Identity Crisis story
A CIA operative code-named "Geronimo" contacts fellow CIA-operative, now working undercover as speech-writing consultant Nelson Brenner, to demand his share of money from a previous operation they were involved in. The go-between is Otis Young. It motivates Brenner to kill Geronimo. Columbo finds himself blocked at every turn by a man who knows a lot of private and classified secrets, and even by a visit from the Director of the Agency. Final clue/twist: Brenner's alibi, a taped speech for a client, is proven false when Columbo establishes that some statements in the speech were based on news that was not known until hours after the recording was allegedly made. Directed by: Patrick McGoohan. Story by: William Driskill.
11 total · 2 choice · 4 major · 5 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| greed for riches | choice | Geronimo agreed to help recover a microfilm in exchange for $300k worth of physical gold. |
| how to murder someone and get away with it | choice | CIA-operative Nelson Brenner hatched the following elaborate plan to rid himself of a troublesome former colleague known as "Geronimo": He bashed Geronimo's head in with a tire iron and made it look like a mugging while establishing for himself the alibi of having been up recording a speech which he, in fact, did later on but with the clocks cleverly wound back. One gathers that he would have gotten away with his crimes had it not been for the meddlesome Lt. Columbo. |
| framing someone for a crime | major | The villain of the story Nelson Brenner went to elaborate lengths to pin the killing of a CIA-operative on the hapless Lawrence Melville. |
| law enforcement | major | The bumbling but sharp-witted homicide detective Lt. Columbo was confronted with the following conundrum: Had the unknown man later identified as "Geronimo" really been slain by muggers, and if so why had they removed his coat? Or was there a more sinister murder plot afoot? |
| mugging | major | Columbo was investigating an apparent mugging gone awry that turned out to be a cleverly masked murder. |
| secret agent occupation | major | Geronimo and Brenner were two secret CIA operatives. Their spy-master, the CIA director, dramatically appeared in order to tell Columbo to cease and desist in his investigation. |
| hospitality | minor | Brenner entertained Columbo at his mansion with music, Cuban cigars, and conversation. Columbo pointedly thanked Brenner for being a gracious host. |
| invasion of privacy | minor | Brenner owned up to having bugged Columbo's house. It was for this reason that Brenner knew Madame Butterfly to be Columbo's elusive wife's favorite piece of music. |
| labor strikes in society | minor | A news headline about the possibility of New York municipal workers going on strike played over Brenner's car radio. |
| master and servant | minor | Brenner was tended to by his Thai butler, Eli. Brenner even addressed him in what appeared to be the Thai language at one point. |