Due to the very high-quality of the entire Columbo series, the expectation level is always anticipating another 'masterpiece'.
There are many things to like in this episode including great acting, a unusual ending with a measure of human compassion, and likable characters. Peter Falk, as always is masterful.
But I had mixed feelings about this episode, because Columbo really does not ever prove that a murder, rather than a suicide, took place. He has his doubts of course due to some subtle clues (the husband last seen reading a light hearted book, taking a sleeping pill, etc.). But all that Columbo is able to ultimately do here is show that because a 1:45 minute film did not finish until 2 hours had elapsed, then this could've been caused by a break-in-the-film delay, that went unnoticed by former actress Grace Wheeler (and "star") -- because she was busy shooting her husband.
That's quite a leap here because what he has demonstrated is just hypothetical opportunity only, and there is no actual 'evidence' that ever places her in the bedroom, or which connects her to the gun used.
The delay, as someone else pointed out could've been hypothetically caused by any other routine behavior (such going to the bathroom, making mistakes trying to re-splice the film, getting a glass of water, etc.).
Columbo also speculates a motive, but only has the declining health of Wheeler to work with. Yet he knows from this for certain that her husband refused to finance her new show. But how does he know this? If she was dying anyway, then why not just let her enjoy her last months doing what she loved? No motive is proved by this, only speculation.
Yet we see not only Columbo prepared to indict her for murder on this loose bit of speculation, but also convince her loyal dance partner of her guilt as well.
This was a big stretch for me to accept, but it is a very entertaining and well-acted episode.
There are many things to like in this episode including great acting, a unusual ending with a measure of human compassion, and likable characters. Peter Falk, as always is masterful.
But I had mixed feelings about this episode, because Columbo really does not ever prove that a murder, rather than a suicide, took place. He has his doubts of course due to some subtle clues (the husband last seen reading a light hearted book, taking a sleeping pill, etc.). But all that Columbo is able to ultimately do here is show that because a 1:45 minute film did not finish until 2 hours had elapsed, then this could've been caused by a break-in-the-film delay, that went unnoticed by former actress Grace Wheeler (and "star") -- because she was busy shooting her husband.
That's quite a leap here because what he has demonstrated is just hypothetical opportunity only, and there is no actual 'evidence' that ever places her in the bedroom, or which connects her to the gun used.
The delay, as someone else pointed out could've been hypothetically caused by any other routine behavior (such going to the bathroom, making mistakes trying to re-splice the film, getting a glass of water, etc.).
Columbo also speculates a motive, but only has the declining health of Wheeler to work with. Yet he knows from this for certain that her husband refused to finance her new show. But how does he know this? If she was dying anyway, then why not just let her enjoy her last months doing what she loved? No motive is proved by this, only speculation.
Yet we see not only Columbo prepared to indict her for murder on this loose bit of speculation, but also convince her loyal dance partner of her guilt as well.
This was a big stretch for me to accept, but it is a very entertaining and well-acted episode.