Watching this now on GAT and I'm wondering... if Santini had managed to time it so he came in and shot Jerome BRFORE Jerome typed the letter to Immigration (leaving the evidence on the ribbon)... would he have gotten away with it? Columbo would never had any idea about a motive. Just a lot of unsubstantiated, circumstantial poppycock (sorry, wrong episode!)
Just saw that there's a Drilling Down episode tomorrow (Tuesday) for the recently completed season. Are we doing an open thread? Maybe?
... but I have some 90s technology for backup!
Glad to see Great American Country channel showing Columbo again, and not at six o'clock in the damn morning either.
This episode gets panned sometimes, but I like it. Of course you have to endure John Cassavettes chewing the scenery. One of my favorite lines is the mechanic taking a subtle dig at Columbo's precious Peugot:
"I only work on foreign cars."
"Thus is foreign."
"I know, but... there are limits, mate."
... and one of them is gonna be pretty steep, if I ever find it.