u/Lili_Roze_6257

Good episode, love the banter. But why are the dogs not covered in Charlie’s guys and entrails?! Columbo playing with the dogs immediately after the killing is just . . . gross and bad writing.

Markus leaving the victim in a shed to rot and gambling Columbo would search the pile took a lot of patience and time.

Mason gambling his dogs would do the deed effectively, if at all.

The writer of Self Portrait, Robert Sherman, knew exactly how to write a controlling narcissist. His discussion at the dinner table: announcing the women must tell their feelings about the others . . . It might not have worked except he begins with the young naive Julie - who does as he says. This enflames the emotional Vanessa, who blurts out her feelings. Then the mature, “healed” Louise gives a knowledgeable, logical assessment of all 3 of them - Vanessa, who insisted on marriage, Julie, too young to understand, and Max - literally calling him a monster.

Later, when Max realizes he’s losing control of Louise - his first weapon he uses is to snap, “you never really loved me,” putting Louise on the defense.

Finally, the remaining women beat him the only way he can be beaten - they join forces so he can’t play them against each other anymore — and it works perfectly.

It’s a masterclass in less then 60 mins - showing how they came to be polygamous, the kind of man Max is, the personalities of the women and Max’s lonely end.

Side note: the subtle difference in the women’s skill sets - Louise the master cook, Vanessa who “can’t cook worth a damn” and Julie offering Max cold fried chicken from a bucket. Brilliant.