Just One More Thing: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo

Notes and screenshots for Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo: Originally broadcast on March 31, 1990, starring Helen Shaver, future cocksucker-sayer Ian McShane, Teresa Ganzel who I just feel has played a LOT of characters named "Didi" in the course of her career and, of course, Peter Falk as Columbo.

"A woman who blames both her business partner and Lt. Columbo for the loss of her husband, who died in prison serving a manslaughter sentence after an arrest by Columbo, murders the business partner, and sets her sights on Columbo's wife."

-IMDB Summary

"Hopefully, “Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo” will put lie to the “There is no Mrs. Columbo” conspiracy theories out there. Because, in this one, someone actually tries to take out the Lieutenant’s wife! Helen Shaver plays Vivian DiMitri, a crooked real estate agent whose husband was sent to the pen by Columbo a few years ago. The guy died in the joint, so she kills her boss (who may have ratted the husband out), mostly to bring Columbo into the case. Her grand plan to take down Columbo? Find his wife’s favorite type of toast spread, apparently. Illustrator Stevie VanBronkhorst (@spoolses)is here to help Jon and RJ make some sense of all of this. Also, we all learn a bit about the wonderful town of Warrenton, Virginia."

-RJ's episode summary

Listen to the original podcast episode here:

Episode 32: A Cold Supper, a Hot Tub and Bed with our guest Stevie VanBronkhorst.

Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo

Season 9, Episode #4

Director: Vincent McEveety

Writer: Peter S. Fischer

What an unfortunate misfire of an episode. There were so many intriguing ideas bouncing around in this one – the fake funeral, the Rashomon-style storytelling, the audible internal dialogue of the supporting cast, the wronged spouse returning to avenge herself on Columbo – but nothing came together fluently, or even coherently for the most part. 

Additionally, it’s something of a waste of talent. Did we know that Ian McShane was a great actor back in 1990? Or had he not yet received a sufficiently toothy role to exploit his talents? Mostly, prior to Deadwood, I remember him from Lovejoy, an episode of Space 1999 and If It’s Tuesday This Must Be Belgium. I also know that he played a character with the relentlessly British name of Edwin Clutterbuck on Magnum PI once, but that’s neither here nor there.

Ditto to be said of Roscoe Lee Brown, by the way, who would have made for an INCREDIBLE murderer on some episode. A genuine missed opportunity.

One thing which definitely spoke in the episode’s favor was the introduction of young detectives to act as sounding boards for Columbo’s advice. We encounter a lot of them in the 90s episodes, and we should – Lt.Columbo would basically be an elder statesman of the LAPD Homicide Dept at this point, the rookies would be nuts not to constantly pick his brains. Still, the revolving door of assistant cops is to the concept’s detriment, since we’re robbed of evolving characterization – only Columbo should be unknowable and unchanging. If EVERY cop on the force has an unseen wife and an occluded internal life, then Columbo is the rule rather than the enjoyable exception…

Next episode: Uneasy Lies the Crown