Die letzte Party

If you've heard any negative reviews of 'Columbo Likes The Nightlife', ignore them! This is a refreshingly contemporary and magnificently dignified end to one of the greatest crime series ever made.

'Columbo Likes The Nightlife' fittingly goes back to more of the great detective's keen eye for detail, collection of the facts, and assertive dominance over the villain(s), whilst still not losing the series' sense of dry humour, which had been an essential part of the 70's episodes, but sadly lost somewhat in some of the later 90's entries in favour of more of the character's pratfalls and bumbling antics. The fact here that the main villain, *spoiler alert* Matthew Rhys, is so coyly manipulative and not prone to the clumsy stupidity and slip- ups that befell some villains in more later entries, makes him all the more threatening to us, and also makes it all the more worthwhile and satisfying to then see Columbo pick away at that dangerous and arrogant persona.

The whole rave scene, all bright vivid colours and pumped-up beats, that forms the basis of the film, stands this episode out amongst the rest. With me, as I'm sure it did with many others, it took me aback to start, but not in a bad way whatsoever. This is a revamped and hip look for the franchise, and unlike such other later episodes like 'A Trace Of Murder', this felt like it was real and naturally flowing; the fashion of that time coinciding perfectly with the firmly established formula of Columbo and this tightly woven story to create a different, new, but respectfully structured and trustworthy, solid entry in the series.

There's little to criticise here. I for one though thought that *spoiler alert* there could've been one last send-off line, either about the detective's wife, or his possible hanging up the towel, as he leaves the club, but this is a very minor quibble, and on the other hand, I think that *spoiler alert* Columbo's final walk out of the club, immediately after proving the villain's guilt, accompanied to the appropriately reflective but quietly groovy beat that compliments it, is a terrifically subtle send-off in itself, and the presence of The Sopranos' Steve Schirripa, to which Columbo humbly expresses his appreciation for his offering any help in the future if he needs any, doesn't hurt it.

Nor does the *spoiler alert* poignant appearance of John Finnegan, a recurring actor in Columbo since 1972, who adds some warm nostalgia and wit with his knowing and touchingly handled cameo; no doubt a treat for die-hard Columbo fans.

Other supporting turns to watch out for here is *spoiler alert* Lost's Jorge Garcia as the doorman to the club, Julius Carry, and Patrick Cupo, as the cops helping out the lieutenant, and Douglas Roberts as the ill-fated tabloid photographer.

The villains here, *spoiler alert* Rhys, and Jennifer Sky, are brilliant. Rhys the reservedly calculating and charming murderer who becomes increasingly unhinged as the plot develops, and Sky the nervous girlfriend who tries to remain calm and dignified in the face of impending doom.

The end revelation *spoiler alert* about the fish tanks is a knock- out, and is up there with the very best deductions the Holmesian detective has proved right. It may be a little far-fetched granted, but it's a joy to watch.

Peter Falk was an amazing actor who made Columbo his own, and here he looks as if he's relishing the chance to be on top-form again. He doesn't disgrace himself here; his world weary demeanour contrasting beautifully against the rave techno culture of that time.

You find by the end, you'll actually be wanting more, but sadly, that wasn't to be. Indeed, the end scene I found struck an emotionally significant cord in me as I came to realise this was the final time we'd see the great detective and his iconic shabby raincoat, and THAT car, ever again. You miss him, but that's how you're meant to be feeling after all, and in some way you're glad you miss him, as opposed to wishing it's all over in some of the later instalments ('A Trace Of Murder' again).

Be thankful then, that 'Columbo Likes The Nightlife' was made, to give Falk, and the greatest role he ever played, the graceful and memorable ending they deserved. In style.

The greatest detective series in history comes to an end with a fine send-off. What made many (though certainly not all) of the later Columbos disappointing relative to the early ones were a) the turning of Columbo into a caricature - making himself look dumb and comical, and explaining everything five times as if speaking to a two-year old; b) excessive tampering with the tried and true Columbo formula; c) poor writing, with far fewer of the subtle and comic quotes, less successful humor, and wasted stretches with silly chatter or events that have nothing to do with the main plot. Well, this last episode does not have much humor, nor some of the great dialogue between the murderer and Columbo that many of the great episodes had. But it makes up for it by providing a ton of real sleuthing by the master, as he solves the puzzles by noticing the types of things only he would notice, and brilliantly tying it all together. It is a tight and well-written screenplay, with Columbo getting right down to business from the moment he first arrives on the scene until the very end, with the only sideshow being a minor, well done and humorous mafia subplot. After quickly identifying that it is a murder, not a suicide, and finding the suspect through astute observation and a neat detective trick, he sets out to trap the killers - not by acting like a semi-senile old man, but simply by acting naive and acceptive of their explanations - so that they say things they might not have volunteered otherwise - while at the same time dropping subtle hints to make them scared and confused. And while the music and scenery is updated to fit the modernizing times, he stays true to his character throughout. Other than one or two far-fetched things he does in finding clues (like sticking his hands into a toilet bowl), the plots and clues, and the manner in which he solves them, are quite believable. Not one of the very best episodes, but still a highly enjoyable one that honors the series and has very few uneasy or boring moments.

In recent years the character of Lt. Columbo had become a caricature of itself. He had a comical theme accompanying his every move and to everyone involved, until he solved the crime, he appeared to be an idiot. Many of the culprits were caught because of their own stupidity and inherent lack of respect for Columbo. That's not the case here, as the detective goes back to deploying real sleuthing skills. You can see from the first interaction with the opposition that Columbo is regarded as a very serious threat, even though one of the killers maintains he "has nothing". Early on, Columbo shows he means business when he asks his suspect "do you find something funny about this?". There is less interaction with the protagonists in this one, which some may find distressing, but it's only because Columbo spends most of the episode doing realistic detective work, rather than relying on the killers' stupid mistakes(there aren't any). He really pieces this one together, and the climax where he determines the location of the missing man is very good. All in all, I enjoyed a return to the more realistic Columbo of the seventies.

The "New Columbo" of the 1990s and into the 21st century have been a bit too whimsical at times but this story has much more edge to it. Columbo behaves more like an LA detective and the villains are shown to be more complex. The filming of the episode shows much more inventiveness than in recent episodes and the acting is first rate by all the cast. Falk gives an effective performance and conveys Columbo as being a little world weary - he's seen this all before but still loves his job too much. The makers of this episode have clearly tried to inject some energy into what was threatening to become a stale property. Overall, a refreshing return to form and a good finale for Columbo if this turns out to be the last ever episode.

A very young Matthew Rhys ("The Americans") is one of the stars of the final "Columbo," "Columbo Likes the Nightlife" from 2003. Also starring is Jennifer Sky, who has since become a journalist, and The Sopranos actor Steve Schirripa.

Rhys plays Justin Price, the owner of a soon-to-be-open rave club, but he's waiting for money to be transferred from his business partner Tony Galper (Carmine Giovinazzo). Before the money can be confirmed to be in his bank account, Galper's ex-wife and Justin's girlfriend (Sky) accidentally kills him. It's imperative that Tony not be discovered as missing or dead before the money lands. Unfortunately, a tabloid reporter puts the screws to Justin for blackmail money. When the reporter is found dead from an apparent suicide, Columbo doubts that's what it is.

Very good episode and a fitting farewell to Columbo, who in the last years has been hit or miss thanks to the producers using scripts that fiddled with the formula, including one that was a script by 87th precinct author Ed McBain.

Here, Columbo doesn't depend on the killer making a mistake but figures this out anyway, and it's very clever.

At 75 years old, Columbo would have been retired, not to mention that, were he still working, he would be a Police Deputy Chief, a Captain, a Commander - something! So I tell myself in these last years he was called in as a consultant.

I didn't like Peter Falk - I adored him. I interviewed him in the late '90s. The day he died I sat in an airport and cried. An amazing actor who left a great legacy and will always be fondly remembered as Columbo.