Original Airdate: 11 February 1990 Written by: Clive Exton Directed by: Richard Spence Recurring cast: Captain Hastings, Inspector Japp, Miss Lemon
Tropes:
Adaptation Expansion: There are two subplots woven into the episode. One is Japp giving a series of speeches on his body of work, where he runs into Poirot and Hastings taking a vacation, and another is Miss Lemon, alone at the flat at Whitehaven Mansions, using Poirot's methods to help track down her set of missing keys.
Adapted Out: The character of Joseph Aarons is missing from the episode.
Bait-and-Switch: When Japp is giving one of his speeches on detective work, he starts by putting down the profession of Private Detective, then switches up to praising Poirot right at a time when his ego needed the boost.
Blatant Lies: Poirot denies that he wants to watch Japp give his speech, claiming that he was interested in the other side of the newspaper clipping Hastings is holding. Unfortunately for him, the other side is an ad for French language lessons...
Obfuscating Disability: Miss Penn, who leaps from her wheelchair to escape after she is found out.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Japp does this to Poirot, albeit indirectly. Poirot sneaks off to eavesdrop on one of Japp's speeches on detective work, and overhears him praising Poirot as the one Private Detective worth his salt.
You Just Told Me: Miss Penn recognizing Mr Baker Wood, even if she shouldn't have, outs her as the culprit (alongside her niece Mary Durrant).
