Still can't believe he's no longer with us but no point in dwelling on that. Thankfully we still have all the shows to enjoy.
Watched "Death Lends A Hand" for the umpteenth time last night. What always puzzled me about this episode was the relevance of Leo Gentry to the story. Suddenly it came to me...Brimmer asked Leo to go abroad so he wouldn't be around for Columbo to question him on who he was following.
Am I right?
Sometimes I can be a bit slow at seeing the obvious!

steve, that's exactly right.

believe me, there are some episodes that i had to watch over and over again before figuring out all the fine points. in a way it makes it more fun.

With regards to this episode, when Columbo visits Brimmer at the beach house while he's searching for the "missing" contact lens, I just noticed last night that the time between Columbo's car arriving and the doorbell being rung is almost negligible. He sure could move fast at times!
Been watching some of the episodes I've perhaps given less time to over the years. Ones such as "Blueprint For Murder" and "Swan Song" that, at the time, I was perhaps less keen on. Now I can see intricacies of plot and performance that weren't evident on a more cursory viewing.
Quality. That was the key.

Cassa, you're absolutely right! I still find new things, or come to understand things such a, "Oh... that's why that character did that back at the beginning!" Or something like that.

As for Leo in "Death Lends A Hand", yes it was he who had been assigned the Kennicut case. Leo knew all about Mrs. Kennicut and the golf pro, which of course, Brimmer had told Mr. Kennicut wasn't happening. Leo would have ruined everything.

As for something that dawned on me during this episode, I always thought it was a bit odd that Brimmer found something that looked like a contact lense in the trunk of his car. Upon this latest viewing, I have to think Columbo actually may have put that little thing in the trunk himself.

ain't that the truth! it's incredible to me that i can watch columbo over and over again and i still find 'new' stuff to discover. it's amazing! how many times did i have to watch 'last salute to the commodore before i realized what the hell was going on?! or that oily rag thingy in 'by dawn's early light'? what about the issue in 'an exercise in fatality'...the point of the gym clothes, and the significance of when he was dressed in them???
darnit! i want to go on so much longer...but i'll stop.
i just know that there are hosts of 'new' things to capture in our beloved columbo episodes. even the veterans can find some newly acquired gems.


(oh my, this is going to make my post even longer, but i just wanted to say something. (hell! when DON'T i want to say something?? ))

headache, it was always in my head that columbo definitely planted the contact lens in brimmer's car. columbo disabled the car, in such a way, that it had to be sent to the garage, and in that way, columbo would be able to plant the lens in the trunk.
ya see..ya take a potata.....

to explain how i feel trying to describe my fumbling thoughts to you mr. headache reminds me of something..

~in the words of my husband's brother, billy, who was the best man at our wedding back in the dark ages..his toast to me and my al was...
"may the night be great. may you---what am i saying? you guys know everything already!"~

No need to take the ****!

Death Lends a hand is one of my top 10 ...possibly top 5
all of the Culp episodes are great !

Absolutely!

yep!!! you got it buddy,columbo did plant the contact lense,(which i think is explained in one way or another near the end of the episode) and also to other replies .yes the other pi was sent away to stop columbo questioning him....brilliant screenplay writing from levinson and link

steve, dont worry about being slow at seeing the obvious. I'm probably worse then you are, just as someone like cassavetes45.

Death Lends a hand is another great episode!