Original Airdate: 19 January 1992 Written by: Clive Exton Directed by: Ross Devenish Recurring cast: Inspector Japp Based on:One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
Tropes
Adaptational Nice Guy: While Frank Carter is still an abrasive Jerkass, he's rather more sympathetic here compared to the book, to the point where Poirot is willing to help him prove his innocence.
Adapted Out: Howard Raikes, the American, is absent from this episode. The parts of his role that remained were split between Frank Carter (his unpleasant encounters with Poirot) and Jane Olivera (his political sympathies, to an extent).
Ambition Is Evil: Alistair Blunt rises from a no-name bank official to the man arguably holding up Britain's financial security. He marries into the Arnholt family, even if he's already married to another woman, and it's in safeguarding his new station that he commits three murders, two of which were done to preserve hisDark Secret.
Distant Prologue: The episode starts with one set in India in 1921, when Alistair Blunt was still an unknown banker about to get married to Gerda, who is established to be an actress.
Foreshadowing: Gerda's work as an actress foreshadows her pretending to be Mabelle Sainsbury Seale to throw off suspicion and staying with her husband Alistair as his "cousin" Helen Montressor.
Frame-Up: The murderers' plan B in case the police were on to them was to frame Frank Carter by making it look like he was about to kill Alistair Blunt.
Interrupted Intimacy: The police interrupt a couple on their honeymoon, assuming that they're persons of interest in the ongoing case. They just happened to have the same last name as one of the suspects (Chapman).
Kill and Replace: Mabelle Sainsbury Seele is killed by her old friend Gerda, who then assumes her identity for a while then disappears to throw off the police.
Motive Rant: Alistair Blunt, upon having his guilt revealed, decides to justify it by pointing out that he is responsible for holding together Britain financially during the turbulent 30s. Poirot points out that doing such is no excuse to murder people and throw others like Frank Carter under the bus.
Oops! I Forgot I Was Married: Variation. Alistair Blunt married Rebecca Arnholt, while still married to Gerda. It's the knowledge of this fact that leads Alistair and Gerda to murder Amberiotis and Sainsbury Seale.
Two Dun It: There are two murderers, working together. Blunt killed the dentist Morley and the blackmailer Amberiotis, while his wife Gerda (aka Sylvia Chapman/Helen Montressor) murdered her old friend Sainsbury Seale and switched their dental records.
Vomit Discretion Shot: We can hear the porter heaving after being asked to identify the body of Sainsbury Seale.
