Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.
The best episode of "Columbo" season 2 is "Étude in Black", rated 7.7/10 from 3799 user votes. It was directed by Nicholas Colasanto and written by Steven Bochco, William Link, Richard Levinson. "Étude in Black" aired on 9/17/1972 and is rated 0.4 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The Greenhouse Jungle".
The mistress of a conductor becomes a target for murder after threatening to tell all to her lover's wife.
Director: Nicholas Colasanto
Writer: Steven Bochco, William Link, Richard Levinson
Jarvis Goodland, along with his nephew, plan a kidnap scam to break the nephews trust fund, but after the money has been collected, Jarvis kills his partner.
Director: Boris Sagal
Writer: Jonathan Latimer
The manager of a football team kills the team's owner, disguising himself as an ice cream vendor as a cover. He then uses a recording of a faked phone call as an alibi to prove he was elsewhere at the time of the murder.
Director: Jeremy Kagan
Writer: John T. Dugan
While on a work trip to London, to learn the techniques of the British police, Columbo gets involved with the murder of Roger Haversham, a rich old businessman who is financing the careers of two rundown theater stars. When Sir Roger threatens to end their careers, because he felt betrayed, he's killed. A short while after, his butler figures out the motives for his master's murder, and blackmails the actors, who have no other choice than to kill him and make it look like he commited suicide due to remorse, because he murdered his employer. Columbo stills manages to catch both the murderers, with the help of a pearl and a new umbrella.
Director: Richard Quine
Writer: William Link, Richard Levinson
A fading movie star tries to murder a writer who is attempting to blackmail her, but accidentally kills her P.A.
Director: Richard Quine
Writer: Jackson Gillis
Leonard Nimoy plays a heart surgeon whose talents turn to murder. Stung by jealousy, he's planning a surgical death for his brilliant but ailing associate. Will Geer plays the intended victim.
Director: Hy Averback
Writer: N/A
A chess grandmaster disposes of the champion, who keeps coming back on him.
Director: Edward M. Abroms
Writer: William Link, Richard Levinson
A wealthy man is murdered; his twin nephews stand to inherit, but which one committed the crime?
Director: Robert Butler
Writer: Peter Allan Fields, Steven Bochco, William Link, Richard Levinson