Columbo is a liar

Columbo was different that other detectives in that he was very approachable and friendly rather than formal except when it was called for like when dealing with a friend or relative of the victim. He showed that you can be polite and civil even to a murderer, no matter if you sympathize with them or not. Politeness and being civil does not always equal befriending someone. There were some suspects that he was nice to but in the end he basically told them that he did not like them and what they did was horrible. They way he treated all people I think had the audience even more angry or disappointed with the killer because Columbo had been so nice and polite to them that they should have not kept lying to them.

Well in this alternate universe where a cop only goes after rich celebrities and never wears a gun or uniform yes. But even in our real world of crooked cops it's okay to lie to a suspect. The main issue is in every episode the suspect does everything they possibly can to get caught. If they didn't want to they'd remain silent and contact an attorney. Instead they keep talking until Columbo nails them!

Yeah he was a phoney. Gonna cry about it snowflake.

"Why was he always acting like he befriended his suspects?"

Because he hopes they'll slip up and reveal way more information than they would otherwise.

"So doesn't that make him a phoney?"

As far as we know, only in his interactions with murderers while on the job, which I don't really have a problem with. The only thing that kind of bothers me is that none of them ever see through him, he's so transparant.

You mentioned Sherlock Holmes, who constantly deceives people by dressing up and pretending to be someone else, to try and gain access to their home for example. He even lies to his best friend Watson!

There are many things to consider here.

First, Columbo as a human being, as a man, as a cop. Those are separate 'personalities', if you wish, and he is free to utilize any of them at any time, and change hats, if he wishes.

Second, compare the crime of lying against the crime of murdering. To lie a little to get a murderer off the streets is a small crime compared to murdering someone, and possibly doing it again. It's better for the society at large, other people, the world, and perhaps even the murderer himself that Columbo lies, when the end result is that there's one fewer murdering psychos loose in the world.

Third, behaviour is not lying. You are simplifying things greatly. He has a JOB to do as a cop, but he's not always talking to the suspects as a cop (even though he's on duty), but he expresses his humanity, and his 'man-ness' (I am sure this is not a word, but you try to come up with something fitting).

I think Columbo's gift is that he CAN be genuinely interested in the details of the story, almost to the point of obsession, so he CAN become actually good at some hobby or whatnot. He CAN become legitimately fascinated by how a movie projector works, or how some technology works, so he's not lying. He truly IS curious, and he does learn the skills and knowledge beyond normal police work (his knowledge of wines, for example) and so on.

Who is to say he doesn't enjoy all this more than he should? As long as he gets the crook behind bars, what harm is there in indulging in wine knowledge or classical music?

He's not 'befriending' anyone, and there are no false premises per se. The suspects all KNOW he is a cop and that he is working on the case, he's not hiding any facts. He even openly yells at the suspects if he feels like it. He wouldn't DO that, if he was 'lying', as you say, now would he? And if you think he would, why would he blow his cover by doing that?

If you are saying he has a temper, you are killing your own claim, by the way.

Part of Columbo's schtick is to make himself look a lot more bumbling than he actually is. Everything from the way he dresses in cheap suits and a dirty coat, and comes in with scruffy hair, or an unshaven chin is part of that persona. The villains often assume he's idiotic and they'll get one over on him easily. Though Columbo is smart, and could probably solve a lot of crimes through wit, your opponent underestimating you can definitely be a strong advantage.

I think in "befriending" them, this is part of it. He'll turn up, ask them a few asinine questions, then take an interest in what they're doing. That throws the person he is interrogating off, because they think the interrogation is over, or that Columbo isn't really paying attention. If Columbo was talking to an art collector, then spent ten minutes blabbing on about a painting on the wall, and how much his wife would like it, then turns round and *bam* asks them a killer question like he was something he almost forgot to ask, the criminal he's pursuing is often less likely to have some slick answer to throw him off the scent.

Also, though, I think there are some episodes where he truly respects the talent or work that the criminal does. Some episodes he even seems sad that he has to send them down. But murderers can't go free.