So... a jump for newer series happened. This is not a bad episode in some way. But strange for me and with many flaws, many things always bothers me here when I watch it
- beginning is too long for me. I mean the time until Columbo appears on screen, maybe even the longest ever? or maybe it is just my feeling because it is boring?
- this guys from CIA and Penthagon were always naive for me, really? people on this level believed in it?
- did Blake know that it is Max Dyson who is going to "test" him? or did they make quick plan together?
- did Paula know that Blake and Dyson know each other?
- if the test was so important, I'm surprised that nobody was controlling what Blake and Dyson are doing the night before and nobody noticed their meeting
- the test itself is the biggest flaw on this episode for me.. because a lot of things! nobody controlled three guys in the car who were supposed to make a picture, who knows if they even wear eyeshield?? when they make a mark on the map... gosh, I think if you do it, you feel more or less if you did in on left, or right side, upper or lower side of the page.. so even for them it should look totally suspicious, not even mentioning that if they chose some point, and it is LA (which I've never been to but I imagine!), there would be only a small chance to just park a car calmly and make a picture (my city has around 750 000 of citizens and it is always hard to find a parking place!). And next, when they meet before test it looks like they know each other but they still want to play a little game with each other. Blake could have known the rules of trick but how could he known the exact places on the map? plus the CIA guy is giving a directions of East, West, etc. And when they gave direction, let's say west,then "west" is quite broad term so the picture could have shown anything
- the fake tiredness/fatigue (I don't know proper word) on Blake's face after the test always makes me laugh
- another big flaw for me: ok, Elliot passed the test. But he knew that they will expect something like that from him in his new job? so he must have known that he will fail in the first or maybe second attempt. What was his target then??
- how could Elliot predict that when he came to Blake's place, he will be working on his guillotine at that time?? otherwise it would be really hard to make him put his head under it I guess
- quite stupid from Max's side to lay down on the guillotine just after being threatened by the gun
- Columbo always had difficulties with seeing the blood, and some drastic views, here he has no problem with watching the guy decapitated
- the trick with guessing a figure from the cards that he made with Columbo.. so obvious and stupid! it reminds me about Great Santini guessing one of four numbers
- when the kid shows Columbo a trick with cards it is vissible that all the cards there are aces of diamonds
- very often the killer or victim is an author of some book, and Columbo always gets this book to know more about killer/victim and reads it. These books are very often really thick and I guess it would take him a lot of time to read it (and I guess most of them are boring), taking his long working hours into consideration, when does he find time for that? :P
- I like Columbo here, very much, but you can easily see a change of him. Good example is when he asks Blake to come to the murder scene and sense vibrations or whatever. It's an obvious set up from him like he did many times before. But before you could see clearly in his eyes, face expression, his wisdom, shrewdness, you see that it is his game. Here he looks like a small baby watching some circus performance, or a grandma listening to some unbelievable stories of her grandson, that is not real Columbo for me
- again the same fake tiredness after "sensing vibrations" in front of Columbo
- Miss Paula looks much better with loose hair :D
- Columbo imitated brilliantly this "tiredness" after his "test" in the end :)
- the last part with guillotine, I think it was so risky that even Clumbo couldn't afford that...

We recommend them as a reliable design agency for our customers who need sophisticated product design. identity agency

Their team effectively manages projects and communicates through multiple channels. They are creative and easy to work with. UX consulting company