Reading the "Forgotten Lady" topic, with references to its quite surprising and emotional ending, got me thinking about the variety of styles and themes employed in the different endings throughout the series. There are many of what I'd call "classic"-type endings, ones where the murderer is found out, then led away by the police ("Murder by the Book", "Death Lends a Hand", "Blueprint for Murder" etc). Then there are those where the surprise twist is emphasized, and we're left looking at the shock/surprise of the criminal ("Suitable for Framing", "A Stitch in Crime", "The Most Dangerous Match" etc). There are others that are incredibly tense- and INtense -where the evidence Columbo is presenting, or the traps he is using, are visibly shaking and consternating the culprit, almost to a seeming breaking point ("An Exercise in Fatality", "A Friend in Deed" etc). There are, of course, the endings that are strictly humorous or lighthearted ("Identity Crisis", "Last Salute to the Commodore" etc). Then, with episodes that display a bonding between Columbo and the murderer, there are endings that sort of stress the resolution to those relationships ("Ransom for a Dead Man", "Any Old Port in a Storm", "The Conspirators" etc). But there are also endings, like that of "Forgotten Lady", that I would consider to be more heavy or emotional, where there's a distinctly tragic sense to the conclusion. For what it's worth, here's my list of episodes that I feel have the most emotional and/or tragic endings.

"Etude in Black" - This is probably the most overall stunning episode in my opinion. John Cassavetes and Blythe Danner are so believable as a troubled couple throughout the episode, both exuding such subtle humanity in their portrayals. It's this genuine-seeming humanness that adds so much punch to the final moments, with Cassavetes trying to pathetically comfort and reassure his wife that he does indeed love her, as Columbo stands silently in front of the projection showing the final clue that has undone all Cassavete's pretense and deception. It's trying to guess what Columbo is thinking, as he listens to Cassavetes whisper his last words to Danner, that packs a sense of added drama. It seems as though he himself is a little shaken and touched by the sheepish man he's reduced the murderer to. Add in some eerie music, and it becomes quite a disturbing scene, uncharacteristic of the series as a whole.

"Old Fashioned Murder" - This episode is a sort of guilty pleasure for me. The film editing appears to be some of the most sloppy in the series, and the Phyllis Brandt character is certainly a complete caricature. Yet, even with the silliness and inferior editing, this is one of the few episodes I would consider to have a consistently "dark" undertone running through it. While I don't believe Joyce Van Patten is one of the most overall outstanding guest murderers, I think there's a quiet power in her performance at the end, as she's daubing the tears on her face. And when the picture freezes as Columbo opens the door for her, well... I'm slightly ashamed to admit this, but that part sometimes gives me chills. Once again, the music strengthens the impact for me.

"Playback" - To me, this episode shares a positive similarity to "Etude", besides both having similar final clues. Like "Etude", the characters in "Playback" have a distinctly human quality (well, most of them at least). Again, this makes the ending all the more haunting. And although I think the more drawn out ending of "Etude" served it well, the fact that "Playback" ends more abruptly doesn't hurt it at all for me. Indeed, it presents a striking contrast between the murderers in each episode; while Alex Benedict seemed at least somewhat remorseful about the disregard to his wife, Harold Van Wyck makes no attempt to be reconciled with Elizabeth.

"Mind Over Mayhem" - This one's not as obvious perhaps, but I think the strength lies in the somewhat remarkable complexity of the Marshall Cahill character. Yes, he's domineering, and murdered more to protect his own reputation than his son's. But by the end, those selfish motives recede, and it's evident that a deeply loving and protective attitude that was there all along has come to the fore. Certainly Jose Ferrer's performance helped the effect of that character, with the authority and resonance in his voice.

Of course, all of the episodes I've mentioned have been from the '70s run of the series, as I have hardly seen the newer shows at all. In any case, please share whatever thoughts you might have!

I can never help including DEATH LENDS A HAND among those touching endings. You can tell that Brimmer isn't just sorry he got caught, but sorry in general (obviously the unpremeditated part helps with that). His last lines to the Arthur character really add to that feeling. I won't give it away here, but his very last line to Arthur has such a "helpless" sound to it, that you really feel for him.

Those are all great examples of an uncommon pathos in the series; thanks for the reminders! I can think of three others that do give me some emotional effect when I view them (please excuse any spoilers, as it's tough to talk about these without them):

- One involves the denouement of the sadly-disturbed widow in "RIP Mrs. Columbo." Yeah, she was going to off the Columbos, but she is obviously a little off, herself, and she did it all in terms of what she felt was grief-based retribution for her husband's death. (Though, honestly, the teddy bear scene makes me really embarrassed for her in general as a character. :P)

- Another that at least make me feel some sympathy for the murderess is also a newer one: "It's All in the Game". I'm not sure that I'd react much differently than the mother-daughter duo did, myself, after finding out such shocking news!

- Finally, "Butterfly in Shades of Grey" always strikes me because, were the characters real: that poor girl! Not only did she lose her best friend and a good opportunity to spread her wings as a published author, but also obviously she's also going to lose her father to jail. That would be terribly traumatic to go through, and for what? Certainly one of the flimsiest of motives. And of course what she's found out about her father's character with regards to her; that would sorta rock my world in a very bad way, if it happened to me. Not to mention that any talk show interviewers will always bring it up ad nauseum, even if she does finally get published -- they'll just want to gossip about the tragedies, not about whatever she wrote. It's pretty much ruined her whole life from here on out, completely outside of anything she could have done to control or avoid it.

I revisited that part in "Death Lends a Hand", and I definitely agree with you, Grant. As you point out, he's sorry for more than being caught, something that (as far as I know) has never happened with any other murderer. Brimmer is another one of the culprits who is played so straight and realistically that you can really feel for him in the end. Tommy Brown in "Swan Song" is similar in that way, and of course he expresses some regret in the end, too, but not as directly as Brimmer.

I was curious if some of the later shows had any sort of tragic side, so I appreciate your pointing those out, Wendy. That motive in "RIP Mrs. Columbo" kind of reminds me of Abigail Mitchell's motive in "Try and Catch Me", another episode that has a touching conclusion.

Thank you both for sharing your views!

How about "Requiem for a Falling Star"? Quite intensity and revelation at the end. Unforgettable.

It's all in the game (1993)
I know that by many ways this is regarded as a very peculiar episode, showing a "different" Columbo personality. However this is by far the most emotional ending to me. When Columbo is told the truth about Nick and decides to let Lauren's daughter go. One and only time time when Lieutenant is moved to a point as to let a murderer go (while actually Lisa didn't pull the trigger, she undoubtely was as guilty as Lauren).

Although I personally have mixed feelings about "Requiem" overall, I can certainly see your point, David. Nora Chandler was one of the first murderers to be given a more fleshed-out past (both personal and in the spotlight) which I think really strengthens that character and adds greater depth to her.

With both you and Wendy pointing out "It's All in the Game", Colombo, perhaps it's time I break through my hesitancy in watching the newer shows and give it a try!

About "Old fashioned murder", I agree that Joyce van Patten plays a powerfull and subtle role of a woman who has lost almost everything after a terrible love deception, and there is a double edge side in this character, where her humanity still fights her huge void which took over her. The final scene is very powerfull on many sides : Columbo who's very embarrassed because he feels like he's forced to lie about the fact JvPatten killed actually the father of her niece, but especially the very last moment where she asks Columbo to give her his arm, which is very symbolic, as a last victory over the woman (her sister) who destroyed her life. I find this very touching.

"Try and catch me" is very emotional too. The great music does its effect and the story is quite simple in fact. Right from the beginning, the old woman shoes obvious signs of culpability, and it shows that she has already abandonned the fight. She took revenge, yes, and she didn't regret that because justice wasn't done about the death of her niece, but commiting a murder was obviously not a thing that she could cope with, because the void of the disparition of her niece has made effect on her for a relatively time already. The last scene was also touching, when Columbo found the note and made her read aloud, and her last reflexion about justice which was never done about her niece, reflexion which will remain answerless while the beautiful melancholical music concludes the episode.

"Make me a perfect murder" was also emotional to me. The story about an ambitious woman who tried to deal with the difficulty to make her place in a mainy manly business. We can see that she is compassionate and that's a thing she also has to deal with (I think especially about the moment where she says to her boss "I'm as hard as you are" or something like that, which shows in a way her "weakness"). As I said somewhere else, there is a paradox between her humanity and compassion, and her strong willing to make her way in a man's business as in her general life. She wants to keep this humanity and she realizes that it's not compatible with her ambitions, and that paradox is very interesting and touching. The final scene also has something special. The music there again has its effect, and the humanity and sensibility of this woman shows itself again a last time when she says (excuse-me, I translate directly from the french version) "After that, I know well what I'll be doing. I'll fight and I'll get over it, and maybe I'll win...", and where the willing to fight in her life expressed by her words contrasts with the humanity and sensibility of how she says it, almost with a kind of sadness or amertume in her voice at the end. I found this very touching too.

You have also "Sex and the married detective" which I don't really remember well, but which had also an emotional ending. The dark black-red color of the scene, together with the fire (if I remember well) and the music made an appropriate mood, and the speech of the woman about sexuality and desire was moving too.

In another category, you have "lady in waiting" which has to me, a disturbing ending. A woman who experienced her brother as being deeply invasive and after the murder, a complete transformation into a cold-heart woman, destroyed by a powerfull feeling of anger that she kept over the years until it brutally explodes. With the "ghosty" music, the end made me kinda afraid and disturbed somehow...

Those are fantastic comments about "Old Fashioned Murder", noorvensen. In my take on it, I really didn't go into much detail as to why it was so emotional, but you hit the nail on the head. I agree on "Make Me a Perfect Murder", too; that ending, and really the whole episode, really does a good job giving humanity to Kay Freestone's character. And also as you mentioned, "Lady in Waiting" is powerful. Both that and "Make Me a Perfect Murder" had terrific actresses portraying those characters, even though they seemed to be relatively unknown compared with those starring in other episodes.