This fine episode ended Columbo's initial run, and the best run at that, even though he came back in later years with some decent episodes, but it never matched the earlier years. This fairly original story has Columbo on the hunt for a rather flamboyant IRA terrorist named Joe Devlin, played superbly by Clive Revill, who isn't afraid to throw some whiskey down. Although Revill was only in this episode, his performance rivals Jack Cassidy, William Shatner, and Robert Culp, in terms of great guest stars who have memorable scenes with Columbo. My favorite episodes are when Columbo and the guest killer have a good rapport; regarding this segment, it's refreshing to watch the 2 men drink together in a bar, play darts, and share poems, even though Peter Falk probably overdoes it a bit considering this was to be the final episode. Look for another funny scene in a bookstore when Columbo's looking at a book on erotic art, and the way a woman watched him with suspicious eyes. The great Jeanette Nolan has a few scenes as Kate O'Connell, and also look for a familiar face in L.Q. Jones(Casino)as a slimy gun dealer. The scenery was especially a nice touch, which included a bar/pub, shipping dock and boats, and a huge mansion with an impressive ceiling. Even though I thought it was too easy and convenient the way Columbo deduces which ship would carry the guns, and how silly it was for Devlin to purposely leave a scratch mark on a whiskey bottle at the crime scene, this episode was a fine conclusion to a mostly great series that had many more ups than downs.
