This Columbo mystery is about a young chemist working for a cosmetics and health lifestyle magnate. Veteran film actress Vera Miles plays Viveca Scott, the CEO of the company. Martin Sheen plays the chemist. The pair are former lovers. Sheen's chemist feels he is being taken advantage of financially by CEO Scott. He threatens to blackmail her by pirating a new cosmetics formula and selling it to one of her corporate rivals. In a fit of rage, she kills him with a heavy microscope.
Much like most Columbo "mysteries", the crime is actually filmed, so the audience knows the culprit(s). The entertainment hinges on the gradual way that the mild mannered Lieutenant Columbo (who has a never-seen wife) calmly works his way through the mystery, and usually has a final confrontation with the culprit at the end, technically explaining how everything connects.
This time around, Columbo's final explanation is heartfelt but still a little boring. This episode could really have used more suspense sequences.
Veteran horror movie actor Vincent Price has a supporting role here, but is severely underused. He could have made a great villain for a future installment.
Sheen as a murder victim understandably isn't used throughout the episode. So it's another loss of sorts.
Vera Miles is intriguing and extremely competent as the CEO suspect. There is plenty of prescient commentary on the contemporary cosmetics industry and cultural attitudes toward mature women and women as workplace bosses. Somewhat ahead of its time, in fact.
Much like most Columbo "mysteries", the crime is actually filmed, so the audience knows the culprit(s). The entertainment hinges on the gradual way that the mild mannered Lieutenant Columbo (who has a never-seen wife) calmly works his way through the mystery, and usually has a final confrontation with the culprit at the end, technically explaining how everything connects.
This time around, Columbo's final explanation is heartfelt but still a little boring. This episode could really have used more suspense sequences.
Veteran horror movie actor Vincent Price has a supporting role here, but is severely underused. He could have made a great villain for a future installment.
Sheen as a murder victim understandably isn't used throughout the episode. So it's another loss of sorts.
Vera Miles is intriguing and extremely competent as the CEO suspect. There is plenty of prescient commentary on the contemporary cosmetics industry and cultural attitudes toward mature women and women as workplace bosses. Somewhat ahead of its time, in fact.