbo’s nature, but it’s still an odd choice. Where did he even get a measuring cup at the police station, anyway?

*After sixty-three episodes, we finally get a cat in Columbo, when a cat runs out of someone’s office when Brown sneaks in to investigate. While I won’t say no to a cat appearance, I have to admit that the cat blatantly only exists for a jump scare, because there’s no plausible reason for why the cat would be in the office, especially since we never see it again. Still, it’s a cat. I’ll take what I can get.

Would This Hold Up in Court?: Like “No Time to Die”, the case in this episode is very different from Columbo’s usual fare, but based on what we saw, I’m going to say no. Columbo does have evidence, but it’s not the strongest thing I’ve seen. Besides, given the activities we see on display (breaking into an art gallery, frameups, etc.), I’m guessing the courts are going to be less than thrilled. Glad to have the money, but unhappy nevertheless.