Hitchcoc Reviews

Columbo: Try and Catch Me (1977) Season 7, Episode 1

Ruth Gordon Is the Boss

[10/10 · 15 April 2024]

First of all, to the person who isn't sure whether the guy killed his wife, I can point to three closeups where he shows us that he is indeed a murderer. His facial expressions tell the story. Ruth Gordon decides that he needs to pay the price for the death of her dear daughter. Her plan is a good one, but he probably could have survived and ruined it for her. Mariette Hartley is the fly in the ointment. She decides to make hay while the sun shines and betray her boss. The business with the key. Why she didn't find a time to just get rid of it rather than put it in that sand tray. Since no one was looking for it for some time, it would have been so easy to get rid of.

Ruth is great. One little bit that is getting a bit tired. It is Columbo's astonishment when he must interrogate a famous person. He is so stunned. This time Gordon is a famous Agatha Christie type mystery writer, every book gold. It is like he had never met anyone with celebrity when it has happened over and over. Let's face it. He only ends up at the most high profile cases. That said, it doesn't matter. Loved it anyway.

This Is Us: The Fifth Wheel (2018) Season 2, Episode 11

Don't Read Your Press Clippings

[10/10 · 15 April 2024]

Kevin goes to Randall's house and immediately breaks into his vodka. He is already stoned on pills and ready for a breakdown. He has had these before and people just blow them off. But after Deja leaves, Randall's little girl is furious. When Keven begins driving recklessly, she pops up in the back seat of the car; she is a stowaway. Kevin get pulled over and is handcuffed. Beth is furious. Kevin is in rehab and the whole gang goes to see him and be part of his therapy. The therapist is having nothing to do with the kind of avoidance that they have used to shield themselves. When she is done, no one is happy. Ultimately, they deal with Jack and his inabilities (where previously he has been treated as a saint). Then they have to look inward. And when it's over, they see that nothing is simple; that we are all human. Everyone is amazed that Kevin has anything to complain about. Rebecca really is a victim, more than the others. Even though her sin is inaction. Kate's obesity was fostered by her father over and over. Time after time, she asked for more sweets and he gave them to her. Randall, it turns out, got her attention because it was easier. Kevin was cruel and self centered. This is a superb episode. There is a secondary plot with the non-Pearson, hanging in a bar discussing their stuff.

This Is Us: Number Three (2017) Season 2, Episode 10

The Most Complex of All

[10/10 · 15 April 2024]

This time Randall is at the center. He has been dealing with being black for a long time, but he does love his mother and all that the family has done for him. Jack takes him to Howard University, a predominately black university (and a really good one), but it's obvious, he has already got him enrolled in an Ivy League school. The tension is thick as the comfort of the young man reins over the bragging rights of Dad. Jack, for all his Christ-like being (I'm sarcastic), has some real flaws. He runs the family as he sees fit. The secondary plot is about Deja returning to her mother, who has a rap sheet. And Randall's tendency to run everything, makes him ready to go to court to keep the girl. He is so self righteous at times, but he learns a bit this time. The girl, also, has learned from the family, and their influence will be with her forever. Fantastic episode.

This Is Us: Number Two (2017) Season 2, Episode 9

Revisiting a Time

[10/10 · 15 April 2024]

We return to the exact time period as the injury to Kevin, except now Kate is the focus. In real time we are there as her miscarriage is announced and we see the pain. They have been so involved in preparing for this event that they believe nothing else is possible. Toby gets the brunt of things by saying he is hurting too, but Kate verbally assaults him. This whole thing is so real as the wheels begin to fall off. Her solution: Life goes on. She does a singing gig at a party and takes off. Toby is to pick her up but she is nowhere to be found. He goes to the UPS and tries to circumvent a delivery that would be hurtful. He ends up going through the entire warehouse, checking packages. Meanwhile, Rebecca shows up and things get settled down. Excellent portrait of a lost child.

Northern Exposure: The Quest (1995) Season 6, Episode 15

Comes Up Short as a Package

[7/10 · 14 April 2024]

I agree with those that enjoyed the surreal nature of the trek that Joel and Maggie went on. I guess the result is the result and even if we wanted them together, it wasn't going to happen. I also agree that the whole thing with Chris, his brother, and Capra was ridiculous. It wasn't in Chris's nature at all. He wouldn't do that to someone that did him no wrong. As for the restaurant review bit, that was so contrived and almost slapstick. I've alway been amazed at how much food they served and the obvious quality of it. It seems that they had to get Mrs. Capra a little screen time and that was about it. Sadly, this is really a final episode but it had to end sometime.

Columbo: The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case (1977) Season 6, Episode 3

I Wanted One of Those Fancy Turntables So Bad

[7/10 · 14 April 2024]

Back when record albums were the only thing to use to play music, along comes this turntable where you could program the cuts. A laser would read the spaces and the tone arm would move to the spot. But they were really expensive and I could not afford one. But it wasn't long before CD's and the rest is history. This is one of the episodes I remember, but it wasn't as good as I thought. All the elements were in the right place, but the plan lacked much sophistication. I was much more intrigued by the puzzle Theodore Bikel gave to Columbo than the murder. Columbo immediately honed in on the embezzlement and the financial history of the guy. While the actual murder took genius to find, Columbo knew he had his man long before he put those things together. Getting rid of the gun the way he did seemed absurdly inefficient. Also, his co-workers were bad news as well. Still, it is fun to watch the lieutenant work his magic. There are different kinds of geniuses. That's for sure.

This Is Us: Number One (2017) Season 2, Episode 8

It Made Me Cringe

[10/10 · 14 April 2024]

We've watched Kevin as he has gone to the road to destruction. Every so often we hear about a celebrity who seemingly had everything, taking his or her life. I would call it the Richard Cory syndrome, after the character from the poem. To have that much attention from every angle for your entire life. From the time he walked first to his football career and its end to the Manny. He never seemed to be dismissed, except by his father, but he didn't accept that because he was always forgiven. The scene where he talks at the homecoming event, where he gives credit to accomplished people, saying he doesn't deserve the award, is gut wrenching. He is so high and disintegrating. And, of course, the chain his father gave him, which he loses as he tries to rob a woman's medicine cabinet, is really horrible. And then the flashbacks to the night his knee was destroyed. Incredible television.

This Is Us: The Most Disappointed Man (2017) Season 2, Episode 7

Other People in Control

[9/10 · 14 April 2024]

We know that Deja's mother is going to be a force to be reckoned with. From all I know about these things, that girl will go back to her because the foster system is always seen as a last resort. Future episode? The judge who is overseeing Randall's adoption doesn't seem to have a clue about the realities of the intermediate situation with little children like him. Perhaps he will end up with a black family, but what happens in the interim? It's almost as if end automatically justifies the means. Kevin, meanwhile, is going down the road of drug abuse and his ex has about had it. And Kate and Toby are doing the best they can where his mother terrifies him. Interesting the power parents can have, even when they don't deserve it.

The Power of Film: Part 6 - Love and Meaning (2024) Season 1, Episode 6

An Easy Sell

[8/10 · 13 April 2024]

Here the narrator proffers the idea that love is at the center of everything when it comes to movie plots. It then deals with love in all forms, from deep friendship to sexual love. It deals with exaltation and loss. Loss is only tragic when love precedes it. We as humans are hard wired this way. Even using the events at the end of Toy Story III, where Woody and Buzz are left with a little girl. They go from being ignored because their owner is getting old to being loved. I'm hoping that there will be more episodes and a new series in the future, but this one proved better than I thought and it grew over time. The whole thing is really well done, but the theory is not as hard to prove as previous ones. Lots of clips are used that make the point and that is the strength of these last couple episodes.

The Power of Film: Part 5 - The Power of Paradox (2024) Season 1, Episode 5

Opposites Attract

[10/10 · 13 April 2024]

The narrator presents us with a history of filmdom where opposite things combine to bring us tension, enjoyment, and pain. If everything stayed on an even keel, we would be bored to death. So we give human qualities to non-human things, like HAL in "2001." We have characters who speak of death as a glorious thing, like Dracula. He delves into the history of literature and social commentary, using Arthur Koestler as a source. The logic those who are desperate is to lie. He even uses Pinocchio as a figure for this with his growing nose. He goes back to figures that are inherently good or evil in mythology, like the sphinx, the chimera, and others. Even the monsters, such as the Alien, have human qualities such as teeth and vacant eyes, which are borrowed from humans. I think this is the best episode in the series so far.

The Power of Film: Part 4 - Heroes and Villains (2024) Season 1, Episode 4

The Best So Far

[9/10 · 13 April 2024]

This episode was the best one of all so far. Part of it was that the subject matter was rife with possibilities. Villains are more fun in that they don't have to play by the rules the heroes do. They can leave the baby in the burning building but the hero can't. Heroes are expected to act but then get little or no credit; apparently, it is their job. There was a plethora of film clips, this time from animation to hard core science fiction and horror. In past episodes we have had only a few movies featured. I liked that women were included in this one because they represent a host of possibilities, like Barbara Stanwyck in "Double Indemnity." Well done with a credible point being made.

This Is Us: The 20's (2017) Season 2, Episode 6

Halloween and Beyond

[8/10 · 13 April 2024]

This has several poignant moments. The whole trick or treating thing shows the absolute chaos the family has to deal with for simple things. Each child's hopes and fears come to the fore. Randall, of course, creates a map, showing which houses gave what the year before and he creates a pattern to attack the more lucrative. Kate wants a certain boy to hold her hand in the scary house. Kevin does something nice but wants to go with his friends. Meanwhile, Beth is about to give birth to her first child and that becomes chaotic. We also see older Kate having a brief fling with a married guy. All these have degrees of sadness in them.

This Is Us: Brothers (2017) Season 2, Episode 5

Just Like Dear Old Dad

[9/10 · 13 April 2024]

There are several venues at work here. One is a flashback to Jack taking Kevin and Randall on a camping trip. The two are in conflict from the onset. Kevin has no use for his brother, but he can't put it into words. Randall is so anal that he actually makes a list of what order they will do things on the trip. Kate and Rebecca are set for a girls' day when Rebecca gets a call that Jack's dad, whom she has never met, is near death. Rebecca goes to see him and it is really a hard set of moments. In other interesting events, Kate tells Toby about the pregnancy. As this is transpiring, Kevin is finding out more and more about failure. He has become addicted to painkillers. This is working at portrayal of foundational stuff.

The Power of Film: Part 3 - The Power of Character Relationships (2024) Season 1, Episode 3

Adequate Angle

[8/10 · 12 April 2024]

The gist of this episode has to do with pairs and trios in movies and how they influence the movies' strengths. We have pairs like Butch and Sundance, Laurel and Hardy, and Thelma and Louise. There are other angles which begin to water down this theory. If there is a weakness to this series, it keeps using the same movies over and over from the Godfather films, Lawrence of Arabia, Psycho, and others that have appeared three times. One of the charms of movie documentaries is a chance to see a range of film clips. It will be interesting to see where this goes next. While it is entertaining, it is a bit contrived.

Columbo: Old Fashioned Murder (1976) Season 6, Episode 2

Well Acted and Orchestrated

[9/10 · 12 April 2024]

I like the Columbo episodes where he becomes immersed in the subject matter involved in the murder. Here it is committed by a woman who runs a museum of antiquities from various periods in history. She has found herself in a situation where what she has been all her life is about to be dismantled and removed from her. She has a sister, full of bluster and clueless, the sister's daughter who is the heir to the museum. She is very odd and her strangeness comes into play. The plot is a planned double murder, two men firing guns simultaneously supposedly, which immediately strikes Columbo as quite strange. There is also a kind of wacko family history and dynamic. The museum has artifacts worth huge sums which could be liquidated. An idiot is chosen as the fall guy, but because of his stupidity, he leaves clues all over the place. I have to say I enjoyed this very much. In the process of solving the crime, Columbo educates himself in the art history of the various periods.

This Is Us: Still There (2017) Season 2, Episode 4

Kevin's Knee

[8/10 · 12 April 2024]

There's a lot to ponder about this episode. Once again Randall feels the need to explain things and puts his foot in his mouth. After Beth engages with Deja about her hair and tries to connect, old Smiley Randall can't keep his nose out of things and she feels betrayed. It is a very interesting scene--good writing. Back at the set, Kevin is doing his thing in the rescue scene and messes up his knee--the knee that destroyed his football career. We see his utter impatience and childish needs. He can be a hard guy to like at times. We know there will be some harsh realities ahead because of his impetuousness. We end the episode with some news about Kate. Before all this, however, we are made privy to an outbreak of chicken pox that throw the family into a whirl. The kicker is the appearance of Rebecca's racist, bigoted, overbearing, judgmental mother. And Rebecca finally getting a backbone.

This Is Us: Déjà Vu (2017) Season 2, Episode 3

So Naive Sometimes

[9/10 · 12 April 2024]

When Deja, the foster child, enters the scene, Randall has everything planned out. He has prompted the girls. Got things ready. No expecting the unexpected. In walks a quiet, angry girl who only wants to disappear. Sometimes Randall can be so naive. His wife is much more realistic but tries to support him. The girls are disappointed but only because Randall didn't prepare them properly. It is a really interesting part of the continuing plot. Next we focus on Kevin on the movie set. Kate meets Sylvester Stallone and tells him about their father and how hard it was growing up at times. Kevin is furious at Kate and shows he has obviously not reconciled his feelings concerning Jack.

This Is Us: A Manny-Splendored Thing (2017) Season 2, Episode 2

Hard Issues

[9/10 · 12 April 2024]

Lets face it, when it comes to family dynamics, simple logic can go out the window. Kate's adult relationship with her mother is so tense. She wants so badly to be praised for something without conditions. Even though Rebecca's comments seem benign, Kate has so little self esteem. I remember my father giving me a job to do when I was twelve. I threw myself into it with no goofing around and I felt such accomplishment. When my Dad saw what I had done he praised me, but then told me three things I could have done better. It was so hurtful. I think this is Kate's issue. The other things that were interesting were Kevin's embarrassing reboot of the Mannie. And, of course, the Randall/Beth story and Kevin's role in it. We also see Jack's recognition of his drinking issues.

This Is Us: A Father's Advice (2017) Season 2, Episode 1

Painful Interactions

[10/10 · 10 April 2024]

The family is in shambles in this one. Each is trying to find their way but their characters are standing in the way. Kate is trying so hard. She decides she will be a singer and has dreams of killing them on stage. But she chickens out during the audition. When she finally shows up, her inexperience and lack of training comes to the fore. Also, Kevin is trying to run everything. He and Kate are so close each is being compromised. Randall has decided to adopt a little "him." So he can raise him like his family raised him. Enter his wife, who has not interest in raising another baby. Sparks fly in the most believable way. Of course, the most intense thing is Rebecca and Jack. They are separated after his angry assault on the band leader. He admits he has been drunk for weeks. The last scene is really heartbreaking. I'm sure a lot of pieces will be put together as we move along.

Northern Exposure: The Mommy's Curse (1995) Season 6, Episode 14

Friction

[7/10 · 10 April 2024]

There are confrontations all over the place in this one. It begins when Maurice gets into it with Holling who has found a new friend in Dr. Capra. They go once a week to a sauna and Holling and the Doc are working, building a boat. Maggie's mother shows up, wanting to plan the wedding which is not going to happen because Joel is off in the wilderness. Walt goes to work for Ruth Ann and screws up her system. Maggie's mom had brought a new guy with her, but he dies draped over a pool table. And in a dramatic moment, Maurice and Holling go at each other. It's one encounter after another. Also, Maggies starts to believe that her tendency to kill boyfriends can be attributed to her mother. Not a horrible episode but a bit contrived.

Columbo: Fade in to Murder (1976) Season 6, Episode 1

William Shatner Overacts

[8/10 · 10 April 2024]

This is a lot of fun. Shatner, who plays a TV detective, kills one of his producers who has been blackmailing him. He tries all the usual Columbo villain things to cover things up. But the TV detective gets into the act when Columbo shows up, and the more he talks the more Columbo realizes he is up to something. Of course, as usual, he continues to ask questions and Shatner continues to come up with theories, each of which has some minor defect. It isn't a great episode, but when the hammy Shatner gets going, it is a joy. I noticed that no one has mentioned that Walter Koenig has a small role. He was Chekov on Star Trek and so he rejoined former associate.

Columbo: Last Salute to the Commodore (1976) Season 5, Episode 6

Did They Take It Seriously

[4/10 · 9 April 2024]

Usually series season finales are well written, and, even if unconventional, sort of fun. This isn't fun; it isn't funny. We have the writers trying to work a kind of Agatha Christie plot with Columbo being Hercule Poirot. It ends with all the participant together, as Columbo announces who the murderer is. The sad thing is that up till this point their actions are monumentally stupid, and Columbo is acting strangely. He mugs. He gets down in people's faces. And when the announcement is made, his reasons aren't all that believable. Of course, I know what a great show this is. I don't understand how this got past the producers.

This Is Us: Moonshadow (2017) Season 1, Episode 18

Intensity with a Capital I

[9/10 · 8 April 2024]

Where to start. First of all, let's face it. Jack has issues. It isn't just his jealousy. I can understand that because he can't accept Rebecca's need for something special in her life. He is really dense at times. Drunkenness is no excuse. He should have told her how much he hated her going off on tour, but instead he acts like the consummate jerk. That's even before he started on a mega-drunk. Yes, that guy did come on to Rebecca but he would have killed the guy and spent years in prison. We have flashbacks of what went on after Vietnam. I remember the guys having trouble with employment. It was ugly in the marketplace then and there were so many of them. So he was forced to live with his parents. The poker game was ridiculous. Those guys had every right to expect him to play at least a few more hands. To the writers--five card draw-a full house and four of a kind in the same hand. Come on. And then a plan to rob the bar and get the money back after he is beaten to a pulp. Finally, that argument is about as intense as one can get. They showed their acting chops. Oh, I think Ron Howard calling was way over the top. It detracted from the reality of the other events.

This Is Us: What Now? (2017) Season 1, Episode 17

Once Again a Series of Poignant Moments

[9/10 · 8 April 2024]

William left instructions for his memorial service. The two granddaughters were given the responsibility. They come up with some typical kid stuff and it is really quite lovely. Rebecca finally is able to talk to Randall without the defensiveness. Let's change the name to "This Is Human." She bares her soul to him and they are able to reconcile. Kate tells Toby something startling about her father's death. Kevin is spending much time with his ex and the play resumes. That big shot critic doesn't come a second time and that means very little publicity. Nevertheless, it works wonderfully and, as usual, draws out our emotions.

Columbo: Now You See Him (1976) Season 5, Episode 5

Smugness to the Bitter End

[10/10 · 7 April 2024]

Jack Cassidy was the prince of overconfidence. Here he plays The Great Santini, an illusionist who is very successful. Unfortunately for him, the owner of the club where he is playing finds out that our Jack was actually a vicious SS man during WWII. He would have been tracked down for war crimes, but he has recreated himself and become quite the talent. The owner has been shorted on proceeds and threatens to blow the whistle and destroy Santini. So he gets offed, but Santini, a master of distraction, is able to make it look like he could not have done it. Columbo, however, is never deterred. Smugness never goes will with him, and he sets his hooks right from the start. Santini has a trick where he is supposedly in a box, submerged in a water tank. He escapes and reappears later. What was he doing for nine and a half minutes. There were just too many things for Columbo to look into. Two things. It's hard to imagine that such a high profile Nazi could go about in such a celebratory way. Secondly, the tricks this master magician does are so old fashioned that his celebrity doesn't seem earned. I think the writers could have come up with something more dramatic than pulling red scarves out of pockets and finding playing cards behind one's ear. Neverhtless, the give and take of Columbo and his victim were pretty good. I remembered this show so well from when it first appeared.