For me this is one of the better Columbo episodes. It is not a perfect episode, it does take too long to set up and some of the clues are rather obvious(how many mistakes does a murderer need to make?). I know some may find the ending downbeat, but I had no problem with it personally. Even with the faults, Troubled Waters is a very interesting episode. It is a refreshing change of pace, taking place on a ship, which is a quite sumptuous setting in itself, and it is slickly filmed. The music is fitting with the period and with the jaunty and haunting moments you'd expect. Apart from some of the obvious clues and slow start, the mystery rolls along and is diverting, and the dialogue is still clever and intelligent. Peter Falk is as wonderful as ever, some of his trademarks are not on display here such as the raincoat, but his shrewd, observant and cunning personality still remains. Robert Vaughn is good in his role and this is the better of the two appearances he gave, if not among the best guest villain performances of the series(McGoohan, Gordon, Cassidy, Culp, Clark, Leigh, Wilkinson and Torn), but if I were honest I found Dean Stockwell to be a little more at ease here. All in all, one of the better episodes with not much troubling about it. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Review of Troubled Waters
