3 ms·

> Columbo shows the benefits of having reality bent around the assumption that you know the culprit instantly even if you don't know why. The shows don't show

> Columbo shows the benefits of having reality bent around the assumption that you know the culprit instantly even if you don't know why. The shows don't show everything, but what they do imply is that Columbo starts by pulling on all the strings and then doggedly chasing the inconsistencies and loose ends. Also, in a lot of cases there could only be a handful of suspects. The main thing they actually is the interplay between Colombo and the culprit, and the rest is (almost always) offscreen. IMHO, the main weakness of the show are how over-eager the culprits sometimes are act like they're helping Columbo. Not just answer his questions, but play detective with him. > Is there a single Columbo episode where he asks "just one more thing" of someone who isn't the murderer? I haven't watched the whole series and don't recall a specific episode, but I'm pretty sure he's done that episodes where the murderer is trying to frame someone. There was also a not-great episode where the owner of a boat-builder was murdered and there were like 5 suspects (this one: https://columbophile.com/2019/08/11/trying-to-salvage-last-salute-to-the-commodore/ https://columbophile.com/2019/08/11/trying-to-salvage-last-s...).

mbg721 5y ago
(I don't think there are any major spoilers below that would ruin the show, but I do reveal some Columbo plot.) Okay, fine, Last Salute to the Commodore is an exceptional case; it's widely regarded, along with the two later Ed McBain ones, as way out-of-character for the show. Usually when he confronts a character who has something to hide but isn't the murderer, he's over-the-top friendly and apologetic, like with the affair in Columbo Goes to College or the victim's bride in Double Shock. There are probably some better examples. Yeah, the usual formula is that the culprit tries to demonstrate innocence by helping with the investigation until Columbo gets too close, and then abruptly shuts up. I think that mostly speaks to Columbo's style, though; it's realistic that a murderer would do one or the other given how they're being questioned. I'd still maintain that the biggest weakness of the show is that Columbo almost never has the wrong suspect, and sometimes he has the correct suspect far too early (why does he read the palm in Death Lends A Hand?).
concinds 5y ago
> IMHO, the main weakness of the show are how over-eager the culprits sometimes are act like they're helping Columbo. Not just answer his questions, but play detective with him. I've watched most Columbos multiple times and I think that's by design. Columbo plays dumb, and tries to make the suspect think that Columbo can easily be misdirected or manipulated; so suspects volunteer to "help" Columbo in order to protect themselves. This overconfidence on the part of suspects' is deliberately engineered by Columbo. It also plays in the consistent "Columbo vs. the highly educated upper-class" motif, where the "dumb" cop who earns $11k a year asks for help from millionaires who are "much smarter and more worldly" than him.
imglorp 5y ago
> Columbo starts by pulling on all the strings and then doggedly chasing the inconsistencies and loose ends. Interesting quirk of English idioms here. Maybe regional? * Pulling strings often means to control, as a marionette * Pulling threads often means to inspect closely and follow a pattern
- tablespoon 5y ago
  >> Columbo starts by pulling on all the strings and then doggedly chasing the inconsistencies and loose ends. > Interesting quirk of English idioms here. Maybe regional? > * Pulling strings often means to control, as a marionette > * Pulling threads often means to inspect closely and follow a pattern That's way too clever for me to have done intentionally. I just had my idioms scrambled.
- reificator 5y ago
  Native English speaker, would give the same rough definitions for each phrase if asked[0], but for whatever reason I read the GP and didn't think it was out of place at all. Immediately got the intended meaning. Even after having it pointed out it seems fine to me, in fact I can't really see the "control" meaning even though I know it should be there. [0]: Though I'd use "pulling the strings" and "pulling at threads".
- leephillips 5y ago
  “Pulling on the strings” has a different meaning from “pulling strings”. That may not seem reasonable, but it’s an expression that is phrasal-verb adjacent, and a single preposition can alter the meaning.

mbg721 5y ago

(I don't think there are any major spoilers below that would ruin the show, but I do reveal some Columbo plot.) Okay, fine, Last Salute to the Commodore is an exceptional case; it's widely regarded, along with the two later Ed McBain ones, as way out-of-character for the show. Usually when he confronts a character who has something to hide but isn't the murderer, he's over-the-top friendly and apologetic, like with the affair in Columbo Goes to College or the victim's bride in Double Shock. There are probably some better examples. Yeah, the usual formula is that the culprit tries to demonstrate innocence by helping with the investigation until Columbo gets too close, and then abruptly shuts up. I think that mostly speaks to Columbo's style, though; it's realistic that a murderer would do one or the other given how they're being questioned. I'd still maintain that the biggest weakness of the show is that Columbo almost never has the wrong suspect, and sometimes he has the correct suspect far too early (why does he read the palm in Death Lends A Hand?).

concinds 5y ago

> IMHO, the main weakness of the show are how over-eager the culprits sometimes are act like they're helping Columbo. Not just answer his questions, but play detective with him. I've watched most Columbos multiple times and I think that's by design. Columbo plays dumb, and tries to make the suspect think that Columbo can easily be misdirected or manipulated; so suspects volunteer to "help" Columbo in order to protect themselves. This overconfidence on the part of suspects' is deliberately engineered by Columbo. It also plays in the consistent "Columbo vs. the highly educated upper-class" motif, where the "dumb" cop who earns $11k a year asks for help from millionaires who are "much smarter and more worldly" than him.

imglorp 5y ago

> Columbo starts by pulling on all the strings and then doggedly chasing the inconsistencies and loose ends. Interesting quirk of English idioms here. Maybe regional? * Pulling strings often means to control, as a marionette * Pulling threads often means to inspect closely and follow a pattern

tablespoon 5y ago
>> Columbo starts by pulling on all the strings and then doggedly chasing the inconsistencies and loose ends. > Interesting quirk of English idioms here. Maybe regional? > * Pulling strings often means to control, as a marionette > * Pulling threads often means to inspect closely and follow a pattern That's way too clever for me to have done intentionally. I just had my idioms scrambled.
reificator 5y ago
Native English speaker, would give the same rough definitions for each phrase if asked[0], but for whatever reason I read the GP and didn't think it was out of place at all. Immediately got the intended meaning. Even after having it pointed out it seems fine to me, in fact I can't really see the "control" meaning even though I know it should be there. [0]: Though I'd use "pulling the strings" and "pulling at threads".
leephillips 5y ago
“Pulling on the strings” has a different meaning from “pulling strings”. That may not seem reasonable, but it’s an expression that is phrasal-verb adjacent, and a single preposition can alter the meaning.