Columbo episode review — 13.4 — Murder with Too Many Notes

Original air date: March 12, 2001
Director: Patrick McGoohan
Writers: Jeffrey Cava and Patrick McGoohan

Rating: 5/10

Legendary Scottish comedian Billy Connolly is a strange choice for a Columbo villain, but he does alright. A hell of a lot better than the victim, Chad Willett, who’s truly awful in his role (though it’s obviously a pretty small one).

Connolly plays a film score composer, Findlay Crawford, who kills his mentee after he’s accused of stealing his music. It’s a classic kind of Columbo setting, of course.

It’s not as great as seeing him among the Los Angeles philharmonic or whatever from “Etude in Black,” but it’s fun. An appropriate contrast with the awkward and schlubby detective.

But that’s kind of all I liked about this episode. The writing isn’t too sharp, and the older Falk gets, the more difficult he is to watch. It’s the same kind of performance, and there always was a lot of lazy energy with this character, but I don’t know. It just feels weird.