Our Columbo rewatch continues with….
“The Greenhouse Jungle”
This episode aired October 15, 1972
The character of Sgt. Wilson makes a second appearance seasons later in “Now You See Him”, but his name changes from Frederic to John.
Arlene Martel, who played Gloria West, was the vulcan T’Pring in the original Star Trek’s “Amok Time”. Eagle-eyed viewers who joined our Outer Limits rewatch will also recognize her as Consuelo Biros from the seminal “Demon with a Glass Hand”.
Sandra Smith, who played Cathy Goodland, was also a Star Trek veteran, appearing as Dr. Janice Lester, a diabolical scientist who occupies Kirk’s body, in “The Intruder Within”.
Ray Milland returns following his season 1 appearance in “Death Lends a Hand” but with a full head of hair this time! (Spoiler: He was wigged)
No stuntman was used for the sequence in which Falk tumbles down the incline. It’s uncertain whether Falk planned the stunt or simply lost his footing on the way down.
My thoughts on this episode in chronological viewing order…
Wait. Is her wife checking in on her husband in his separate bedroom?
“I know all about your skills in the office.” Zing!
Hang on a second. This guy gifted his wife and mistress a signed photo of himself? Okay, this guy deserves to die.
Ah, classic patrol cop, not recognizing Columbo.
Still, it’s nice to hear Columbo has received some recognition around the office. Levinson and Link, who were no longer involved in the show’s day-to-day operations, bristled at this, preferring Columbo to be the low-key detective that travels under the radar.
So, is Sgt. Wilson the sidekick character the network had been demanding for years? I do like how Columbo plays him, skirting the line between entertaining and patronizing.
The wife not reacting to Columbo’s news about her husband is very strange and goes beyond what the character knows at the time. It’s just an odd way to play the scene.
They’re asking for 300k is the equivalent of about 2.5 million today, a reasonable ask but, in the case of this victim, I would say absolutely not. I mean, look at that hairstyle!
Hey! It’s William Smith as hunky Ken Nichols! At one point, he apparently held the record for doing 5,100 sit-ups in five minutes. He was an amateur boxer, kung-fu enthusiast, two-time arm wrestling champion and, according to my internet sources, an ex-CIA and NSA spy. But 11-year-old me will always remember him as Falcon Eddie (his character’s name was actually Falconetti but that made less sense to me at the time) in Rich Man, Poor Man.
Columbo popping up from behind the row of plants in the greenhouse is classic Columbo – very hard to buy, and kinda ridiculous.
“That was a lucky thing,”states Columbo about the money being available. Oh, he’s on to them!
A good point is raised. Why IS a homicide detective asking to stay on a kidnapping case?
I know many fans of the show love this Sgt. Wilson character for his brief appearance, but I don’t really see what he adds besides some scant opportunities for humor.
A great act out! Falling at the 37 minute mark, this must be the latest murder in a Columbo episode.
Love Columbo bringing in his sickly potted plant for a second opinion.
Jarvis seems a little too quick with all of the answers to Columbo’s quandaries.
Clearly, Columbo has Jarvis rattled.
“That’s obvious.” “Yeah, awfully obvious.” Nothing gets past Columbo!
I laughed at Gloria trying to convince Columbo that Tony would only swing by her place “to talk”.
Gotta say, I’m not loving a lot of the guest performances in this episode, but I am liking Arlene Martel’s clueless Gloria. Great little scene where you think she’s gone to see Jarvis in order to blackmail him – and get herself killed in the process (Shades of Lily La Santa!) – only it turns out she actually suspects the wife! Had she been 30 seconds later with her theory, Jarvis would have added her to his kill list.
Okay, I’ve known some pretty sound sleepers in my time, but this scene is absolutely ridiculous. And the instances where it looks like Cathy is about to wake up only to roll over and go back to sleep are actually comical, and I don’t mean that in a good way. This episode, directed by Twilight Zone vet Boris Sagal, is kind of a disaster.
Why the hell would Sgt. Wilson go pay Cathy a visit with his sirens blaring?
Didn’t realize Columbo’s favorite chili place has a patio.
It appears as though they’re using those metal detectors to look for loose change behind the couch cushions.
They’ve been over that closet twice with the metal detectors and missed the gun? These guys are truly inept. It’s no wonder everyone thinks so highly of Columbo.
How the hell does Columbo keep gaining access to the greenhouse? I mean solarium?
I actually prefer Grover over Wilson.
Man, that is a fast turnaround on that ballistics report!
Good thing Jarvis never tidied up around the place!
Well, this one was…not so good. While I did love Columbo and all of his little moments of standout humor, I thought all of the guest performances, with the exception of Arlene Martel’s, were annoyingly one-note. A better director would have pushed the cast for more nuanced performances but, clearly, Sagal was not up to the task. There were just too many sequences that stretched credulity to the point it felt like I was watching a parody of the show – ie The stakeout hanging back while Tony races down the hill to get the money, then races back up and down the other side where Jarvis’s car is waiting for him. I mean, why bother showing up a all?
Ludicrously fast turnaround on the ballistics report notwithstanding, the Gotcha moment hinges on Columbo being very very very lucky, and Jarvis being very very very sloppy, which ultimately makes for a dramatically unsatisfying ending.
So, where does this episode place in my ongoing Episode Ranking? Well, I’m glad you asked: #1 Death Lends a Hand, #2 Suitable for Framing, #3 Prescription: Murder, #4 Murder by the Book/Ransom for a Dead Man (tie), #5 Etude in Black, #6 Lady in Waiting, #7 Blueprint for Murder, #8 The Greenhouse Jungle #9 Dead Weight, #10 Short Fuse
Finally, let’s look at the evidence Columbo has gathered and ask ourselves whether Jarvis would be looking at a GUILTY verdict or at an ACQUITTAL. Well, given that ballistics report, I don’t think Jarvis talks his way out of this one. GUILTY!
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