Line #5 Fridge/Columbo


1	[[AC:FridgeLogic]]
2	* In "Uneasy Lies the Crown" Columbo meets several celebrities at the poker game, including Nancy Walker, who had co-starred on ''[=McMillan=] & Wife''. This is even brought up. Did Columbo notice that the case he was investigating was very similar to an episode of that show?
3	** The script had been written in the 1970s but Falk passed on it, only for ''[=McMillan=] & Wife'' to use it. Falk changed his mind later due to a writer's strike leaving him in need of existing material. Nancy Walker's appearance is meant to be a nod but creates an unusual paradox.
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5	[[AC:FridgeBrilliance]]
6	* It's odd that the series always begins by showing the murder being committed at the beginning, ''showing who did it before the mystery started!'' It completely takes away from the concept of following the detective through the case, trying to figure out who the murderer was. But on reflection, the series isn't supposed to be from Lt. Columbo's perspective, ''but from the killer's perspective.'' The killer is the star of his/her own episode. We are shown why they are driven to kill their victim, and sometimes we even sympathize with the killer. We feel the same anxiety that they do when Columbo gets closer and closer to pinning the crime on them. And, most importantly, it makes it impossible for the writer to [[AssPull pull an impossible reveal out of their ass at the end]].This means that the star of the show, the hero the audience is expected to root for, is not the protagonist but the ''[[HeroAntagonist antagonist]]''.
7	* Why does Columbo always run his theories by the murderer? Making them sweat is fun, but it also tips them off and makes them much more likely to try and cover their tracks. So why take the risk? Consider that all the evidence he brings them is circumstantial. He is making sure that he has a rock-solid case that no one can disprove, and he tests it by bringing it to the murderer. Who would be more interested in disproving his case than the person who did it? Furthermore, more than once, the murderer not only confirms Columbo's suspicions, but screws themselves over by leaving actual ''usable'' evidence in the process of covering up their earlier unusable evidence!
8	* Columbo's constant interplay and battles of wits with otherwise untouchable suspects is also a [[TruthInTelevision psychologically realistic]] tactic; in [[RealLife the real world]], initially resistant people will often confess if they feel psychologically defeated, and in many of these cases, a confession is Columbo's only hope against them. And that doesn't include the times he has driven a suspect to a VillainousBSOD.
9	* Columbo doesn't always ''solve'' the case with conviction-ascertained evidence. We don't see it go to trial, so we don't know if there's a conviction. But he does at least one of three things... 1. Throws somebody's alibi into doubt - so, why did they lie, exactly? 2. Proves it wasn't a suicide or that the current accused isn't the real perp - time to go back and take a look at this new suspect. 3. Tells this smug wealthy arrogant guy that he's not as smart as some scruffy, stumbling detective - some give in just from shame. ...Thusly the perp can be expecting the 'boring' part; a call from Columbo's buddies in forensics who now have the right to double back through every fraction of the crime-scene, his house and his life with a fine-tooth-comb and turn up the real evidence - a tiny spot of blood, a hair, a fired gun. His other pals will be interviewing people who will testify his character and motives... Other guys will be digging up any potential witnesses who were just passers-by... Frankly, the perp might as well enter their plea now and get some time off for it.
10	* "Forgotten Lady" makes a big deal of Creator/JanetLeigh's career as a dancer in numerous musical films, but completely omits any reference to ''Film/{{Psycho}}''... until you realize that she murdered her husband by [[spoiler:going temporarily psychotic from her neurological condition, which, much in the way Norman Bates couldn't remember his own killings, also forced her to forget she'd committed the crime and assumed that he'd shot himself]]. Meaning that the entire plot is, in a way, a nested homage to ''Psycho''.
11	* Columbo occasionally mentions having a child(ren) from time to time. Whether this is true or not can be put up for debate. But assuming that he's telling the truth, it seems odd that in "Rest in Peace Mrs. Columbo" he would claim to Vivian Dimitri that he and his wife never had children. This can be attributed to Columbo knowing early on that Vivian was attempting to kill his wife in the form of RevengeByProxy. While he couldn't know for sure to what extent Vivian would go to exact revenge, he didn't want to offer [[WouldHurtAChild her the chance to simultaneously target his child.]]
12	* In "Uneasy lies the Crown", the culprit of the week (Wesley) is betting on a horse called "Pinocchio". What's the significance of that? Pinocchio is iconic for [[PinocchioNose lying]]. And what do they say about a lie? [[StealthPun It travels faster than truth]].
13	** Racehorses are also often said to have "won by a nose" if the race was very close. People might want to bet on a horse that supposedly has a long nose.
14	* Building from the previous point, perhaps one of the reasons he doesn't give out his first name and frequently tells occasionally-conflicting stories about his wife and other relatives who may or may not exist is so he and his real relatives will be harder for the psychos he arrests to trace.
15	* In "Suitable for Framing", notice how Columbo makes a point of talking to all the civilians present while Edna Williams' house is being searched rather than actually participating in the search with the other officers. It might just seem like typical Columbo faux-bumbling at first, but after the reveal it becomes clear that what he actually doing is making sure that there are independent witnesses to where he was and what he was doing throughout the search... which in turn means that there is plenty of corroboration that he at no point could have planted his fingerprints on the paintings that end up identifying Dale Kingston as the murderer.
16	* Helen Stewart from "Dead Weight" is a young woman suffering from crippling self-esteem on account of living with her verbally abusive mother and, previously, her cheating ex-husband. Despite only being in her early thirties, her clothing style, right down to her hairstyle, makes her look like she stepped out of a bygone era. So when Hollister starts romancing her, she's genuinely confused as to why a renowned war hero would notice someone with her personality and her appearance. With the heavy implication that the general really was falling for her, it actually makes sense: Hollister is an old man who came from a decade where clothing like the one Helen wears was commonplace for women. Not only would he not mind her fashion choices, he might also approve of them. For good measure, watch the way his eyes widen when he meets her at her front door for the first time. When coupling that with her meek personality, it is of little surprise that Hollister began to genuinely pursue her (after ensuring she was no longer a threat, of course).
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18	[[AC:FridgeHorror]]
19	* "Murder by the Book" brings up a concern regarding "Dead Weight"- was Gen. Hollister actually interested in Helen Stewart romantically or would he have eventually killed her too just to silence the only remaining witness against him?
20	* In "Columbo Likes the Nightlife", not only did Justin Price get caught covering up Tony Galper's death, but he still presumably owes loan money for a nightclub he can no longer use to recoup the investment. If Justin manages to make parole, he's going to presumably have a price on his head. Even then, the fact that he and Vanessa participated in and covered up their murder of a Mafia don's son alone will seal their fates.

Context Fridge / Columbo