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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Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

I enjoyed Milos Janus, Dale Kingston, Dr Mayfield, Halperin and Dr Collier get their come uppance

Re: Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

This is going to sound like a real cop-out(Boy!! I haven't used that expression since the 70's!!) but I looked at the list of episodes and thought of the murderers, and with the possible exception of Swan Song's Tommy Brown and Any Old Port in a Storm's Adrian Carsini, I really enjoyed seeing every single one of them getting their come uppance.
The whole lot of them were arrogant, self-centered, self-absorbed, smug, higher-than-mighty, heartless, thought-that-they-were-better-than-everybody, egotistical, vicious killers!!!! And I am going easy on them!!

Re: Re: Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

Dick Van Dyke's Paul Galesko was very arrogant and got what he deserved, although it was charming to see his final acknowledgement of Columbo's brilliance at the very end of "Negative Reaction."

Re: Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

The more arrogant the murderers, the more I enjoyed seeing them caught and humbled by our hero!

So, Doctors Mayfield, Mason, Cahill and Keppel are all on my list. So much for advanced degrees, eh? I would also add Dale Kingston, Paul Gerard and definitely the not-so great Santini (morally speaking, of course).

One particularly satisfying comeuppance is that of the evil and smug Mark Halperin. I love it when Halperin threatens Columbo by saying "You've just lost your badge, my friend!" But we know that the brave Lt. has just brilliantly foiled him. Very, very satisfying!

Re: Re: Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

Another posting just reminded me of another very satisfying "gotcha": that of the arrogant and calculating Dr. Fleming. I'm so glad to hear that Gene Barry is still going strong at 84!

Re: Re: Re: Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

Leslie Williams (Lee Grant) in "Ransom for a Dead Man" was a totally despicable person. Her husband gave her everything she wanted and she still killed him. Unlike later killers like Adrian Carsini or Joe Devlin, she had no redeeming qualities.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

Halperin’s demise is the most enjoyable for me. He goes from arrogant self assurance to the instant realization that he’s totally incriminated himself. He’s completely dumbfounded.

My second favorite is “Candidate For Crime”. Hayward is similarly stunned to discover: Columbo picked up on his “phone call” lie (which is really what does him in), has already entered the room, removed the bullet, analyzed it and has simply been waiting for Hayward to finish making himself look extremely guilty.

Re: Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

Erik..Halperin's demise was fantastic! I definitely agree. He was all uppity and controlling....and then...oh then...he was fooled beyond belief!! One of the best endings of all Columbos....as well as Suitable for Framing..and a heck of others!!

Re: Re: Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

I can't wait to finally have "A Friend In Deed" on DVD this August.

Re: Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

Me too....as I have said here so many times, I just love seeing all the little snippets of scenes that Bravo would always edit out. They are like little nuggets of treasure.
And I want to see Any Old Port in a Storm...and Double Exposure...Publish or Perish....oh heck!...I want to see them all!

Hey! and don't forget that "marvelous" "bonus" of an episode of Mrs. Columbo!!! The only saving grace will be that it is the one with Donald Pleasence.

Re: Which murderer you enjoyed seeing getting their come uppance?

Janus, kingston and halperin go for me as well, and also ken franklin, all very despicable, I also am in the minority in that I hate abigail mitchell, so also goes for her, I also enjoyed when markham got caught, that's because I liked bo williamson.