10 Best Columbo Episodes

Another of the later entries in the series which dared to challenge the traditional Columbo format, 1997's A Trace of Murder sees Cathleen Calvert (portrayed by Peter Falk's real-life wife, Shera Danese) conspiring with her forensic expert lover, Patrick Kinsley (played by David Rasche) to get rid of her overbearing husband, Clifford Calvert (Barry Corbin) by murdering an innocent man who is currently engaged in a legal battle with Clifford. The aim is to therefore avoid Cathleen from being suspected of the crime, as a third party will be dead, rather than her husband.

One of the big things that sets this episode apart, other than its tweaking of the format, is Corbin's performance as the boisterous, but curiously likeable Clifford.

We can understand why Cathleen wants rid of him, but he's just too funny to dislike! Additionally, when all is said and done, Clifford unwittingly goes one better on Cathleen and gets rid of her instead when her plan eventually falls apart.

Another interesting thing about this episode is that it delves a bit deeper into Columbo's uncanny observation of human nature, which plays a key part in his ability to expose Cathleen and Patrick. Slightly less convincing is the manner in which the joint killers turn on each other with nothing more than a few simple words from Columbo. Still, an almost-perfect episode!