As is to be expected from this outstanding series, the production values, costuming, sets (especially the music hall), music, underlying humor, and acting are all top-notch. Suchet is the quintessential Poirot with, however, perhaps a more pronounced display of humor and wit than Poirot of the books. In this outing, an elderly and eccentric artist dies from an apparent accidental fall down the stairs. But Poirot, while having dinner with his dentist friend at Bishop's Chop House had seen Gascoigne on the night of his death. The waitress comments to Poirot and his friend how much Gascoigne has deviated from his previous schedule and dinner choices. When he later hears that Gascoigne died soon after that dinner, Poirot becomes convinced that Gascoigne was murdered. He also learns that Gascoigne's twin brother has also died. Although it doesn't distract from enjoying this episode, it is slightly flawed by having too few suspects and thus it is easy to figure out whodunit. This quibble is more than offset by the running and humorous side story of Hastings' enthusiasm for following a cricket match. Poirot refers to cricket as "Cricket, an English enigma. I don't know of any other game where even the players are uncertain of the rules." This episode is another winner.
Review of Four and Twenty Blackbirds
