#fern spotted

[fern-spotting]

Columbo S2E1: “Étude in Black” (1972)

Boston fern spotted at 1:10:53, sharing the frame with Lt. Columbo! They made us wait, but it was worth it for the ultimate combo.

Bonus plant: at 15:37, this long, slightly leggy heartleaf philodendron. She should have moved that somewhere brighter, but it's too late now.

[fern-spotting]

Columbo S7E5 “The Conspirators” (1978)

After a wait of 40:42, we've spotted the ultimate combo: Columbo and a Boston fern!

Bonus plant: this lush and tall dieffenbachia.

Bonus bonus: Columbo contemplating erotic art.

[fern-spotting]

Columbo S10E13 “Murder with Too Many Notes” (2001)

Maidenhair fern spotted at 1:04:22! With, I think, some kind of rex begonia in the foreground? (Also, yes, this episode is another Patrick McGoohan joint, though he does not star in it.)

Bonus plant #1: this snake plant.

Bonus plant #2: these fake weeping figs. Not sure why these trees had such a grip on interior designers from the late 80s to the early aughts, but they sure did!

This is the penultimate Columbo episode I have to review. Start getting ready to say goodbye.

[fern-spotting]

Columbo S10E4 “Death Hits the Jackpot” (1991)

Fern...spotted at 3:25? Do we think a print of a drawing counts?

Not happy with that? Well, how's a painting of a fern?

Finally, at a funeral, we get a real, albeit cut, fern.

Finally, because I'm stubborn, here's a real, live, uncut Boston fern in the ultimate combo, at 1:22:46.

[fern-spotting]

Columbo S1E1: "Murder by the Book" (1971)

Fern spotted at 49:05! I think. It looks like a tree fern, but might be a small sago palm.

[fern-spotting]

Columbo S3E7 “Swan Song” (1974)

Fern spotted at 52:47! A Boston fern for this episode featuring Johnny Cash as Tommy Brown, a gospel singer who fakes a plane crash to kill his wife.

Bonus plant: English ivy again, this time in an absolute unit of pseudo-topiary. What do you think is under there?

[fern-spotting]

Columbo S10E5 “No Time to Die” (1992)

Feather leaf fern spotted at 2:19!

This episode is notable for being the only Columbo episode not to feature a murder, as it is about a kidnapping. It also features my favorite non-recurring character, Tubby Comfort. He's absolutely written to be fatphobic comic relief, but as a person of similar appearance and stature, I would love if my job was to be a criminal informant with a weirdly cuddly nickname who lounged in the sauna eating fruit all day. That sounds awesome.

[fern-spotting]

Columbo S10E3 “Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star” (1991)

Ferntastic! Boston fern spotted at 3:12.

A few moments later, this fashionable fern close-up:

And a bit later, this asparagus fern.