There are tons of crime dramas out right now. There are staple titles in the genre from hits like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and Sherlock Holmes. But nothing compares to Columbo. The series ran from 1968 to 1971 with ten seasons, and when it comes to the best Columbo episodes ever, it’s quite a feat to narrow them down.
The series stars Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. His character is brilliant, as he’s exceptionally observant and seems unassuming. Many underestimate his talent, which makes every case that much more brilliant. If you want to rewatch or check out what the show is all about, here are the best Columbo episodes ever.
Watch every season of Columbo now on Peacock.
6. “Swan Song“ Season 3, Episode 7
The first entry on the list of best Columbo episodes ever is ”Swan Song”, which is in season three, episode seven. This episode features a popular country-western singer, Johnny Cash, who wants to get rid of his religiously zealous wife who’s been using blackmail to control every aspect of his life.
Using an airplane accident to cover up the crime, Lieutenant Columbo must unravel what really happened. Columbo features many guest stars as criminals, but this is one of the top stars. His acting is great, and his singing is even better.
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5. “Try and Catch Me“ Season 7, Episode 1
Towards the end of the series, in season seven, we have another one of the best Columbo episodes ever. The first episode of the season follows an old mystery writer who strongly suspects her niece’s husband of murdering her, so she exacts revenge by asphyxiating him in her house safe while devising a solid alibi.
Columbo must test his wits with this mystery, as the criminal seems like just a sweet old lady. But one of the biggest reasons why this is at the top of the list is because, with any detective, Columbo shows empathy for her, as she lost a daughter. Columbo rarely shows these emotions, but it’s powerful to see that he’s bringing justice even though he understands her pain.
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4. “A Friend in Deed“ Season 3, Episode 8
Season three has several amazing episodes, and is one of the best seasons in the entire franchise. But one of the best Columbo episodes ever in season three is the eighth one. This one follows a police commissioner who provides a false alibi for a neighbor who killed his wife in a fit of rage. He then kills his own wife in cold blood and blackmails the neighbor into faking an alibi for himself.
Most Columbo episodes have a few silly moments, but this is one gruesome crime that is all serious. This episode also features a very crafty villain, which makes it all the more satisfying when Columbo gets to the bottom of this crime.
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3. “Negative Reaction“ Season 4, Episode 2
Another one of the best Columbo episodes ever is in the fourth season with episode two. “Negative Reaction” follows a photographer who murders his wife and blames her death on a bungled kidnapping.
However, when Lieutenant Columbo gets on the case, he has a sharper eye than what the photographer expects. Columbo does a great job of finding clues in the most unsuspecting places. And for this one, Columbo comes across a photograph that leads him to the answers he seeks.
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2. “How to Dial a Murder“ Season 7, Episode 4
Next on the list of best Columbo episodes ever is in season seven with episode four. In this one, we see Columbo in his usual demeanor of being overly friendly and nice, especially when it comes to dogs.
The show follows a behavioral psychologist whose wife died under suspicious circumstances and trains his two Doberman dogs to kill her lover using the command worse ‘rosebud’ through a telephone Lieutenant Columbo is investigating.
It’s dangerous, however, as the psychologist tries to sick the dogs on Columbo while he’s investigating, but Columbo works quickly, retraining the dogs to kiss people instead of injuring them when they hear the word. It might be a sillier episode than most, but the murder mystery mixed with Columbo’s various skills is what makes this one at the top.
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1. “Any Old Port in a Storm“ Season 3, Episode 2
Like many other entries on the list, what’s amazing about the show is that many think they can get away with their crimes. As soon as Lieutenant Columbo walks into the room, with his rumpled appearance and friendly attitude, they think they’ve executed the perfect crime.
This is just one of the many reasons why season three, episode two is one of the best Columbo episodes ever. In this one, a winemaker and connoisseur kills his half-brother in a fit of rage to prevent him from selling the family winery to a merchant company.
Donald Pleansance guest stars as the winemaker, who, believing Columbo as not a threat, indulges him in teaching and testing about all things wine. But interestingly enough, some spoiled wine makes it easy for Columbo to catch on. If the winemaker never offered Columbo that wine, he might have just got away with it.
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