Going back, back, back to season one, as Carolita Johnson (The New Yorker, carolita.org), Jon and RJ try to find something less blah about “Dead Weight.” War hero Eddie Albert’s cornered when congress threatens to investigate his defense contracts. Shooting his way out of the situation, he didn’t count on the one-two punch of Lieutenant Columbo and a depressed, constantly negged divorcee, played by Suzanne Pleshette, who witnessed the crime with her awful, awful mother. By the end, the podcast figures out a way this episode could have been a bit better, but it’s 40-odd years too late.
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I thought Suzanne Pleshette was super appealing in this, and couldn’t handle how she was surrounded by toxic losers.
Also Eddie Albert looked like Sgt. Pepper.
I agree, it’s all about the casting of Eddie Albert. It reminds me of a later episode, the spy one with Patrick McGoohan, where the CIA director is played by the actor that played Larry Tate on “Bewitched”. He’s trying to act like a badass, but he’s Larry Tate. He even has the same fluffy white hair.
I wish we could +1 and Fave comments on here 😀
The discussion of this episode was fantastic! Though I have to say I’m a little disappointed there was no mention of the scene opener at the petting zoo with the two guys and the llama. The face on the guy feeding the llama! I crack up every time! And the way they linger on it and very slowly zoom in. So pointless, it’s ridiculous. I kinda feel like it should have meant something to the episode. The guy with the camera is the mother, the guy with his hand out full of feed and the dopey grin is Eddie Albert, and Suzanne Pleshette’s character was the llama.
Wasn’t the only time Columbo got to visit the petting zoo either. In A Stitch in Crime he went to interview Harry Anderson at a petting zoo.
Do you guys think you’ll ever do a podcast where Star Trek isn’t brought up a some point? LOL
One of the few things about Eddie Arnold’s role that worked for me was his military past. I can definitely see him as a Patton type war hero.
This is not one of my favorite episodes. I don’t find the story that interesting. Another one where the murder is not premeditated. Not much for Columbo to chew on.
A technical nitpick. Can you guys try and level out the audio somehow so you all sound about the same level.
I just discovered your podcast about 1 week ago and have been enjoying it. But, after listening to your analysis of this episode I wanted to make a comment. This has always been one of my more favorite episodes that I can watch over and over again. I have no problem with Eddie Albert playing the role. He showed himself to be cold and calculating like you would expect a military general to be. He was just coming off Green Acres and I don’t believe he wanted to confuse Oliver Douglas with this character. Yes, Suzanne Pleshette’s character was not empowered but that was part of the plotting. The general was attempting to cast doubt and I think he would have married her to do it. We also have to remember that it is 1971s TV. Woman’s lib was beginning and wasn’t full gear. I believe they were also using her character with her mom’s as a comic element. I have been watching Columbo along with the other mystery movies since the early 70s and I am a big fan. My favorite is Banacek. I also just recently watched the Snoop Sisters after not seeing it since it was on the air and liked it.
I was recently gifted the DVD boxset and have always been a fan so I was interested in this podcast, but come on guys just watching the shows on Netflix should not be your only forn of research. This episode was a high point for Peter Falk’s dispute with the producers. He walked off set for weeks. In order to get some filming done in his absence they used a lookalike for some shots. Watch again the last scene at the exhibition. Suzanne Pleschettes on screen tension with Peter was real as she needed the money from her appearance https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=%23&ved=0ahUKEwiWkOWf7-_RAhVLL8AKHZW4DnkQwqsBCBwwAA&usg=AFQjCNF1sHlk2z9QIx28jtvfnGP_UlkifA&sig2=l7rGyEnSNOBrVkJZoKB_Dg . But no discussion of this on your podcast. Stop being lazy and googling stuff on air. This podcast is a great idea but deserves some homework beforehand.
I am glad that you concede that it is at least a “great idea.”
The tag was a riot.