Original Airdate: 27 January 1991 Written by: David Renwick Directed by: Brian Farham Recurring cast: Captain Hastings, Inspector Japp, Miss Lemon
Tropes:
Adaptation Expansion: Since the original story was a rather barebones one which Poirot mostly recounts, many plot elements were added to fill the runtime of the episode.
Aside from Inspector Japp falling ill with appendicitis in the episode, Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon get their own subplots about taking up photography and dance classes respectively.
The Love Triangle at the heart of the original story is further fleshed out.
Adaptational Job Change: John Harrison is now a philosopher, Molly Deane a fashion model, and Claude Langton a sculptor.
Dark Is Not Evil: Dr Belvedere is portrayed as a sinister-looking man who uses a skull-headed walking stick, but he's ultimately revealed to be competent and professional physician.
Final Speech: John Harrison manages to have one last talk with Poirot after having drunk some cyanide-laced tea due to arriving at the Despair Event Horizon. Subverted when we learn that Poirot had swapped the cyanide for washing soda beforehand; had it been cyanide Harrison would have been dead by the time Poirot got to the former's house.
Lighter and Softer: Downplayed. While the subject matter of the episode is ultimately serious (as it concerns a Love Triangle and its consequences on the people involved), nobody actually dies, no crime is actually committed, and the culprit is ultimately relieved rather than angered at being found out.
Like You Were Dying: John Harrison, a son of one of Poirot's friends, has only a few weeks to live with a terminal illness and makes his bucket list. When he discovers that his wife is secretly having an affair with Claude Langton, he almost turns this into The Last Dance in which he attempts to kill himself by placing cyanide in a coffee cup and drinking it in order to make it look like murder and pin the blame on Langton. Fortunately, thanks to the tea leaves and the danger that Poirot has read earlier, Poirot is able to Screw Destiny by replacing the cyanide with sodium carbonate, then talking him down and telling him that he has so much more to live for. Harrison feels relieved that his plan didn't work after all, and in the end tells Poirot to come and see him once more in a few weeks.
Murder the Hypotenuse: Zigzagged. After John Harrison learns that his wife Molly is having an affair with Claude Langton, he plans on committing suicide through cyanide, but by making sure his rival would be suspected of murdering him by having Claude buy cyanide under the pretext of destroying a wasps' nest. Fortunately, the plan falls through and nobody is ultimately killed.
Precrime Arrest: Poirot does a variation without time travel, in which he must stop a murder crime or a tragedy from happening in the future
Reading Tea Leaves: Poirot is shown doing this with Molly Deane's tea cup, where he foresees dark clouds and troubled waters. Of course, he could just be reading into the fact that there were two distinct lipstick marks on the cup, hinting at an affair.
Sick Episode: Japp is sidelined with appendicitis in the adaptation.
Spanner in the Works: John Harrison's suicide attempt is foiled by Poirot swapping the cyanide he planned to use for washing soda.
Taking You with Me: Harrison's plan to commit suicide and frame Claude for his murder.
Whatever Mancy: Poirot is suddenly an expert on reading tea leaves.
