Thursday, March 29, 2018

THURSDAY'S THEORY OF RELATEEVEETY - THE MAYFIELD COUSINS




'Columbo'
"A Stitch In Crime" (1973)

Dr. Barry Mayfield

A surgeon has an ingenious plan for murdering his partner in a research project, but a nurse catches onto the scheme.

Dr. Barry Mayfield is a highly successful and respected surgeon, but his patience leaves a lot to be desired. Nurse Martin becomes suspicious about his tools in sewing up internal organs in his most recent 'successful' operation (namely, his sutures). The good doctor kills her before she spills the beans, but Mayfield doesn't count on Detective Columbo's investigative skills, which quickly uncover a trail of murderous events.

'Dynasty'
"The Trial" (1984) 



Judge Drew Mayfield


At Alexis' trial, a neighbor offers powerful evidence that incriminates Alexis. Along with Mark, she saw a woman on the terrace wearing a cape that has been positively identified as Alexis. Blake is called to testify and states that Alexis would indeed commit a violent act if sufficiently provoked. In a dramatic courtroom scene, Steven is called to the witness stand and he must tell what he knows or protect his mother.


"The Verdict" (1984) 
On the witness stand Steven testifies he saw Alexis push Mark to his death. Dismissing her attorneys and deciding to represent herself, Alexis takes the stand and testifies she was not wearing the cape that incriminated her.

Barry and Drew are first cousins; their fathers were brothers.  Barry was living in Los Angeles, but I think he was originally from Colorado, where Drew served on the bench in Denver's judicial system. 


As a lawyer, Drew was at an advantage for his career by taking the bar exams in his home state.  From there his career could rise, with his eye on the state's supreme court.  

On the other hand, Barry could practice medicine anywhere in the country.  With his eye on fame and fortune, he fixated on the City of Angels to be his base of power.


Justice Mayfield has retired from the bench in Colorado and is still alive.  On the other hand, Dr. Mayfield never made it out of prison.  Serving two concurrent life sentences, he finally died (probably of cancer) after three decades of incarceration.

O'BSERVATION:
It's bad enough to be saddled with the public knowledge that one of your cousins is a murderer.  But it turns out that Drew Mayfield has another cousin (on his mother's side of the family) who was a murderer as well.  And in a world where there is a Greek god of coincidence, it turns out that killer cousin was apprehended by the same police detective who arrested Dr. Mayfield.

I'll have more on that theory of relateeveety next Thursday....


BCnU!

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