Marple (TV Series) The Blue Geranium (2010) User Reviews

So much sin in such a little village

[Coventry · 8/10 · 5 July 2021]

Of all the Agatha Christie's Marple TV-movies I've seen thus far, which are 17 out of a total of 23, my absolute favorite sequence of the entire series features in "The Blue Geranium". Detective Somerset interrogates Miss Marple as one of the eyewitnesses shortly after the discovery of a young man's corpse. Not knowing who she is, he expects to receive standard and simple answers, but Miss Marple astounds him with very accurate details and intelligent deductions. It's not a particularly spectacular or memorable scene, but it perfectly epitomizes the force of the almighty Agatha Christie's protagonist. Miss Marple is far more alert and much more intelligent than any snobbish Scotland Yard inspector, but she doesn't put herself in the spotlights.

"The Blue Geranium" is a sublime installment in the series, and features a different type of narrative structure, for once. The story opens in St. Mary Mead, Marple's homestead, where a banal event suddenly provides the missing clue for a murder mystery that occurred in the town of Little Ambrose, which she visited a few months earlier, and where an innocent person is about to be executed. Following the mysterious death of a rich but insupportable woman whilst locked inside her bedroom there are many suspects, but her unfaithful husband and gambling-addicted brother-in-law are the prime suspects. The downgraded Scotland Yard inspect Somerset (excellent role of Kevin McNally) doesn't take the investigation too serious, but Miss Marple sees the true nature of the seemingly good Christian villagers in Little Ambrose. It's a compelling whodunit with good twists, effective red herrings and a very intense climax. One of the best instalments in the series, and definitely my favorite (so far) starring Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple.

Seven Deadly Vices of Little Ambrose

[WeatherViolet · 8/10 · 27 June 2010]

When Miss Jane Marple (Julia McKenzie) pays a visit to the community of Little Ambrose, bodies begin to surface.

Along the route, Miss Marple converses with a solitaire fellow bus passenger, Eddie Seward (Jason Durr), who plans to meet his estranged wife.

Upon her arrival, Miss Marple meets Reverend Dermot (David Calder) and his niece Hester Malwood (Joanna Page) a domestic servant of Mary Pritchard, who is interested in Doctor Jonathan Frayn (Patrick Baladi), who treats Mary but is suspected of quackery and thievery.

At Summerly Manor, Mrs. Mary Pritchard (Sharon Small) has taken to her sick-bed, while husband, George Pritchard (Toby Stephens) tends to her needs.

Philippa Pritchard (Claudie Blakley), Mary's sister, had shared a hope of marriage with George, before Mary stole him away from her, and so she marries George's brother, Lewis Pritchard (Paul Rhys), a struggling author, who cannot manage the bills for the Lewis and Philippa Pritchard family and their three young children.

In addition to Hester, Mary Pritchard's household staff includes Hazel Instow (Caroline Catz) a maid and artist, who arrives in Little Ambrose from Alexandria, Egypt, and London, and also shares romantic notions with the handsome George, as also does Susan Carstairs (Rebekah Manning), a former nurse of Mary.

Mary's current nurse, Caroline Copling (Claire Rushbrook), assists with the medication prescribed by Dr. Jonathan Frayn, which is sometimes watered down as a placebo to address her psychosomatic illness.

But as many gather on the Little Ambrose golf course, the Pritchard children stumble across a body and report it to the group, which includes Miss Marple.

Inspector William Somerset (Kevin McNally) investigates, and at times, becomes short of patience around the meddling Miss Marple, whereas Sir Henry Clithering (Donald Sinden) listens to her every word, for he has never known her to be incorrect.

Zelrita the fortune teller arrives at Summerly Manor to predict the event of a floral wall mural a sign of death should its geranium turn blue (hence the title).

When a second body is discovered that night, the authorities attempt to link the suspicious deaths as homicides initiated by the same perpetrator.

But the next day, Hester and Jonathan stumble across a third body, the victim of a strangulation by a necktie, with evidence that the victim has been posing as Zerita.

While Reverend Dermot delivers his sermon, a vicious confrontation erupts at the church, with worshipers charging one another with allegations of murder.

Six months later, Miss Marple reads the headlines that a suspect who has confessed to three murders is about to be sentenced to execution, when she suddenly realizes that someone else has done it.

When Inspector William Somerset won't take Miss Marple's call because he's heading into the courtroom, Sir Henry Clithering does listen to Miss Marple's recount of events and her clever deduction.

So, will Miss Marple be able to grant an audience with Lord Justice Carmichael (Hugh Ross) in the courtroom before "justice" is delivered?

The cast is rounded out by Richard Betts as Clerk of the Court, Ian East as John the Gardener, Derek Hutchinson as Concierge, and Pete Noakes as Party Guest.

A fun mystery

[ldsinks-83061 · 8/10 · 18 August 2018]

Enjoyed this mystery. Good,clean, fun. Loved seeing these actors in this story. Worth the watch

Brilliant, a first-rate adaptation of a great short story

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 30 December 2010]

The Marple series has its ups and downs, whereas there have been some clunkers such as At Bertram's Hotel, there have also been some nice surprises such as this, The Blue Geranium. The short story is a great one, very cleverly written with interesting characters and a final solution that would shock and surprise you. This adaptation was just brilliant, it stuck to the story's tone, the story was still clever and interesting and the characters were still wonderful.

First off, I loved the adaptation's tone. I loved the idea that Miss Marple finds she's wrong, I loved the baffling and clever idea of the pink geranium on the wall turning to blue and while there were some entertaining and touching moments- the scene on the bus is beautifully staged- I loved even better the sinister and heart-racing ones too(something that I feel were missing in some of the previous adaptations) especially the beginning which was very atmospheric.

Also, this is faithful to the story, not completely 100% but it actually feels like Agatha Christie. Just for the record, I don't rate harshly on an adaptations when they change any details, but when it goes off the boil with the spirit I am not quite so kind. No fear of that really though, because this adaptation not only works as an adaptation but also on its own terms too.

Those who haven't read the story may find the puzzle of the geranium baffling initially. But I liked that, I liked it that this puzzle made you think deep properly without worrying about a changed detail, an odd camera angle or a stilted line from the script. The final solution is like the story, very clever. In the adaptation, it does get explained very quickly with each explanation going like bang, bang, bang, but what I liked about the writers doing it that way is that while it was quick there was something quite tense about that scene, and I can't quite put my finger on what made it so tense.

On its own terms, the adaptation works marvellously. It goes briskly, yet all is explained very well, the script is first-rate, actually the script was quite possibly the best it's been in a while now, and the direction is adept. The production values are superb, with the photography skillful and the scenery and costumes charming. The music is both haunting and beautiful. The cast is typically strong- Julia McKenzie once again is a splendid Miss Marple and out of the strong supporting cast Sharon Small really stood out in a chilling, fearless yet also touching performance as Mary, and Toby Stephens was brilliant as George.

All in all, a wonderful adaptation that worked amazingly well even on its own terms. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Beware the sting of the Wasp.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 6 October 2015]

Stewart Harcourt strikes again, he's proved to be a very successful writer when it comes to Doctor Who. The Blue Geranium is a very good short story, what a brilliant screenplay to get a full length adaptation out of it, particularly one which is first rate.

Miss Marple turns up at Little Ambrose to visit her friend and local Reverend Dermot. There is unease for the wife of local wealthy benefactor George Pritchard, his wife Mary is bed ridden and lives in fear of her life. Mary has become infatuated with her own health, imagining illnesses, attended to by a nurse, she seeks assurances from a mysterious fortune teller known as Zarida, who prophecises doom associated by seeing blue flowers, accidents when she sees blue hollyhocks, and death when she sees a blue geranium. Tragedy strikes as Mary is found dead, and a geranium on the wallpaper is witnessed turning blue.

Beautifully acted, there are so many good performances, McKenzie herself, Sharon Small, Toby Stephens, but Claire Rushbrook is absolutely brilliant, in recent years she's proved to be able to turn her hand to anything, she is excellent. I have to mention also the brief performance from Jason Durr as Eddie Seward, excellent.

I think it's one of the standout episodes from the entire Marple series, all the elements work so well. It really is first rate, beautifully produced, it passes by too quickly. 10/10 brilliant.

Almost excellent

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 25 December 2013]

One of the better episodes of the "Marple" series, "The Blue Geranium" is well-made, beautifully photographed and scored, very well-acted by a large ensemble cast (who make their characters feel like real people), and overall compulsively watchable. The story contains a lot of little mysteries, and one big mystery that's truly baffling but gets an ingenious solution which makes especially good use of Agatha Christie's expertise on chemistry and pharmacology. However, and this may be my only notable reservation about this episode, the courtroom climax is just a bit too rushed, as Miss Marple (the excellent Julia McKenzie) wraps up the entire (complicated) case in under 8 minutes. On the whole, Season 5 (which also includes "The Secret Of Chimneys", "The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side" and "The Pale Horse") is possibly the finest of this series so far. *** out of 4.

An excellent expansion of an ingenious short story.

[shanty_sleuth · 10/10 · 27 June 2010]

THE BLUE GERANIUM is based on a short story from THE THIRTEEN PROBLEMS, a collection of short stories told by several characters in the Miss Marple canon. It is also the first Miss Marple short story ever to be adapted to screen, and I am very pleased to say that it was adapted successfully.

The story begins with a prelude of the murder of universally-hated Mary Pritchard (Sharon Small), wife to philandering George Pritchard (Toby Stephens) who was first engaged to Mary's sister Philippa (Claudie Blakley) before Mary swept him off his feet. Now George finds comfort in other women - a former nurse named Susan Carstairs (Rebekah Manning) for instance, as well as the talented artist Hazel Instow (Caroline Catz) as Mary slowly became an agoraphobic, superstitious, and insufferable blight on the quaint country village of Little Ambrose. Even the kindly Rev. Dermot Milewater (David Calder) harboured a dislike for her - especially after she embarrassed him in public and refused to fund repairs to the crumbling town church. Indeed, everyone disliked Mrs Pritchard, including Lewis Pritchard (Paul Rhys), George's novelist brother and Philippa's husband whose penchant for gambling caused him to go into debt and put his family in near poverty. Dr Jonathan Frayn (Patrick Baladi) comforted Mary with placebos, but secretly loathed her and was trying to find a way to ask the reverend's cheerful niece and the Pritchards' housekeeper Hester (Joanna Page) to marry him. Even Mary's live-in nurse, Caroline Copling (Claire Rushbrook), seemed to resent her employer as she endured Mary's endless tirades, tantrums, and strings of abuse. When a mysterious fortune-teller named Zarida arrives to warn Mary of blue flowers, such as hollyhocks and geraniums, Mary's superstitious nature becomes inflamed until she is in a state of hysteria - a state compounded when she witnesses the pink hollyhocks in her wallpaper slowly turn blue one evening. Soon after, she dies - apparently having been frightened to death after a geranium on her wall turned blue.

Now, in the present day, two other people have died other than Mary - including the mysterious Eddie Seward (Jason Durr) whose body was found by the river on the very day he arrived in Little Ambrose, along with Miss Marple (on a visit to her friend, Rev. Milewater). Seward had connections with the Pritchards - he even had a missing wife - but could his death have been anything other than murder? Miss Marple seems to think so, much to the annoyance of Detective Somerset (Kevin R. McNally). After all of these deaths have occurred, Miss Marple watches as her gardener John (Ian East) prepares a mixture of potassium cyanide and water to kill an infestation of wasps. Suddenly, she realizes who the murderer is and how the murders have been committed. But George Pritchard has admitted to committing the murders, and now she must call upon her old friend Sir Henry Clithering (Donald Sinden) to save him from the gallows so that the true culprit does not escape justice.

This story was adapted by Stewart Harcourt and directed by Dave Moore. The costumes and scenery are as lovely as ever, and Julia McKenzie continues to deliver top-notch performances as the cunning spinster sleuth Miss Jane Marple. Harcourt has taken a very short story with minimal plot and turned it into a fantastic full-length story that could easily pass off as an actual Christie novel. No one has any valid argument in saying that this is an "unfaithful" mockery of Christie's story - it's as faithful as it can be! Everything from the original story is here, but it is expanded so that it can be a regular adaptation in this series. The only change I was able to notice was that of the killer's motive - but it's understandable, as this plot would not have served the original motive at all (which was actually love, not greed). This is a particularly great short story, and the solution seems so simple that any well-educated viewer would certainly feel stupid for not guessing at it earlier. I was amazed at how this adaptation was able to hold my interest, because about 90% is original material not culled from Christie. I must say 'bravo' to Mr Harcourt for such a fantastic adaptation all-around. Everything, from the acting to the script to the costumes, was superb. It really does pay to adapt these Miss Marple short stories rather than shoving her in foreign novels, because not only are you adapting Christie's material faithfully, but you can also add your creative touches and flourishes for wonderful evening entertainment without feeling guilty. And the purists would have nothing to complain about! A win-win situation, I'd say.

This is turning out to be the strongest season of the series yet, and I have yet to see THE PALE HORSE (alas, I probably won't see it for some time yet). To conclude this rather lengthy review: I firmly believe that THE BLUE GERANIUM will remain as a standout of this series when it ends because of the superb production values and first-rate script. I will watch it a few more times to see if I still enjoy it as much as I did the first time, but if one viewing allows me to enjoy it so much, multiple viewings will bring about more of the same sentiment.

Miss Marple saves Captain Flint

[grantss · 7/10 · 20 July 2016]

Miss Marple is visiting a friend in the village of Little Ambrose. On the bus there she meets a young man, Eddie Seward, and finds him intelligent and sensitive company. However, a few days later, Eddie Seward is found dead on the banks of the river near the golf club, and it looks like murder. A short time after that, the most disliked woman in the village, Mary Pritchard, is found dead, poisoned. There are several suspects but her husband, George, eventually confesses to the crime. He is due to be sentenced when Miss Marple realises that he isn't the murderer and races to prevent him from being found guilty.

Reasonably intriguing. The usual blandness from Miss Marple but the murder is a good mystery, with some good twists and red herrings. Some good sub-plots too.

Supporting cast includes Tony Stephens.

Harcourt is the best!!!!

[igorlongo · 10/10 · 12 July 2010]

A frightfully good adaptation of a Marple short story,uncannily creepy and faithful to the source,despite the very huge padding.Harcourt is becoming the better writer of the series,and his match of wits with Kevin Elyot is more interesting than a football cup. Personally,I consider this Geranium and A Murder is Announced the two better episodes of the whole series,but Geranium is a more successful task,and a more difficult one,because it was based on a very short tale,a very surprising and pleasant one,but with a very stark material for a quite longish TV movie.It's the first time that the padding of a short story has not destroyed completely the original tale:even TR Bowen failed with the absolutely abominable Bachelor in the Jeremy Brett series.Certainly ITV is winning the best laurels with creeper,darker and psychological stories.They simply don't have the lighter,funnier string.But when they are dark and grim and spooky they are really great (and it's very promising for Pale Horse,pity it's not an Harcourt or an Elyot!). The actors were simply perfect. Julia McKenzie is now perfectly confident in Marple's sensible shoes:if they give to her a good script,like this one or Mirror Crack'd or They Do It With Mirrors she's a real stunner.The fault in past episodes was not hers,and we must put the blame absolutely on the unfortunate, unpleasant and unfaithful plots. Sharon Small is pathetic but never ludicrous in her role of a neurotic ,bedridden woman.Toby Stephens is very possibly now the best English leading actor,and he would have been perfect in an Hitchcock movie.Claudie Blakley shines in her role of Phillipa,the overanxious sister of the deceased,Ms.Rushbrook is a very good Christiean nurse ,and she could have been tending Laura Welman in Sad Cypress.Jason Durr is a wondrous loony in the Edgar Lawson's vein.David Calder and Donald Sinden,two old battle-horses are winning their battle for the umpteenth time.And the village,with its eerie Seven Sins fresco is a malignant marvel of murderous merriment.This episode and the two Mirrors are the perfect models for a perfect Marple episode.This is the correct garden path for a long and highly pleasant series.

Memorable but a bit unappealing

[Wistfull · 6/10 · 2 April 2022]

Not bad, classic Marple. Not my favourite actress in the titular role though!

There were so many different details and mysteries in this one that some of them felt like afterthoughts. The biggest problem, though, might be that there are no likable characters to root for.

The Blue Geranium

[coltras35 · 8/10 · 8 August 2023]

Miss Marple comes forward with new information that could save an innocent man from the gallows, but as nobody will listen to her, she must rely on her old friend Sir Henry Clithering, who was the commissioner of Scotland Yard some years ago. The information concerns the 'blue geranium' murder case that happened six months ago whilst Jane was visiting friends in the picturesque village of Little Ambrose. But will her evidence save George Pritchard in time?

Julie Mackenzie as Miss Marple heads a good cast in this solid mystery that starts out slow and culminates in to something compelling. It's quite intricately plotted, keeping one guessing till the last reel.

Much better version of Miss Marple

[pwme · 7/10 · 4 August 2017]

This actress is a very good actress and this story line was well done. It didn't feel so contrived and idiotic as the previous remakes had done.

It had a good flow and involved very good development and twists to the story line. It's not so bad also when really awful people are the ones that die. That's always a bonus.