The third episode ofColumbo was titledDead Weight and focusedon not just a murder investigation, but on the relationship between thekiller and a witness to his crime. In this podcast Gerry and Iain consider the highs and lows ofDead Weight and how it compares to the two earlier episodes. There was a slightly expanded cast for this episode, compared with the compact groups fromMurder by the BookandDeath Lends a Hand. Eddie Albert‘s military-hero-turned-killer Major General Martin Hollister is the driving force inDead Weight, but the arc of the story is really the journey of Helen Stewart, played by Suzanne Pleshette. Supporting these key characters are four more, each with their own role to play. John Kerr‘s Colonel Roger Dutton is our unfortunate victim and Kate Reid plays Mrs Walters, the carping mother of Helen Stewart. Minor roles are also played by Val Avery (as Harry Barnes) and by Timothy Carey as café owner Bert. There was no trivia question this week, but if anyone is abl...