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Brilliance

  • During The Adventure of the Cheap Flat, the flashback involving Poirot telling Hastings about the original theft of the plans has a very bizarre feeling to it compared to other times Poirot tells about how the crimes he later investigates were committed. In fact, it doesn't look like the real world at all, but rather a highly stylized gangster flick, down to the way the characters speak to one another. That's because it isn't what actually happened—this is Hastings' Imagine Spot, and given he's recently been watching a gangster flick...
  • During The Adventure of the Western Star, Marie Marvelle and Poirot speak in English to one another throughout the episode when together, which seems bizarre given neither of them are native English speakers...until there's a scene when the two are alone and speak French, which remains untranslated for the audience. They were likely speaking English in previous scenes out of respect for others present who might not have spoken French.
  • At the end of The Yellow Iris, sharp-eyed viewers might notice that when Poirot is enjoying a plate fish and chips, he's specifically eating the chips. "Chips", for UK readers, would be called "French fries" by an American viewer. They're also quite popular in Belgium. Of course Poirot would enjoy them!
  • When Poirot meets Imogen Daniels during The Kidnapped Prime Minister, she is shown standing in front of a harp that looks very similar to that depicted on the coat of arms of Ireland and the emblem of the Irish Free State (1922-1937). This hints at her political loyalties, as well as the later revelation of her involvement in the Irish nationalist plot to kidnap the Prime Minister.
  • The reveal that Superintendent Wheeler in Cards at the Table is gay at first might seem to be just another bit of Adaptational Sexuality in an adaptation already full of it. However, consider the reveal that the murderer is also gay, and given that homosexuality was still illegal in the UK during the Genteel Interbellum Setting of the show, it's likely that the cast of characters are as appalled at the reveal of the murderer's sexuality as they are at the reveal that he's the murderer, not to mention that another character heavily implied to be lesbian attempts to drown her friend to prevent said friend from entering into a relationship. Including another gay character who's ultimately sympathetic seems to be the show's way of reassuring audiences that the sexuality of the murderer doesn't matter as much as the fact that he's, well, the murderer.
  • In Murder on the Orient Express, it seems strange that Dr. Constantine claims that the victim was stabbed fifteen times when a) it's a plot point and b) Poirot corrects him immediately. For anyone familiar enough with the story to notice the change, it should immediately set off alarm bells about Dr. Constantine.

Horror

  • Small one that applies particularly to the adaption of The Mysterious Affair at Styles, but can probably apply to the original as well. Hastings is referred to as "Lieutenant Hastings" throughout the episode, but gets a promotion to Captain at some point before the rest of the series. Does this mean that Hastings, who'd already received some sort of injury prior to Styles and was strongly implied in the series to be suffering from shell shock, went back to the front?
    • Not necessarily, it would be entirely plausible for him to have received a parting promotion on being invalided out on medical grounds so he could qualify for a more generous pension.
  • Despite all of them being alive and well during the last season, Japp, Miss Lemon and Mrs. Oliver are neither seen nor mentioned in Curtain. Whether they have died (perhaps during the war) or simply got out of touch with Poirot, this means that the detective has lost most of his closest friends. Granted, a lighter interpretation could be that Poirot knew that they would have been in danger and preferred to ask only Hastings for help, since the latter was already familiar with Styles Court.

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