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lliira"Murder by the Book" is Season 1, Episode 1, the first in the series proper. It's directed by Steven Spielberg, which... well, it's definitely DIRECTED.
Script: It's an interesting premise. It's a classic Columbo episode in that we know who did it (as always), but we don't know why. The motive is the real mystery. However, everyone but Columbo himself is pretty unintelligent. Columbo actually calls the murderer's actions "stupid" at one point, and that's definitely true. The murderer is so arrogant, and so insistent that THIS MUST BE A PROFESSIONAL KILLING REALLY YOU ARE SO IGNORANT MR. COP NOT TO THINK SO LOOK AT THIS LIST YEP MUST BE MAFIA that anyone would be able to figure out this guy must be the murderer after meeting him once. However, everyone but Columbo himself is pretty brainless this episode. It's a definite comedown from Prescription: Murder and Ransom for a Dead Man, in which the murderers were brilliant.
Direction: Steven Spielberg directed, and he seemed to want to make sure we noticed the direction. There are some strange shots, and the acting's occasionally off, but the truly bad part about the direction is that I think I can often count the actors' nosehairs. The ultra-closeups get grating fast, and Spielberg keeps piling them on. Because of this, when I "watch" this episode, I actually do not watch it -- I listen to it.
Acting: The murdered man's wife is off at times. She doesn't seem to grieve at all. She's also strangely oppositional toward Columbo at times. But the murderer and the storeowver are excellent. So long as you don't watch them, that is. The storeowner suffers more from Spielberg's ultra-closeups than any other character, and he's especially obsessed with her teeth.
Watch or not: For all my complaints, it's a good episode overall, so watch, but you might want to be a few more feet back than usual.
Season 1, Episode 2: "Death Lends a Hand" is fine. It's a little below average for the early years though, imo.
Script: Acceptable, but nothing special. The death is an accident, but the murderer's still a ratbastard, so no sympathy for him.
Direction: There's one montage that takes place in the murderer's glasses that's rather odd. The rest of the direction is just normal, not noticeable.
Acting: Meh. When the murderer is supposed to go off in a rage, it's so forced that it seems the character is pretending to rage.
Watch or not: It's okay. It won't hurt to watch, but it's not amazing either. I keep forgetting it even exists.
Script: It's an interesting premise. It's a classic Columbo episode in that we know who did it (as always), but we don't know why. The motive is the real mystery. However, everyone but Columbo himself is pretty unintelligent. Columbo actually calls the murderer's actions "stupid" at one point, and that's definitely true. The murderer is so arrogant, and so insistent that THIS MUST BE A PROFESSIONAL KILLING REALLY YOU ARE SO IGNORANT MR. COP NOT TO THINK SO LOOK AT THIS LIST YEP MUST BE MAFIA that anyone would be able to figure out this guy must be the murderer after meeting him once. However, everyone but Columbo himself is pretty brainless this episode. It's a definite comedown from Prescription: Murder and Ransom for a Dead Man, in which the murderers were brilliant.
Direction: Steven Spielberg directed, and he seemed to want to make sure we noticed the direction. There are some strange shots, and the acting's occasionally off, but the truly bad part about the direction is that I think I can often count the actors' nosehairs. The ultra-closeups get grating fast, and Spielberg keeps piling them on. Because of this, when I "watch" this episode, I actually do not watch it -- I listen to it.
Acting: The murdered man's wife is off at times. She doesn't seem to grieve at all. She's also strangely oppositional toward Columbo at times. But the murderer and the storeowver are excellent. So long as you don't watch them, that is. The storeowner suffers more from Spielberg's ultra-closeups than any other character, and he's especially obsessed with her teeth.
Watch or not: For all my complaints, it's a good episode overall, so watch, but you might want to be a few more feet back than usual.
Season 1, Episode 2: "Death Lends a Hand" is fine. It's a little below average for the early years though, imo.
Script: Acceptable, but nothing special. The death is an accident, but the murderer's still a ratbastard, so no sympathy for him.
Direction: There's one montage that takes place in the murderer's glasses that's rather odd. The rest of the direction is just normal, not noticeable.
Acting: Meh. When the murderer is supposed to go off in a rage, it's so forced that it seems the character is pretending to rage.
Watch or not: It's okay. It won't hurt to watch, but it's not amazing either. I keep forgetting it even exists.
