The Conspirators
- Episode aired May 13, 1978
- TV-PG
- 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
An IRA terrorist executes an arms dealer he considers traitorous; Lt. Columbo is on the case.An IRA terrorist executes an arms dealer he considers traitorous; Lt. Columbo is on the case.An IRA terrorist executes an arms dealer he considers traitorous; Lt. Columbo is on the case.
Sean McClory
- Captain
- (as Seán McClory)
Carole Hemingway
- Carole Hemingway
- (as Carole Hemmingway)
John Blower
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the last episode from the original series produced by NBC. It wasn't until 1989 that the series would be picked up again and continue on its eighth season onward produced by ABC.
- GoofsDevlin declares that he is "a boy from the backstreets of Belfast", but his accent is a Southern Irish one, quite unlike that of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Also, when playing darts, he refers to a pub in "Londonderry". A genuine Irish Republican would never refer to the city by that name, and would call it "Derry".
- Quotes
Joe Devlin: You see, at a very early age I decided to be me own master and the servant of no one, and that left two promising possibilities: either to be a king or a poet. Now, as Ireland had her fill of kings, I clearly saw I had to educate meself to a way of words, so I took to drink immediately, fell in love at every opportunity, and avoided the schoolroom like the plague. I advise you to do the same.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Svengoolie: Valley of the Dragons (2019)
- SoundtracksWhiskey in the Jar
(uncredited)
Traditional Irish folk song
Instrumental version heard in pub
Featured review
Not with a bang ...
A serviceable Columbo, with some energy and a bit of a budget, but hardly at its best - a shame, as this was the last episode of the first magnificent run of seven seasons, and it never reached these heights again in the 1990s. Columbo is on the trail of poet-cum-terrorist gunrunner-cum-professional Irishman Clive Revill, who has murdered his doublecrossing arms supplier and is now struggling to replace him. As usual, the clash in acting styles between Falk's method and his antagonist's - in this case Revill's twinkle-eyed scene-stealing - brings much pleasure.
And yet the series was tired, and this was one of the weakest of the first seven seasons, and this was one of its weakest stories. Falk has all but completed the move from amusing, likeable, persistent, scruffy pest to dark mythic nemesis, so that almost every one of his lines is given a heavy double meaning, and uttered at dictation speed, especially in his opening scene when he really has no reason to suspect Revill at all. Revill is entertaining enough and big enough to inhabit the part, but not only is his Irish accent not very good, it's the wrong Irish accent - it's very clearly an accent from the Republic, and nothing like that of a Belfast Catholic. Having said that, it's an infinitely better attempt than the lamentable effort of Michael Horton (who went on to play the wet nephew in Murder She Wrote), playing a redundant gofor/amanuensis figure. Added to a few other unfamiliarities with Ireland, like the complete inability of the writer to understand the rules of darts, it's not too convincing on the background. Falk also regrettably moves out of character on occasion, as when he gets interested in a book of erotic art and unembarrassed at the attention he is getting from another customer: not one of the series' successful comedy moments.
Also perhaps worth pointing out that when Revill refers to G.W.F. Hegel as an Irish philosopher, he is making a joke, not a goof - it is mistakenly listed in the 'goofs' section on this page. His character tends to refer to the authors of quotes he approves of as great Irish poets, writers or philosophers - including when he is mock-egotistically quoting himself.
Columbo probably has just about enough evidence for his conviction, but the key discovery is rather telegraphed, and the revelation at the end is a bit ho-hum. A fairly average effort to go out with.
And yet the series was tired, and this was one of the weakest of the first seven seasons, and this was one of its weakest stories. Falk has all but completed the move from amusing, likeable, persistent, scruffy pest to dark mythic nemesis, so that almost every one of his lines is given a heavy double meaning, and uttered at dictation speed, especially in his opening scene when he really has no reason to suspect Revill at all. Revill is entertaining enough and big enough to inhabit the part, but not only is his Irish accent not very good, it's the wrong Irish accent - it's very clearly an accent from the Republic, and nothing like that of a Belfast Catholic. Having said that, it's an infinitely better attempt than the lamentable effort of Michael Horton (who went on to play the wet nephew in Murder She Wrote), playing a redundant gofor/amanuensis figure. Added to a few other unfamiliarities with Ireland, like the complete inability of the writer to understand the rules of darts, it's not too convincing on the background. Falk also regrettably moves out of character on occasion, as when he gets interested in a book of erotic art and unembarrassed at the attention he is getting from another customer: not one of the series' successful comedy moments.
Also perhaps worth pointing out that when Revill refers to G.W.F. Hegel as an Irish philosopher, he is making a joke, not a goof - it is mistakenly listed in the 'goofs' section on this page. His character tends to refer to the authors of quotes he approves of as great Irish poets, writers or philosophers - including when he is mock-egotistically quoting himself.
Columbo probably has just about enough evidence for his conviction, but the key discovery is rather telegraphed, and the revelation at the end is a bit ho-hum. A fairly average effort to go out with.
helpful•53
- kmoh-1
- Apr 4, 2020
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Waffen des Bösen
- Filming locations
- Radio station KGIL, San Fernando, California, USA(Late in the episode, Clive Revill is seen being interviewed on the radio by Carole Hemingway, and then in the station parking lot, makes a gun deal. Both scenes were shot at KGIL)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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