Never elsewhere has Columbo battling wits with so many mind-game playing adversaries, but only one is the killer.
Not only is he not playing dumb anymore, but one strange scene has our hero perpetrating the only cruel thing he ever did to a perfectly innocent character that I can recall: He fools the daughter of the deceased Captain to believe the latter has returned, alive and well, from the sea. 'Daddy!' she exclaims in short lived relief and joy.
In fact it's a ruse to prove she could have mistaken another person for her father on the night of the murder... This is downright sadistic!
This episode has other flaws, like the bad guy coming from left field and the weak 'proof' moment that does him in.
Not only is he not playing dumb anymore, but one strange scene has our hero perpetrating the only cruel thing he ever did to a perfectly innocent character that I can recall: He fools the daughter of the deceased Captain to believe the latter has returned, alive and well, from the sea. 'Daddy!' she exclaims in short lived relief and joy.
In fact it's a ruse to prove she could have mistaken another person for her father on the night of the murder... This is downright sadistic!
This episode has other flaws, like the bad guy coming from left field and the weak 'proof' moment that does him in.