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Reviews
The Rockford Files: Sleight of Hand (1975)
Top notch for 40 minutes
"Because I'm smarter than you." Great to hear Rocky be boss instead of just bossy, as he later came to be.
This episode haunted me more than any other. Jim's stumped. We're stumped. The suspense is built up really well.
Why 7 stars? Jim could come off as less of a thug and be treated better if he'd just say things like, "A little girl's mother has gone missing. I'm trying to find her. Are you going to cover up for any foul play that happened? I'll let the police know whose side you're on."
But also, the ultimate stunt needed a blonde wig handy, keys to Jim's car, the girl not to talk, and the setup of Jim suggesting the mother sleep in the back. Four things that are impossible. Maybe a fifth: the mother sees the crime but the kid is let go? And we see none of this hyper-competence later on: running when a fire engine shows up? Nobody on guard for a half mile away for incoming cops? (My friend has noisy neighbors that are savvier, turn the music off before the cops hear it.) Squealing tires to give themselves away? Not keeping more of an eye on Jim after the drunk act? I'm buying Browne's book to see if he works it any more plausibly. Clearly this is bothering me and I feel a little gypped. Maybe the Simon & Simon episode works out some of these kinks.
Columbo: Identity Crisis (1975)
Motive
McGoohan is excellent.
Interesting that Nielsen got better billing--despite not being particularly well known at the time. (I don't find older generations remember him from "Forbidden Planet.") Maybe to compensate for fewer lines. Maybe his appearance in an earlier episode. Maybe McGoohan the Director being deferential.
A few have commented on the lack of a clear motive. The audience was told the motives in the very first amusement park scene (no spoilers here): Geronimo wanted his cut of a South American currency scheme he'd executed with Colorado several years before. Also, Geronimo knew Colorado was a double agent.
The two men's approaching young girls is a bit... dated.
Be seeing you.
Columbo: The Most Crucial Game (1972)
Motive
There's much banter here and on other sites about the lack of motive. The lawyer explained the motive: Hanlon was using both Eric and his wife, using Eric for his money and while trying to drive Eric's wife into his arms. The scene at the airport (Hanlon exhibits uncharacteristic protectiveness and tenderness) and the mise-en-scene of Hanlon and the wife--framed as a couple--while listening to the tapes support the notion that this is not a typical boss's-wife relation. The charm/beauty of the wife (compared to the husband and to other leading Columbo females) makes Hanlon's romantic motive clear.
And if he hooks up with her after Eric dies, he could marry into the empire.
So the motive lies in the reason the P.I. was hired--the lawyer's suspicion that Hanlon is using them both. Ironically, the hiring of the P.I. cuts both ways for Hanlon--revealing the "chick" and her sister that Hanlon set up Eric with, and providing an alibi.
Many have complained about the ending, but keep in mind that the endgame need not be irrefutable evidence. Chess is one-third psychological. A confession or concession would suffice. Some Columbo episodes are resolved with a fakeout that leads to such capitulation, e.g., the lie about a missing contact lens in "Death Lends a Hand" (another Kulp appearance) or Columbo's gloves in "Suitable for Framing." The ability to come up with a suitable explanation must also match the character: Kulp's capacity for evasive logic, self-possession, and reasoning endurance might be expected more from his owner of a large P.I. firm than his GM of a football team.