Agatha Christie : Poirot

The first case of the grey brain cells starring David Suchet offers a somewhat more sober performance with the main character, a Belgian with a characteristic moustache, whom many people take for a Frenchman and who can playfully crack even the most difficult case, but has a real problem with hammering an ordinary nail. Even though the crime in this story takes place almost out of sight, it still doesn't lack a certain amount of suspense and a good plot. In short, the beginning of a modern-day Poirot, which is followed by better pieces, but still a delight. (07/09/2016)

A truly convoluted case tailor-made for the grey brain cells, where we practically don’t know what we are up to until the end. I must commend the non-violently built tension, which during the mutual "flirtation" between suicide and murder managed to be maintained until the final minutes. (07/09/2016)

In terms of plot and perpetrator, it is a rather poorer and considerably more predictable Poirot case, who aptly described it as a farce that he was getting tired of. As a result, this is a mediocre whodunit that doesn't have a chance to build enough suspense when it is clear from about halfway through who is behind the "crime". (07/09/2016)

Like The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly, Four and Twenty Blackbirds is a rather mediocre whodunit in which the obvious identity of the perpetrator and, to some extent, the predictability of the plot is a stumbling block, especially due to the smaller cast of characters and the (possible SPOILER!) "badly done make-up" (end of possible SPOILER!). (07/09/2016)

The biggest problem with The Third Floor Flat is that the viewer has almost no chance to participate in the search for the perpetrator, as Poirot manages to uncover him within a few minutes and almost half of the running time consists of a chase between the police and the criminal on the run, which is unusual in this series, but I prefer cases that keep me in suspense until the final minutes. (07/09/2016)

For once, the mustachioed Belgian sets off for the remote island of Rhodes to the sounds of an oriental-tinged theme tune, with a love triangle playing the biggest role. I enjoyed the change of locations, the unconventional serving of action and the not-so-obvious identity and motive of the perpetrator, even if it was slightly pulled out of thin air. (08/09/2016)

After Triangle at Rhodes, the plot of Problem at Sea remains in exotic locales, and at times it evoked the atmosphere of Death on the Nile. This time Poirot is investigating the murder of a supremely nasty woman who could have been killed by anyone. I must commend the well-chosen setting, the building of atmosphere and the tension that was sustained from the crime to the final denouement, which took the form of a public presentation of Poirot's methods to the passengers. (08/09/2016)

The Incredibly Theft stands out from the Poirot cases in that there is no murder, and it is essentially a spy chase after a robber (spiced up with Nazis) rather than a detective story in the true sense of the word. And it's these "classic" whodunits with a murder, its subsequent solution and the discovery of the killer that I prefer. Thus, for me as a viewer, The Incredibly Theft stays in average waters, even if the ending is not exactly a bland affair. (08/09/2016)

Personally, I found the plot of The King of Clubs a bit too convoluted, and as far as the unraveling of the case is concerned, I was surprised by the final “crime-not crime” verdict (the initiated know what I'm talking about). In this case, the source material is mostly to blame, as the adaptation wasn't bad at all. I'm always really amused by how out of touch everyone except Poirot is, to the point where it sometimes too blatant. (08/09/2016)

The Dream is definitely the most accomplished, most playful and best-constructed case of the first series, benefiting especially from a well-thought-out plot, and it's really a shame that it's one of those 50-minute episodes, as this one could have carried a feature-length running time. In addition to that, I was amused by the typewriter storyline. (09/09/2016)

Peril at End House, as the first feature-length Poirot film starring David Suchet, particularly benefits from a supremely complex story in which the word plot takes on its true meaning, as it was a properly convoluted and intricate case during which the grey cells of the brain had to work at full steam to catch a very cunning perpetrator. For me personally, one of the best cases for the moustachioed Belgian. (09/09/2016)

The Veiled Lady is one of the most humane cases in which even a great detective tries his hand at being a "criminal", but in a positive sense. The result, then, is an imaginative game of disguises and role-playing that keeps the suspense (and humour) from beginning to end. It was amusing to see Poirot without his traditionally groomed moustache and still riding his bike, plus I liked the slightly tweaked musical theme. (09/09/2016)

The Lost Mine benefits from an exotic cast of Chinese mobsters and businessmen, and is also enriched by a funny line about playing Monopoly (Poirot vs. Hastings) and a humorously contrived chase (I was quite amused by the sort of "prehistoric" tracking system from the 1930s). It's definitely one of those less traditional stories about a mustachioed Belgian. (09/09/2016)

The Cornish Mystery offers a case full of suspicion, false accusations and digestion, but even that doesn't stop the grey brain cells from unraveling and unmasking the perpetrator. Again, one of those episodes in which Inspector Japp takes a severe beating from Poirot, but we could have gotten used to that by now. (10/09/2016)

The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim belongs to that group of cases that stand out for their playfulness with the viewer and their attention. It is also a very funny episode, mainly thanks to the bet between Japp and Poirot, who passes the time in his apartment by learning magic, in the company of a poisoned parrot. I also liked the use of flashbacks, which were spared in previous episodes. (10/09/2016)

In Double Sin, it is Captain Hastings who uncharacteristically takes up the investigation of the case, while Poirot pretends to be retired, for which he has his own (somewhat ulterior) reasons – but even so, the grey cells of his brain do not rest, as Miss Lemon, searching for her lost keys, could tell you. And it doesn't really matter that there's no murder in this episode, because a simple heist can be just as attractive and well-executed. (10/09/2016)

Compared to The Incredible Theft, which also had a gangster-spy feel, I was a bit more interested in The Adventure of the Cheap Flat. I liked Poirot's allusions to the American police and the fact that he wasn't afraid to act on his own. The icing on the cake was a nicely done sequence set in New York, referring to old spy films from the 1930s, and next to that the character of the wacky owner of the Black Cat club. (10/09/2016)

I honestly didn't enjoy The Kidnapped Prime Minister, especially because they were dabbling too much in politics and war, which I never really enjoyed. In this case, I'd even be grateful for some of murder that didn't get happen, as personally I just prefer my grey brain cells to agonize over a murder that's preceded by a compelling motive. (11/09/2016)

The Adventure of the Western Star is one of the more mediocre cases of the mustachioed Belgian. Personally, I find that most episodes that only involve stealing and escaping are qualitatively weaker than those that involve murder (my subjective opinion). A plus point would be the line with Poirot's chops and his fan obsession with a Belgian star, whom of course only he knows. (11/09/2016)