Third Girl (18 Jul. 2010)
"Agatha Christie's Poirot" Third Girl (original title)

After a seemingly neurotic young heiress tells Ariadne Oliver and Poirot that she thinks she may have killed someone, her ex-nanny is found with her wrists slashed.

Director:

Dan Reed

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Peter Flannery (screenplay)

Stars:

David Suchet, David Yelland, Jemima Rooper

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
David Yelland	...	George
Jemima Rooper	...	Norma Restarick
Zoë Wanamaker	...	Ariadne Oliver
Clemency Burton-Hill	...	Claudia Reece-Holland
Matilda Sturridge	...	Frances Cary
Tom Mison	...	David Baker
John Warnaby	...	Inspector Nelson
Caroline O'Neill	...	Nanny Lavinia Seagram (as Caroline O'Neil)
James Wilby	...	Andrew Restarick
Peter Bowles	...	Sir Roderick Horsfield
Lucy Liemann	...	Sonia
Tim Stern	...	Alf Renny
Simon Hill	...	Bus Ticket Inspector
Tessa Bell-Briggs	...	Daphne the Waitress

Storyline

Poirot is visited by a distraught girl, Norma Restarick, who fears she may have killed someone but runs away, telling him that he's too old rather than explaining further. By coincidence, Poirot's friend Ariadne Oliver lives in the same apartment block as Norma and her two roommates and recently went to their party, where Norma was distressed when she was offered ice cream. Norma's ex-nanny, Miss Lavinia Seagram, an alcoholic, also lived in the block but was recently found dead, with the verdict being suicide. Ariadne is unconvinced and searches the nanny's apartment, finding a clue which she puts in her handbag. Soon afterward she is attacked and the bag and its contents are stolen. Poirot visits the Restarick family home in the country, owned by Norma's great-uncle, Sir Roderick, an elderly and half-blind man who is dependent upon Sonia, his young personal assistant (who may well be a gold-digger). Andrew Restarick, Norma's father, explains to Poirot that he spent much of Norma's ...

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Plot Keywords:

nanny | suicide | alcoholic | uncle | slashed wrist | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 July 2010 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Wrotham Park, Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

ITV Productions, WGBH, Agatha Christie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 93 min (11 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Look closely and you'll see a painting in the artist's studio that was used fifteen years earlier in the episode, "Dead Man's Mirror."

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Quotes

Hercule Poirot: The fact that I discovered nothing means there is a great deal being concealed.

User Reviews

An above decent adaptation of a decent book

I have made no secret of loving Agatha Christie whether it is her books or this series. Agatha Christie:Poirot is such a classy, well made and adeptly acted series, it is something that I never miss an episode of and there are even some episodes that I watch more than once for many reasons whether it is the production values, the music, a scene that moved me deeply or the acting. Five Little Pigs is a good example of pretty much all those things.

Back on target, the book Third Girl is not what I consider among The Queen of Crime's best. It is entertaining and it is a good read, but it is not something I deem as a masterpiece of literature like I would with say The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The adaptation itself is above decent, I for one don't think it a problem if it deviated as a lot of scenes like the trailing of the suspects were very entertaining. Though the last 20 minutes are a little bloated in an attempt to cram a lot of twists and turns and some of the secondary characters aren't as well fleshed out as they could have been. But it is sumptuously filmed with beautiful photography, exquisite costumes and well chosen locations. The music is good too, as are the script and direction. And I was impressed with the acting too. Jemima Rooper does a good job as Norma I loved how comic the opening scene was, but it is the performances of David Suchet and Zoe Wannamaker I enjoyed most, Suchet is outstanding of course but Wannamaker is absolutely brilliant as Ariadne Oliver, quite simply a breath of fresh air.

Overall, an above decent adaptation(even with the flaws) of a decent book. 8/10 Bethany Cox