Could Columbo figure out that Bruce Wayne is Batman?

[Sacrilicious]

It's the classic "rock and a hard place" crossover scenario: neither can fail without disappointing half your audience.

The only solution is a draw that lets them both save face. Plus it allow for at least 3 more sequels to really milk it.

So sayeth the shareholders.

 

[Duane]

Of course he would. Columbo is inevitable and he's always right.

Well, except in The Great Muppet Caper


View: https://youtu.be/x-kuMLYI9bY?si=XBlsdB7cZH2ntLbc

 

[Kasai]

I feel like Harry would know something is off about Bruce, but I feel like he wouldn't get it in time. He could figure it out, but his Shivers would only guess of the darkness in Bruce and I feel Esprit de Corps would push in the wrong direction.

 

[Godfather]

I really need to watch more Columbo

 

[CampFreddie]

Harry duBois would spend a week looking for an actual bat that solves crimes, then after internalising the philospophy of philanthropic-fasco-stoic-underground-playboy-capitalism he would accidentally discover the fireman's pole entrance to the batcave when his inland empire asks where a batman would hide his really good booze, or his esprit de corps asks where the world's greatest detective would hide his really good booze. Or shivers would just tell him batman's entire origin story.

Colombo would know within seconds of meeting Bruce, then engineer a series of chance meetings where he talks about his wife's love of red-breasted garden birds, the use of spandex and how only a lonely child would be scared of bats.

 

[AaronD]

It would be obvious to a normal person. Muscle scared playboy plays bat cop in his personal time. The fact that his act of being an egotistical prick makes it more obvious not less looking at it from the outside. I would have to read batman's mind know he is a serious crime fighter. From the outside batman seems like a egotistical prick.

 

[Dega]

Absolutely.

He knows all.

 

[SilentMike03]

This thread got me watching Columbo. Forgot the episodes were so long.

 

[Paroni]

What about Scotland Yard's finest, Brent Halligan?

 

[Mr. Poolman]

I really need to watch more Columbo

Click to shrink...

Indeed.
He is this bumbling lovable genius, you root for a character with a 100% success rate because his methods are so good.

 

[Burly]

Adrian Monk could tell by the way Bruce Wayne stands that he has a supressed fear of bats and would put 2 and 2 together.

 

[FFNB]

Columbo would definitely figure it out, within moments.

Whether or not he'd do anything with that information is doubtful.

He'd totally let Bruce know that he knows before heading off, though lol.

Additionally, I also think Bruce would very much suss out Columbo's "bumbling, not so clever detective" schtick pretty early too.

I don't think their relationship would be adversarial, just this acknowledgement that both are on to the other, but as long as they get the bad guy, it's all good between them. I don't think either would step on the other's toes, but they'd absolutely know who the other is immediately upon meeting

 

[Zan]

Probably even Zenigata could figure it out. But Batman ain't Lupin, so he'd not give AF.

 

[Loxley]

"Oh...one more thing Mr. Batman...I couldn't help but notice that you and billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne never seem to be in the same place at the same time. It's probably just a coincidence though, right? Yeah. One of those coincidences. Anyway, I'll get outta your hair. Have a good night sir."