PLOT:
Vivian Dmitri is a woman with revenge on her mind. Her husband was sent down by Columbo for ten years and died in prison. Dmitri blames Columbo for the crime. She also blames the man who informed on her husband, and murders him. The next target is Columbo, who she starts asking a lot of questions. Columbo says that he is sorry about her husband, as he wasn't a bad man really. However, he also suspects her of the murder. She seems to be getting very friendly with Columbo and wants him and Mrs. Columbo to come round to dinner. She gives him some marmalade, which is poisoned. Then we are led to believe that Mrs. Columbo has eaten the marmalade and died. There is a funeral and Columbo looks very upset. Dmitri comforts him and goes back to what looks like his house with him. He sits down at the table and spreads some marmalade on his toast. He eats the marmalade and starts to feel unwell. Then Dmitri tells him that she poisoned the marmalade which killed Mrs. Columbo and will soon claim his life. However, then Columbo stops pretending to be dying and tells Dmitri that this isn't his house and it isn't his marmalade. Columbo had set the whole thing up. He suspected the marmalade may be poisoned and had the lab boys check it out. Mrs. Columbo is alive and well and Vivienne Dmitri is taken to jail for the murder.
VERDICT: Vivian Dmitri is a weak villain, not nearly as clever as she thinks she is. She's not even convincingly psychotic. The final scene is so obvious you just want it to end. It is patently clear that Columbo would have suspected the marmalade was poisoned the moment Dmitri gave it to him, so you realise immediately that the whole funeral and final scene is a charade. This episode is not a good one.
Written by Mark Wilson
(C) Copyright Wilson/Young Enterprises 2006.
CAST:
Vivian Dmitri.........Helen Shaver
Leland St John.........Ian McShane
Charlton Chambers....Edward Winter
Sergeant Brady..........Tom Isbell
Dede Perkins.........Teresa Ganzel
Connolly.........Michael Alldredge
Mrs Steadman.......Rosanna Huffman
Dr Steadman......Roscoe Lee Browne
Liz Cooper.....Peggy Walton Walker
