Columbo

Food critic Paul Gerard has been blackmailing gourmet restaurant owners for huge sums of money in exchange for favorable newspaper reviews. When restaurateur Vittorio Rossi threatens to expose Gerard, the dashing Frenchman plans a near-perfect crime using the deadly poison from a Japanese fish that only licensed chefs are qualified to handle. Lt. Columbo, stymied by the ingenious plot, is without a lead until Eve Plummer unknowingly gives away Gerard's expertise in handling the deadly Japanese fish.

Kay Freestone, passed over for an anticipated promotion by her lover-boss, Mark McAndrews, carries out his perfectly timed execution while supposedly screening a film for New York VIP's. Lt. Columbo suspects Kay as well as the VIP's, until he discovers Kay had the most to gain from Mark's death. As Columbo closes in on her, she tries to pacify the police detective while calming a terrified star (Lainie Kazan), meeting network-programming schedules and covering her tracks to prevent incrimination.

Dr. Eric Mason (Nicol Williamson), a noted psychologist specializing in mind control, uses his expertise to carry out the slaying of his best friend and primary assistant, Dr. Charles Hunter, with the help of his two pet Doberman pinschers. As Lt. Columbo tries to discover why two seemingly lovable Dobermans would, without reason, attack someone they knew, he engages in a head game of his own to expose Dr. Mason before the dogs are put to sleep.

While fronting for an Irish peace group, poet Joe Devlin arranges a clandestine meeting with illicit arms dealer Vincent Pauley. When Pauley tries to pull off a double-cross, Devlin slays him even though it means eliminating his only source of illicit arms for Irish rebels. Lt. Columbo attempts to link Devlin with Pauley on a few flimsy clues, but the happy poet tries to sidetrack the detective with his Irish charm, whiskey and a competitive game of darts at his favorite pub. In time, Lt. Columbo realizes the only hope he has of nabbing Devlin is to link him with the arms smuggling caper.