Criminologie appliquée

Stephen Caffrey and Gary Hershberger play two smart but spoiled college students named Justin Rowe and Cooper Redman who are confronted by one of their teachers named Professor Rusk who accuses them of stealing a copy of an upcoming test, and threatening to have them flunked or expelled. Fearing for their futures, they devise an elaborate plan to kill him in a parking garage while attending a lecture, which by coincidence is given by Lt. Columbo(Peter Falk) who takes charge of the crime scene, and comes to realize that the two "helpful" students are responsible, but just how and why will be the problem... Robert Culp makes his fourth appearance, but in a supporting role(though not as the killer). Fine episode with intelligent and clever writing elevating this one, with a memorable ending of the astonished students getting their deserved comeuppance from the underestimated Lt. Columbo.

PLOT: Two spoiled frat boys (Stephen Caffrey & Gary Hershberger) murder their professor in an inventive way after he threatens to flunk them and expose their fraudulence. Robert Culp is on hand as the VIP father of one of them.

COMMENTARY: This is my favorite episode of the latter-day series (1989-2003). The spoiled college guys are overconfident and mock Columbo behind his back but, despite the Lieutenant's appearance and geniality, he's not naïve or clueless. Speaking of which, the clues gradually mount up, leading the rumpled detective to one of the best 'Gotcha' conclusions in the series. Everything clicks for a superb entry.

GRADE: A

Not one of the strongest of the Columbo movies, but still pretty entertaining. There seem to be some echoes of "Compulsion"(1959) in the plot conceit of two college boy murderers who start insinuating themselves into the police investigation of the killing of their law professor, both to divert attention from themselves and to keep abreast of how much the police are finding out. But in this case, they are up against a much wilier opponent in Lt. Columbo, and their excessive self-confidence and politely suppressed scorn for the rumpled detective eventually lead them into a trap. Despite the fact that the murder plot hinges a little too much on fancy technology to be really plausible (could anyone really work out such a complicated conspiracy, requiring careful timing and gadgetry in just 24 hours?) it is still enjoyable to watch Columbo play the buffoon, lulling the culprits into complacency, and then proceed to wipe the smirks off their faces in the final revelation scene.

I love Columbo, and although it is not one of the best episodes for me, it was a well done and interesting episode. Apart from dragging a little too much in the middle, Columbo Goes to College was a well-paced episode, and the story is once again an interesting one with the final solution where the murderers under-estimate Columbo. Hearing Columbo explaining how it all happened, you do realise how clever the murder really was. As with the case always with Columbo, it is a strikingly shot episode with a convincing setting, and the soundtrack enhances the mood seamlessly, with a fun toe-tapping song right at the start. The script is sharp and incisive. It was fun seeing Robert Culp playing Cooper's father, rather than a murderer for a change. James Sutorious gives a good turn as the Professor. Peter Falk is exceptional as he consistently is, Stephen Caffrey is great as Justin, the more interesting and "juicier" character of the murderous duo and Gary Hershberger while more low-key is also effective as Cooper. All in all, an interesting episode with an ending that is both clever and riveting. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This episode contains my favorite type of ending where the killer (or killers) try to out-smart Columbo till the end. Instead of an easy surrendering as in other cases.

The development, nonetheless, is hard to believe. Why didn't anybody hear the shot? Especially if it was made by a .45 caliber. How come the security officer kept his job? In normal circumstances, the security guard would've been fired for not watching the monitors. And why did Colombo not realize that it would've been much faster to go upstairs to get an emergency phone call instead of Justin using his truck? Well, the story could've been more realistic, but I still recommend it for entertainment.