after a considerable hiatus and columbo return to tv in 1989 and and all 5 episode from that year be very uneven . it mostly because of the writing and but it be also because of the casting . none of these episode have any of the fun big name that the columbo character be associate with before . no shatner . no mickey spillane . no ruth gordon . this particular episode typifies that problem . fisher stevens and who be so obviously suppose to be spielberg that it hurt to watch him and just be not in the league with the type of guest start columbo be know for previously . he seem like he 12 year old and give no depth to his character . he try to be quirky but he just can not pull it off . peter falk attempt to save the episode but he be saddle with a script that put him in embarrass situation that be uncomfortable to watch . one example be when he tell stevens his friend be dead then ask if he can make himself an ice cream soda . i know columbo be suppose to be disingenuous but here he seem just rude and or or dumb . falk do his best with the rest of the teleplay but stevens be just not strong enough an actor to make the interplay between detective and murderer either intriguing or entertaining . after a while and it be all rather tiresome and fail to satisfy a the best of the old columbo series do .