There are several reasons why Lieutenant Columbo is so popular, even now! In Japan, many types of mystery dramas and movies are popular, and some dramas were influenced by this Columbo and are considered remakes!
Lieutenant Columbo’s exceptional skill of finding the criminal is what makes him a fascinating character to watch. He is very kind and mentally strong. “Strength” may be an important factor for the lieutenant’s success because he doesn’t empathize with anyone so he never misses the tiny details and evidence pointing to the culprit. If he’s mentally weak, he wouldn’t be the great detective many people have come to adore.
He is very intelligent and a hard worker! It’s really interesting to see how he always finds out why the criminals committed the crime in the first place. He has the skill to search through evidence with a fine-tooth comb.
From this TV series, I learned that there are underlying causes behind people’s actions, no matter if they’re considered criminals, scammers, fraudsters, or even “normal” people.)
Sometimes these “reasons” that caused the person to act out a crime may make us sympathize. Although we sympathize with them, we can’t ignore the crime, can we? Additionally, there are also criminals who will never regret their actions, even on their dying day; they’ll never suffer from guilt, and constantly on the run. Columbo is critical of criminals who try to justify their crimes. Perhaps, we shouldn’t sympathize with them in these cases because too much sympathizing is not good for humans who make mistakes sometimes. Sympathizing can prevent a person from growing because it takes away the responsibility for their actions. There should always be consequences in place.
I’ve learned from my own experiences that there are some mistakes that leave a lasting mark and are difficult to forgive ourselves for and others. People should sympathize but not lose the chance to change and improve into a better version.
By the way, my favorite episode is “Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo”. The way he cornered the culprit was a stunning plot twist. It was even more tricky than others I’ve seen, and he completely fooled me, too!