I have seen two stinkers recently from the "new" Columbo series: "Undercover" and "No Time To Die".
Of the original series I really found "Old Fashioned Murder" hard going. I also thought that "Lovely But Lethal" and "Double Shock" could have been much better.
I have never understood why so many people dislike "Lovely but Lethal." Although I wouldn't consider it among the very best, I love the setting, the eerie music with the scratching noises, and a really unique and clever final clue that pays homage to the old saying "caught red-handed." Vera Miles may not have been among the best villains, but I still thought she was amusingly *******
Anyway, now for my least favorite episodes:
Short Fuse
Mind over Mayhem
Old-Fashioned Murder
The Conspirators
Having just watched the S5 DVDs I have to say Commodore is one of the worst. If there ever was a candidate for a 90-minute ep, this is it. Some cuts I'd make: The ending took over 20 minutes, was very drawn out and boring. The meditation scene was a waste. The mizzinboom (spelling?) scene was tedious, in fact the entire ep was difficult to follow. Having Mac and Bruce Kirby made things more cluttered.
About the only thing good that came out of watching Commodore was seeing Wilfred Hyde-White - he caused me to go and watch Dagger again LOL.