Great stuff. I tend to watch this show when my spouse is out and I'm doing something mindless like folding laundry, but soon into this one they came home and sat down to watch the rest with me. They'd missed the murder itself and the disposal of the body, but the show still seemed to have them gripped, as they watched Columbo's camaraderie with the killer - an excellent Donald Pleasance! - and watched him work it out. I think this season has really figured out what makes the "how-catch-em" work, and so when this episode felt like it went half its runtime before we even saw our good Lieutenant and then he's not even called in on a homicide, it felt like they were really aware of the rhythms this show's been on and wanted to find some way to flip it. Never going full on it in one episode, instead letting individual ideas live it out. 

In this case, catching them revolved less around the villain, and more around someone who was trying to protect them - someone with less information who was trying to lie in a way they thought would protect the killer. There's a tragedy to it as we see it unfold, as we see Columbo being laid privy to just the thing he needs while the person telling it to him is so confident they've helped someone else out.

I also love Columbo's actual friendship that he seems to build with Donald Pleasance through the episode. They come together as such opposites but when they leave, Columbo's picked up skills that impress the vintner; but these skills then lead to his downfall.

I also don't know if I remember a Columbo episode yet that delves so deeply into just comedy? The stuff at the restaurant at the end has some great moments, like when Columbo tells the valet "take care of your car and it'll take care of you!" and when the valet tries to drive it away, it sputters and he can't get it going. Or when the maitre d and the wine... guy try their wine at the end and it cuts away from them sipping it and smacking their lips. Very silly!

The only stuff I am not a fan of is Karen's arc, which feels like it could have been explored a lot more but winds up feeling, well, unexplored. The lovestruck secretary who spent 12 years waiting hand and foot on Pleasance's character, who had a shot at a romance with him, only to blow it in her attempts to save him, it's a good arc but we don't get to see much of her. She's sort of portrayed as the woman who brought the downfall on the man, which is unfortunate - especially because Columbo probably had him anyways, and just pushed her to make more mistakes. She's really brushed aside - both of the Main Women are in this episode, honestly! - and I think she should have had more time.

Great though. S3 continues to be some of the best I've seen of this show yet and is probably the first one to make me want to recommend it without reservations. There were good ones before, but this is a streak at this point. Had to explain Lorelumbo to my spouse like "ok he has a wife but he also tells these stores about his family, and ok so when he does this it usually means he's hinting he knows something and is trying to push the perp into action, and..." For a show that feels so breezy, part of it is also knowing Columbo's whole schtick, and at this point it's pretty established in a way that can make it a little opaque to new viewers!

Specials

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8

Season 9

Season 10