Four our forty-first show, we look at the series’ last, “Columbo Likes the Nightlife.” In it, we find Columbo bumping up against a world of Mafia sons, rave promoters, sleazy tabloid reporters and pastiches of late 90s-early 2000s indie murder films. Here’s the crazy thing- this final attempt to bring Columbo into the 21st century? It kind of works! Zack Handlen (The AV Club) returns to the show to talk about how something that could have gone off the rails actually holds together pretty well.
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Great podcast. I also liked Columbo Likes the Nightlife. They boiled it down to the essential core of Columbo and got it right.
Did you ever contact retired defens attorney Bob Ingersoll, who writes “The Law is an Ass” on the website Comicmix? He can comment on the legality of Columbo’s moves.
Keep up the good work.
I enjoyed this Columbo: although it had its defects, I liked the episode’s tone, and how it didn’t feel padded or strained. I was disappointed when I discovered that the Scottish podcasters didn’t like it at all; so it was nice to find that the JOMT collective opinion more-or-less paralleled mine.
I thought that the murder of the photographer was particularly well done: realistically horrifying. (The killer may have been a sleaze with a bad history, but he probably hadn’t killed anyone before. He definitely underestimated how difficult that can be.) I also enjoyed Columbo’s interplay with the skeptical sergeant.
All in all, not a bad way for the series to end.
Haven’t finished podcast yet but just an FYI
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel has been showing most of the 90’s episodes (usually early in the morning)
Columbo Likes The Nightlife set for September 13th if you get the channel
Brilliant, guys, and I especially loved Jon’s theory of the killers twisting and adapting as the plot unfolds in most episodes. I agree, it’s watching the killer grasp at straws to protect him/herself, its that drama unfolding. Even the holy trinity of Cassidy, Culp & McGoohan had moments where they sweat it out!
Having said that: In this episode, I could never understand how Columbo was sure where the body was located. Unless he scouted it out previously when nobody was looking, I feel I must have missed something. It could have been an incredibly lucky guess, but speaking for myself, I never interrupt a rave unless I’m 100% sure where the body is… can somebody shed some light on that?