Tread Perilously is a podcast in which hosts Erik Amaya and author Justin Robinson watch the “worst” episodes of popular TV shows, attempting to determine if they would continue to watch the series based on the most off-key moments.

This Week: Columbo‘s “A Stitch in Crime”

Tread Perilously continues its month of treading safely with one of the best Columbo episodes ever filmed: “A Stitch in Crime.”

When Dr. Barry Mayfield’s (special guest star Leonard Nimoy) ambitions to become renowned for a new anti-rejection drug are threatened by the head of the project, he plots to murder him in the slowest way possible. When his plan goes into motion, Mayfield kills the nurse (special guest star Anne Francis) who suspects him of sabotaging their boss’s heart operation. Columbo soon arrives on the scene and makes life a living hell for Mayfield. But will the smart doctor fall for Columbo’s ruse or is he an adversary unlike anything the lieutenant has faced before?

Erik and Justin are right to invoke logic when discussing Nimoy, who proves to be a superb antagonist for star Peter Falk. They also fall in love, again, with Nita Talbot, who guests in the episode as Anne Francis’s roommate. Justin declares the story “shockingly modern” thanks to several recent shows indebted to Columbo. Erik numerates the episodes he passed over for Nimoy’s guest turn. Geography Corners abound. A discussion of classic horror movies breaks out, as does a chat about Kevin McCarthy. Justin’s Columbo impression improves while Erik’s disintegrates when he also attempts to do his Dr. McCoy. And, of course, everything comes back to the Turnbull ACs.

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