Very nice video and like many of the people here I started watching Columbo when I was young. The first episode I ever watched was the one where he finds the victim walled up and in a mink coat bag because she has an electronic pager around her wrist that beeps. After that I was hooked and watched every single episode. What's funny is I saw the original episodes after the 80s ones and I didn't like them very much at first. But once I gave them a chance I actually thought they were superior to the 80s episodes. And now I am off to eat some chili.

Great review ! Yes. This was more like the old formula Columbo episodes. Ending could have been better.

Excellent review! I like how Falk played different characters. But there were slow parts. It did show police work can be dangerous.

I think you're really neat :-)

Thank you. Brilliant analysis.

I've only seen clips of this episode so I don't know in detail how the gun mechanism was able to work. I do know that the hood of the truck would've needed to be propped open in order to video and fire accurately. And the sound from Rowe's car door opener would've needed a transmitter to send the sound the to the mechanism in the parking garage.

superb review ,great soundtrack by David Shire ,gritty movie

My parents (dad, really) loved his tv detectives and changed my life with Jim Rockford, Perry Mason & Columbo. Now that’s he’s older and sicker it gives me immense pleasure showing him how to stream Columbo on his smart tv. And I’ve re-discovered the show’s magic for myself.

1:49 ... hilarious scene with the "California smog board" scam on the 2 goons. "We're conducting a survey and congratulations these cars are all in fine shape" lol... Rockford to Hayes: "Get your foot out of my door or you'll be getting it back in the mail" lol..

Thanks for another fine video! I always enjoy your reviews and look forward to them. 😃👍

I always enjoyed this episode because it had an element of tongue and cheek. Lou Gossett and James Garner had a great chemistry together. The show really works even though the plot is a little light. I enjoyed it enough to agree with you.

Does "narrow 4 out of 5" mean that it just missed being a 5, or that it's barely above a 3?

While he was having dinner at his house, what was it that he poured in the cup, out of the capsule?

Enemy Mine! Good movie with Lou Gosset.

7:09 ... having recently lost both parents 1 year apart in the past year I can assure you there were a few tears shed. Definitely a different chapter in life with no siblings to deal with the grief and loss. Lowest point ever that no one can prepare for but everyone goes thru at some point and it's rough. These shows and reviews help to take my mind off things and ease the pain. Good episode and review.

One important element was the fact the episodes were 90 minutes long and not the 1-hour format.

What hit me totally off guard were the last few seconds of the episode. Wow. I just caught up to you in my viewings because of a broken hand, thankfully I have some good old shows to watch ;)

That was a very interesting review of "Where's Houston?" to be honest, I never looked at that episode that closely. For some reason I sort of skip it whenever I'm watching my series DVD's. But now knowing your perspective, I'm gonna have to watch it again.

Another tight review. Tysm!

I remember enjoying this episode. Thanks for your review! 👍

When I was a kid I watched Maverick and I wanted James Garner to be my dad. Still do.

Once developed, there is absolutely no reason to return the negative to the camera. Never, ever done. Would make the camera unusable for loading a new roll of film. Columbo should know this, photographer would never do this, and anyone who owned a camera that required film knew this. Completely contrived episode is written around this stupidity, making the whole thing a waste of time.

But the sculpture is clearly a crane not comerant.

Peter Falk is Colombo. The magic can never be duplicated!

This is one of the episodes on my list of episodes that I put on frequently whenever I'm a little bit busy or working at my desk and I just need company. When I look up, I immediately know where it is in the show and what's going on. William Daniels is amazing and he is also in a future episode where he is equally smarmy. I think in the end when Jim gets screwed out of the recovery, it was their theme of Jim always getting screwed out of the bonuses and recoveries. So it just made for a little bit more humorous ending if the insurance company blamed Jim for the destruction of the originals because he was the purchaser. I totally get what you're saying. Anyway, great review. Again, I can't tell you how it pleases me that you love all the episodes that I do, mostly. 😜

Well done! Thank you! 👍

This is in my top 5 Rockford episodes. I think the story (and screenplay) is brilliant. Drama, mystery, with humour over the smashing of priceless bird sculptures. This is also my favourite William Daniels role. He's absolutely brilliant here, as one believes he is the person that he's playing. Obviously this isn't one of his big claims to fame... but it's still my favourite role. He plays a brilliant ass in Rockford's "So Help Me God"... but it still doesn't compare to his work in this one.

Milt Kogan as one of the bad guys.

After being married, I can understand why he would want to k!ll her.

Shatner’s character reminded me of Rush Limbaugh who was popular back then.

I believe that Millie wanted to assist the son with his school bills to assuage her lingering guilt. Even though she went along with the plot, she wasn't a monster like Jerry.

I enjoyed your review! Thank you!

It's funny. I don't disagree at all with your assessment of "in hazard" because it starts off as if it's a vehicle for Beth, but then it turns into a vehicle for Jim and the stakes are convoluted. But like you said it was an entertaining distraction which had quite a bit of comedy and one shocking moment. When Dennis and Jim go to the prison hospital ward to see Beth, the matron says "she's not with us anymore." And they have to press her before she tells them that Beth was poisoned and that she's been transferred. Poor Rocky. He was a bit of a shadow in this episode. Good work!

If Columbo is speaking to you, you know you've f***** up

Thank you for another great review!

7:09 ... absolutely. The cast was so good and overall a great episode i.e. the money drop-off sting at the end.

Joey blue eyes is one of those episodes that grew on me. I used to skip it when I was watching the Rockford Files DVDs and I started to watch it and pay a little more attention to it, which helped me appreciate it a little bit more. But the scene where Joey and Jim come out of the restaurant and Joey pulls a gun and kills Jim is, to me, a great rouse. It does the job that they intended to do because Stryker's stoolie goes running back to him with the shocking news. In a way it's a pivotal moment in the episode. Also I loved that Beth was in this episode and had a lot more to do regarding the law. It gave her some creds. Good show.

Really good episode and one of the better ones from the earlier seasons. The con Rockford pulled at Biometrix to get info was great to watch, he is a master at that and was brilliant..... 8:10 Cynthia Sikes played in a Columbo episode "Now You See Him" with Jack Cassidy and she was quite easy on the eyes. Later on St. Elsewhere in '82 and on many other shows.

Solid episode and review and the great cast made it even better with Reiner branching out to play a different role. But he will forever be known as Meathead.

I think I hear a dog in the background 😄

Man I used to watch Colombo back in the early 70s with my dad in the living room. When I was a kid, I have watched every single one of Colombo’s episodes, and it never gets boring , I wish I could have met Colombo before he sadly passed away in 2011 😞

Enlightening review, as always. Thank you! Nevertheless, I love this episode, and it's the first that pops up on my mind when I think of the second run. Maybe it's because I like the color palette a bit more saturated. Also, I loved Fisher Stevens's big presence and his interactions with Columbo. All on all, even with rhe flaws properly pointed out in this review, this episode's fun factor is high for me, so I'd give it 4 or even 5 cigars.

"Portrait of Elisabeth" is one of my most favorite episodes. You get to see the remnants of a relationship between Jim and Beth, and also how Beth feels about Jim. Like you said, we also see that Jim has deeper feelings for Beth than he lets on. I actually believe that Beth is in love with Jim while Jim, on the other hand, is not in love with Beth but does love her very much. I think it is a great episode. Again, it's always about the characters, with the case in the backstory. As always.. I'm so glad you enjoyed it and found it to be a 5 out of 5.

Just some feedback - your voice sounds very tinny here. eg. "Columbo - A Trace of Murder Review - S13E02 " sounds way more comfortable. maybe it's the wild hair? ;)

Well done! I enjoyed your review. I also enjoyed this episode.

I remember Patrick McGoohan in the movie Silver Streak when Richard Pryor pulled a gun on him. That scene always cracks me up.😄

I forgot about Boss Hog😄

I enjoy the final bit of dialogue, in which Columbo is at once busting the murderer and genuinely wants to get the man’s opinion on the Lieutenant’s cooking. “Lieutenant - I wish you had been a chef.” “I understand, sir.”

$200.00 a day plus expenses. James Garner was a man who did his own fight scenes, drove the cars himself, and had the viewers tuning in to see it. I enjoy to this day that twinkle in his smile.

The portrait in the room is Mrs Melville, from the Murder by the Book episode.