In the new season, Lieutenant Colombo is held in front of an impressive and nationally recognized criminal defense attorney. He appears to be trying to kill his rock star girlfriend when he discovers she is seeing another man in the meantime, while Nick Franco is a violent fellow as his current character Laura Stanton has gained enough.
The student villains are tiresome brats, but [Peter] Falk is subtle and funny; Columbo Goes to College is a surprisingly solid comeback for this durable character.
Director Jeffrey Reiner and writer Michael Alaimo deftly weave together the show's traditional elements with a contemporary setting that points up how un-hip Columbo is.
