i see about the motive...hmmm...well, theres alot of unclear things about this episode but i got the impression that the victim was probably going to blow the whistle on hanlon (illegal activity maybe?)or selling the franchise and hanlon was not going to be able to do his dirty deeds anymore...i remember (havent seen it in awhile) that the victim told hanlon he couldnt be bullied around anymore or used by hanlon anymore...could be???
I figured either (a) Hanlon's ego was big enough that he'd convinced himself he'd eventually get the widow Wagner to the altar, or (b) he figured she'd say something like, "Gosh, I may own this whole sports empire, but I don't know anything about running it. Paul, you were always so good at your job when Eric was alive, why don't you run it for me." We did see that she trusted Hanlon a great deal, certainly more than she trusted that lawyer who did have her best interests at heart.
I must admit I have always found this episode enjoyable. It has a very weak plot and ending, even weaker than "The Most Dangerous Match" (an episode I've been having issues with lately), but for some reason I always found it highly entertaining. That does seem a bit inconsistent, but as Dale Kingston would say, "Life is full of inconsistencies."
"The Most Crucial Game" was a terrific episode. In my opnion, it is the best of Robert Culp's three appearances as a Columbo killer. The interaction is intense and the surprising nab at the end makes for an exciting final clue.
"The Most Crucial Game" was a terrific episode. In my opnion, it is the best of Robert Culp's three appearances as a Columbo killer. The interaction is intense and the surprising nab at the end makes for an exciting final clue.
Agree!
I think the chimes is a good clue.
Remember, LT. visited Hanlon after the.murder and heard the.clock chiming.
So, it couldn't be easily explained away.
What is Hanlon going to say when asked " Why did you pretend to be at the stadium when you called the owner? Why didn't you remove the phone taps when you caught Rogorjak? Why did you pay her off?
Did he prove MURDER?
No.
Did he have reason to arrest.him and put him on trial?
Yes.
[Of course, the other thing is well-documented: the sound of the chimes at 2.30p.m. on the tape. It breaks Hanlon's alibi but nothing else. Columbo's reinactment of the crime also just happens to compliment the chiming of the clock in Hanlon's office at exactly 2.30!!! This makes the script look a little contrived and artificial.]
You made some excellent points about this episode, but I disagree that Columbo's reinactment at 2:30 seems contrived. Columbo deliberately planned to be in the booth at that time in order to drive home the proof that Hanlon's alibi was toast.