Rating: - The Man In The Rumpled Raincoat
While the first season of "Columbo" featured a more intense, hard-charging detective, the subsequent seasons (including this one) toned down that image. As a result, the lovable character that most of us remember when we think of "Columbo" was born.

For the remainder of the show, the genius of Columbo was not so much how he figures out the crime (although that is the conclusion to each episode), but also the WAY in which he gathers information to form his conclusion. Whether it be talking about his wife (who is always the biggest fan of the celebrity killer), driving his beat up car, or checking all 6-7 jacket pockets to find his notepad, Columbo would portray an air of stupidity, which would inevitably trip up the villain at some point. Also, just Columbo's hand and body gestures (hands raised over head when talking or finger on nose when thinking!) were odd enough to put the villain "at ease", as well as his propensity for asking "just one more thing".

Throughout the second-seventh season of the show, the episodes were quite formulaic (a murder occurs and Columbo must determine how it happened and who is the murderer), but featured the device of letting the audience see the murder being committed. Thus, the focus of the show was placed squarely on Columbo's investigative skills, not our imaginations'. While some episodes drop enough hints to allow viewers to get in tune with Columbo's train of thought, others leave his thrilling conclusion completely up in the air until the very last scene. Either way, Columbo always puts together some sort of miracle detective strategy and comes away victorious!

The acting in the show is also terrific. A few actors (Jack Cassidy, Robert Culp, and Patrick McGoohan) played the murderous villains on multiple occasions, while other episodes contained a "Who's Who" list of celebrity victims. Just to name a few: Eddie Albert, Anne Baxter, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Dick Van Dyke, and Ricardo Montalban.

Overall, "Columbo" is a great mystery show that, despite being at its peak in the 1970s, still resonates today on the strength of Columbo's character. I highly recommend every season of this show to mystery fans, classic TV watchers (for the guest stars), or just those of you who can't stand all the reality TV shows these days and want some television material that will entertain you AND stimulate your mind at the same time!