Just One More Thing

As George Hamilton returned to Columbo for season ten’s “Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health,” so does Aaron Bleyaert (Conan, How to Lose Weight in Four Easy Steps) return to Just One More Thing to discuss it. The episode is on DVD.

In “Old Fashioned Murder,” Joyce Van Patten plays Ruth Lytton, who has put her entire life on hold in service of the family museum. When her brother threatens to liquidate the collection and shut the joint down, she stages a robbery with an ex-con museum guard and murders both men. Columbo has to unravel the whole sordid case, dealing with eccentric wealthy people, annoyed hair stylists, uneven performances and story threads that just sort of peter out. It’s a bit of a mixed bag. Writer Jaime Fountaine (jaimefountaine.com) joins Jon and RJ to discuss.

From season six comes “Old Fashioned Murder,” in which Joyce Van Patten resorts to -cides both fratri- and homi- when her brother threatens to unload the family museum to which she’s devoted her entire life. Writer Jaime Fountaine joins Jon and RJ to discuss. The episode is available on DVD and Netflix Instant, if you’d like to catch it beforehand.

In “Ashes to Ashes,” Patrick McGoohan is Eric Prince, Hollywood mortician to the stars, who has no problem stealing from his clients, revealing their secrets and romancing their widows. When an ex-girlfriend/gossip columnist threatens to reveal these creepy practices, he violently murders her, cremates the body and passes off the ashes as someone’s late husband. As Columbo goes after McGoohan for the last time in the series, he navigates a path strewn with surly assistants and countless character actors. Molly Eichel (The AV Club, Philadelphia Inquirer) returns to the podcast to talk about the episode, Rocky, the crematory code of conduct, Cannonball Run and the latest dish on Bob Dishy.

Season thirteen’s “Ashes to Ashes” sees Patrick McGoohan as a Hollywood mortician with several casketsful of sleazy secrets who murders gossip columnist Rue McClanahan when she threatens to crack one of the worst ones open. It’s the last time Falk and McGoohan (who also directs!) meet as Columbo and killer. Molly Eichel (The AV Club, Philadelphia Inquirer) returns to discuss. The episode is available on DVD.

In “Forgotten Lady,” Janet Leigh is Grace Wheeler, an actress from the heyday of big movie musicals, who wants nothing more than to once again feel the white hot heat of stardom. When her wealthy husband refuses to put up the scratch for her big comeback, she murders him and tries to make it look like a suicide. As Lt. Columbo digs deeper, however, the story proves to be even more tragic than that. Also discussed- Dorothy Kilgallen conspiracies, Angela Lansbury exercise videos and much, much more.

Jon and RJ are joined by Kevin Klawitter (@KevinKlawitter), who recently co-directed a stage production of Prescription Murder, the headwaters from which all things Columbo flow. In fact, the show is being staged again this August as a dinner theater production! Click here for tickets and details, if you’re in the Wadena/Fergus Falls/Battle Lake, MN area this summer.

“Forgotten Lady,” the season five premiere,  sees Janet Leigh as former song and dance star Janet Wheeler. When her husband vetoes the funding of her comeback, she murders him and makes it look like a suicide. Kevin Klawitter (who recently co-directed a stage production of “Prescription Murder”!) joins Jon and RJ to talk about the episode. This one is on Netflix instant, you may want to see it first, if you haven’t.

What happens when control freak director Alex Brady (Fisher Stevens) is confronted with a problem he can’t direct or FX away? Well, in season eight’s “Murder, Smoke and Shadows,” the answer is an old-fashioned movie backlot electrocution. And, as much as he’d like, no amount of 3-D holographic technology, rear projection or fancy soundstage lighting will deter Columbo from closing in on his current (and past) sins. Abed Gheith returns to the show to discuss the episode, along with possums, Megaforce and so much more.

Season eight’s “Murder, Smoke and Shadows” has Fisher Stevens as a hotshot young director who resorts to murder when his past sins finally catch up with him. Abed Gheith (Rick and Morty, Channel 101) will be on hand to bring it all into focus.

In “Requiem for a Falling Star,” Anne Baxter is actress Nora Chandler, whose career is fading into obscurity. When gossip columnist Mel Ferrer tries to blackmail her, she decides to blow him up in one of the sloppiest murders in the show’s history. But whoops! Didn’t look closely enough- turns out she instead torches her longtime assistant, who’d been dating the dirt peddler. It’s up to Columbo to connect the dots and maybe also solve an earlier murder, in the process. Returning guest Nate Patrin (Vice sports, Stereogum) joins Jon and RJ to talk about Hollywood Trout Ponds, the Jaguar XKE, Edith Head, and Big Al Ledbetter.