The Lt. Columbo Forum
An area where fans from all over can ask each other questions and voice their own ideas and opinions on anything Columbo.This Forum is fondly dedicated in memory of "cassavetes45" (Carleen Zink),
Columbo's greatest fan and a great friend to us all.
Good afternoon all.
My first post on this forum.
I was watching Murder Under Glass recently and it occured to me that there was a huge hole in the plot that I can't explain so I was wondering if anyone here could offer up an explenation.
After the funeral scene when Columbo flushes out those who were invovled in the Restaurant Developers Association, he obviously goes to talk to them. Why don't Max Duvall and Mary Choy tell Columbo that they are being blackmaled by Paul Gerard. They know that Vittorio was going to have a meeting with Gerard to tell him he was getting out. Once the police were involved in an investigation involving Paul Gerard surely it would have been easy for Max and Mary to pull the plug on his scam. Instead what we get is Max's strange conversation about Vittorio being a man about to commit murder himself and Mary Choy being all silent about the Restaurant Developers Association. It makes little sense.
Other than that though, I do quite enjoy this episode.
My first post on this forum.
I was watching Murder Under Glass recently and it occured to me that there was a huge hole in the plot that I can't explain so I was wondering if anyone here could offer up an explenation.
After the funeral scene when Columbo flushes out those who were invovled in the Restaurant Developers Association, he obviously goes to talk to them. Why don't Max Duvall and Mary Choy tell Columbo that they are being blackmaled by Paul Gerard. They know that Vittorio was going to have a meeting with Gerard to tell him he was getting out. Once the police were involved in an investigation involving Paul Gerard surely it would have been easy for Max and Mary to pull the plug on his scam. Instead what we get is Max's strange conversation about Vittorio being a man about to commit murder himself and Mary Choy being all silent about the Restaurant Developers Association. It makes little sense.
Other than that though, I do quite enjoy this episode.
Hi Rob, that's a very good point. You sound like me. I often watch certain episodes and will openly question some of the possible plot holes. The only thing I can reason in the other "partners" silence is that they simply didn't want to risk being ruined by Paul Gerand, therefore, they kept silent, even though they weren't seeing much additional financial benefit from the "Restaurant Developers Association." Also, it's possible only Vitorio new of the fact that Paul was siphoning large sums of the money to be laundered for his own benefit. They never made clear whether or not all three knew of Gerard's stealing of the money.
This matter always bugged me, too. Columbo even tells Gerard that he doesn't have any proof of his guilt "without help from the other members of the Restaurant Developer's Association--but I don't think that's gonna happen" (or something close to that), suggesting that the members are so afraid of the blackmailer that they just won't talk. Not clear why they should be afraid of him if he's going away to prison. They've got a way to get out from under his thumb now (and surely they strongly suspect Gerard killed Vittorio--they knew that Vittorio was planning to confront Gerard that night about his blackmail).
As for Choi and Duvall not knowing that Gerard was siphoning the money from the Restaurant Developer's Association, that seems unlikely. Why were they contributing to it? Not because they thought it was actually developing restaurants--they were contributing because Gerard was blackmailing them. So of course they knew he was taking the money. Choi even admits to knowing that the Association has almost no money in its account. Why would she know that if she didn't know that Gerard was taking it?
Hi again all.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. don't get me wrong. I love Columbo and it's perhaps testament to how good the series was written that finding major plot holes doesn't happen that often but when they do it's quite frustrating.
A fantastic reason to watch this episode !
I go to watch it again !
if you look at a lot of the columbo's there are probably plot holes but hey, it's called ARTISTIC LICENSE,just sit back,relax and enjoy.
Thanks for the "advice", Steve...but I'm pretty sure all of us have the "sit back, relax and enjoy" part down since we're all on a Fan Forum. What better a forum for fans like us who've seen each episode most likely numerous times to talk about episodes where plot lines tend to confuse us?
I always assumed that they feared cooperation would lead to exposure and professional ruin. Once it was publicized that they had paid for good reviews, their restaurants would presumably suffer. Testifying against Paul Gerard would tell the world what they had done.
My first post on this forum.
I was watching Murder Under Glass recently and it occured to me that there was a huge hole in the plot that I can't explain so I was wondering if anyone here could offer up an explenation.
After the funeral scene when Columbo flushes out those who were invovled in the Restaurant Developers Association, he obviously goes to talk to them. Why don't Max Duvall and Mary Choy tell Columbo that they are being blackmaled by Paul Gerard. They know that Vittorio was going to have a meeting with Gerard to tell him he was getting out. Once the police were involved in an investigation involving Paul Gerard surely it would have been easy for Max and Mary to pull the plug on his scam. Instead what we get is Max's strange conversation about Vittorio being a man about to commit murder himself and Mary Choy being all silent about the Restaurant Developers Association. It makes little sense.
Other than that though, I do quite enjoy this episode.
if they told all and were wrong or columbo couldn't prove gerards guilt they would've been ruined by gerard so decided to keep quiet