... not trying him and keeping him locked up. Holding that in mind helps you look beyond the circumstantial nature of the bit of evidence that helps nail the murderer (Milland) in this one. After all, there's no proof that Milland himself planted the gun or the briefcase in the wife's house...they both had acquired their guns years ago, the murder victim knew they both had guns, and he hung out with Milland quite a bit...who's to say the victim himself hadn't switched the guns however long ago? I think the murderer would have a pretty good shot at getting off...unless one took into consideration the MONEY, which never seems to happen in Columbo episodes. It's interesting to contrast this series with today's police procedurals like Law & Order, where "follwing the money" and checking bank accounts and money transfers and tracking large cash purchases beyond the means of the suspect is frequently a big factor. But admittedly that's not fair, and besides the point when it comes to enjoying a Columbo episode. You're supposed to watch for Falk's "schtick" as much as for the actual detective work. And it is satisfying to see the obnoxious (and loud! Jeez, Milland is always such a loud actor; he shouts every line!) Milland get caught, though once again, it would be nice if the villain got a little indignant or gnashed his teeth or threw a tantrum or something more than just glumly accepting his fate and walking out the door. But I think avoiding those kind of obvious dramatics was also one of the details that set Columbo apart from other detective shows back in its day.
Review of The Greenhouse Jungle
