Columbo: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo

This episode is one of the best 'new' Columbo-episodes. With perfect flashbacks the viewer sees how a insane woman is manipulating Columbo and trying to kill Mrs. Columbo and Columbo himself. The whole episode has an very sad atmosphere (especially the scenes of the funeral) but has also an happy end :) The Columbofans also learns a lot about the habits of Mrs. Columbo and that is also a nice thing. One of the best 1989's Columbo's. You must see it !!!

To all those who disregard or disdain every one of the late Columbos, I hate quite a few of them too. In fact, this one plays with the format as well, which is what caused so many of the others to be dreadful. But surprise, surprise, it not only worked this time, it turned into one of the greatest of all episodes, top 5 in my book. For starters, we have the old Columbo, reserved and serious but with a bunch of funny character quirks. None of the speaking like a senile old man, or explaining things like one does to a 3 year old child. The great dialogue is back. The french restaurant scene pitting Columbo against the Matre D' is hilarious and priceless. So is the chili scene with the waitress Gracie. The plot is brilliantly original, realistic (yes, there are psychopaths like that in the real world too). Helen Shaver, always underrated, is superb, grabbing every minute of her unusually long screen time and killing it. Her cat and mouse with Columbo is superb. And Columbo not only gets to do his usual great stuff as a sleuth, but also has to become a prime time actor, and does it splendidly. Finally, Roscoe Lee Browne is splendid as Dr. Steadman, and the scene in which he and Columbo do a dance act to get the necessary info without violating doctor/patient confidentiality is a joy to watch. If all that wasn't enough, the final two scenes are just riveting. Oh, did I mention that I really liked this movie?

This Columbo story departs from the usual format in that Columbo is always the outsider digging for facts to solve a murder. The perpetrators are always apart and are never a threat to Columbo personally.

But Helen Shaver is a different kettle of fish. She shoots Edward Winter who ratted out her late husband and Columbo is also in her sights as he was the investigating officer. Her husband convicted of fraud died in prison and Shaver spent some time in a mental health facility.

So while in a remarkable coincidence is the investigating detective on Winter's homicide she's getting close to him with murder on her mind. And if not him her target could be Mrs. Columbo.

So Peter Falk is playing quite a cat and mouse game with Shaver and both are seeing themselves as the cat.

A real good scene is Falk with psychiatrist Roscoe Lee Browne who treated Shaver. With doctor/patient privilege applying and Browne trying to enjoy his gourmet meal he does convey to Columbo the danger he and the wife could be in.

Shaver is one dangerous woman not to be missed.

Helen Shaver heads a cast including Ian McShane and Teresa Gangel in an episode that pounds the final nail in the coffin of "Mrs. Columbo." The TV series, not the . . . Person.

After the success of "Columbo" someone had the "bright" notion of "Mrs. Columbo." Though the great detective never appears, unstated connections were made in the opening credits. When the show faltered "Kate Columbo" divorced her never seen husband and I think the show finally died under the title "Kate Loves a Mystery." I may be inexact title-wise, but I don't care enough to look it up.

In this episode Columbo said he'd been married 28 or 29 years. Unless he's lying about a make-believe wife it really is "Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo."

As far as the episode itself, Shaver ties all the men in knots and Gangel doesn't have enough to do. But then, I really like her. And perhaps I've seen too much Columbo but the clues were too obvious. I figured it out early and I'm not clever about these things.

The good: Roscoe Lee Browne has a neat cameo. Great actor. It's too bad he never "did it" in a "Columbo" episode, to my knowledge. I'd like to see Browne and Falk in that duel.

I'm a massive Columbo fan, but the later episodes were somewhat hit and miss. This was one of the better ones, if not the best. It gets personal for Columbo when Mrs Dimitri - still grieving for her dead husband who Columbo arrested and put behind bars years ago - seeks revenge. I think from the title we know who she sets out to kill. But will Columbo see through her plan? Of course he will. Will we get to see Mrs Columbo? Of course not! Hugely enjoyable 7 out of ten