Undercovercolumbo : Season 12 Episode 3 -

While it was a ratings hit at the time, many purists rank it among the worst episodes because it feels like a standard 90s cop show with a Columbo skin. The "gotcha" moment is often criticized for lacking the sharp psychological trap-setting that made the original series legendary. Episode Highlights

To infiltrate the criminal underworld, Columbo ditches his raincoat for various costumes, including a brown hat and a "lowlife" persona named Artie Stokes . UndercoverColumbo : Season 12 Episode 3

Her turn as the heavy-drinking Dorothea McNally is widely considered the episode's saving grace. While it was a ratings hit at the

For one of the only times in the series, Columbo is forced to carry a gun and even gets physically knocked out. Her turn as the heavy-drinking Dorothea McNally is

Fans of the rumpled Lieutenant usually know the killer from the first five minutes. But in "Undercover" (first aired May 2, 1994), we’re as in the dark as Columbo himself. The story begins with a double homicide and a mysterious fragment of a photograph—a piece of a puzzle leading to $4 million in stolen bank loot from years prior.