This episode first aired May 4, 1990″.
Theresa Goren’s beachside pad was previously featured in “Last Salute to the Commodore”.
In “Ransom for a Dead Man”, Columbo’s second pilot episode, Columbo mentions he is off to investigate a murder in Malibu. Better late than never I guess.
My thoughts on this episode in chronological viewing order…
What a great parking spot, right in front of the bookstore!
Wayne is a cad, sleeping with his accountant and hiding the fact he is dating the famous author.
“You don’t have to be an actor, not with anything else you can do.” My favorite line of this episode.
Wayne seems a little clingy.
“Who was it?”
“Just a wrong number”… I was speaking to for five minutes.
15 minutes in and still not sure what’s going on in this episode.
Oh, shit. The driving gloves come on. He means business.
Whose POV is this, semi-witnessing the murder?
Columbo finds a hardboiled egg in his pocket! Did he forget he put it there or was it a gift from his wife?
Boy, Columbo is fixated on those knee socks.
And, clearly, the panties. Hoo boy.
The running gag of Columbo trying to get rid of his egg shells is kind of funny.
Weird OUT after Columbo finds out Wayne is the victim’s fiancé.
The Mystery of the Missing Ashtray!
“She’s so pretty.” Columbo opining on the dead woman…after going through her panty drawer. WTF is wrong with him this episode?
Brenda Vaccaro’s performance is annoyingly one note.
Wayne’s attempt to jump the P.I. is pretty lame. As is his swoon. Was his corset too tight?
He claims he just stumbled upon the murder scene and fired a single shot at her? Wut? Wouldn’t he wonder why she was lying in front of the fireplace?
“There’s no law against shooting a dead body.” Actually, I’m pretty sure there is.
How many eggs does Columbo have in his pockets?
Everybody is sad she’s dead because she was so pretty. It’s like an attack of violence has been committed on life itself!
Columbo doesn’t seem fazed by heights. Has he cured himself of his vertigo?
Why do those crows look like bats?
She made the call, not her sister?! She doesn’t sound anything like her?!
Good lord! The scene of the two of them falling into each other’s arms. This episode is a parody of Columbo of old.
I like the ghoulish coroner.
Columbo fixated on those panties again.
The panties were put on backwards. Of course it was a man! Really? That’s the Gotcha?
Holy smokes, “Murder in Malibu” is a steaming turd of an episode with the most ludicrous Gotcha in franchise history. Forget the fact that Jess sounded nothing like her sister and yet managed to convince Wayne, her freakin’ fiancé! Forget the fact that the whole case hinges on a pair of panties being put on backwards (say in the dead of night as our victim rushed to get dressed at the sound of someone in her home)! But the fact that Wayne drives all the way to Malibu, finds Theresa in bed and, instead of asking her about her decision and trying to talk her out of it, he just shoots her. What utter nonsense.
Easily the worst episode of the show’s run to date.
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