Columbo season 10 episode “A Bird In The Hand” subverted the show’s established formula by hiding the killer’s identity until the end. The character of Columbo made his debut in an episode of anthology The Chevy Mystery Show, where he was played by Bert Freed. Columbo would later reappear in TV movie Prescription: Murder played by Peter Falk (The Princess Bride), who would make the rumpled detective an icon. Falk’s original performance differed slightly from the eventual TV show, with the character being more aggressive than the subdued, thoughtful Columbo fans would come to know and love.
Columbo is basically a blue-collar Sherlock Holmes, with suspects underestimating his keen intelligence based on his casual attitude and appearance. The very first episode of Columbo “Murder By The Book” was directed by a young Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park) and would establish the show’s formula, with the first act setting up the killer and how they murdered their victim. This delayed Columbo’s appearance until later in the story, which found the lieutenant methodically piecing together the clues.
The original series of Columbo ran from 1971 to 1978 and was later revived in 1989. Season 10 featured episodes that had some interesting twists to the robust structure of the series, such “It’s All In The Game,” where Columbo knowingly let a killer go at the end. “A Bird In The Hand” offered new wrinkles too, which initially follows a gambler’s attempt to murder his rich uncle for the inheritance. Things don’t go to plan for would-be killer Harold as he plants a bomb under his uncle Fred’s car - who is instead run over by an unknown killer. A gardener is later killed by the bomb when he tries to move the car during the investigation, making this the only episode where Columbo himself is a witness to a murder.
For most of “A Bird In The Hand” the identity of the killer is withheld, but it isn’t too hard to figure out. Dolores (Tyne Daly, Spider-Man: Homecoming) is the wife of the late Fred and initially appears upset, but when is Harold later shot dead, Columbo puts his big brain to use. He figures out it was Dolores who stole the truck and ran over Fred, and when Harold - with whom she was having an affair - tried to blackmail her, she killed him, leading to her arrest.
Columbo’s “A Bird In The Hand” played around with the rules but was, on the whole, an average episode. The characters weren’t terribly interesting and the mystery of the killer is simple to deduce. That said, even an average episode of Columbo is worth watching for the scene where Falk’s detective pieces everything together.
Next: Columbo “It’s All In The Game” Saw The Detective Let A Killer Go Free
