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luckykaaWhen talking about the Knives Out movies, Rian Johnson said that one of the rules in a mystery is the detective is not the protagonist. In Wake Up Dead Man, Benoit Blanc doesn't turn up until 40 minutes into the movie. The focus is on Jud Duplenticy - a priest who becomes the prime suspect in the murder. And this is the case in most mysteries. In a lot of Sherlock Holmes stories, the protagonist is the victim. Other stories might follow someone close to the victim.
In Columbo, the protagonist is the murderer.
The big name in the show was always the perpetrator. And there were some definite well known faces. Donald Pleasance, Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Vaughn, many others. Definitely the A-list!
The structure of a typical episode is a tragedy. The first act will focus on the murderer. We'll learn their motivations, their connections to the other characters. Sometimes we'll sympathise with them. The villain is often deserving of their fate. At some point we'll see them commit a murder. The murderer will typically prepare an alibi, or take steps to cover up the murder if it was something spontaneous.
It's at this point Columbo appears and while the protagonist doesn't realise, the audience knows, at this point their fate is sealed. Throughout the rest of the episode we see how their careful planning is gradually unravelled by this dogged eccentric. Their arrogance and confidence is chipped away. Many a time they end up broken, seeing their arrest as a blessed relief that the torment is finally over.
Columbo is probably the only show where the murderer as protagonist is possible. It's not a "whodunnit". It never meant to be. It's been described as a "howCatch'em". Although it is typically a mystery. A few questions remain unanswered. Sometimes the why. Sometimes there are a few missing details. But what is never a mystery - with the exception of one episode (Double Shock, where we have two identical twins) - is who "dunnit".
It's not the only show where the murderer is the protagonist. Several Hitchcock movies we are shown the murder, and even told how it's going to happen beforehand. Dexter and Death Note both focus on serial killers. Death Note even has a cat-and-mouse with a series of detectives. Columbo however manages to be the iconic example of this format.
In Columbo, the protagonist is the murderer.
The big name in the show was always the perpetrator. And there were some definite well known faces. Donald Pleasance, Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Vaughn, many others. Definitely the A-list!
The structure of a typical episode is a tragedy. The first act will focus on the murderer. We'll learn their motivations, their connections to the other characters. Sometimes we'll sympathise with them. The villain is often deserving of their fate. At some point we'll see them commit a murder. The murderer will typically prepare an alibi, or take steps to cover up the murder if it was something spontaneous.
It's at this point Columbo appears and while the protagonist doesn't realise, the audience knows, at this point their fate is sealed. Throughout the rest of the episode we see how their careful planning is gradually unravelled by this dogged eccentric. Their arrogance and confidence is chipped away. Many a time they end up broken, seeing their arrest as a blessed relief that the torment is finally over.
Columbo is probably the only show where the murderer as protagonist is possible. It's not a "whodunnit". It never meant to be. It's been described as a "howCatch'em". Although it is typically a mystery. A few questions remain unanswered. Sometimes the why. Sometimes there are a few missing details. But what is never a mystery - with the exception of one episode (Double Shock, where we have two identical twins) - is who "dunnit".
It's not the only show where the murderer is the protagonist. Several Hitchcock movies we are shown the murder, and even told how it's going to happen beforehand. Dexter and Death Note both focus on serial killers. Death Note even has a cat-and-mouse with a series of detectives. Columbo however manages to be the iconic example of this format.
