Addressing the criticisms of "Strange Bedfellows"

Cheers’ Wendt makes for a memorable villain, Graham McVeigh, but the biggest flaw in McVeigh's scheme was to murder the mob bookie and frame him. Whilst this might get rid of his incompetent brother and pacify the police, it would certainly provoke the Mafia to come looking for him. What good is it to own a horse farm when you’re dead? And why would he assume the bookie would come to his abode alone (which he curiously does)? These are legitimate flaws, which cannot be explained.

The other two criticisms, however, can be:

Some people pan the episode on the grounds that Columbo has spoken Italian in a few previous segments (e.g. “Murder Under Glass”) and yet he claims to not know the language here, which is inconsistent. A likely explanation is that Columbo makes up a new backstory depending on the people and situation with which he’s dealing. In short, his immediate mission determines his backstory.

Another criticism is that it’s wrong for Columbo to temporarily align himself with organized crime and engage in entrapment. Yet this is indirectly addressed in the episode, although you might have to read between the lines a bit. Columbo KNOWS who the real murderer is; and apparently so does the Don (Rod Steiger). They both want justice and the Don grants Columbo the grace to acquire it legally, which he can’t do without proper evidence and a confession. So they team-up to get it one way or another. In other words, justice is Columbo’s prime objective, not being 100% legally correct.