How about this: In "A Stitch In Crime," we see Mr. Spock become Dr. McCoy. All things aside, I think Leonard Nimoy did a great job portraying Dr. Mayfield.
But I have always wondered one thing: At the end of the second operation, where does Mayfield put the "disolving" sutures? I know they end up on Columbo, but all things aside, when he removes them from the patient (played by Will Geer), AND in front of witnesses, where do they go in the interim?
That's a common observation, but it's just another one of those plot holes we're supposed to forgive.
I never considered the role reversal, but I agree, Nimoy does a fine job making us forget he was Spock -- especially in how the arrogance of his character ends up forcing Columbo out of his!
In fact, for me, that scene rates among the most memorable of the entire series.
Zandy, there were so few scenes where Columbo got hostile with a suspect that they are the most memorable to me. There are plenty of scenes of Columbo, badgering and cajoling suspects, or his numerous personal quirks, but he very seldom got hot with anyone. Milo Janis and Dr. Mayfield were the best Columbo blow-ups.
he also got ****** off at the woman doctor (the george hamilton episode) when she said he had to ask the doctor and he steamily replied "NO, Im asking YOU about a murder" and pointed at her
Presumably as a surgeon, Mayfield has "good hands", and pulled off an amazing bit of sleight-of-hand while working in the surgical cavity.
What's even more amazing is why he bothered with dissolving sutures. After he unpacked those sutures (before the day of surgery, I assume) and handled them in order to dye them a different color, the sutures would have been so loaded with germs that the infection alone would have killed the patient.