May 16, 2025: Our Columbo rewatch continues with “An Exercise in Fatality”!

Our Columbo rewatch continues with…

“An Exercise in Fatality”

This episode aired September 15, 1974.

Peter Falk lobbied for, and got, a 6 episode fourth season (as opposed to 8). Said Falk: “The fewer you make, the better they are.”

He also secured himself a nice little raise, going from 100k to 132k an episode and averting a rumored walk-out.

The beach where Columbo meets Milo is the same beach where Jim Rockford lived on The Rockford Files.

In another Rockford Files connection, actress Gretchen Corbett, who played secretary Jessica Conroy in this episode, portrayed Rockford’s lawyer and girlfriend.

Robert Conrad’s character, Milo Janus, is an impressive 53 – but Conrad was 39 at the time this episode was shot. Conrad reflected back fondly on the episode: “There’s one great memory I have of working on that show. Peter Falk, as you know, is a very meticulous actor. I can’t speak for that style, although I am a great admirer of it. Well, my character was supposed to be drinking a particular juice because he was a health addict. And Columbo was supposed to just taste what I was drinking. Well it started to create an uncomfortable acidity in his stomach so I said “Now we have something that looks just like the juice, Peter. I’m up here with this juice.” He just said “Well I’m not.” His method, whatever it was, was to use the real juice. So I was stuck drinking something I had had more than enough of.”

Columbo tells Milo he has a new boss, likely a replacement for the jail-bound Deputy Commissioner Halperin he arrested for murder last episode.

My thoughts on this episode in chronological viewing order…

Top marks for the clever episode title!

Uh oh. Another maxi episode.

Janus was running expenses through the companies he owned and then charging the parent company like a shifty line producer.

Milo opens the door. Cue naked 70-year-old man strolling by in the background.

He’s going to sic the SEC on him. The SEC?! Oooooh. Scary.

I do like the fireworks between Milo and his secretary.

“I plan to live a long long time,”says Gene Stafford. Famous last words.

Them’s some pretty light-looking “heavy” barbells.

The 70’s home theater experience!

“Where are you? Still at the gym? Don’t do anything too strenuous. Wouldn’t want you to pass out.” And kill yourself!

Columbo can’t operate without his morning coffee.

The unnecessary call to his wife. Let’s make a game of identifying the extraneous padding scenes.

“You can keep talking, but I’m going to hang up.” Lol

Okay, I get that he finds the Chinese takeout suspicious, but is it really necessary for him to fish the containers out of the trash?

Mystery of the Missing Brown Heels!

Why would he lock up if he was alone? Good point.

A crushed windpipe! What a way to go.

Columbo clearly skips back day.

His show saved Columbo’s marriage! Getting a sense it’s not all sunshine and chili with Mrs. Columbo.

Jessica answering the door in her bikini. Va va va voom! I get a bit of a Claudia Christian vibe from her.

Columbo likes a woman with girth.

Always searching his pockets for that elusive pencil.

Columbo notices the burn mark on his hand. Hmmmm.

Kinda digging the heavy drinking, chain-smoking bereaved widow, Ruth Stafford.

“No, I’m afraid not, sir. I can’t swim. I don’t even like a deep tub.” Brilliant.

Of course he had a huge Chinese meal before his workout. You gotta carb up!

The scene of Columbo joining Milo on his run, trotting behind him in his raincoat, is great fun.

He’s pretty damn good on that speed bag.

Love the sequence of Columbo surreptitiously emptying the sand from his shoes into the flower bed.

Love Columbo’s priceless reaction to being informed lunch IS the handful of pills.

“Sir, there’s something wrong with this orange juice.”
“It’s carrot juice, lieutenant.”
Great exchange.

“Lieutenant, the pills.”
“Yeah, I’ll save these for lunch.”
A lot of good lines in this episode.

Columbo floats the idea that someone may have changed the victim into his gym clothes. Hmmmm.

Okay, this silly information request scene is interminable – and wholly unnecessary. Again, it feels like the writer wrote a nice tight 1 hour and 15 minute episode and then production decided to pad it out by requesting a bunch of useless scenes. This one is particularly egregious.

Columbo awkwardly leaving the message reminds me of me.

Love him popping back out of the elevator to retrieve his discarded cigar.

Good point, Columbo. Why wasn’t Gene surprised to have secretary Jessica answer the phone at Milo’s home?

Oh, Ruth is on to him.

And he offers to take her back to his place!

She responds by throwing a glass of wine in his face. Nicely done, Ruth!

Columbo hitting the treadmill. The sign behind him says: “One mile running limit when other customers are waiting.” Just my luck I get one of those out-of-shape strollers hop on before me.

What the hell is with this gym? It’s full of 70-something old men walking around shirtless. And it closes at 6 pm! No wonder the business is floundering.

“Oh no. I wasn’t accusing anyone.” I always love when Columbo does this.

Oh, man, that takes me back. What ever happened to the Bunco Division? Did they successfully eradicate Bunco crime back in the 70’s along with acid rain?

Booze, pills, a deadly combination. He tried to take out Ruth!

Boy, Columbo is surprisingly direct and confrontational here. And it’s all the more powerful because it’s atypical of him.

Aha! He notes mom tying the kid’s shoelaces.

Aha! He initially didn’t realize he was speaking to a voice recording.

Aha! He found the section of the tape that was edited out.

Aha! The shoelaces were tied in reverse!

Why would the police take a photo of the dead man’s sneakers? Oh, never mind!

The fourth season opener is solid, but not as strong as that third season closer. This episode felt a little flabby and could have stood to lose 15-20 minutes. Still, Milo Janus was a great adversary who really got under Columbo’s skin. The supporting players were great, especially Gretchen Corbett and as Jessica Conroy and Colin Wilcox Paxton as Ruth Stafford. Columbo is refreshingly focused in this episode but still delivers some wonderfully amusing moments like all of the health-related scenes.

My revised episode rankings: 1. Any Old Port in a Storm, 2. Double Exposure, 3. A Friend In Deed, 4. Double Shock, 5. A Stitch in Crime, 6. Death Lends a Hand, 7. Suitable for Framing, 8. Publish or Perish, 9. Dagger of the Mind, 10. Requiem for a Falling Star, 11. Prescription: Murder, 12. Murder by the Book/Ransom for a Dead Man (tie), 13. Swan Song, 14. Lady in Waiting, 15. An Exercise in Fatality, 16. Etude in Black, 17. The Most Crucial Game, 18. Blueprint for Murder, 19. Lovely But Lethal, 20. The Most Dangerous Match, 21. The Greenhouse Jungle 22. Dead Weight, 23. Short Fuse, 24. Candidate for Crime, 25. Mind Over Mayhem.

And now let’s consider whether Columbo has enough evidence to get a GUILTY verdict or is Milo Janus looking at an ACQUITTAL. This is the toughest one yet as the evidence is all circumstantial, but there IS a lot of it. Ultimately, I think enough for a jury to find him GUILTY. What do you think?

The post May 16, 2025: Our Columbo rewatch continues with “An Exercise in Fatality”! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.