The Million Dollar Bond Robbery

That is alongside the likes of Wasp's Nest, The Chocolate Box, Adventure of the Italian Nobleman, The Third Floor Flat and Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb. I may be biased as I love the series and hate to criticise it, but this was really an exceptional episode. The episode could have been longer perhaps, but the final solution at least did feel satisfying in the way episodes like King of Clubs and The Double Clue underwhelmed on first viewing and improved I think on the (if my memory serves correct) on the somewhat abrupt ending of the short story. When I watch Poirot I look forward to classy production values, great music, funny moments, intelligent, compelling story telling and solid-at-least acting. All of those are here in The Million Dollar Bond Robbery. It looks elegant and is beautifully shot, and right from the iconic theme tune to the haunting undertones of the background music the music is typically great. I always look for clever dialogue and funny moments(mostly with Hastings' naivety or Poirot's sarcasm), and The Million Dollar Bond Robbery has that too, as well as a story that grabs you right in and never lets go. The acting I can't fault, David Suchet continues to be the definitive Poirot, and everybody supports him to the very best of their ability. Nobody is bad, and I also have very little bad to say about the episode, it is one of my favourites of the short story adaptations and also one of the better ones of the entire series. 9/10 Bethany Cox

In this episode, as in a few others of the series, Poirot has been on the scene of the crime as it took place, instead of trying to solve it after it happened, as happens in the original story. In this particular case, there is no harm done by this particular change, since the screenwriters decided to set the crime on the Queen Mary (I assume they traveled to California to get those shots, since the ship is no longer seaworthy). The scenes on board ship are the only ones that save this episode from having a lower rating.

Once again we have an episode that suffers somewhat for the details that the screenwriter added to the original story. In the original story there was no gambling addiction, no attempted murder, and definitely no accomplice. The gambling addiction and the attempted murder I find to be rather silly but not too unreasonable, but I couldn't get past the addition of the accomplice. Not only was it evident that this extra person was going to play a crucial role from this person's first appearance on screen, and every subsequent appearance as well, but the explanation given at the end just did not work for me. Why did there even need to be an accomplice in the first place? Wasn't it enough that the criminal would have gained a million dollars by being successful? It just left me with a sour taste in my mouth, that no amount of creme de menthe would remove. Ugh.

"The Million Dollar Bond Robbery" is very different from the Agatha Christie story...very. One of the differences is that someone supposedly consumes Strychnine...a story element used in the two previous episodes of "Poirot"! Yes, this is the third strychnine poisoning episode in a row...which is odd because there are many other sorts of poison.

Poirot has been called to meet with a bank president. It seems one of their people was nearly run over...and it seems intentional. The next day, this same man is supposedly poisoned as well! THis is tough because he was supposed to take a million dollars with of bonds across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary...but now the job is given to a man who is a compulsive gambler! So, it's not all that suprising when the bonds are reported stolen...even though Poirot is aboard this ship, the Queen Mary. What really happened here?

The big question never answered is the exact whereabouts of the bonds by the end of a show...a strange omission to say the least. Add to that the problem that the show is VERY different from the Agatha Christie story make this a weak episode...enjoyable but weak.

Poirot is called in by a bank to help transfer $1 million in Liberty Bonds to America. The gentleman who is to take the bonds and travel on the Queen Mary with them has had an unfortunate series of events. He is almost run over by a car, and then he's poisoned.

Unfortunately the young man next in line has gambling problems, but he's what the bank has, so they ask Poirot to accompany him. Hastings goes along as well and he's thrilled as this is the Queen Mary's maiden voyage. Sadly the bonds are stolen.

Great episode, with newsreel footage accompanying the episode. All of the acting is top-notch. Exciting and entertaining - you can't ask for much more.

The London & Scottish Bank needs to transfer one million dollars' worth of Liberty Bonds from England to America via ship (on "Queen Mary"'s maiden voyage), but when someone attempts (twice) to murder the man assigned to the job, the assignment goes to another bank employer - a younger man with gambling problems. The bank's manager asks Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings to accompany him on the trip, but despite their presence the bonds do get stolen and only the young employer had a key to the case....

An exceptional episode of the "Poirot" series. The mix of newsreel b&w footage from the 30's and new footage featuring the actors is creative, the pace is breathless, the acting from all the key players is perfect and the moment of revelation is truly stunning - I challenge anyone to say he or she had figured this one out. There are some laugh-out-loud comedic moments as well - it's amazing how a 50-minute episode of a mystery series can make you laugh more than entire 2-hour supposed comedies. A must-see. (***)