Well I've finally returned from a glorious 2 1/2 weeks in the West Coast...didn't want to come back to N.J. but........

During my journeys, I've had a time to rethink some Columbo episodes and I have a few questions.

1. In "Columbo Goes to College" when the Lt. and the students are walking into the garage, one of them asks Columbo about the Devlin case (referring to it as the only case that he worked with the FBI). Now I know this could NOT mean Joe Devlin. Any thoughts here?

2. For an ex-cop, Brimmer doesn't exactly beam off very much intelligence. Too many unanswered clues and questions. Yet he must have cleaned up that "rug" that Columbo admires VERY well because of the glass that broke when he killed Mrs. Kinnecutt (or however you spell it).

3. Speaking of dumb, Milo Janus forgets to replace the bulb he takes out of the phone. But think about this -- what are the odds of Columbo really being in the house when that particular line buzzes? Makes ya think.......

Well, thats enough for now. I have many others but don't want to overdo the post.

well, lookie who's back! hi fred hope you had a great time out on the west coast. sorry you had to return to big bad jersey!!

on the columbo goes to college one, as i recall columbo starts to describe the case a little and it does not coincide with the devling case in the conspirators.

good point about brimmer. he would have had to vacuum that rug up after the glass shattering all over it...so why wasn't he checking his vacuum bag for the contact lens??

typo...i meant devlin not devling

1. Columbo probably worked with the FBI after the fact. In 'those days', local Law Enforcement probably had to make their case before going 'Fed'.

2. As for Bremmer, he needed the contact lens to plant somewhere else so as to mislead the police.

3. You're right, MJ is dumb. He hangs around with dumb people, he's the smartest, so he thinks i works the same for every other situation.

About the odds of Columbo being in the house at the exact time the phone rang (for him to notice the light was out), that's the way so many of the eps were. For instance, how about in The Most Crucial Game, Columbo just happens to overhear Robert Culp speaking to Valerie Harper on the phone and puts it together?
Or how about in Swan Song, he overhears Johnny Cash talking on the phone and saying the Tabernacle building is not going to be built?
I don't know if we the viewers are supposed to think Columbo is very very bright and just figures out all these things by osmosis, or just happens to be a really really good eavesdropper! Carol