#columbo pronounces robot 'robut'

[airyairyaucontraire]

"What's this world coming to? It's the second time in two days I've been treated like a kid!"

STEVEN SPELBERG BOY GENIUS YOU ARE BREAKING MY HEART

he says this as Columbo is leaving the room after asking him to babysit his dog while he investigates

Columbo's leaving and Steve (I shall use Steve when I'm not being hyperbolic as it's what he tells Columbo he prefers to be called) is desperately reaching out for even a minute's more interaction with a person who talked to him kindly and treated him like a kid as well as respecting his intelligence and admiring his robot, making a joke about being treated in an age-appropriate manner like that's wacky

the other time he was treated like a kid? was when Jose Ferrer arranged for him to go to a movie as part of creating his alibi for the murder of the week (to silence a colleague with integrity who planned to expose the plagiarism of his son, Charlie X from Star Trek)

he only got to go do a fun entertaining thing (see a frankly weird-sounding movie called "The Loves of Frankenstein") because a prospective murderer was orchestrating an alibi

what's more, it's a movie Steve thought he couldn't see, because it was R-rated so he needed a parent or guardian to accompany him

THERE IS NO ONE WHO CAN BE EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY BOY GENIUS STEVEN SPELBERG IF HE NEEDS A PARENT OR GUARDIAN

the parent or guardian provided for him? a mechanic from the cybernetics institute motor pool! they literally sent him to the movies with a random middle-aged man

WHO IS RAISING BOY GENIUS STEVEN SPELBERG

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF BOY GENIUS STEVEN SPELBERG

you can't just speedrun this shit with an all-night encounter group therapy marathon!