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Re: Exercise in Fatality Ending - Need Help - Makes No Sense

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Re: Exercise in Fatality Ending - Need Help - Makes No Sense

this is definitely a hard one to figure out and also to describe.
but i will just say again..if you consider the fact that milo agreed with the fact that someone else dressed gene...."the murderer"...then only the murderer would know how gene was dressed...so how the heck did milo know that gene was dressed in his gym clothes if milo himself (the actual murderer) wasn't the one to do it?
think about that one...

and E there is also the point about the sneakers and how Columbo points out specifically that this would be how a right-handed person would tie their shoes...when in an earlier scene we see gene holding his pen in his left hand!! hullo?!?!?

Re: Exercise in Fatality Ending - Need Help - Makes No Sense

Gretchen Corbett is in this episode. Definately makes it worth watching!

Re: Re: Exercise in Fatality Ending - Need Help - Makes No Sense

I think this is one of the better episodes. The final clue is pretty clear to me, Columbo proved Gene Stafford didn't put him gym clothes himself, there was nobody else there since the door was locked, yet Janus told everyone that Stafford was in his gym clothes, thus he had to be the one who put them on him. There are some fine scenes in this one, including the scene in the hospital waiting room where Columbo has it out with Janus in front of other
people (although why, if Mrs Stafford was going to sleep for who knows how long, would Columbo would say he was going to sit in the waiting room). I also love the scene in the restaurant where Mrs Stafford tells Janus that she is on to his scheme and she throws her drink in his face. Robert Conrad played it very well, showing embarrassment but not going bananas and asking the waitress "what was bothering her". Also the scene where Janus offers Columbo some pills for breakfast. A very good episode.

Re: Exercise in Fatality Ending - Need Help - Makes No Sense

Cass, good point about Gene using his left hand earlier. I never noticed that before. Maybe he was a left-handed writer, but a right-handed shoe-tyer. Or ambidextrous like Brimmer?

I think the key point isn't so much that Milo knew Gene was in his gym clothes, but that he stated so. The shoelace clue proves that Gene did not dress himself (and was not going to be working out), so there is no way that Milo could have stated that that is what Gene told him, unless Milo was the one who murdered Gene, dressed him in his gym clothes, and now was trying to set up an alibi for himself.

I have to disagree about the scene when Columbo gets mad at Milo. It was too melodramatic and seemed to come out of nowhere. Columbo getting personally involved takes away from the cat-and-mouse aspect of the show, in my opinion.

Re: Exercise in Fatality Ending - Need Help - Makes No Sense

E, just like I stated twice already, i believe the biggest thing is that Milo agrees to the fact that Gene was dressed by someone else...'the murderer'.....and your second paragraph describes that succinctly! yay!

And as far as me pointing out about Gene possibly being left-handed, um..........er...........somebody on here pointed that out a few months back...I had never noticed it before myself.

Re: Exercise in Fatality Ending - Need Help - Makes No Sense

This episode features Gretchen Corbett. Certainly makes it interesting enough to watch! mini crossword