Philomena McDonagh, the screenwriter of this travesty, must have a very high opinion of herself, feeling that Agatha Christie was very lacking in the way she developed her characters, and laid out the main aspects of the plot. For dear Philomena changes the nature of characters entirely, adds completely unnecessary details that really make no sense, thinking no doubt, that she is improving on the "old girl's" rather tawdry bit of storytelling.
Susan Banks, one of the more striking and central characters of the novel, brilliant, shrewd and rather ruthless, becomes some whining, mealy-mouthed missionary obsessed do-gooder. Susan Banks was married in the novel, and completely devoted to her rather sick and deranged husband, but he has been completely dropped as unnecessary.
Then we come to the fake will. Oh please! What fake will? Agatha Christie would never have stooped to such a corny and overplayed plot device, but that didn't stop dear, sweet Philomena from including it in her "version" of the novel. No! We have the original will mysteriously disappear, only to reappear in an overly large Doll House, which also was not a part of the original novel. Doll House? Fake Will? Oh, and just for good measure, she has the deed to the estate going missing as well. None of this balderdash was in the original novel, and there is absolutely no need for it to be added to this retelling of the story.
But then, I forget. Philomena knows far better than mere Dame Agatha Christie how this story SHOULD have been told. "My god, we need a doll house!" she thought, for where else would the newly imagined missing will suddenly and mysteriously show up. Pathetic.
The Poirot series has, by and large, been very faithful to the original novels. David Suchet is masterful as Hercule Poirot, and even in this travesty, the supporting cast is quite well played. The settings as well are simply wonderful. So what a disappointment that this particular episode, of a book that is truly one of my favorite Poirot mysteries, goes so badly off the rails.
Susan Banks, one of the more striking and central characters of the novel, brilliant, shrewd and rather ruthless, becomes some whining, mealy-mouthed missionary obsessed do-gooder. Susan Banks was married in the novel, and completely devoted to her rather sick and deranged husband, but he has been completely dropped as unnecessary.
Then we come to the fake will. Oh please! What fake will? Agatha Christie would never have stooped to such a corny and overplayed plot device, but that didn't stop dear, sweet Philomena from including it in her "version" of the novel. No! We have the original will mysteriously disappear, only to reappear in an overly large Doll House, which also was not a part of the original novel. Doll House? Fake Will? Oh, and just for good measure, she has the deed to the estate going missing as well. None of this balderdash was in the original novel, and there is absolutely no need for it to be added to this retelling of the story.
But then, I forget. Philomena knows far better than mere Dame Agatha Christie how this story SHOULD have been told. "My god, we need a doll house!" she thought, for where else would the newly imagined missing will suddenly and mysteriously show up. Pathetic.
The Poirot series has, by and large, been very faithful to the original novels. David Suchet is masterful as Hercule Poirot, and even in this travesty, the supporting cast is quite well played. The settings as well are simply wonderful. So what a disappointment that this particular episode, of a book that is truly one of my favorite Poirot mysteries, goes so badly off the rails.