Leonard Nimoy on Columbo
When it comes to selecting the all time best Columbo episodes, it would be difficult to select an episode other than "A Stitch in Crime," th brilliant Columbo episode that pits the rumpled detective against a brilliant surgeon who has committed not one - but two - murders and is in the process of committing a third.
This episode debuted in 1972 and followed a series of dull and boring episodes present in the 1972 season. what makes this episode stand out above the rest is the fact that it does not follow formula as much as it breaks the formula and provides a villian who is one step ahead of Columbo.
In the plot, Nimoy plans to kill a rival surgeon in order to take over his work. His plan is brilliant: he operates on the heart valve of his rival and used "dissolving" sutchers. This way, the rival will die of an apparent heart attack leaving no trace back to Nimoy. When a distrustful nurse learns of this scheme, Nimoy murders her in a manner to suggest she was robbed by a junkie. Of course, Columbo wonders why a drug crazed murderer would wear gloves to hide his fingerprints...and this leads him to suspect Nimoy.
A Meeting of the minds.
What makes this interesting is that unline other villians, Nimoy totally thwarts Colombo's intuitive powers of reasoning and deduction. In short, as smart as Colombo is. our murderous surgeon is just a tad smarter and just a little bit ahead of him. This frustrates Colombo to the point where he slams his fists into Nimoy's desk and states "I KNOW YOU DiD IT!" This is the only time in the series Colombo loses control and it is an effective scene.
You REALLY, REALLY hate the character Nimoy plays.
Nimoy as the devious Dr. Barry Mayfield
It is fun to see Nimoy in the role of a villian. He was coming off the lukewarm reception to STAR TREK's network run, but the series was gaining tremendous momentum in syndication. (By 1975, the program would amass a following significantly greater than what it had during its network run....oh...any by the way....Willian Shatner would appear twice as a Columbo villian...once during the original run and once during the revived run in the 1990's. Both episodes were great) Would this episode have been as popular had it not featured the cult favorite Leonard Nimoy? Probably not. He is just too good in this role.
This is my favorite Columbo episode. Maybe I'll get around some day to reviewing my scond fav - the classic Donald Pleasance mystery. But, until then, I think i may rewatch this one. It is a MASTERPIECE of 1970's cop programming.
This episode debuted in 1972 and followed a series of dull and boring episodes present in the 1972 season. what makes this episode stand out above the rest is the fact that it does not follow formula as much as it breaks the formula and provides a villian who is one step ahead of Columbo.
In the plot, Nimoy plans to kill a rival surgeon in order to take over his work. His plan is brilliant: he operates on the heart valve of his rival and used "dissolving" sutchers. This way, the rival will die of an apparent heart attack leaving no trace back to Nimoy. When a distrustful nurse learns of this scheme, Nimoy murders her in a manner to suggest she was robbed by a junkie. Of course, Columbo wonders why a drug crazed murderer would wear gloves to hide his fingerprints...and this leads him to suspect Nimoy.
A Meeting of the minds.
What makes this interesting is that unline other villians, Nimoy totally thwarts Colombo's intuitive powers of reasoning and deduction. In short, as smart as Colombo is. our murderous surgeon is just a tad smarter and just a little bit ahead of him. This frustrates Colombo to the point where he slams his fists into Nimoy's desk and states "I KNOW YOU DiD IT!" This is the only time in the series Colombo loses control and it is an effective scene.
You REALLY, REALLY hate the character Nimoy plays.
Nimoy as the devious Dr. Barry Mayfield
It is fun to see Nimoy in the role of a villian. He was coming off the lukewarm reception to STAR TREK's network run, but the series was gaining tremendous momentum in syndication. (By 1975, the program would amass a following significantly greater than what it had during its network run....oh...any by the way....Willian Shatner would appear twice as a Columbo villian...once during the original run and once during the revived run in the 1990's. Both episodes were great) Would this episode have been as popular had it not featured the cult favorite Leonard Nimoy? Probably not. He is just too good in this role.
This is my favorite Columbo episode. Maybe I'll get around some day to reviewing my scond fav - the classic Donald Pleasance mystery. But, until then, I think i may rewatch this one. It is a MASTERPIECE of 1970's cop programming.
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