I am not a biggest fan of this episode. Even of the last scene, which lot of people say is very good. For some reasons I never liked it. Also this particular episode contains a lot of small things that I just don't understand even after many viewings. So here it goes:

1. I love the music in this episode. Maybe episode is weaker but music is top notch
2. Roger is one of most annoying murderers for me. And I don't mean loath or something. Just annoying with every single behaviour. I guess that was the idea of writers, and they succeeded. His answer after foolish behaviour in the beggining when Miss Bishop asks „Roger what is the matter with you?” she is worried, and he answers „what's wrong?”. Really? His making pictures without any reason everywhere, hitting his forehead..
3. I am not sure if I am getting proper picture of the reason. I assume that David is currently the boss of the company and Logan his assistance? But he says that people are afraid that selling the company will change somthing. So he wants to sell? But then Roger says that he will be still a boss? If the company is sold, how he can still be the boss? I don't understand that
4. When DL leaves with his car, the image in Roger's car mirror is reversed
5. Roger comes home, takes some crumpled paper from his pocket – what is this paper? I guess it was the one that Columbo later says that he found on the basket of Quncy apartment? Then Roger writes something on typewriter – what is he writing? And why there if he could do that later? Can you explain? And he takes typewriter to car and then goes back only to turn off the light. Why didn't he turn the light off earlier?
6. And how Roger opened Quincy's apartment door? Didn't he lock it? With this kind of tasks he was doing I think he would always lock his door
7. Do you think it was intentionaly when Columbo spilled the water on the desk? If yes, why did he do it? I don't see any hidden reason
8. Always really strange to me (maybe not always because I noticed that maybe after 15 viewings :P): when they are in Roger's office, Columbo says something like „I knew you are the one that can help me, follow me”, and next scene is on the top of that tower and go down the stairs. What the heck happened? Did we just miss a big part of their journey (including going from office to the tower and climbing up the tower) or Roger's office is on the top of that tower? :P
9. This is going back a little to point 5 – maybe my english is not enough but I am not sure if I understand – Columbo claims he found some paper in Quincy's apartment about Mr Logan upseting Roger about the sale thing, and use him to mani****te the aunt. Does it mean that Roger created the situation that Logan wanted to use him to persuade the aunt NOT to sale? It is a little confusing
10. The apartment where Roger plants the typewriter, whose was it? Did Quincy really have two? And again, how did ge het in?
11. What is this talking about „aunt Doris knew how much your mother always wanted to live in the desert”? I completely don't get any sense from that
12. Do you think that when Columbo and Logan visit Roger's office – does Logan already know about the whole intrigue with details? Or he learns the truth on this mountain cable car?
13. Do you think Miss Bishop was brought back to work after all? I wish she was because bot of her characters (also the one in Stitch in a Crime) are innocent and suffer without reason :)

I always wondered if Columbo deliberately spilled the water, too. But I also don't exactly see the purpose behind it. Columbo observed that Roger was nervous while listening to the recording. Maybe Columbo thought seeing Roger's reaction to spilling the water might help him better assess Roger's irritation or anxiety level? But then Dorie says that Roger is worried even though he doesn't like David very much. Maybe spilling the water was an accident, and it was the writer's way of making Dorie's observation another clue for Columbo? Not sure.

TR I had exactly the same feeling about that :)

I've always liked this episode. Roddy McDowall is perfect for the character the writers created. If you notice, the Villain in the early Columbo's were usually some actor who was "hot" at the time. Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, were po****r at that time, Kim Hunter was in Suitable for Framing shortly before this episode.

My only complaint, but not really a complaint is, continuity in the driving scenes (with the bomb) While driving in the rain, talking on the phone, it's clearly a nice road, you can even see curbs. but the road in the daylight after the bomb went off, the road is like some old abandoned logging road barely paved, big rocks on the road, just doesn't match.

Also, as an amateur Photographer myself, It always slays me in these shows (not just Columbo) when someone is taking pictures indoors, they aren't using a flash. Sure you can use fast film but still not in that lighting and I'm sure Roger could afford a better, faster lens. A Nikor F2 isn't that fast, the F1.4 would be better, and at one point he switches to a 135mm lens no tripod, etc... And the biggest flaw that always irks me is they never focus. they just point and shoot...