There is another horrible cringe moment from (I think) Sex and the Married Detective. Columbo goes to a bartender school to interview somebody and all of the students are required to wear green bowties or vests for some reason (it was so awful I blacked out the details). While Columbo interviews the instructor, the bartending students just stand there and shake their drink mixers, as if that's something that needs to be practiced.

Also, in Columbo Likes the Nightlife, Columbo stops the music and puts the lights up at the discotheque. The "extras" just stand around patiently. I know it's a network made-for-tv movie, but perhaps they could have set the scene during the daytime to avoid that. It looked silly.

I honestly love the "newer" episodes (from '89 to 2003) way more than most people, but you have to overlook a lot of silliness like the tuba and bartender scenes sometimes to get to the good parts.

The conversation with the undertaker in "Swan Song". Columbo is trying to be as respectful as possible without cutting the chat short. Finally Scotti has to give in and says "You're a hard sell, Lieutenant, huh? Well, I'm sorry."

Even though it's a nearly-perfect episode, there's one moment of Negative Reaction that I have a funny feeling about. It's when he "accidentally" slips that ransom photo of Frances tied to the chair in with those others. He calls it a "perfectly good picture." I know he means "good" in a TECHNICAL way, but it's a strange thing to say to Galesco, since it's a long while before he starts accusing him of murdering Frances.

I've always had a big problem with that photo scene in Negative Reaction. Galesko is supposed to be grieving his wife's murder and he is casually shown a picture of her tied up before she was killed. Whoopsie! How did THAT get in there.

Consider that this is AFTER Columbo interrupted her funeral service by clumsily taking a bunch of pictures at awkward moments.

We know that Galesko didn't love Frances and murdered her, but Columbo is supposed to act like Galesko is grieving. And by disrupting the funeral he disrespected every other person who actually did love her.

That said, it truly is a great episode. Dick Van **** is a surprisingly good villain. Having Joanna Cameron didn't hurt either.

It should have made everybody cringe at the fact he was so attracted to Miss McGrath before nd after the murder. Most men who just lost their wives would be in a horrible space; not Galesko - off to the Philippines he goes with the young sexy Miss McGrath.