I definitely love when he gets angry. It is really terrific. One reason is because it really shows that other side to his personality that we rarely get to see. And maybe I enjoy it so much since it IS such a rare thing.
And that other goofy..arrogant Columbo is really annoying. It is so UN-Columbo!

it's still my least favorite of all episodes,,,,boooooring

stymye......why??...didn't you enjoy the stuff between real-life friends, Peter Falk and John Cassavetes? Their work together was terrific!! There was a lot there...along with the last clue....but more importantly there was Peter and John...didn't you find any great chemistry between the two of them?.....it was there.......look at it again..and you shall appreciate it......or else...you just don't like the episode and you will run with that...whatever........we all have our own opinions.

To be honest Etude didnt get my blood racing either. It was a middle of the range Columbo, maybe i have to see it more often.

I have issues with keeping the car in the garage, even tho there was nothing wrong with it wouldnt the mechanics have been working on it (looked at it) and so the odd possibility that it wouldnt drive. Plus he killed the cockatoo, that was needless. Plus the guy was arrogant and so he annoyed me. I like feeling sorry for the killers or even that they so deserve to be arrested that its great to see them finally get caught but Alex simply got on my nerves.

God bless,

Matthew

The Alex character is boring.. so lifeless.... and the ending is very dull..
it has a few good moments but overall hard to get into -for me.
women typically rate this episode very highly ...why?
perhaps because it comes across more as a love story than a murder mystery

One of the best parts of this was in the end when Columbo is fiddling with the projectioner and cant find the switch after calling for the the lights to be turned out.

To me it was so much hard work for Columbo and then ended so fast like it had to be finished quickly.

I also have a lot of issues in this episode that make it quite daft.

God bless,

Matthew

I think the worse thing was the killer going back to a crime scene and taking an item, (the flower) if one of the police had seen it before he got there he would have sealed his fate just by taking it, and of course it did so anyway in the end because of other circumstances with the flower.

stymye said..."women typically rate this episode very highly...why?"
2 words for you stymye.....John Cassavetes....he oozed sexiness!!!
Now about Alex being boring and lifeless...well...maybe I can't be very objective here because I am such a freak-fan of JC...but I thought he was electric in this...the one scene where he trying to explain to Columbo about how strange "artists" are...and he says "They go up and they come down and they go up...." you know the scene...I think he is just great there. And the scene in the dressing room where he goes ballistic when Jenifer doesn't show up....he is a wild man.

And mat I like it when the murderer is arrogant and self-centered and uppity...it makes it all the more delicious when Columbo gets him!
Alex was one cocky guy...picking up the flower, as stephen pointed out. Actually trying to deny doing it to Columbo, who SAW him do it. Running to the garage in broad daylight. And as mat pointed out, taking the chance that the car might not work...and what if Mike The Mechanic had locked the window? Even the murder itself was risky....what if Jenifer had come to before the gas got to her. He was very sure of himself and arrogant to the core....And that's why I love him!!

I agree that there are numerous problems
with the story, as others have pointed out,
such as Alex picking up the flower in a very
flamboyant way in front of Columbo, and I have
stated before that Alex's insistence that "it had
to be suicide" was unbelievably stupid, because
as someone supposedly uninvolved in the case, it
was very suspucious to make such a statement.
Given all that, it is one of my favorite episodes,
because there is more to the shows than simply the
mechanics of the plot--the acting (both men were supberb), the directing and the chemistry between
Columbo and the suspect are all very good in this one.

I obviously totally agree with everything you said here, YM.
One of the biggest aspects of Columbo that I enjoy is that interaction and chemistry between Columbo and the murderer. I think that is one of the many reasons why Columbo as a show stands far and away above most mystery shows. For me the relationship between him and the murderer is central to the whole show.
And as far as plot problems with Etude, yes there are many...but just as with Any Old Port In A Storm...the relationship between Columbo and Alex far outweighs the plot problems.

Saw Any old port again on saturday night and thought it was a great episode. We will just have to disagree and maybe after watching it a few times it will get better but i mainly found it slow and Alex really just got on my nerves, not for being an arrogant person but the character simply bugged me the whole way thru. Unlike all the other killers where you joy from seeing columbo catching them i was left thinking "is that it - ow well".

Shame really. Still certainly nowhere near the worse epsiode list.

God bless,

Matthew

That is why we are here Matthew. To agree to disagree. That is how the discussion happens. Everyone has their favorites, and their not-so-favorites.
Again with this episode, I am very biased because I am such a maniac over JC, and his personal real-life relationship with Peter...so it is hard for me to speak very rationally about it.
I find the ending quite satisfying.
One ending which could have been a bit longer was Playback. You see Gena Rowlands' face as her husband has just come apart in front of her eyes and then it is over....I had really wished that Columbo could have said something more to her and the scene could have been a bit longer.

mat & stymye........not to over-labour this, but do you think that you really didn't enjoy JC's character and the episode as well because you weren't all that familiar with him and his past acting work. Most of the Columbo murderers were "names"...either tv or film stars...and JC was a lot more obscure than them.
Well, it was just a thought on my part. It is possible that this might have something to do with the fact that you don't like Alex's character or the episode all that much.

(ok....i am reaching for straws here!!! i just can't understand why you guys don't like my johnny ......but believe me, as i have said, you are here to express your opinions and i love that...so you go!! guys!! )

well....It's possible... If he is naturaly boring in his past work, than I probably should give him more credit.He's your favorite columbo villan so I won't say any more negative things from now on ...promise

Um.....I never said he was naturally boring in his past work...he was dynamic!! Believe me he was. Just check out some of his stuff....he was a little pistol.
And feel free to say anything negative about him...that is why we are here....but just remember that cassa will come back with some wonderful 'etudes' to Johnny!!