The return of Poirot for a seventh season saw him come out of retirement and make reference to ghosts of his past; fortunately in this episode it seems he has made peace with all of that because he is not only back in the saddle, but back in the old apartment and with Miss Lemon back too – and Hastings on the way back to London following a misjudged investment in a railway. Even Japp pops in to say hello, although, as he observes, it is odd to all meet without a body being involved. Unrelated, Poirot gets asked by a woman to approach her husband (Lord Edgware) to ask for a divorce, although it seems no great task as it turns out he is all too happy to grant one. Reporting the news to Lady Edgware, Poirot finds himself involved much more when Lord Edgware is murdered and all witnesses claim that Lady Edgware was the killer – even though she has an alibi. Never one to turn down a lady, Poirot takes the case only to find no end of those with motive.
Following the so-so return in the previous episode, it was not only great fun to see Hastings, Japp and Miss Lemon all back, but also to find an enjoyable mystery with plenty occurring, some good humor, and a nice darkness to it as well. The layout of the clues makes it possible to think along with Poirot for many of the suspects – although I confess that it was my partner that spotted the clue that provided the "why" to the whole mystery. Although busy, I found the many characters to be reasonably easy to follow along but without losing sight of the main thread. I liked that the delivery also played with my memory of previous mysteries where Poirot had developed a sweet spot for his clients, even at one point letting one walk, because we are invited to imagine this is happening with Lady Edgware too – a good red herring. The mystery lays out at a good pace for the characters and also for the viewer, and the final denouncement is most satisfying – particularly when compared to the previous episode.
I did have one complaint about the delivery – although I am not sure if it is my fault for assuming the conventions apply in all situations, or if it was the episode's fault for defying the norm. At one point we hear from a witness that she saw Lady Edgware, and yet we see that she had a restricted view (as do we) so it leaves at least the doubt, even though we are 100% told that it was her. However, the key scene is the dinner party, where an impersonator goes instead – but yet in this scene as described, we see clearly that it is Lady Edgware (as played by Helen Grace). This is a bit cruel on the viewer because it does provide us with her alibi in a way we cannot question. Again, maybe my fault for taking it at its word, but still I would have liked some of the candle-lit doubt that we are told existed in reality.
The sets and costumes are as good as ever, with a great sense of period. The use of art deco buildings is good – and nice to see Shoreham airport have reason to be used again. Watching the films so closely together is strange because one does recognize some of the location reused for other things, but still it works. The cast are all good as ever, and I am a great fan of the comedy element that Fraser and Jackson bring into events. The supporting cast are good, but Grace is probably the best in retrospect as her character is manipulative and ultimately deadly.
A very enjoyable entry in the series, with only my personal quibble. Although I suspect I will watch the next film sooner rather than later, I do note that it was over a year before Poirot returned to ITV again; I hope that the next film can keep the standards set by this one.
Following the so-so return in the previous episode, it was not only great fun to see Hastings, Japp and Miss Lemon all back, but also to find an enjoyable mystery with plenty occurring, some good humor, and a nice darkness to it as well. The layout of the clues makes it possible to think along with Poirot for many of the suspects – although I confess that it was my partner that spotted the clue that provided the "why" to the whole mystery. Although busy, I found the many characters to be reasonably easy to follow along but without losing sight of the main thread. I liked that the delivery also played with my memory of previous mysteries where Poirot had developed a sweet spot for his clients, even at one point letting one walk, because we are invited to imagine this is happening with Lady Edgware too – a good red herring. The mystery lays out at a good pace for the characters and also for the viewer, and the final denouncement is most satisfying – particularly when compared to the previous episode.
I did have one complaint about the delivery – although I am not sure if it is my fault for assuming the conventions apply in all situations, or if it was the episode's fault for defying the norm. At one point we hear from a witness that she saw Lady Edgware, and yet we see that she had a restricted view (as do we) so it leaves at least the doubt, even though we are 100% told that it was her. However, the key scene is the dinner party, where an impersonator goes instead – but yet in this scene as described, we see clearly that it is Lady Edgware (as played by Helen Grace). This is a bit cruel on the viewer because it does provide us with her alibi in a way we cannot question. Again, maybe my fault for taking it at its word, but still I would have liked some of the candle-lit doubt that we are told existed in reality.
The sets and costumes are as good as ever, with a great sense of period. The use of art deco buildings is good – and nice to see Shoreham airport have reason to be used again. Watching the films so closely together is strange because one does recognize some of the location reused for other things, but still it works. The cast are all good as ever, and I am a great fan of the comedy element that Fraser and Jackson bring into events. The supporting cast are good, but Grace is probably the best in retrospect as her character is manipulative and ultimately deadly.
A very enjoyable entry in the series, with only my personal quibble. Although I suspect I will watch the next film sooner rather than later, I do note that it was over a year before Poirot returned to ITV again; I hope that the next film can keep the standards set by this one.