Abstract
The epilogue offers a reflection on endings and resolutions. Columbo the detective himself was never keen on goodbyes, almost always managing to find some redeeming quality in a killer, even as he shuffled the Hollywood elite to their fate in the denouement of each episode. Thus, the episode’s endings are often not merely resolutions but also moments of quiet reflection. Part of the beauty of television as a narrative form and as an archival system is that it forever promises the possibility of the return of the familiar, whether through the design of digital platforms, time-shifting technologies, or the serendipity of cable syndication.