I was recently watching "The Greenhouse Jungle" again, and was reminded of how fun that episode is. I think part of the enjoyment comes from the hilarity of how utterly disdainful Jarvis Goodland is of just about everyone around him, but also, like many fans, I find the charm of Columbo's interaction with Wilson to be completely irresistible. I started thinking about other episodes where Columbo is working alongside others, and realized just how consistently successful those pairings were. One of my favorite scenes where Columbo is working with subordinates is in "Last Salute to the Commodore", where he, Mac and Kramer are figuring out the order of the letter stencils. I love how Columbo seems almost to revert back to a childlike state, chuckling at the dirty and nonsensical words they initially spell, and peering through the "." stencil as if it were a magnifying glass. He seems so much at ease in the company of his fellow policemen, different from the naivete he shows in a murderer's presence, where you're unsure if it's genuine or merely a pretense. Another part in that episode that always makes me smile is when Columbo puts his arm around Kramer and says, "I'd love to have you join us, sergeant." It's a subtle touch that, like other moments between Columbo and his fellow officers, makes being a homicide investigator look like the funnest, most laid back job in the world.
Obviously, though, the core of the series is the classic cat-and-mouse game between Columbo and the murderer, where such added material would severely weaken the tautness of Columbo stalking his prey. I'm glad the series didn't have too many departures from Columbo's solo investigation style, but I'm very happy about what diversions there were. Does anyone else have a favorite scene/scenes between Columbo and his fellow investigators?

"Can I put the lamp down now, Lieutenant?" LOL at that scene from Commodore. Bruce Kirby is just holding the lamp like a child trying to please a parent.

How about the lost new raincoat that Sgt. Wilson keeps retrieving for the Lt. in Now You See Him.

I like when he praises Wilson's typing skills, sending Wilson to cloud 9.

And when he discusses acupuncture with the sargent in "Make me a perfect murder". "That's very interesting, Lieutenant!"

and he recommends the use of a back brush to his co-workers in "Death Hits the Jackpot". "Oh,you don't know what you're missing!"

As much as I like COLUMBO and Wilson, there's just something about watching JARVIS and Wilson together. In other words, all that flattery that Jarvis uses, especially in that "Well, that speaks very well for YOU, sergeant" scene. Even though Wilson isn't remotely a stupid person, it seems to work.