Pilot #1: Prescription Muder

Episode Synopsis

This is where it all begins. Prescription: Murder isn’t just the pilot episode of Columbo; it’s the blueprint for everything that would come after. Before the trench coat, before the Peugeot, before “just one more thing” became iconic, Columbo quietly stepped onto the scene in this 1968 TV movie. And what a debut it is.

The episode centers on Dr. Ray Flemming, a successful, confident psychiatrist who’s tired of his marriage but not the lifestyle it provides. His wife Carol holds the purse strings, and Ray doesn’t want a messy, expensive divorce. So, naturally, he decides to kill her.

With help from his lover and patient Joan Hudson, an aspiring actress, Ray puts together a deceptively simple plan. He doesn’t just need to commit the murder, he needs to make sure no one even realizes it happened until it’s too late.

Here’s how it works: Ray and Carol are supposedly heading off on vacation to Acapulco, and their friends and colleagues all know about the trip. At the airport, Joan, disguised as Carol, makes a public appearance with Ray and stages a loud, emotional argument. “Carol” storms off in front of witnesses, and the assumption is that she’s going home alone while Ray continues on with the trip. In reality, the real Carol is already dead. Ray has murdered her in their apartment just before the airport stunt, then rushed to the terminal to pull off the deception.

With everyone believing Carol is out of town and emotionally distant from Ray, no one has a reason to check on her. Ray conveniently disappears on vacation and returns a few days later, acting shocked to discover Carol’s body in what appears to be a botched home invasion.

To further sell the story, Ray takes the opportunity while in Acapulco to discreetly dispose of items that were supposedly “stolen” during the break-in. He gets rid of jewelry, valuables, and anything that might later be found in his possession. Now the police will not only find signs of forced entry, they’ll also find a home that’s been robbed. The physical evidence, combined with the public fight and the confirmed trip, makes for what looks like a perfect alibi.

At first, the police buy it. Everything lines up. A tragic case of a wealthy woman killed during a burglary while her husband was out of town. But then Lt. Columbo shows up. He’s polite, soft-spoken, maybe a little rumpled, but something about the whole thing doesn’t sit right with him.

From that moment on, Ray’s carefully crafted world starts to shake. Columbo doesn't shout or bluff or threaten. He just notices things, small details, strange inconsistencies. He asks questions that seem casual, but slowly peel away the killer’s story. And over time, Ray starts to feel the walls closing in, one observation at a time.

Major Clues

• The missing dress and gloves: One of Columbo’s earliest and most persistent lines of inquiry is about what Carol was wearing. Witnesses saw her in a very specific outfit at the airport. But when Columbo searches the apartment, that dress and those gloves are nowhere to be found. He keeps coming back to this point, clearly thinking it might be his best lead. Eventually, the items do turn up, and it looks like the case might fizzle out. But Columbo doesn’t let it go. The moment doesn’t derail the investigation; it just pushes him to start looking even harder for the next inconsistency.

• The overweight suitcase: On the surface, it seems like a small detail. Ray’s suitcase weighed more on the flight home than it did when he left. But to Columbo, it’s strange. Why would a bag be heavier after a trip? He doesn’t have the answer at first, but it’s one more thread to pull. Ray has a story, but the little things just don’t fit.

• Joan’s confession: Eventually, Columbo wears Joan down. She’s nervous from the beginning, and under Columbo’s careful psychological pressure, she finally breaks. She confesses that she dressed as Carol and helped Ray build the fake alibi. It’s the turning point in the case. Without her, Columbo probably never pins Ray down. With her confession, everything else suddenly makes sense.

Minor or Overlooked Clues

• The broken glass: Columbo figures out that Carol must have been killed before the balcony glass was broken. That matters, because if the break-in had happened first, there would have been glass on her or under her. But there isn’t. That means Ray staged the scene after the murder. It’s a quiet but devastating piece of logic that completely undermines his story.

• Ray’s behavior when he finds the body: Something else bugs Columbo. When Ray comes home and finds Carol dead, he’s oddly calm. He doesn’t call out for her. He doesn’t show shock or confusion. He just accepts it and calls the police. Most people would be panicked. Ray’s reaction makes it seem like he already knew she was dead. And that’s not the kind of thing you can explain away easily.

Overrated or Weak Clues

• Joan’s confession: Yes, it’s what cracks the case open. But let’s be honest, it’s not airtight. Joan is emotionally vulnerable, deeply attached to Ray, and clearly being manipulated. Columbo presses her hard, and while the confession is satisfying to watch, it might not hold up in court. A defense attorney would argue she was coerced or just confused. It plays well on screen, but in real life, it’s the kind of evidence that would be picked apart.

Evaluation of the Murder Plan

Ray’s plan is impressive, at least on the surface. He builds a fake alibi, gets an accomplice to impersonate his wife, and stages a break-in that would fool most investigators. He even adds an extra layer with the red herring about the missing dress and gloves, likely hoping that if those turn up, any suspicions will vanish. He also uses the Acapulco trip as a way to physically get rid of stolen items, making it nearly impossible to connect him to the crime.

It’s a solid idea, and for a while, it looks like it might work.

But like a lot of Columbo killers, Ray gets cocky. His plan depends on everyone believing what they see, not digging too deep, and certainly not asking too many questions. He counts on Joan keeping it together. And more than anything, he counts on Columbo not being the guy on the case.

Once Columbo shows up, Ray’s confidence becomes his downfall. He tries to analyze Columbo like a patient. He underestimates him, again and again, right up until the moment it all falls apart.

Scene Stealer: Best Supporting Character or Performance

Joan Hudson, played by Katherine Justice, is the emotional heart of the episode. She’s not just Ray’s mistress. She’s a full character with real conflict, and Justice plays her with a mix of nervous energy and quiet heartbreak. You can tell she wants to believe in Ray, but deep down she knows she’s been used. Her eventual confession doesn’t feel like a plot device; it feels like a collapse that’s been coming the whole time. She’s easily the most memorable character besides Columbo and Ray.

Columbo’s Performance

Peter Falk nails it right out of the gate. This is a slightly more polished version of Columbo than we’d see later, but everything that makes the character great is already in place. He plays the humble, slightly forgetful detective to perfection. But behind that polite exterior is someone who sees everything. He doesn’t shout. He doesn’t accuse. He just keeps showing up with one more question, and before you know it, the suspect is boxed in with nowhere left to go.

What’s especially great here is how Columbo leans into psychology. He doesn’t need forensic evidence or fingerprints. He just needs to get inside your head. And with a guy like Ray, that’s exactly the way in.

Courtroom Outcome Evaluation

Without Joan’s confession, Ray probably gets away with it. The plan is good enough to survive a basic investigation. But with her confession, combined with Columbo’s pile of inconsistencies it all starts to look pretty damning.

Of course, Joan’s mental state could be a sticking point. A smart lawyer might paint her as unstable, manipulated, or coerced. But if her story holds up under questioning, and if Columbo testifies the way we know he would, Ray’s chances aren’t looking great. He may have planned the perfect murder, but he forgot to plan for Columbo.

Final Thoughts

Prescription: Murder is a stylish, confident start to the Columbo universe. It’s got a slick villain, a smart mystery, and a detective who doesn’t play by the usual rules. It doesn’t rely on big twists or dramatic reveals. It just lets Columbo slowly, methodically chip away at a killer’s story until there’s nothing left. Not every clue would survive in a modern court, but the storytelling is so sharp that you don’t mind. It’s not just a good pilot; it’s a great episode, period.