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.
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The Lt. Columbo Forum
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Max Dysons Test

i have one observation because Columbo Goes to the Guillitine was just on here in the U S.

Dyson asks Farrow to choose a random direction for the Target cars to take a picture. There are three Target cars involved here. Each car has four possibilities so that means that Elliott Blake would have to be told ahead of time exactly what structure lies in what direction for each vehicle. Now I'm no genius, but anybody under pressure would have trouble remembering what is viewed in each Direction at random X three cars. Does anybody understand what I'm asking? It just seems to me to be very difficult to rig the test and yet Blake got everyone of them correct

Re: Max Dysons Test

He would also have to remember which car is going to which location. If he drew Car Bravo's location for Car Alpha, the whole scheme starts to fall apart.

Re: Max Dysons Test

Exactly my point Brett.

Re: Max Dysons Test

The only way I can see it working in their favor is if each car had a set direction so when Dyson asks Farrow for a direction, and Farrow says West, then whatever car Dyson/Blake assigned West to, that would be the one that he would ask for the picture. If Car Alpha is assigned to be West, Car Bravo is assigned to be East and car Charlie is assigned to be North and South, then Blake only has to remember 4 objects for the 4 directions. The only way this could work is for Dyson, as the test giver, to manipulate Farrow into NOT giving him the same direction more than once.

Re: Max Dysons Test

Each page in the book was the same and each marking on the page was the same. He sent everyone to the same spot and just picked which direction they should draw what they see. Columbo explains it all at the end.

Re: Max Dysons Test

Joe
Each page in the book was the same and each marking on the page was the same. He sent everyone to the same spot and just picked which direction they should draw what they see. Columbo explains it all at the end.
That was just one book. Besides, if he sent all three cars to the same place, they would have seen each other and that would have ruined their plans.

Re: Max Dysons Test

Brett
Joe
Each page in the book was the same and each marking on the page was the same. He sent everyone to the same spot and just picked which direction they should draw what they see. Columbo explains it all at the end.
That was just one book. Besides, if he sent all three cars to the same place, they would have seen each other and that would have ruined their plans.
I just watched it. The three cars all left from different locations. When they pulled over to mark the map, they weren't near each other. It's possible they got there at different times, maybe by only a minute. It's a little vague. They ask the client which direction he wants them to view (West), but does he ask every time?

You know, believe it or not, at work I have Columbo on a random loop. 7 hrs a day. I watch a lot. But there are still details that I miss. I never considered the flaw in this episode. I really love this site. Giving me a whole new way of watching the show.

Re: Max Dysons Test

Memorizing 12 images, four for each of the three locations, plus which car is going where, is a bit of a chore but no big deal. Think chess player. What gets me is that none of the guys in the car found any discrepancy with the mark he made, such as "hey, I marked the upper right-hand corner, I know I did, so why is the mark over here?"... or "I didn't scribble a blob that would've looked like that." Maybe they were paid?

Re: Max Dysons Test

BIG JAKE: "Memorizing 12 images, four for each of the three locations, plus which car is going where, is a bit of a chore but no big deal. Think chess player. What gets me is that none of the guys in the car found any discrepancy with the mark he made, such as "hey, I marked the upper right-hand corner, I know I did, so why is the mark over here?"... or "I didn't scribble a blob that would've looked like that." Maybe they were paid?"

I have often wondered the same exact thing - "Hey, I marked the (fill in the spot), but the mark seems to be different part of the page. How?" But nobody ever came forward with the question; so maybe they were paid off. Who knows. A lot of these clues are very cleverly left up to the audience to analyze. That's why I love this forum so much. We can analyze and over analyze anything on here and it's fun!! Good catch Big Jake.

Re: Max Dysons Test

Thanks, Fred. Yeah, I agree plenty of fodder for us even decades later. Wouldn't mind a lost episode or two, though ;)