Double Shock

Lieutenant Columbo sets out to prove that two estranged brothers united in order to kill their wealthy uncle, because they wanted to stop him from disinheriting them from his will.

An enjoyable Columbo episode with the usual formula competently assembled, but the real delight here is the excellent Martin Landau who scores in his double role as the twin brothers.

This episode has been released on video in the UK paired with the second pilot episode, Ransom For A Dead Man (1971).

What a cast of actors and actresses in this Columbo episode, beside Peter Falk, you have Julie Newmar, Jeannette Nolan, Martin Landau as twins. Anyway, the old uncle dies mysteriously and it looks like a heart attack on the bicycle discovered by his fiancé, Julie Newmar, who plays the role so deliciously. Jeannette Nolan plays the other woman of the house, the housekeeper who prides herself on her talents and chides Columbo's sloppy and often typical behavior with his cigar. Martin Landau plays identical twins in this one. Each who accuse the other of murdering their uncle for money. Well, you'll just have to watch and see the outcome but I can assure you that it's always worth watching this one for the cast and the crew.

Double Shock was neither one of the best or one of the worst of the Columbo series but it was still very solid. I do think some of the story takes a while to get going and that the tension between the two brothers wasn't quite as tense or effective as it could've been, mainly because Dexter was a far more interesting character than Norman. However, it is filmed and edited beautifully, and the music is suitably atmospheric. Apart from some sluggish pacing and some scenes that feel padded, the story is a good change of pace and remains interesting with a genuinely surprising ending, and the writing is arch and witty often. Peter Falk looks very comfortable as Columbo and is a joy to watch. Julie Newmar is a pleasant surprise as the fiancée, but in support the standout was Jeanette Nolan, whose rapport with Columbo is hilarious. Double Shock is notable mostly for Martin Landau playing twins, and he does a very good job in both roles, especially as Dexter. Overall, interesting and very solid. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Guest villain in this Columbo story is Martin Landau. The victim in this case is Paul Stewart who is Landau's uncle and tight controller of the family purse strings. Stewart is also going out with Julie Newmar who is an overage flower child and Landau is worried that the family fortune will go to her and with good reason.

Nothing left to do but kill Stewart and this is accomplished by dropping an electric mixer into Stewart's bath electrocuting him. Then we have Stewart's body dried up and semi-dressed and put him on an electric exercise machine to make it look like he died of a heart attack there.

The rub in this episode is that Landau is playing a dual role. The charismatic host of a cooking show who spends money like it was going out of style and an uptight banker who has a not so secret gambling problem. Stewart's money will bail both of them, especially banker Landau out of considerable debt.

There are a couple of other substantial roles in this story. One is Tim O'Connor the family attorney who's had a good income from handling the affairs of Stewart and wants to keep right on doing it. The other is Jeanette Nolan who Peter Falk irritates the hell out of. She's a most uptight housekeeper and Columbo spilling his cigar ashes on her immaculate floor drives to distraction. She also hates having any interruption of her television shows. But the disruption of that service is an important clue for our rumpled detective.

Scenes with Nolan and Falk are the high point of this good Columbo story.

Double Shock is one of the many good Columbo episodes which reaches the level of a good movie.

It has all the elements we like in the Columbo episodes. We get the laugh when Columbo makes something clumsy, and it happens more than once in Double Shock. I can almost guarantee that you will laugh several times if you decide to watch this episode.

We also get the riddle as usual with an almost perfect murder, but something about the murder troubles Columbo. The end is the usual, we get the story about how Columbo solved the mystery.

This is another good Columbo-episode, and I will rate it 7/10. It is close to 8/10.

"Just one more question" - The acting? Peter Falk is very good as usual.