Negative reaction... one of best episodes ever. Again, it has everything in it. Humour, action, nice plot, nice atmosphere, just everyting. Columbo at his best. To be honest it took me a while to realise that the word "negative" in the title stands for both negative, as something bad, and negative as from the picture taken. In my language we have a separate words for that
- it looks for me that Mrs Galesko was imperious, but maybe also fragile, when he hit the table and said "stop it!" she became a little nervous and said "that was unnecessary". You can see that she is a little scared or at least surprised, and that raises a question what kind of marriage couple were they?
- Mrs Galesko says something like "you really think you will go to Philippines and leave me to rot here?". Why? She was not supposed to stay at the ranch. They had a nice villa. So why does she say that?
- do you think Lorna had the same planes towards Galesko as he had towards her?
- Galesko tells Deschler to call him at 10:00. But it was really lucky coincidence for Galesko that exactly in this time maid came home and overheard the phone conversation. He couldn't have predicted that
- how did Galesko enter the motel room so easily? Did he have a key?
- I always feel so sorry for Alvin Deschler, looks like he really wanted to start new, good life
- Galesko says "I'd like to be with her in the ambulance". Is the car which takes a body also named "ambulance"?
- when brilliant Vito Scotti says "perhaps I should get in touch with my barrister" Peter Falk laughs and I think it is really honest laugh
- Galesko says he released 9 books alltogether, but when Columbo is at his office, and asks if all of that books are his, his secretary says yes, and I see definitely more than 9 books
- it's funny that Galesko says that he took a camera to Ukraine, the country didn't exist at this time
- I know a lot of people on this forum like this "gotcha" moment, but I'm not so keen on it. First of all Columbo was showing original photograph of the victim to Galesko, that means Galesko knew that Columbo knew how it looked like. Second of all Galesko could have said "you've been in that room where murder took place, you know how it looks like!". Third of all Galesko was all in nerves and didn't even take a glance
on the shelf where cameras were, so how all of the sudden he knew that there is this particular camera?
I love this episode and for me ending is the weakest part of it. But I still enjoy, maybe that is even the best of the best for me :)

I'm as attached to it as you and so many others are, but I have just a few problems with it.

As you say, Alvin seems easy to break in on TWICE (especially for an ex-convict). You'd think he'd be a lot more careful after the first time.

I've always wondered whether all the other cameras on that shelf are black and white ones (since the photo is black and white). They probably are because that would go with Columbo's plan, but if they aren't, Galesko could just go straight to the one that IS.

I think Paul Galesko is supposed to be the typical hen-pecked husband and when he reacts strongly by smashing his fist down on the table, Frances is a little shocked at his rare act of aggression.

Galesko acted like he had big plans for Lorna, as most men would. She also seemed to admire him very much and, once they were in the Phillipines, I imagine that he would start spending a lot of (his late wife's) money on her. And it all would have worked if it wasn't for that pesky Lieutenant.

In America, a hearse is a vehicle that transports bodies and caskets. However, the recently deceased that die outside of the hospital are usually taken by ambulance to the hospital for processing first.

Regarding the Ukraine, it may not have been a separate, independent political state, but I believe people would still refer to the region, similar to tourists saying that they are going to visit "Ireland", without specifying the Irish Republic or Northern Ireland (UK).

Regarding the "gotcha" moment, I think it works because Columbo was constantly pestering and badgering Galesko all episode. When Columbo "accidentally" reversed the image, after destroying the original, Galesko felt like Columbo was forging evidence to frame him: "No Sir, this is the correct image.....I'LL TESTIFY TO THAT!" I think that unnerved Galesko and he wasn't thinking at his best. He saw a quick way to beat Columbo using his knowledge of cameras. At least that's what he thought. Once again, the Lieutenant was underestimated.

I love this episode, and I crack up at how poorly Columbo behaves at funerals. He kept clicking pictures at inopportune times. He also disrupted Vittorio's funeral and some others that I can't remember offhand. For a normally well-behaved character, he is disrespectful of the grieving.

Another horrible thing Columbo does is show Galesko the pictures that he took at the funeral and inadvertently slips one in there of the man's dead wife. Galesko is supposed to be grieving for Frances, and Columbo shows him a photo of her tied up and terrified before being murdered. Yikes! Of course it didn't bother Galesko who actually took the picture before committing murder, but it was still inappropriate.