poirot, series 4

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 4 on Blogcritics.

Acorn Media has released another excellent Blu-ray featuring David Suchet as Agatha Christie's most famous creation, Hercule Poirot. Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 4 include three feature-length cases, in their original (1992) U.K. broadcast order.

Alexander Bonaparte Cust (Donald Sumpter) meets Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) in "The ABC Murders"

Disc 1

"The ABC Murders"—In one of Christie's most ingenious mystery plots, Poirot must find a mad mass murderer who goes by the moniker ABC. Like Jack the Ripper, the killer enjoys playing a cat-and-mouse game with the famed detective, sending him taunting letters and leading him on a chase across England, daring him to prevent the next murder in his alphabetical scheme. Poirot's faithful sidekicks Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) and Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) join Poirot on his quest to stop the killings. Guest stars include Donald Sumpter and Donald Douglas.

"Death in the Clouds"—Murder can occur anywhere; in this case on board an airplane. A known blackmailer, Madame Giselle (Eve Pearce) has been found dead on the flight from Paris to London. Unfortunately for the murderer, Hercule Poirot also happens to be a passenger on the trans-Atlantic flight. Although totally absurd, Japp must include Poirot as one of the suspects! In a nice twist on Christie's typical drawing-room mystery, Poirot must sort through the small group of suspects and a series of clues, including a dead wasp, a box of matches, and a poisoned dart to find his killer. Stewardess Jane Grey (Sarah Woodward) assists Poirot on the case.

Jane Grey (Sarah Woodward) and Poirot outside the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris in "Death in the Clouds"

Disc 2

"One, Two, Buckle My Shoe"—Poirot, like many, hates going to the dentist. But what he hates even more is his dentist, Dr. Morley, being murdered. Although he doesn't really suspect him, Japp cannot believe that Poirot has once again found himself in the middle of a brutal murder. As Poirot investigates his dentist's death the clues lead to mistaken identity, bigamy, and unexpected political intrigue. Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston guest stars.

The three mysteries on two discs have a total running time of approximately 306 minutes. The images are crisp and clear, with a screen resolution of 1080p and an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. They look especially good on a large-screen HD television screen, where even the weave of the costumes' sumptuous fabrics can be detected. The PCM 2.0 sound quality is also good, with clear dialogue, music, and and background sounds. English SDH subtitles are available.

Poirot takes a trip to the dentist in "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe"

The three episodes highlight Suchet's iconic interpretation of Poirot. His secretary Miss Lemon is absent from these stories and Captain Hastings is only on hand for "The ABC Murders," which gives Philip Jackson more screen-time as Japp. As grisly as some of the murders can be, there is also an opportunity for humor, especially in Poirot's reaction to a gift that Captain Hastings has brought him from South America—a large, hideous, stuffed alligator.

The look of the series, as always, is impeccable, with lavish Art Deco sets and costumes. But Poirot must frequently leave his well-appointed apartment and go out of his element in order to solve some of the crimes - attending a tennis match ("Death in the Clouds") and even a horse race ("The ABC Murders").

Suchet will be filming five Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries this fall, completing a definitive interpretation of a beloved fictional character. "Curtain," "The Labours of Hercules," "Dead Man’s Folly," "The Big Four" and "Elephants Can Remember" will round out his portrayal of the world's fussiest, and most brilliant detective. Suchet has been playing Poirot for 22 years, and although it is always sad to see such a brilliant series come to an end, it is wonderful to know that through Blu-rays such as these, Suchet and Co.'s brilliant adaptation of Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth can be enjoyed again and again.

Related articles

• Blu-ray Review: Agatha Christie's Poirot - Series 1 (blogcritics.org)

i am hercule poirot ...

Article first published as I Am Hercule Poirot ... on Blogcritics.



... Or Miss Marple or Sherlock Holmes or Columbo or Ellery Queen. Fill in the blank with your favorite detective.

On a recent weekend excursion my mom knew that we would be near a place that was important to her and she wanted to hit it on the way back. She wrote the name of the town on a piece of paper and showed it to me. I asked her if she would be able to find the specific place in town. She said, "I hope so."

My mom has dementia and communication is always a challenge. She still at this point knows what is it she wants to say, but she can no longer always get the words to say it. It's beyond frustrating for her, as well as for me, who wants to help, but is not always aware of the context. It's like trying to do a crossword puzzle in a language you are only slightly familiar with. But I like puzzles, so I was happy to give it a shot. Maybe all those years of reading Agatha Christies, John D. McDonalds and Lawrence Blocks would finally pay off as I attempt to unravel this latest mystery.

In the 90s she was a very active member in her local historical society and was instrumental in helping preserve many local buildings and sites and having historical markers erected. She had talked every once in a while about wanting to go visit one of her "things," so I was pretty sure that was what we would be on the lookout for.

So as we were driving back home, I tried my best to find where I think it was that she wanted to go. I remembered on a previous trip about a month ago when we were driving through a quaint shopping district that she had wanted to stop. But as we circled around, looking for parking, it was clear that would be impossible. It was getting late, so I had promised that next time we were in the area we'd come back. I was sure she was referring to this trip and one of her markers. The only problem was that I am still unfamiliar with the area, as my daughter and I just moved here last summer, so I would have to figure out how to find not only the marker, but the street in the shopping district, as my mom wouldn't be able to direct me. But we both love an adventure.

Luckily Florida is mostly a rectangle, so if you drive in one direction long enough you will either be driving towards or away from water, and I knew this was on the ocean side. I got us to the town in question, but at a major intersection I could go north or south. I decided to bet on north, and luckily, after about ten or twelve intersections I was rewarded. Both my mom and my daughter in the back seat started to say that things looked familiar. At the next traffic light we all were sure. I found a parking spot after driving a few blocks and we got out and started to check out the shops. It's a great place for window shopping. There was a puppy store, plenty of nice restaurants, a cool-looking art supply store. We got to a corner and I was ready to cross the street when my mom said, "Well, that's that." "That's what?" "That was it." It was the art supply store, which was closed on Sunday. I was floored, because this wasn't what I was expecting, but I quickly shifted gears and we turned around and picked one of the restaurants for a late lunch.

After lunch we checked out the puppy store, which was open, and I escaped without an overpriced tiny dog, but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out against the combined puppy love exhibited by my mom and daughter. We got in the car and I headed for home. I was feeling pretty happy with how things worked out. The store wasn't open, but we managed to find it and now we could go back when it was. I know the location and a way to make my mom happy.

As I drove out of the shopping district I heard from the back seat, "Oh!" "What?" "I thought you were going to stop." "Where?" At one of those things that I did." Wait a minute ... "You mean a historical marker?" "Yes." I was floored. Again. Had I been right all along? Was that her original objective? Or were there two? Is this just proof that as "right" as I may get what she is trying to say, I will always miss something? But I just smiled and enjoyed  the irony. After all, we'll be going back.