History YMMV / Curtain

** Quite a bittersweet one, but [[spoiler: that's because Norton almost made a murderer of Hastings that [[PapaWolf Poirot]] decides to destroy X. He loves so much his dear friend he couldn't let live the man who almost ruined his companion.]]

*** Worse, her death has strained Hastings' relationship with his daughter.

* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:Mr. X--Stephen Norton--is a different sort of monster from most murder mystery villains. Deliberately modeling himself on [[Theatre/{{Othello}} Iago]], Mr. X is a social predator who toys with people's fears, nudging them towards committing murder, while technically never breaking the law himself. Over the course of the novel, Mr. X convinces three different people, including Hercule Poirot's [[TheWatson Watson]], Captain Hastings, to commit murder, with Poirot only barely averting each at the last moment, and he has gotten away with several other such crimes prior to the story. When confronted by Poirot, Mr. X gloats that he will continue on this way forever, and that there is nothing the law can do to touch him, prompting Poirot to [[BatmanGrabsAGun commit his only ever vigilante execution]]]].

* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:Mr. X--Stephen Norton--is a different sort of monster from most murder mystery villains. Deliberately modeling himself on [[Theatre/{{Othello}} Iago]], Mr. X is a social predator who toys with people's fears, nudging them towards committing murder, while technically never breaking the law himself. Over the course of the novel, Mr. X convinces three different people, including Hercule Poirot's [[TheWatson Watson]], Captain Hastings, to commit murder, with Poirot only barely averting each at the last moment, and he has gotten away with several other such crimes prior to the story. When confronted by Poirot, Mr. X gloats that he will continue on this way forever, and that there is nothing the law can do to touch him, prompting Poirot to [[VigilanteMan commit his only ever vigilante execution]]]].

* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:Mr. X--Stephen Norton--is a different sort of monster from most murder mystery villains. Deliberately modeling himself on [[Theatre/{{Othello}} Iago]], Mr. X is a social predator who toys with people's fears, nudging them towards committing murder, while technically never breaking the law himself. Over the course of the novel, Mr. X convinces three different people, including Hercule Poirot's [[TheWatson Watson]], Captain Hastings, to commit murder, with Poirot only barely averting each at the last moment. When confronted by Poirot, Mr. X gloats that he will continue on this way forever, and that there is nothing the law can do to touch him, prompting Poirot to [[VigilanteMan commit his only ever vigilante execution]]]].

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMoment: Judith recognizing X for the bullshit artist he is, after so many others -- including her own father == were easily manipulated by him.

* AwesomeMoment: Judith recognizing X for the bullshit artist he is, after so many others -- including her own father == were easily manipulated by him.

* CompleteMonster: Mr. X (aka [[spoiler:Stephen Norton]]) is a different sort of monster from most murder mystery villains. Deliberately modelling himself on [[Theatre/{{Othello}} Iago]], Mr. X is a social predator who toys with people's fears, nudging them towards committing murder, while technically never breaking the law himself. Over the course of the novel, he convinces three different people, including Literature/HerculePoirot's [[TheWatson Watson]], Captain Hastings, to commit murder, with Poirot only barely averting each at the last moment. When confronted by Poirot, X gloats that he will continue on this way forever, and that there is nothing the law can do to touch him, [[spoiler:prompting Poirot to commit his only ever vigilante execution.]]

* HarsherInHindsight: Towards the end of the novel, [[spoiler:Poirot dies of a heart attack shortly after solving his last case.]] Nearly 25 years later, [[spoiler:the same fate would befall another protagonist, Series/InspectorMorse, towards the end of the thirteenth and final novel, ''The Remorseful Day''.]]

* NightmareFuel: [[spoiler: The moment when Hastings resolves to murder Allerton. It's so chilling because this is ''Hastings'' - well-meaning, naive and sweet Hastings - plotting to kill a fellow human being. Poirot is so horrified by this he decides to become a vigilante - because X would have killed Hastings by proxy if Poirot had been less careful.]]

* CompleteMonster: Mr. X (aka [[spoiler:Stephen Norton]]) is a different sort of monster from most murder mystery villains. Deliberately modelling himself on [[Theatre/{{Othello}} Iago]], Mr. X is a social predator who toys with people's fears, nudging them towards committing murder, while technically never breaking the law himself. Over the course of the novel, he convinces three different people, including Literature/HerculePoirot's [[TheWatson Watson]], Captain Hastings, to commit murder, with Poirot only barely averting each at the last moment. Poirot even suspects that there may have been many more before that. When confronted by Poirot, X plainly confesses the truth and even smiles, horrifying Poirot, in the TV adaptation he even seems to cry over the fact that his mother never loved him, only to look at Poirot with a straight face taunting: "Shots in the dark Poirot. Shots in the dark". Realizing X can never be tried for his crime, [[spoiler:Poirot commit his only ever vigilante execution]]. A ruthless and manipulative sadist, X's only goal in life was to feed on the pain and misery of others, and (as shown in the TV adaptation) on the verge of death his last emotion is joy at the idea that he pushed [[spoiler:the titular hero to break his [[ThouShaltNotKill most sacred rule]] in order to save innocent lives]].

* CompleteMonster: Mr. X (aka [[spoiler:Stephen Norton]]) is a different sort of monster from most murder mystery villains. Deliberately modelling himself on [[Theatre/{{Othello}} Iago]], Mr. X is a social predator who toys with people's fears, nudging them towards committing murder, while technically never breaking the law himself. Over the course of the novel, he convinces three different people, including Literature/HerculePoirot's [[TheWatson Watson]], Captain Hastings, to commit murder, with Poirot only barely averting each at the last moment. Poirot even suspects that there may have been many more before that. When confronted by Poirot, X plainly confesses the truth and even smiles, horrifying Poirot, in the TV adaptation he even seems to cry over the fact that his mother never loved him, only to look at Poirot with a straight face taunting: "Shots in the dark Poirot. Shots in the dark". Realizing X can never be tried for his crime, [[spoiler:Poirot commit his only ever vigilante execution]]. A ruthless and manipulative sadist, X's only goal in life was to feed on the pain and misery of others, and (as shown in the TV adaptation) on the verge of death his last shown emotion is joy at the idea that he pushed [[spoiler:the titular hero to break his [[ThouShaltNotKill most sacred rule]] in order to save innocent lives]].

* CompleteMonster: Mr. X (aka [[spoiler:Stephen Norton]]) is a different sort of monster from most murder mystery villains. Deliberately modelling himself on [[Theatre/{{Othello}} Iago]], Mr. X is a social predator who toys with people's fears, nudging them towards committing murder, while technically never breaking the law himself. Over the course of the novel, he convinces three different people, including Literature/HerculePoirot's [[TheWatson Watson]], Captain Hastings, to commit murder, with Poirot only barely averting each at the last moment. Poirot even suspects that there may have been many more before that. When confronted by Poirot, X plainly confesses the truth and even smiles, horrifying Poirot, in the TV adaptation he even gloats that he will continue on this way forever, and that there is nothing the law can do to touch him. Realizing X can never be tried for his crime, [[spoiler:Poirot commit his only ever vigilante execution]]. A ruthless and manipulative sadist, X's only goal in life was to feed on the pain and misery of others, and (as shown in the TV adaptation) on the verge of death his last shown emotion is joy at the idea that he pushed [[spoiler:the titular hero to break his [[ThouShaltNotKill most sacred rule]] in order to save innocent lives]].