Original Airdate: 4 March 1990 Written by: Clive Exton Directed by: Richard Spence Recurring cast: Captain Hastings, Inspector Japp, Miss Lemon
Tropes
Adaptation Deviation: In the original story, Poirot is rather dismissive of Mary Marvell, finding her a bit too obsessed with her jewel to her own detriment. In the episode, Poirot is a big fan of Marie Marvelle, in part due to her being a major Belgian film star.
Adaptation Expansion: A subplot regarding Japp (who was absent in the original story) pursuing a man named van Braks, who later becomes involved with the disappearance of the Western Star, is added.
And I'm the Queen of Sheba: When Hastings insists the news stories about the diamond robberies being true, Japp replies that they're "as true as I'm riding this bicycle" - with no bicycle in sight.
Bilingual Bonus: At one point Poirot and Marie Marvelle have an entire conversation in unsubtitled French.
Mistaken for Thief: A local constable approaches Japp, who has concealed himself in bushes outside the scene of a diamond theft, and assumes he's part of the crime.
Japp: (pulls out his warrant card) Scotland Yard. Twigez-vous?
Paper-Thin Disguise: To play up the idea of the diamond (and its fictional counterpart) being the two eyes of a Chinese god, he steals it from the hotel safe by adding a touch of theatre makeup and pretending to be a thief disguised as himself. It's so unconvincing that he needs to claim "I look a bit like a Chinaman" for the porter to even notice his disguise to begin with.
Patriotic Fervor: Downplayed. Poirot is rather ticked at Hastings and Japp being dismissive of the idea of a Belgian film star.
Super OCD: Poirot berates his barber for a three-millimetre difference in the length of his sideburns after his last haircut.
