skipperkd

I love this series, but Columbo just felt irritating in this episode. He's hugging Vaughn like a buffoon, squeezing beside him in the car when there's room in the back seat. Eye roll. Later, he's again squeezing onto the couch, almost on Vaughn's lap, looking foolish unnecessarily. Various similar scenes, none of which felt cute or quirky. It just felt off. Another drawn-out scene with Columbo's beater Peugot had me impatiently rolling my eyes. As for the plot, it was okay, if different than the normal pattern, but the pacing felt slow. Too much filler, too many drunken scenes with the wife.

So. Not my favorite. But I loved seeing Wilfred Hyde-White, the old butler in Batman. And I was surprised by a few plot twists.

I love the combination of law and criminal investigation and journalism, which this series incorporates. I also love period drama, and this series is set in 1880s Italy. I love the cinematography- Italian scenes of architecture and fashion particularly. I also like learning a bit about this clever, determined young woman, Lidia Pöet. Fingerprinting!

On the other hand, I found the murder mystery itself simple fairly obvious, easy to guess. I found the voice dubbing a bit off, but no big deal. I did not care for the opening sex scene, which was gratuitous and graphic.

There is humor scattered around this episode, and I much enjoyed those little nuggets!

Ps. The rock music did not bother me, even though it is anachronistic.