Season 3, Episode 1, Columbo - Lovely But Lethal (1973)

This episode was directed by Jeannot Szwarc, and written by Jackson Gillis, Myrna Bercovici, and Richard Levinson. 

The three best outfits in this episode are:

1)  Viveca Scott’s peach and beige suede western get up: 

 

 

She’s rocking a beige suede suit with a peach butterfly collar polo underneath, with some matching leather gloves to hide her poison ivy

 

 

 Very cute button sash on back

 

 

Paired with a saddle tan leather purse and matching platform heels, looking like western peach cobbler. 

 

 

2) Shirley Blane’s suede patchwork floral dress: 

 

 

 

Love this dress with dark green suede panels with contrast stitching, a butterfly collar and light pastel floral western blouse patchwork skirt. My what a sweet little dress. 

 

 

3) It’s hard to narrow this down, and there are many more choices in today’s poll, but we will go with Viveca’s black sequin outfit: 

 

 

 

Matching black entirely-sequined jacket with flare pants, over a silky pussy bow blouse, paired with platform heels. 

 

 

 

Mmm, sequins. 

A closeup of her pants reveals a doctored ad for Parliament cigarettes (“It works like a cigarette holder works”): 

 

 

They put a big red arrow over the brand name but: 
 

 

The funniest lines from this episode are when Viveca tells Columbo he belongs in a museum:  

 

 

And when Viveca tells Mr. Lang to go gobble up a pill company: 

 

  

Also when Columbo says “Gee whiz, you'd think that they were building secret weapons around here,” and the lab Attendant says “Why, we’re not?” 

 

  

Also funny: What does a clam say? 

 

 

 And finally Viveca: “I like young men, Lieutenant, lots of them.”

 

 

Bonus points for decor go out to Viveca’s office where everything is light gray or pink and curved:

 

 

 

Inspired use of sea urchin shell. 

 

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Vote now! POLL: Season 3, Episode 1, Columbo “Lovely But Lethal” - Which outfit is your favorite?