Original Airdate: 12 February 1989 Written by: Stephen Wakelam Directed by: Renny Rye Recurring cast: N/A Based on:"Triangle at Rhodes"
Tropes
Actionized Adaptation: The original story was a dialogue-heavy tale that focused on the titular Love Triangle. While that aspect of course remains, the climax in this episode is a Chase Scene involving two boats.
Accidental Murder: Valentine Chantry dies after drinking a poisoned drink that was supposedly meant for her husband Tony. Subverted, in that Valentine was the actual target all along and it was made to look like an accident.
Adaptational Angst Upgrade: In the original short story, Poirot witnesses the murder and observes the killer slipping a vial of poison into the pocket of the man he's trying to frame, nipping the evil plan in the bud. In this adaptation, Poirot's not present to witness this, and the patsy remains behind bars for much longer while Poirot spends a long time investigating before he can catch the culprit, culminating in a boat chase.
Birds of a Feather: The fact that both Poirot and Douglas Gold are Catholic not only causes the former to sympathize with the latter, but also provides an important clue (i.e., Douglas would never have thought of divorcing his wife, in spite of what Tony Chantry insinuated).
Busman's Holiday: Double subverted. Poirot's stay in Rhodes largely goes without incident, but just as he's leaving the island someone gets murdered.
Murder the Hypotenuse: Tony Chantry and Marjorie Gold conspire to murder the former's wife, Valentine, and pin it on the latter's husband, Douglas, while making it appear that Douglas was cheating on Marjorie with Valentine.
Obstructive Bureaucrat: Poirot being held up by Fascist Italian bureaucracynote Rhodes was an Italian possession from 1912 to 1946; the story is set in a Genteel Interbellum Setting as he's leaving the island is why he's still on Rhodes when Valentine Chantry is poisoned, allowing him to investigate.
Those Wacky Nazis: A child spits on the ground as a parade of Fascist Italian soldiers goes by.
