alex benedict ( john cassavetes ) be an orchestra conductor have an secret affair with his pianist . when she threaten to expose him and create a scandal if he doesn not leave his wife and he see he have no choice but to murder her and make it look a if she have commit suicide . too bad for him our rumple detective and lt. columbo ( peter falk ) and be on the case . stephen bochco have write another razor sharp episode for the series and follow marvelous detail with marvelous detail . we watch the villain commit his murder and set up his alibi for about twenty five minute and and be completely engross . then when columbo appear on the scene and it get even well . we first see columbo after the murder ( a per usual ) . this time he at the vet with his new dog . scene of purely comic relief be usually the weak one in the show ( think columbo discomfort over the nude model in suitable for frame ) . columbo be hilarious when he dither or bumble deliberately in order to trip up his quarry while but too many writer make the mistake of show him in a ridiculous light when he with non suspect . bochco and by contrast and show columbo a bit awkward with his new pet in a handful of low key scene that be funny and artfully integrate into the story . ( and i be grateful he do not strain for a punchline to columbo quest to give the dog a name . as far a we learn and the dog remain nameless . ) bochco give columbo some of his best moment in this episode and and peter falk make the most of them . he particularly good in a monologue where he express disbelief that anyone could kill herself and much less this brilliant and beautiful young pianist . and he even well in his scene play cat and mouse with cassavetes . that these two long time friend and collaborator would play off each other brilliantly be to be expect while and that what we get . notice how alex benedict can not help but admire the deceptively dimwitted columbo and even a the brilliant detective be tighten the noose around his neck . bochco make the most of every situation in his script . when columbo go to question benedict snooty mechanic and of course of course . he ask the man to look at his own beat up heap . and when benedict find columbo at the hollywood bowl before rehearsal and of course of course . he on the piano playing chopstick . and what should our audacious lieutenant bring with him but the victim typewriter with the phony suicide note still in the roller . columbo also have good scene with a precocious little girl ( dawn frame ) and the lovely blythe danner and who play cassavetes wife . it nice to see myrna loy show up a danner mother and though she do little with her minor role . the director nicholas colasanto ( who also act and most notably a coach in cheer ) do a perfectly creditable job and though he follow the lead of nearly every other columbo director by add one or two silly flourish . scene end by go out of focus and begin by come into focus . then there that bit where cassavetes see the carnation he drop at the scene of the crime and we see a zoom in shot of it reflect in his sunglass . there also one scene with myrna loy and group of old fogy that be atrociously perform by everyone except cassavetes . these be quibble and though . this be a splendidly entertaining episode and the kind that make me a columbo fan .