The Columbo episodes that most engaged me were the ones where he responded emotionally to the murderer. Those where he clearly likes the killer (Susan Clark in this episode, Donald Pleasance's wine geek, Ruth Gordon's mystery writer avenging the murder of her niece) and those where he despises the murderer (Robert Conrad's fitness chain owner, Leonard Nimoy's ice veined surgeon, Louis Jourdan's TV chef).
Here, we see Columbo's clear sympathy for a woman ground down by a domineering mother and brother. He acknowledges that her brother's death is the best thing that ever happened to her. He sympathizes with her desire for freedom. We share her freedom as she busts loose in sexy clothes and a hot new sports car. When we see what a hateful bitch her mother is, it is sealed.
The plot device of trying to diminish sympathy for Beth by making her turn into a tyrant was inadequate. The lawyer wanted a sweet, meek little creature. He wanted to be a milder version of her brother. Beth wasn't about to be anybody's meek little dependent again. He couldn't handle that. I do not find her determination that she will have only equal relationships in the future at all unsympathetic. At the board meeting she tellingly demanded when that company had had a new customer. The board was content to take things easy. She wanted to grow the company and was encountering resistance from those who wanted to just coast on existing accounts. When the leader of the board tried to talk down to her with her brother's patronizing tone she asserted her authority quite correctly. A part of growth is firing complacent people.
Ah, but the ending ! Were I sitting on the jury in Beth's murder trial, I would have found the evidence totally unconvincing. It depended entirely on Peter suddenly remembering the correct sequence of the shots and the alarm. But remember, he had already testified at the inquest exonerating her. He never said anything about any shots before the alarm then when he was her boyfriend. Now, Peter suddenly remembers it differently within hours of Beth dumping him ? A man trained to be precise and detail oriented changes his sworn testimony after his relationship with Beth Chadwick changes radically ? Counsel for the defense would have no difficulty depicting him under cross examination as a resentful ex-lover trying to get even. Or a manipulative schemer trying to take over the company. No jury is going to convict of murder almost entirely on the changed testimony of a cast off lover. Very, very reasonable doubt.
I like Beth Chadwick and take some pleasure in the knowledge that she would have beat this rap.
Here, we see Columbo's clear sympathy for a woman ground down by a domineering mother and brother. He acknowledges that her brother's death is the best thing that ever happened to her. He sympathizes with her desire for freedom. We share her freedom as she busts loose in sexy clothes and a hot new sports car. When we see what a hateful bitch her mother is, it is sealed.
The plot device of trying to diminish sympathy for Beth by making her turn into a tyrant was inadequate. The lawyer wanted a sweet, meek little creature. He wanted to be a milder version of her brother. Beth wasn't about to be anybody's meek little dependent again. He couldn't handle that. I do not find her determination that she will have only equal relationships in the future at all unsympathetic. At the board meeting she tellingly demanded when that company had had a new customer. The board was content to take things easy. She wanted to grow the company and was encountering resistance from those who wanted to just coast on existing accounts. When the leader of the board tried to talk down to her with her brother's patronizing tone she asserted her authority quite correctly. A part of growth is firing complacent people.
Ah, but the ending ! Were I sitting on the jury in Beth's murder trial, I would have found the evidence totally unconvincing. It depended entirely on Peter suddenly remembering the correct sequence of the shots and the alarm. But remember, he had already testified at the inquest exonerating her. He never said anything about any shots before the alarm then when he was her boyfriend. Now, Peter suddenly remembers it differently within hours of Beth dumping him ? A man trained to be precise and detail oriented changes his sworn testimony after his relationship with Beth Chadwick changes radically ? Counsel for the defense would have no difficulty depicting him under cross examination as a resentful ex-lover trying to get even. Or a manipulative schemer trying to take over the company. No jury is going to convict of murder almost entirely on the changed testimony of a cast off lover. Very, very reasonable doubt.
I like Beth Chadwick and take some pleasure in the knowledge that she would have beat this rap.