PLOT: Otis Swanson, known as the commodore, is murdered in the house on his island. His son-in-law Charles Clay is seen at the seen of the crime calmly preparing to get rid of the body. He drives out on the commodore's boat and leaves the boat not far out from the land, dumping the body in the sea. He then swims back. Columbo turns up the next day and is immediately on to Clay. He starts dropping hints and making Clay feel uncomfortable. It seems an open and shut case. He has the motive (his wife would inherit a lot of her father's substantial money on his death.) However, when Clay is found dead in his house suspicion shifts on his wife. His wife had been at the commodore's house on the evening of the murder with her cousin Swanny Swanson. Swanny was in the other room while she rowed with her father. She was very drunk and her memory of the evening is very hazy. Clay turned up later and, finding the body, suspected his wife had committed the crime and disposed of the body. Columbo is unconvinced that Mrs Clay is the culprit. In the final scene he invites all the suspects into the same room and puts a watch to their ear. He tells them all in turn that it is the commodore's watch. Most people say "so what?" or "big deal" but Swanny says it isn't. Columbo says he knows that it wasn't the commodore's watch because it had been smashed and broken at the scene of the crime. Swanny had a strong motive to frame Mrs Clay because he would inherit all his uncle's money. While he and Mrs Clay had been at the commodore's house Swanny had spoken to the commodore alone and killed him before leaving with Mrs Clay, who was drunk. Columbo has all the proof he needs with the commodore's watch.
VERDICT:
This episode is similar to 'A bird in the hand' and 'Undercover' in that it is a whodunnit. Unlike these other two episodes the identity of the culprit is revealed right at the end. The episode is strangely flat throughout. There are occasional lighthearted moments, bringing out Columbo's physical humour. The murderer Swanny Swanson didn't appear as much as some of the other characters. He was played by Columbo regular Fred Draper, a competent actor but not Columbo villain standard. The episode attempts to copy elements of Agatha Christie with a Poirot-like finale, but it fails rather dismally. The usual Columbo verses villain cat and mouse is rather lacking, more due to the flat atmosphere than anything. Other than Columbo's distinctive presence you could be forgiven for thinking it was another show.
