History Recap / ColumboS10E11

** Before accusation are actually filed, all a lawyer can do is contest warrants and advise his client when talking to the police. Suspects have no legal basis whatsoever to attempt independent testing of the evidence at this stage, much less demand samples.

Directed by: Vincent McEveety\\

* IncrediblyLamePun: Columbo makes one while telling Clifford how busy he is. In context and with his smirk, it's a veiled threat.
--> '''Columbo''': You know, the first day of a homicide investigation, you wouldn't believe it. It's ''murder''.

* TrustPassword: Howard resets the alarm after letting Patrick in, and gives the correct TrustPassword to the alarm company when they call to make sure everything is fine. That fixes the time of the murder to between 6:19 and 6:24 when someone (Patrick, as it happens) hit the panic button on the alarm.

Directed by: Vincent [=McEveety=]\\

Directed by: Creator/VincentMcEveety\\

Guest Starring: Creator/DavidRasche, Creator/SheraDanese, Creator/BarryCorbin]

* ArtisticLicenseLaw:

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Columbo filches a butt from Clifford's ashtray for comparison to the cigar end found at the crime scene. It isn't the first time Columbo has snatched evidence without a warrant.

* InstantDeathBullet: Howard gets shot once and falls over dead in typical ''Columbo'' style, but it's quite glaring in this instance as he was shot in the stomach. [[AgonizingStomachWound There's basically no way to die ''instantly'' from a bullet in the gut like that]], although one could bleed out in a few minutes if the bullet hit an artery.

Clifford has a second problem that he doesn't know about. His TrophyWife Cathleen (Shera Danese) is having an affair with forensic investigator Patrick Kinsley (David Rasche). Cathleen's pre-nuptial agreement means she gets nothing if she leaves Clifford. Cathleen raises the idea of murder, but Patrick correctly points out that if her husband is murdered the cops will come right after Cathleen. Cathleen then suggests a more clever idea: they murder ''Howard'' and frame Clifford for it.

Lt. Columbo takes the case. He is drawn to Clifford because of Clifford's motive, Clifford's lack of an alibi, and Clifford's inability to produce his gun (Patrick threw it away). Columbo is assisted in the investigation by the head forensic analyst at the LAPD crime lab...Patrick Kinsley.

* INeedAFreakingDrink: "I need a drink, dammit!", bellows Clifford at Cathleen, after he opens his desk to give his gun to Columbo and discovers that his gun isn't there.
* InstantDeathBullet: Howard gets shot once and falls over dead in typical ''Columbo'' style, but it's quite glaring in this instance as he was shot in the stomach. There's basically no way to die ''instantly'' from a bullet in the gut like that, although one could bleed out in a few minutes if the bullet hit an artery.

* MsFanservice: Cathleen in a SexyBacklessOutfit, Cathleen in a nightie, Cathleen wearing nothing but a towel...

Guest Starring: David Rasche, Shera Danese, Barry Corbin]

* WoundedGazelleGambit: This being 1997, Patrick can trick his way into Howard's house by claiming that his car phone went dead and he has to make an urgent call to the hospital.
* YourCheatingHeart: Cathleen and Patrick are having an affair.

Calvert has a second problem that he doesn't know about. His TrophyWife Cathleen (Shera Danese), who hates him, is having an affair with forensic investigator Patrick Kinsley (David Rasche). Cathleen's pre-nuptial agreement means she gets nothing if she leaves Clifford. Cathleen raises the idea of murder, but Patrick correctly points out that if her husband is murdered the cops will come right after Cathleen. Cathleen then suggests a more clever idea: they murder ''Howard'' and frame Clifford for it.

So they do. Patrick, a total stranger to Howard, bluffs his way into Howard's house and shoots him, with Clifford's gun. He leaves a tip from one of Clifford's cigars. He collects hair and fiber evidence from Howard's house that he has Cathleen plant on Clifford's suit. They time the murder for a moment when Clifford will have no alibi, because he's driving to a wedding.

* FrameUp: Cathleen and Patrick attempt to kill two birds with one stone by simultaneously getting rid of Howard's lawsuit and sending Clifford to jail for murder. They don't count on Clifford stopping off to buy cough drops, or a wedding photographer whose picture shows that Clifford didn't have that cat hair on his suit when he arrived at the wedding.

* TrustPassword: Howard reset the alarm at his door and gave the correct TrustPassword to the alarm company when they called. That fixes the time of the murder to between 6:19 and 6:24 when someone (Patrick, as it happens) hit the panic button on the alarm.

Clifford Calvert (Barry Corbin) is a loud, macho Texas businessman. He apparently isn't a very ethical businessman, as one Howard Seltzer is accusing Calvert of misleading him into making bad investments. Seltzer lost lots of money and is threatening to sue Calvert, which could lead to all of Calvert's other investors suing him, which could leave him ruined.

Calvert has a second problem that he doesn't know about. His TrophyWife Cathleen (Shera Danese), who hates him, is having an affair with one Patrick Kinsley (David Rasche). Cathleen's pre-nuptial agreement means she gets nothing if she leaves Clifford. Cathleen raises the idea of murder, but Patrick correctly points out that if her husband is murdered the cops will come right after Cathleen. Cathleen then suggests a more clever idea: they murder ''Howard'' and frame Clifford for it.

* KindheartedCatLover: Selzer keeps a cat and he's much nicer than the average ''Columbo'' murder victim. He earnestly tries to help Patrick and chats freely with him after that.

** A photographer is snapping pictures while Clifford and Cathleen dance at the wedding. Sure enough, that throws a wrench in the FrameJob when photos show that the cat hair on Clifford's suit didn't appear until after he started dancing with Cathleen.

Calvert has a second problem that he doesn't know about. His TrophyWife Cathleen (Shera Danese), who hates him, is having an affair with one Patrick Kinsley (David Rasche). Cathleen's pre-nup means she gets nothing if she leaves Clifford. Cathleen raises the idea of murder, but Patrick correctly points out that if her husband is murdered the cops will come right after Cathleen. Cathleen then suggests a more clever idea: they murder ''Howard'' and frame Clifford for it.

So they do. Patrick, a total stranger to Howard, scams his way into Howard's house and shoots him, with Clifford's gun. He leaves a tip from one of Clifford's cigars. He collects hair and fiber evidence from Howard's house that he has Cathleen plant on Clifford's suit. They time the murder for a moment when Clifford will have no alibi, because he's driving to a wedding.

Lt. Columbo of the LAPD takes the case. He is drawn to Clifford because of Clifford's motive, Clifford's lack of an alibi, and Clifford's inability to produce his gun (Patrick threw it away). Columbo is assisted in the investigation by the head forensic analyst at the LAPD crime lab...Patrick Kinsley.

* EurekaMoment: Columbo has a EurekaMoment in which he realizes that Patrick and Cathleen know each other. Just what it was isn't explained until the end: when the coffee came, Patrick unconsciously withdrew the cream and passed the artificial sweetener to Cathleen, because that's how she takes her coffee.

* HiredToHuntYourself: No, Columbo didn't kill anybody. Instead it's Patrick Kinsley, LAPD forensic scientist, who sets the scene up to point to Clifford and then winds up working with Columbo on the case.

* WoundedGazelleGambit: This being 1997, Clifford can trick his way into Howard's house by claiming that his car phone went dead and he has to make an urgent call to the hospital.

* FrameJob: Cathleen and Patrick attempt to kill two birds with one stone by simultaneously getting rid of Howard's lawsuit and sending Clifford to jail for murder. They don't count on Clifford stopping off to buy cough drops, or a wedding photographer whose picture shows that Clifford didn't have that cat hair on his suit when he arrived at the wedding.