The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
- Episode aired Mar 10, 1991
- TV-14
- 50m
Poirot is taken ill during a weekend shooting party, which ends when the unpopular host is found murdered in his study.Poirot is taken ill during a weekend shooting party, which ends when the unpopular host is found murdered in his study.Poirot is taken ill during a weekend shooting party, which ends when the unpopular host is found murdered in his study.
Photos
- Constable Cooke
- (as Raymond Trickitt)
- Director
- Writers
- T.R. Bowen
- Agatha Christie(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe house was used as the Stapleton house in the Sherlock Holmes Hound of the Baskervilles. The victim, played by Bernard Horsfall, was in that same episode as Frankland.
- GoofsLondon-bound trains are running to "King's Cross", yet they are marked LMS (London, Midland & Scottish Railway) and are decked in the LMS crimson lake corporate livery. Kings Cross was the London terminal for the London & North Eastern Railway, not LMS. Instead, London-bound LMS trains ran to St Pancras, their own terminus, ironically on the other side of the street from King's Cross.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Hercule Poirot: Is this gratitude, Hastings? Is it for this that Hercule Poirot exerts his talents on behalf of the world?
Chief Inspector Japp: You expect gratitude? Don't make me laugh. Now you know what a real detective feels like.
Hercule Poirot: A *real* detective!
[Japp smiles and nods]
Hercule Poirot: Chief Inspector Japp is truly most amusing, do you not think, Hastings?
Captain Hastings: Oh, yes, most amusing.
Hercule Poirot: For a policeman.
Of course this is a very sweeping statement to make because it isn't like the whole show suddenly became some dark, pompous affair with all the weight of expectations on its shoulders, but rather than I noticed that the frequent light comedic touch of previous outings in the first two seasons. Here we have a slightly more sturdy air – not serious and certainly not stuffy, but it does feel more like a show with a bit of clout behind it. While I missed the lighter touches, this season mostly still provides what I was looking for. The mysteries are mostly good and accessible – which is a mix important to me, I really do not enjoy being deliberately bamboozled for the sake of it just to have the rabbit pulled from the hat with no reasoning. I didn't really care much for Wasp's Nest, while the Hunter's Lodge episode had too obvious a device (although maybe it was obvious because I watch too much TV?). The majority were engaging although the one that really sticks in my mind is Double Clue, mainly because it featured another example of Poirot giving a free pass to someone – something which had previously happened in the first season. The Christmas special was fun, even if the mystery itself hinged on a big dollop of convenience.
In terms of the delivery, Suchet remains really good with nicely observed mannerisms and impeccable timing whether it is a nice touch of comedy or revealing the workings in his mind – he is really excellent yet again here. He continues to be well supported by both Fraser and Jackson, who are good in their roles, particularly the former. The supporting roles in this season didn't particularly grab me despite a couple which stood out for the wrong reasons, but generally everyone is solid and nobody forgets that they are just the support and not who we are there to see.
Season 3 does seem to have cut back a bit on the comedy (for sure there is not "parrot for Mr Poirot" moment in this season) but it is still very entertaining and engaging. A few weaker episodes in this run, but not by much and it remains accessible and entertaining.
- bob the moo
- Apr 6, 2014
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Filming locations
- Castern Hall, Ilam, Staffordshire, England, UK(Hunter's Lodge)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime50 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1