This episode first aired November 25, 1989.

The Columbo masterpiece revealed at episode’s end was actually painted by Jarsoslav Gebr who headed up Universal Television Studio’s art department.

The Paradise Cove location featured in this episode is the same location as Jim Rockford’s trailer in The Rockford Files (1974).

Actress Shera Danese, who plays Barsini’s second wife, Vanessa, was married to Peter Falk and made multiple appearances on Columbo.

My thoughts on this episode in chronological viewing order…

Opening on this basset hound park meet-up bodes well for this episode.

Love Columbo struggling with an uncooperative Dog who looks like he packed on a few pounds since his last appearance.

I find the music intrusive here. I can barely hear the dialogue.

Max Barsini has an annoyingly mannered way of speaking. But it’s clearly working for him with the ladies – though, to be fair, this set-up is pretty ludicrous.

The music playing during his confrontation with his first wife is very distracting. I think the music in these new ABC Columbo’s is my biggest pet peeve.

Nice to see Vito Scotti playing Vito the bar owner.

Boy, nothing says British like a monocle. Smashing kippers, wot?

Columbo doesn’t make his official entry until the 30 minute mark. Which is why, no doubt, we kicked off the episode with that superfluous basset hound park sequence that I ultimately did not mind.

Aha! She was only wearing one contact when she went out for a swim. Why someone would she only be wearing one contact at any time is, I suppose, besides the point.

Really hate the music that accompanies the second wife’s reaction to the death of the first wife.

Love Columbo putting together the weirdness of the living arrangement.

Do we have to have music in every damn scene? Less is more.

Love the fact Columbo is eager to pose for his painting. “Wait ’til I tell Mrs. Columbo.”

“You carry on like fishwives!”
“Go. Make yourselves useful. Cook! Pray for Louise! Wash my clothes!”
Subtle this aint.

I kind of like this scene of Columbo switching roles with the psychologist.

Something terrible once happened at Vito’s bar. Is that why it’s always empty?

“I do not paint dogs.” Of course not. He’s a psychopath.

He’s going to paint Columbo’s “policeman’s soul”!

While i don’t mind these black and white dream sequences conceptually, I wish they’d really gone for it and made them weirder.

Uncle is oncle in French and my uncle in mon oncle in French which is close to the word monocle. That is one ridiculous thread of logic…that turns out to be dead-on.

I like the intercutting between the interviews of the two lovers.

Another nice little Dog moment. I bet he loves the ocean.

Should a psychologist really be releasing these dream tapes to the police even if his patient is dead?

Strawberry and blueberry contain the word “bury”. Another ridiculous leap in logic…that also ends up being correct.

Interesting choice to have this heart-to-heart between the two women take place in a sauna.

Columbo’s uncle was a doctor. The poor guy lamented the fact that the only visits he ever got were from sick people. Sad.

I did laugh at Barsini’s progression of insults he shouts after the departing Julie: “Ingrate! Tramp! Model!”

Barsini thinks he has been abandoned – but Columbo is there for him!

The Barsini red paint on his dead ex-wife’s lips tie him to the murder. I guess. Kinda sloppy of him though.

Columbo and Barsini are suprisingly amiable to each other in this final Gotcha scene.

Maybe I’ve subconsciously readjusted my expectations for these new Columbo’s because I didn’t hate this episode. On the other hand, I didn’t exactly like it. Sure, there were some enjoyable moments (the Dog scenes stand out) as well as a few good lines, but I thought the performances were pretty awful. Fionnula Flanagan’s portrayal of first wife Louise was pretty good, but I thought Vito Scotti stole the show. The plotting was sloppy with regard to the investigation, and the whole dream diary elements were particularly egregious. It’s made pretty clear early on that Louise knows Max’s secret and vows to keep it and yet, at the same time, she is having these nightmares she can’t quite figure out. What nonsense. And speaking of nonsense…uncle=oncle=my uncle=mon oncle=monocle? Was writer Robert Sherman drunk when he wrote this sequence? Sherman would go on to write 15 episodes of Barnaby Jones and 7 episodes of MacGyver (!).

The fact that the production chose this episode to kick off the show’s ninth season makes me somewhat apprehensive but, like I said, I didn’t totally hate this one so that is a win so far as I’m concerned. Next up, the ominously titled Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo.