Columbo (TV Series) Make Me a Perfect Murder (1978) User Reviews

Well, I liked it, anyway

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 8 September 2005]

I've read some of the comments on this episode and despite any criticisms, I have to say I really enjoyed this Columbo. Trish van Devere is a cold, ambitious, and probably not great producer who murders her lover, played by Laurence Luckinbill, when he doesn't come through with her promotion (which may have been the only reason she was with him in the first place). It has a subplot where a Judy Garland type, portrayed by Lainie Kazan, is supposed to appear on live TV and causes huge problems.

I agree that the subplot is problematic, as it brings up questions about van Devere's relationship with Kazan. In my opinion, the van Devere character is a sexual opportunistic, doing whatever she has to do with whom to get what she wants. When Kazan backs away from her as she tries to hug her, Kazan cries, "No. I don't want to." The Kazan character is probably too out of it most of the time to know what she's doing with whom.

I guess I liked this so well not for the story, but for the van Devere character who came from nothing, fights for survival, and in the end, doesn't really have the goods. And I love when she says to Columbo at the end, "I'll probably win." Yeah, she probably will.

Make me a more concise murder story

[The Welsh Raging Bull · 7/10 · 23 July 2006]

The ambitious lover and chief assistant to a top TV network programmer exacts murderous revenge when he gets promoted to a high-profile New York post and decides that she has not had enough experience to accompany him in that job.

Quite a freshly plotted Columbo episode considering it was made at the tail-end of the original series; it features quite an engaging and gritty performance from Trish Van Devere as the murderess who is very good at exhibiting her character's misfiring and impatient ambition.

The plot is cleverly and systematically developed: the murderess's grip on the prize job she temporarily acquire's after her lover's demise is dramatically loosened by the ironically erratic decision-making that her lover alluded to prior to his death, in line with the other harassment of Columbo's increasingly revealing investigation.

The main weakness of this Columbo adventure is that it wreaks of padding to satisfy a 120 minute slot - it could easily have been done in 90 minutes: the plot is bloated with prolonged scenes that add no value to the story, particularly the misjudged sub-plot involving a trouble-stricken actress on a TV show.

The circumstantial clues stack up against the murderess quite entertainingly and many of Columbo's intuitive observations are of a reassuringly high-standard, but the murder weapon scenario is rather unconvincing to say the least.

A Columbo story that probably would have had a higher mark but for its damaging protractedness; nevertheless, a story that is not without its merits.

An enjoyable Columbo mystery

[jamiecostelo58 · 7/10 · 1 January 2007]

Trish Van Devere revels her role as Kay Freestone, a high-flying TV producer who murders her boyfriend after he fails to give her a well-earned promotion. Devere portrays Freestone in a strong-minded manner, a woman who takes absolutely no prisoners in her goal to reach the top. But she didn't count on a certain Lt. Columbo! This story is told to great effect, with great interaction between Devere and the legendary Peter Falk, although I did feel as if Lainie Kazan's character Valerie Kirk was rather unnecessary. As usual with the Columbo series, we get the usual gaffes and humorous moments, in this case, involving a car crash in which our great Lt. has to wear a neck brace, as well as a scene in which his television is being repaired! A satisfactory conclusion brings the case to a head, and left me very convinced (as Columbo usually does). A thoroughly enjoyable episode in the Columbo series. 7/10

Definitely worth watching for Van Devere's performance

[bribabylk · 16 March 2007]

I saw this one when in originally aired back in 1978, and I remember thinking it was a little different from the usual entries in the series, and this opinion was confirmed when I saw it again last Sunday on the Hallmark Channel. It spends more time on developing the guest murderer's character and there's less of Columbo's usual shtick -- he doesn't do as much of the hemming and hawing, and doesn't play up to the murderer as much, lulling them into a false sense of security with flattery and a display of faux incompetence.

Read other comments for a plot synopsis; I just want to focus on a couple of things: I think Kay's (the murderer) reaction is very telling, at the beginning of the episode, when her lover reveals he's been promoted and will be relocating to the east coast. At first she says "When are we leaving?" and then when he tells her he'd like her to stay behind, without missing a beat she assumes it's to take over his job, which would be a promotion for her. The loss of the relationship doesn't give her much pause, it's losing the relationship AND not getting the promotion which is the unacceptable kick in the stomach. It's difficult not to sympathize with her, but you also feel disdain for her ruthless pragmatism. Someone in a previous comment hit it right on the head, I think, when they called the character a sexual opportunist, not above using seduction to move ahead in her job, and frankly not above using everybody she comes in contact with if it'll help her. She even kind of puts the moves on Columbo at one point.

I'll speak in defense of what so many seem to dislike about this episode -- the "extraneous" subplot about the fading song-and-dance star who can't deal with live television. I think this bit, for one, helps to show how good Kay is at her job, and at the same time her shortcomings in that respect. And I think it helps to build a case for the previous point about her being an opportunist. I, too, wondered about the relationship between the Van Devere and Kazan characters; you could read into it that they were lovers, which would have been very shocking for 1978 broadcast TV. What DID strike me as superfluous was the scene in the abandoned house, where Kay gives Columbo a massage. That struck a wrong note somehow; it seemed out of character for him to let a woman other than his wife get that physically close to him.

Overall, the episode is probably a better than average example of TV writing when it comes to delineating a character's personality; it's just not a typical "Columbo" episode, which is what I think puts a lot of people off of it.

Interesting note: this episode got quite a bit of attention and critical praise from the television reviewers of the day, and I even remember Falk appearing on Johnny Carson discussing the episode, and going into detail about the special clue that unravels the mystery: the circles that show up in the corner of a film to signal the need for a change of reel.

Trish van Devere: what a knock-out

[jéwé · 10/10 · 15 February 2009]

It had been a long time since I saw this episode for the last time, but yesterday it happened again: right from the moment Kay Freestone enters the scene to the final moments at the carousel I was completely in love with Trish van Devere. What a sad story for a strong woman. (for me she is indeed one of those murderers I quite like) And absolutely nothing in the story and the time it takes to unravel is out of place or out of balance. Even the much criticized scene in Kay's old house has a necessary purpose. The film builds it's own case for (and against!) this beautiful woman. A strong cast and delightful music also play their part. One of the best sequences in the entire Columbo-series is Kay in the elevator, trying to get hold of the murder weapon. She's a small woman, but determined like no other. Just watch what she does and listen to the music that gives total and functional support. And finally, when everything falls to pieces and there's absolutely no way out anymore, she says "I'll survive, I'll fight, I might even win".

Why have we never seen significantly more of this talented and ravishing woman?

Woman Executive will do anything for success

[willa2puddy · 8/10 · 1 May 2002]

I've read previous comments on this movie. The premise of this movie is a Television executive [Trish Van Devere] wants a promotion she feels is justly deserved. She finds out that her boyfriend has been given the job, he gives her a Mercedes as a consolation prize, of course, she kills him. Temporarily the affiliate gives her the job, until they can find a replacement. This was a great episode! Columbo once again makes the suspect sweat as he gets closer to solving the crime. Ms. Van Devere plays the part of the villain perfectly. She isn't a trained killer, she knows it, and plays the part of a frightened novice criminal with perfection. I'm a die hard Columbo fan from the very beginning of the show. This episode is one of the best.

Good...but a bit padded.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 25 September 2019]

Kay (Trish Van Devere) is the personal assistant for a network programmer. When she learns he's getting a promotion, she's shocked to learn that he is NOT giving her his old position. So, she's apparently been sleeping with the guy but for nothing! However, she is NOT a woman to be trifled with and she comes up with a plan to murder him and get away with it. Can she do this and still manage to defeat Columbo?!

This is a decent episode (though my wife disliked it quite a bit) but it was heavily padded. For example, in one worthless scene, Columbo is staring at some computerized graphics...and it went on and on and on. Unnecessary and evidence that there just wasn't enough plot. It's a shame they didn't make the show 10-15 minutes shorter....it would have improved it.

By the way, if you DO watch the episode I'd love to know your opinion, as in some ways I think they were vaguely hinting at Kay having a lesbian relationship.

Best of 7th (Final) Season when Falk was doing a goofy Bogart Imitation

[TheFearmakers · 9/10 · 15 January 2018]

Trish van Devere makes for a good killer. A woman scorned, she murders her lover who she thinks is a partner producer for a TV network. She's cold and steely but also human and, like the best Columbo villains, very sympathetic, and not just because she's a woman.

The problem with this episode is the problem with the entire final Season 7, before the show was done... until returning years later, which don't really count in my book... For true Columbo fans, THIS was the show's final season...

Herein, Falk is no longer being natural as Columbo, but seems to be doing a Columbo imitation by acting like his Murder by Death character channelling Bogart. He crosses his eyes in a cartoonish fashion and his voice sounds like Bugs Bunny...

Here, though, he's kept in check, and it's mostly because of the villain, Devere, who the producers of Columbo obviously thought wasn't strong enough to lead the show in the usual 15 minute murder first after which Columbo rolls in to figure things out...

Instead, vapid scenes of Columbo getting his neck injured in a car wreck are spliced into the prologue murder, and with the exception to this episode's acting and writing, it's rather awkward.

This and Clive Revill's turn as an Irish Revolutionary poet in the final episode are the top episodes of this quirky final season when Falk seems done with Columbo, and he might've been trying to tell us something. If that's true, only a few caught on...

Trish is Incredible

[gene-07202 · 7/10 · 17 December 2019]

Trish Van Devere goes all out. A woman so ruthless and ambitious but also very flawed. I cannot figure out if she is "Bi-Sexual" or just pretending to be one or the other to get ahead. She does cover for her friend who has a melt down. But does not even hesitate to take out another lover who spurns her and does not reward her attentions with a new job. A very enjoyable episode. She makes a formidable and dangerous adversary

A marvelous performance by Trish Van Devere

[christian-mascheroni · 10/10 · 22 December 2023]

This is, by far, one of the most intriguing episode of Columbo. I love the tone of the storytelling, the incredible music, the suspence and the incredible performance by Trish Van Devere. I'm a huge fan of her (one of my favorite movies is The day of the dolphin) and she's magnificent here. She plays the role of Kay with the right balance between coldness and anger, sensibility and pain. She is a scorned woman, but also a very sensitive and empathetic one. You can see in Van Devere's performance every shades of a woman with so many emotions. Falk has been matched with so many talented and great actors. But Van Dever has created a very strong character that it's really a pleasure to see Columbo struggling. A perfect episode that fully celebrate the astonishing talent and beauty of Trish Van Devere.

Make Me a Perfect Murder

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 14 May 2018]

Make Me a Perfect Murder sees Columbo take on the television industry. I remember watching this as a kid because of the final shot of the ring on the corner of the screen.

Kay Freestone (Trish Van Devere) is a determined television executive in California, taking the reins of an expensive television movie in the editing suite. Her boss Mark McAndrews (Laurence Luckinbill) has been given a promotion by the network in New York. Kay is her secret lover and expects to go to New York with him or at least get his job in California.

He gives her neither, citing issues in the way she works and makes decision meaning she is not ready to step up. As they were lovers maybe Mark should had told her of her faults earlier and how to remedy it because he ends up getting shot dead.

Personally I think Kay should had got away with the murder as Columbo should had been jailed for the way he was driving so recklessly early on in the episode!

When Kay is temporarily put in charge in the California station, she proves that Mark's criticism was correct. She makes mistakes, she is seen as cold blooded. Then she has Columbo on her case who uses his guile to trap her.

The episode needed to be tighter and some of Columbo's shtick seems to be wearing thin. There was no need for that bad driving scene.

Completely 70's Brilliance

[ardisventuresllc · 9/10 · 23 March 2021]

This is a classic case of the "woman scorned" genre. Trash Van Devere is so good in this episode. And the behind the scenes filming were great.

Far from being a perfect murder, but some redeeming features

[pssc6 · 7/10 · 9 February 2011]

Despite a few flaws, I did enjoy this episode, mainly thanks to Trish van Devere.

Columbo's car accident doesn't help matters. It seems to serve two purposes: to facilitate a couple of poor attempts at humour (he thinks Kay is offering to help him with his neck when she offers to help with his investigation), and so that Kay can give him a massage. She also practises her art on a member of the film production crew and Valerie... but what's the point of this talent of hers? I found myself sympathising with Kay despite her (at times) ruthless and self-serving nature. Her toughness and ability are admirable, there is a stillness about her persona, I love her soft diction, and she shows just enough niceness to be likable. The Valerie Kirk subplot shows us a side of her that we don't see when she's in the office. Kay's understanding contrasts with Luther's lack of empathy, and Valerie appreciates Kay's softer touch.

Columbo just irritates me this time around. First, singing in the car with such gusto before his accident; then misinterpreting what Kay and Flanagan say to him (he assumes Flanagan is talking about his neck when he wishes him good luck - even Columbo isn't so absent-minded as to misunderstand that one, surely?!) Even when he's semi-naked for his massage, he carries on smoking that ever-present cigar. Why does he get Kay to "re-enact" the killing by having her stand where the killer stood and stretching out her hand? It seems he's building up to something, but it goes nowhere. I also dislike the very slow, deliberate speaking style he adopts in these later seasons, and the "button freak" scene is gratuitously long. The joke about the dog being interested in TV shows (because if he wasn't, he'd be all droopy and listless) is a tired old number borrowed from Try And Catch Me. Then there's the "maybe a new pair of shoooooes" line...

Not sure why Mark (the victim) has to grope his crotch when taking the call from Flanagan about his promotion. He's a little patronising to Kay ("You don't make decisions. You make guesses - there's a difference") and indifferent, though not really nasty enough to give Kay a strong reason to go as far as killing him. I don't really buy the "woman scorned" motive, and her line to Mark just before she kills him ("Finished?" "Yes. Finished") isn't terribly memorable. Something a bit more vengeful or pointed would be more satisfying.

The tape that she plays while committing the murder does help increase the tension when the security guard (Michael Lally in yet another walk-on appearance) delays her return to the projection booth. I also liked the scene where Kay retrieves what she thinks is the murder weapon from the lift, it ekes out the tension nicely. But why on earth does she wait so long before disposing of this crucial piece of evidence? She has ample opportunity to remove both it and the glove from the building, but leaves them both lying around for Columbo to find.

The "glasses clue" doesn't work for me. The murderer could easily have been a stranger; Mark could have fallen asleep while reading, or he simply might not have had time to put his glasses on (perhaps the killer could have sneaked up on him when he was dozing off), so I can't share Columbo's certainty about that one.

This is the third episode featuring reels of a film being changed or fixed during a murder (the others being Double Exposure and Forgotten Lady). Were they running out of ideas by this point? All in all, I found this an enjoyable episode but thought the dice were loaded just a little too heavily in Columbo's favour, and Falk's performance is less inspired than in previous seasons.

A Case of Declining Potency.

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 19 February 2009]

Trish Van Devere is a TV executive who murders her boss and lover when she discovers that he's betrayed her. The set up shows her arranging circumstances in a projection room during the showing of a TV program so that it appears she was changing reels when the murder occurred. Columbo, the sartorial debacle, shows up, snoops around, and undoes her.

This was one of the last entries in the early series and it shows. The inspiration of the writers and the principal player, Peter Falk as Columbo, had flagged in an obvious way.

Take Falk's characterization. The pilot episode, "Murder by Prescription", had appeared in 1968, ten years earlier. In it, Columbo's ensemble is colorless but neat. His hair is cut. His gaze darts around. He's perceptive, intelligent, and has only a few odd mannerisms. By 1978, Falk's wardrobe had evolved and so had his grasp of the role. He's wrinkled, positively disheveled. And the character of Columbo had become avuncular. In explaining things to the murderer, Columbo purses his lips and speaks verrry slowwly as if to an audience of kindergartners. At other times, confronted with strange circumstances, he BECOMES the kindergartner. "Oh -- I get it! The cameras! You can see me but I can't see you!" He's everybody's foxy, fond uncle.

The writers too seemed to be tired. This episode, for instance, is padded out with a time-consuming couple of scenes involving Lainie Kazan. She's a decent actress but she would have been written out of the story five or six years earlier. There's another pointless scene in the deserted house of Trish Van Devere's childhood, and another few minutes in which we watch Columbo twiddle the dials with delight on some television equipment and grin as the screen savers on six monitors do a little dance to one of the Brandenburg Concertos. An earlier Columbo might have DONE the same thing but the scene wouldn't have been lingered over with such relish.

Not that this episode is entirely without its felicities. Trish Van Devere is an inexpressive actress and invariably comes across as icy, but that's what the part calls for and she does well. There's a very tense scene in which she tries to retrieve the murder weapon from the top of an elevator. And there is a brief but hilarious exchange between a TV repairman and Columbo concerning Columbo's dog's appreciation of television shows.

But there's no doubt about it. It was about time to wrap things up and put away that wrinkled raincoat. (I think it may have gone to the Smithsonian.) The series was exhumed a few years later but, with a few exceptions, it no longer showed the spark of its younger self.

My favorite episode ...

[kaaber-2 · 13 August 2011]

This episode seems to be the subject of widely differing views. In reference to other posters here: it's true it is somewhat slow-moving at times, and the funny scenes are scarce, but to me, the main attraction in the Columbo series is his interaction with the murderers, especially when he appears to like them, pity them, or even admire them, and this is exactly why this is my favorite episode. Trish van Devere is touching in all her coolness as Kay Freestone, and the scenes where Columbo seems to sense her vulnerability - as in the scene in her childhood home, for instance - are brilliant. Apart from that, I think the music for this episode is fantastic.

One of the best Columbo!

[Sylviastel · 10/10 · 23 May 2006]

George C. Scott's wife Trish Van Devere gives an excellent and memorable performance as a woman scorned by her secret boyfriend and network executive. I can't blame her character for being so upset. Her longtime secret male companion treats her like leftover meat. He plans to go to New YOrk City and take a top network job while she is treated with no indifference since she is the backbone and force behind the network. She makes few bad decisions but she knows too much and she feels used time and time again. I love her discussions with Columbo. They get along pretty well. Lainie Kazan has a supporting role playing a celebrity with a lot of personal and emotional problems. Too bad, there a not a lot of top television female executives around. The killing of her boss and lover shows that you don't mess with a strong, smart woman and expect to buy her love off with a car.

"Make Me a Perfect Murder" (1978)

[Wuchakk · 8/10 · 28 February 2020]

PLOT: A jilted assistant executive for TV (Trish Van Devere) murders her lover/boss (Laurence Luckinbill), but is she clever enough to fool Columbo? Patrick O'Neal plays a top executive, James McEachin a projectionist and Lainie Kazan a struggling performer.

COMMENTARY: This is a longer installment at 1 hour & 37 minutes and so it includes stuff you won't usually observe on the show, like a subplot about an aging song-and-dance actress (Kazan) who can't take the pressures of show biz any longer, as well as a lengthy sequence revolving around Columbo and the murderess having an unlikely meeting at her dilapidated childhood home.

Van Devere is lovely and you can see in her eyes when the seed of murderous hate is firmly planted. She makes for an interesting character study as you put the pieces of the puzzle together (she's an opportunist who uses her allure to get ahead, plus take note of her curiously overinvolved relationship with the performer). Meanwhile Luckinbill is likable, intelligent and handsome as her boss/lover. He of course played Sybok eleven years later in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" and was exceptional in the role.

While this episode focuses on the work of TV execs, "Murder, Smoke and Shadows" (1989) focuses on a Spielberg-like director's perspective. The projectionist sequences are reminiscent of similar scenes in the much later "Inglourious Basterds" (2009).

GRADE: B+/A-

Overall OK, but plot... eeeh!

[julien-neel · 7/10 · 11 January 2009]

I am a big fan of the series and have watched nearly every episode a least twice.

This episode is a little slow and the plot a bit weak. As others have pointed in their comments, the "murderess" played by Trish Van Devere doesn't fit the traditional brilliant and narcissistic bad guy profile. However, I enjoyed it : it is one of the rare Columbo episodes where you quickly feel she and her story are going to fall apart, and I felt for her character. Trish Van Devere is gorgeous and plays an interesting woman with a strange, cold warmth to her. I also loved the tension during the crime itself, with the off voice doing the countdown. In this sense, I liked the episode.

Regarding the plot, I was disappointed, especially for an episode that lasts an hour and a half! The murder is hardly planned, there are so many ridiculous mistakes that are barely concealed, and the case is cracked with hardly any effort. Earlier Columbo episodes from the first two seasons were much better from that perspective.

Like others, I really don't enjoy the gimmicks and comedy scenes with Peter Falk, it just kills the slow steady rhythm of the movie. Columbo isn't supposed to be funny deliberately. Stories about his wife and what not should just occur every now and then to build the character, but they shouldn't last more than 10 to 20 seconds. They were definitely too long for me in this episode, especially in the scene where Columbo plays around with the buttons and switches... Yawn...

Overall, I give it a 7 because I was really impressed by Trish Van Devere (I think I love her) and the fact that Columbo is my hero too...

Unable to break it down; I just plain liked it

[nchaudha19 · 10/10 · 17 May 2005]

I like Columbo. OK, I LOVE Columbo (not THAT way - what are you, from S.F. or something?) I usually like it because of the formula, but also because the writers almost always executed the formula with freshness and conviction. It's formula, you KNOW it's a formula, and yet it seems fresh.

For this episode, I can see the formula; the "perfect" murder, the comical scenes where a slightly befuddled Columbo shows amazement at relatively simple concepts, etc. And yet, somehow I don't really care about the plot.

For some reason, I just love this episode. I can only guess at the reason - Trish Van Devere plays a woman who is cool under pressure and displays no remorse when caught. And yet, you don't hate her. At least I didn't. Something about her as a villain was really appealing. Maybe because she took action, never complained, and stayed tough until the very end. But somehow she was just plain likable.

I agree about the weak Lainie Kazan sub-plot - and what was the deal with her and Van Devere being so close (something about Van Devere's apartment key). Were they supposed to be lovers? I wish someone could tell me.

Problematic but decent enough

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 19 June 2011]

Make Me a Perfect Murder is not among the best Columbos, but it isn't for me among the worst either. If anything, in my opinion it is a middling episode. The episode's flaws are to do with the pace, it does drag a bit and the length, it's too long. And while I don't mean they should have completely excised the main subplot, it is the main reason why the episode feels so padded out, some of it could have been trimmed and I think it could have been written better too. That said, Make Me a Perfect Murder has nice photography and striking production values and the music is authentic to the period and gives the episode some atmosphere. There is some decent writing, and the story is a good concept that despite the subplot that hampers it does what it can to give it justice. The acting is as good as can be, Peter Falk as he is consistently gives a performance that I have no problems with and Trish Van Devere is a terrific adversary. Overall, a decent episode if problematic. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Outstanding theme music

[imdb-02538 · 10/10 · 6 May 2021]

The story is anodyne, but the theme music for this episode is simply astounding.

A naive trick for a naive killer

[clodax2002 · 7/10 · 11 August 2007]

(Spoilers!) This too long (and sometimes boring) Columbo film reminded me of another Columbo episode, that is "Forgotten lady", where the killer commits the murder while she was supposed to be watching a movie and having to do with reels in the meantime. The way Columbo finds evidence is similar as well: the witness (the butler in the first case, the assistant here) says something, almost by chance, that doesn't match with the killer's alibi, then Columbo is able to reconstruct the real killer's moves. This Columbo film is very well acted, and some scenes are intriguing, but it doesn't get more than 7/10 because of some useless or too long scenes and because of the naivety of the gun-trick set by Columbo: there was no reason at all for the killer to remove the gun from the roof of the lift in a hurry and to urge to throw it away: even if the police had found it, there wouldn't have been fingerprints on it, as the killer wore gloves. Even the least experienced killer would have left the gun where it was, and would have even told the police!

a feminist episode?

[MillieTheRedhead · 9/10 · 29 January 2024]

I was fascinated to learn that the writer, Robert Blees, also wrote the screenplays for the Douglas Sirk version of Magnificent Obsession and for Autum Leaves. He seems to have great empathy for women and their emotional experience in a man's world. I was not familiar with Trish Van Devere but really enjoyed her portrayal of Kay. She had a real classy wholesome beauty. Striving for success among men gave her an interesting approach to Columbo, a particularly feminine form of assertiveness. A few reviewers faulted Kay for sleeping with her boss (the murder victim) to get ahead, but back in the day, an ambitious woman probably wouldn't even get a peek at the glass ceiling if her boss didn't at least want to sleep with her. I found the meeting in the limo with Flanagan very realistic. Although she had made some poor decisions, one of Kay's main transgressions was trying to move into her former boss/lover's office too soon after getting his job (temporarily and presumably until they found a suitable man to fill it). Unseemly behavior for a woman, but it might have been viewed as appropriate leadership behavior in a man. Sadly, I speak from fairly recent experience and have to admit this episode was a little traumatic for me and may be the only Columbo episode in which I was rooting for the murderer! I don't think she and Valerie were actually lovers, although there may have been a mild hint of the homoerotic in their friendship as there often is in close friendships, especially when there is a power differential. I think Kay and Valerie connected over the pain of striving for success. Kay feels for Valerie but is also frustrated with her stereotypically female weakness. Her approach to comforting Valerie is a little masculine, and she doesn't feel she has the luxury of tears herself. Really brilliant and subtle. Did the creators of this episode have any of this in mind? Maybe not, but they achieved it, and the unconscious product is what separates genuine art from craft in my book. So this episode for me transcended its serial TV drama format. What about Columbo's role in it? Pretty standard Columbo approach for the most part, but standard Columbo never disappoints. There were a couple of dopey moments, like when Columbo plays with the console for an interminable amount of time leading to commercial. It was an unpleasant foreshadowing of the more mentally deficient persona he adopted in the 1989 series.

Interesting how you can work these small things out if you just think about them

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 12 March 2007]

**SPOILERS** Working her tail off to make an impression on her boss' at the CNC TV network hard nosed and highly motivated Kay Freestone, Trish Van Devere, felt that she should be put in charge of CNC West Coast operations. Kay is shocked that her Lover Mark McAndrews, Larry Luckinbill, and boss gave the coveted job to someone else. A shocked Kay always felt that it was a given that she'll take that position,how wrong she was.

Mark telling Kay that she's not ready for such a high pressure and important job just now Kay even though he did buy her a 460 top of the line Mercedes as a going away present. Kay is furious at Mark for, what she thinks, screwing her out of a position that she so rightly deserves and plans to do something about it, murder him! In her elaborate scheme to murder the unsuspecting Mark Key showed that she had far more talent as a murderess then a TV producer. Kay stages Mark demise down to the second while she cooked up an alibi for herself. Kay plans to fake her being studio's projection booth while this dastardly deed was carried out. It wasn't until let. Columbo, Peter Falk, who was recovering from whip-lash came on the scene that Kay's air-tight alibi started to develop holes in it.

Deducing that the victim, Mark, knew his killer had Let. Columbo zero in on Kay knowing that she had the most to gain, by talking to people at the CNC studio's, by his death. It took a while for all the pieces of the murder puzzle to fall into place but it was non other then Key herself who helped that happen by trying to cover all the bases. This lead Let. Columbo to ***SPOILERS*** plant the, or a fake, murder weapon, a silver .9mm automatic, in the elevator panel where Kay earlier hid it. Either Kay absent mind-idly forgot to remove the gun or, which turned out to be right, didn't realize that Let. Columbo and his squad of policemen found it and planted it there.

What I feel really hurt the ego-maniacal Kay was when she was given the job as West Coast ops producer she fell flat on her face the first time she was assigned to produce a major TV show. Kay blew her big chance by having her pill-popping and boozed up friend former singing legend Valarie Kirk, Lainie Kazan, put before the cameras. Terrified to go on stage Valerie got herself so stoned out on downers that she couldn't even stand on her own two feet much less sing and dance.

P.S Expect to see a very unrecognizable George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere husband at the time, in a cameo appearance. Scott, without makeup, looks like someone that you've never seen before or since on the big and small screen; he sounds like George C. Scott but doesn't look, at least to me, like the Academy Award winning actor at all!

A Flawed yet Intriguing Episode of Columbo

[Hildebrando_Martins_Almeida · 4/10 · 16 June 2023]

The script, written by Robert Blees (1918-2015), although interesting, presents some flaws. Two of them deserve special mention: first, Kay's imprudent decision to hide the murder weapon in the elevator ceiling proves to be foolish, as the lighting and transparency of the ceiling make the weapon visible. Second, Kay should never have discarded the glove by throwing it on the cabin floor; it would have been wiser to discreetly keep it and come up with an excuse for the projectionist.

Columbo's visit to Mark's beach house raises questions about his purpose. Perhaps he was there to be available to receive a delivery of the jacket that belonged to Kay and thereby become even more convinced of this cunning and intelligent woman's guilt.

However, the motivation of Kay, an ambitious woman, to return to a humble and dilapidated house just to reminisce about her past seems implausible. Furthermore, Columbo's presence in that house, only for a casual conversation with Kay and to receive back massages, lacks logical sense. It becomes apparent that the viewer was being misled.

The script does not adequately explore the relationship between Kay and Valerie Kirk, leaving doubts about its nature, possibly suggesting a homosexual connotation. While Kay treats other subordinates harshly, she shows affection and tolerance towards Valerie, who seems to be a drug addict. This differential treatment compromises the credibility of the TV station where they work. Mark, in not promoting Kay, proved to be correct in observing how recklessly she handles responsibilities. To compromise a prime-time TV program because of a friendship with an addict and to exhibit a new, violent film that cost $1 million as a last-minute substitute for a family variety show is a decision that contradicts the very woman who meticulously planned and executed the murder of Mark McAndrews. Frank Flanagan's reaction to Kay was fully justified and one of the highlights of the episode. She deserved that punishment.

Frankly, the motive for the murder seems quite weak. Although Kay was rejected by her lover, that alone doesn't seem sufficient to drive her to commit homicide. It would be more believable to see her rise above the rejection, join a rival, excel, and prove that Mark McAndrews was wrong.

In another part of the episode, Columbo mentions that Walter would not have left the glove on the floor, as he had the habit of keeping the projection booth organized and clean. If that were the case, why didn't Walter find and discard the glove? The fact that he didn't find or eliminate the glove contradicts Columbo's hypothesis that he keeps the booth clean and tidy.

An unnecessary example of prolonging the episode is when we see Columbo fiddling with the controls inside the technical cabin of the TV station. He simply presses buttons, observes patterns on various monitors, and seems satisfied with himself for over two minutes. Unfortunately, this becomes tedious for the viewer and fans of the Columbo series.

Trivia: "Make Me a Perfect Murder" is notable for being one of the few episodes from the 1970s in which Columbo appears before the murder, perhaps even the only case!