Just One More Thing

Sticking with season one, we’ll be talking about “Lady in Waiting,” which features Susan Clark as a wealthy woman who kills her domineering older brother. It’s on DVD and Netflix Instant. Joining Jon and RJ will be writers Daniel Kibblesmith (Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and Jennifer Wright (It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History).

Robert Culp’s first outing as a killer is a really, really good one, the first season’s “Death Lends a Hand.” When an attempt at blackmailing newspaper publisher Ray Milland’s wife turns into murder, private detective Culp makes sure that his firm is involved in the investigation. Of course, he doesn’t count on Columbo being assigned to the case and his attempts to derail the inquiry never trick the Lt. for one second. Hollywood personality J.D. Ryznar (Yacht Rock, Drunk History) joins Jon and RJ to break it all down.

Yes, finally, a Robert Culp episode. From season one, “Death Lends a Hand,” in which Culp, as the head of a detective agency, is tasked to help Columbo solve a murder he committed. Guest JD Ryznar (Yacht Rock, Channel 101) will be here to help us talk about how awesome that is. It’s on Netflix instant, if you’d like to watch along.

In “It’s All in the Game,” Faye Dunaway is a very wealthy woman (who throws awful-looking parties) plotting with Claudia Christian to murder the gambling Lothario who’s been two-timing them both. When Lt. Columbo is assigned to the case, Dunaway tries to distract him with gifts, smooching and cocktail dates. Wait, what? Columbo, unfaithful to Mrs. Columbo? Say it ain’t so! Well, turns out it ain’t. Who’s playing the game in the title? You might be surprised. A very patient Carolita Johnson (The New Yorker, carolita.org) returns to the show to listen to Jon and RJ jabber incessantly about Cheers robots, kink shaming, John Finnegan, lesbian signifiers and oh, so much more.

We’ll be returning from our brief hiatus with “It’s All in the Game,” a season twelve episode that pits Columbo against Faye Dunaway, as he investigates the murder of her rake of a lover. Writer and cartoonist Carolita Johnson (The New Yorker) returns as our guest.

In “Butterfly in Shades of Grey,” William Shatner is popular conservative talk radio host Fielding Chase. He’ll do anything to advance his political agenda and sphere of power, as well as keep his adopted daughter Victoria close. You see, Fielding was in love with Victoria’s late mother and for him, creepily, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. When she is on the verge of leaving to seek a literary career, Chase murders her friend who set it all in motion. What follows is actually a rather good episode of Columbo! Shatner ended up two-for-two! Also keeping that perfect record is our returning guest, Alex Knapp (Forbes).

Two returns for the next show- William Shatner as the killer and Alex Knapp (forbes.com) as our guest. It’s season twelve’s “Butterfly in Shades of Grey,” which has Shatner as a murderous and possessive conservative talk radio host who will do anything to keep his adopted daughter creepy close.

In “A Friend in Deed,” (dir. Ben Gazzara!) Richard Kiley is an LA police commissioner who helps a pal cover up the murder of his wife. Then, on top of it, Kiley tries to crisscross-Strangers-on-A-Train the guy into helping with the murder of his wife! Not cool. How does Columbo manage the case when he suspects the boss’ boss’ boss? Pretty well, actually. Author and critic Ron Hogan (Beatrice.com, The Stewardess Is Flying the Plane!: American Films of the 1970s) talks about what is an awfully good episode and our odd meta theories (Did you know that television is an organism? It’s true, ask your pastor!). Plus, Jon & RJ address a recent serious item.

What happens when one of LA’s top police brass is the last one who wants Columbo to find the killer? We’ll find out, in season three’s “A Friend in Deed,” starring Richard Kiley. Ron Hogan (beatrice.com) will be here to talk it over with Jon and RJ. The episode is available on DVD and Netflix Instant.

Ever wonder exactly where Columbo came from? Well, wonder no more, as we delve into the origins of the show while talking about “Prescription: Murder,” the TV movie that started everything. Okay, well, first there was the short story, then the play, then the 1950s anthology show episode, then this, but it’s all covered in the podcast. Gene Barry is Dr. Ray Fleming, the first in a long, long line of homicidal rich and powerful jerks who don’t count on Lt. Columbo being so awfully good at his job. Tilt Araiza (The Sitcom Club) joins Jon and RJ with an astonishing amount of research and knowledge in the field of Columbology. This is the one that started it all and it’s rather in place from the get-go.