Review of An Exercise in Fatality

Excellent episode. It is typical in the sense that the "proof" is probably not evidence leading to a conviction, like many other Columbo episodes, however (sadly) this episode goes a step further: Columbo tells Milo (Robert Conrad) that the final proof of Milo's guilt lies in the "fact" that he knew the victim (Gene) was dressed in his gym suit. How did he, Columbo claims, as the last witness to have seen the victim alive swore that Gene was in his office attires. So how can Milo say he knew Gene had changed to gym suit? Well, the problem here is that the murderer had claimed, from the get go, that this what Gene told him on the phone. He didn't "know" Gene was in his gym suit, Gene told him, is all. No jury or judge would convict upon this "evidence." At the end, truly enough, there were a string of circumstantial evidences which could lead to a conviction, but if everything is dependent on that "gym suit" thing, not enough.