Since I decided to watch all episodes in order, I 'forced' myself to watch this one. It is definitely not on my favorites list, however, Eddie Albert does a good job of portraying General Hollister. Other than that, I can't say much for the episode because I really didn't like it that much.

yes, it does seem to lack something. but as you pointed out fred, eddie albert's performance as the proud major general makes up for a lot. and suzanne pleshette is always a joy to watch. i also always enjoyed kate reid as helen stewarts mother. her character is yet another example of one of those secondary characters in a columbo episode that you are intrigued with, and who you want to find out more about.

Suzanne was spectacular as Leona Helmsley.

She's a good little actress.

"Dead Weight" to me is one of those episodes where the story may be weak but the cast, music, production values etc. and the all around sense of style makes it fun viewing in spite of that.

Here's one interesting little factoid. The murder victim is played by John Kerr, who was Lieutenant Cable in the movie version of "South Pacific". His leading lady in that film was France Nuyen, who of course appeared in "Murder Under Glass."

I like the ep (and its music), but for me, it was Pleshette and Reid that drag it down.

I mean, they both do marvelous jobs at playing bags of conflicting impulses, but that's what makes portrayals of painful realities such memorably tasteless spectacles.

I guess that's why those of little shame need the truth outlawed, but you'll recall that the alcoholic mom takes credit for raising a gullible social misfit "single-handed" after her husband walks out on them.

Well, morons beget morons.

I would say that even though Eddie Albert, Suzanne Pleshette and Kate Reid are fine actors, their presence couldn't make up for the dull, dull script in this one. This is one of my least favorite episodes, although still a notch above the very worst: "Last Salute" and "Mind over Mayhem".
When I think about it, I realize that in the first season, the show was just getting rolling and wasn't as good as it would get later (I think the peak was the 4th season, although every season had some very good episodes). Even "Murder by the Book", as good as it was, has a very weak ending.

In a way, I've always thought of Suzanne Pleshette as "playing against type" in this story, because so many of her characters (like Emily Hartley) don't really take anything from other people (like insults), so it's almost strange to see her "take it" from the Kate Reid character. But of course, it's a mother-daughter situation, and that's the whole idea. (And Emily Hartley hadn't quite come along yet.)

I agree that "Dead Weight" isn't a masterpiece, but there are some things about it that are enjoyable.

I think the ending to "Murder by the Book" may have worked better at the time because it does have the logic and appearance of being a good clue (even though it really isn't condemning evidence all by itself) and viewers had nothing else to compare it to at that point.

But in many respects, the strength of "Murder By The Book" leading up to the finale IMO is exactly why the weakness of the finale drags down the episode completely. We've been given this cat and mouse contest of wills between Columbo and Ken Franklin that literally begs for a very definitive moment as a capper, and the finale just doesn't do that.

By contrast, I can accept the weakness of the final clue in "Dead Weight" because the episode hasn't been presenting us with the singular focus of Columbo trying to trip up the killer like in MBTB. Instead we've got the matter of Hollister's romancing of the witness which adds an additional layer to the story that IMO helps take the pressure off the need for the payoff clue to be the kind of brilliant finish that MBTB was crying out for and just didn't get.

There must be something that I simply do not see.
"Dead Weight" is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series.

A terrific opening sequence includes a very top of the line music score, excellent acting by Eddie Albert and John Kerr, and the intrigue of a "Columbo" rareity: someone witnessing a murder and living to tell about it.

The chemistry between Suzanne Pleshette's Helen Stewart and her mother is entertaining, and Columbo's initial entrance is priceless (perhaps I am partial to this episode because I prefer the Gil Melle theme.)

General Hollister's coolness quelling the suspense in his first meeting with Columbo adds to the strength of Hollister's character. Bert makes a likable return from "Ransom For a Dead Man" too, adding a humorous touch--and he appropriately lights Columbo's bulb for the final clue as the episode nears its climax.

I always assumed that the title "Dead Weight" had to do with the fact that the body was around and needed to be disposed of. However, there is another "weight" or sorts. In a sense, Columbo and Hollister are having a mental tug of war and using the mind of the murder witness as the rope. The good guy tries to win the trust of the witness, the problem being that the bad guy is the smooth, sophisticated, wealthy sweet talker while the good guy, in the witness' own implication, looks like an unmade bed.

The final clue is classic, the killer done in by his very tremendous belief in himself--the same belief which succeeded in temporarily winning the trust of Helen Stewart. Excellent acting during that final scene, so much that the drama in endings such as that of "Suitable For Framing" and "Short Fuse" was not necessary to make it respectable.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Dead Weight"--both the script and the music score. It was well put together and I have a difficult time understanding why it is not considered top notch by several other Columbo fans.

Although I enjoyed Season 1 episodes "Blueprint For Murder" and "Short Fuse" even more, I just seem to be able to watch "Dead Weight" over and over again--especially this time of year. Maybe because the first time I ever saw "Dead Weight" was the night before Thanksgiving (1985.)

I could go on even more. We ought to have some more questions, answers, and debates here.

I agree with you. The ending also had something that became a Columbo trademark - Columbo saying "That won't be necessary" when the handcuffs are brought out. Of course, there were usually no handcuffs to begin with in those final scenes, but it was either the one or the other.

This one has grown on me, the more I have watched it. I think Suzanne Pleschette does a really nice job of capturing the sad vulnerability of her character--in hte interactions with her mother, you really get a sense of how she got that way. I found the scene where she is trying to explain her artwork to Columbo quite touching--both in her awkwardness and the gentleness of Columbo's response. I think Peter Falk puts in a really nice, understated performance here.

And I like Eddie Albert, so that is probably a factor for me.

Another thing that bothered me is that it seems
that Eddie Albert is incredibly stupid in openly
romancing Suzanne Pleshette. That is an even
more blatant obstruction of an investigation
than the classic "Lieutanant, if you don't stop
harassing me, I am going to take it up with
your superiors!" (Prescription: Murder, Negative
Reaction, Friend in Deed) which is like waving
a red blanket in front of a bull. It would
be enough for Gen. Hollister to say "who are
you going to believe, me, the war hero, or this
confused young woman who couldn't have gotten
a good view of my house anyway?"
Also dumping the body in a place where there was
even a remote chance of it being found was really dumb as well.

This almost belongs in that "People who could've been killers" thread, but this episode, "Fade Into Murder" and "Ransom," of course all had the character actor Timothy Carey. He played nice characters in each one(evidently the same part in Dead Weight and "Ransom," the man who serves Columbo his chili). But he was also famous as a movie "heavy." He even played a completely COMICAL villain in Beach Blanket Bingo!