ETUDE IN BLACK is one of the strongest of the early COLUMBO episodes, where it seemed the writers could do no wrong. It benefits from the fine acting of guest villain John Cassavetes, who really gets into the nitty gritty, egotistical mindset of one of the world's top conductors, who's forced into bumping off his mistress in order to keep his life perfect.
The story is a relatively complex one, offering few clues for Columbo to get his teeth into, but he does eventually start picking the story apart. Blythe Danner has a nice role as Cassavetes's ice-cold wife, and there's welcome comic relief from the detective's dog, who appears for the first time in the series. Altogether, the production values are very strong, the pacing is decent, and the sense of time and place is exemplary.