Louis Jourdan plays Paul Gerard, a food critic with a deep secret. Early into the episode, one of his 'clients' threatens to tell the authorities about this secret...and only moments later he's dead. When Columbo gets involved, you learn that the dead man was poisoned...but with what?! Well, if you look back at the beginning of the episode you'll quickly realize that he was possibly killed by Fugu....a blowfish from Japan that, if not properly prepared, is lethal. The problem is that the film you see is NOT Fugu but the Porcupine Fish....somewhat similar but much smaller and with spikes all over it's skin. As a fisherman who's caught many Porcupine Fish AND has been to Japan, this immediately took me out of the experience....and I knew beyond a doubt they didn't have Fugu. Now this is understandable, as I doubt if you can even get this fish in the States....but why show the WRONG fish?! That's just sloppy.
As to the rest of the episode, it's quite enjoyable but suffers from two cliches. First, the old and tired cliche where the man says "I'm going to tell the world" (referring to Gerard's scheme)....you KNOW that the man will be dead any minute! Second, the confrontation scene at the end...the one on one meeting that just defies common sense....as Gerard could have easily killed Columbo to keep the secret (and he almost did). Entertaining but very, very sloppy.
As to the rest of the episode, it's quite enjoyable but suffers from two cliches. First, the old and tired cliche where the man says "I'm going to tell the world" (referring to Gerard's scheme)....you KNOW that the man will be dead any minute! Second, the confrontation scene at the end...the one on one meeting that just defies common sense....as Gerard could have easily killed Columbo to keep the secret (and he almost did). Entertaining but very, very sloppy.