Overall I would rate Poirot 10/10 for a fantastic series! However... Cards on the Table... oh dear! A brilliant book and I was looking forward to watching the Suchet/Granada adaptation. After having watched it tonight I must say they have completely ballsed up! It starts off so well, setting the scene in a similar manner to the book. But as they reach the ending, they completely abandon the plot, and make up something completely different and nonsensical. Anne Meredith, is not a mentally disturbed individual who murdered her previous employer and then tries to kill her "best friend" Rhoda, but instead they give this role to Rhoda herself. With the consequence that Major Despard runs off with the wrong woman at the end! For some reason it is decided that Anne should also be the daughter of Mrs. Lorrimer. They then miss out one of the best bits when Dr Roberts kills Mrs Lorrimer, and is cleverly tricked by Poirot into confessing. Dr Roberts himself is supposed to have had an affair with Mrs Craddock, who he killed after killing her husband, NOT after having an affair with the husband! I not sure where they got the subplot where Superintendent Jim Wheeler (or SI Battle in the book) becomes the subject of suspicion, they could have used this time to put some of the real plot in. I am not someone who demands completely faithful reproductions of books onto the screen, so long as the spirit of the original is maintained. Bit this is just ridiculous! I would recommend Poirot fans go and read the book, or listen to the excellent audiobook with Hugh "Hastings" Fraser, to see how much better the plot is.
Review of Cards on the Table
