The Plymouth Express

Oddly enough, I had never noticed the connection between "The Plymouth Express" and "The Mystery of the Blue Train" until the writers of this episode brought my attention to it. Their deliberate use of characters with the same name and other details from the novel allowed me to see the similarity between the stories, despite the fact that the solution to the murder mystery is different in each case (somewhat similar, but still different). So kudos to them for that.

The thing that makes this episode stand out for me is that this is the only episode of the 15 year series (with the possible exception of "Curtain") in which the overall theme is that of unrelenting grief. This is one of the few episodes where the killer is shown cold-heartedly committing the murder, not just firing the gun or poisoning the coffee. The broken hearted father is shown in all his grief. And there is not one light-hearted moment to break up the tension and solemnity. I'm not sure if that makes it any better or worse than others. Quite frankly, the one and only episode so far that I've given a perfect 10/10 to ("The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim"), I liked for its delightful combination of comedy and clever detection. But I will say that this episode comes the closest to what an actual murder must be like for surviving family members. Not something I would want to watch every time, but an interesting change of pace.

I may be biased as I do love this series to death, but I did enjoy The Plymouth Express. It is not one of the best episodes, while I don't agree that the episode is embarrassing I do agree some of the episode feels padded out. The mystery is still involving and well paced in this episode, but compared to other episodes like say The ABC Murders the story itself feels slight, perhaps the reason why the episode felt padded. Despite this, there are several things that redeem it, including splendid production values, an evocative atmosphere, a haunting score and a script that has this usual tense and funny moments that is one of many things I love about Poirot. Not to mention a typically outstanding David Suchet as Poirot, amusing contrasts in Hugh Fraser, Phillip Jackson and Pauline Moran as Hastings, Japp and Miss Lemon respectively, and good support turns from especially Julian Wadham and Kenneth Haigh. The final solution is still as interesting as ever with the murder reenactment while slightly drawn out dramatically and atmospherically effective. Overall, I have seen better from the series(Wasp's Nest, The Chocolate Box, Adventure of the Italian Nobleman, Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb, Five Little Pigs, Sad Cypress, After the Funeral, ABC Murders) but it is above decent and better than Case of the Missing Will and in terms of feature-lengths Taken at the Flood and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Not much of a plot to "The Plymouth Express," but it still has a top cast and fabulous production values.

An old friend, Gordon Halliday, asks Poirot to check out a man interested in his daughter Florence, but Poirot does not take that kind of case and refuses. However, when Carrington reminds Poirot that he is not a parent and can't understand the pain of seeing his daughter with someone unscrupulous, Poirot relents.

Florence boards the Plymouth Express with her jewel box and is murdered. A devastated Halliday asks Poirot to help solve it. There are a few suspects, one being Florence's ex-husband, Rupert, who asked her for money. Another is Armand de la Rochefort, the man Halliday didn't like. Actually, he doesn't like either man.

Poirot knows they won't find the murderer until they find the jewels.

A neat mystery, very clever, and if it was a little padded, so what? It's entertaining, with Poirot, Hastings, and Miss Lemon, and the denouement is good. These mysteries have class -- better to pad a Poirot episode than something less well done.

The Plymouth Express starts off with the usual high production values, the touches of humour. Florence Carrington, an heir to a mining fortune in Australia boards the Plymouth Express with all her jewellery and plans to meet a shady Frenchman who is pursuing her romantically with more than a passing interest in her wealth.

Florence is also estranged from her ex husband who likes to gamble. She is later found dead on the train.

Poirot was already asked by her father to look into the Frenchman and is now investigating her death. Despite the two obvious suspects, Poirot thinks the stolen jewels hold the key to the mystery.

This is a rather sombre and dark mystery with the reveal of the murderer being rather unsatisfying and hardly connected to the plot. I felt wrong footed but for all the wrong reasons.

Wealthy Australian business man Mr Halliday tries to engage Poirot to look into Comte de la Rochefour, a dubious French man interested in his daughter Flossy. Poirot has no stomach for investigating domestic troubles, but he's needed for something more serious.

I was eleven when this episode went out and it left its mark, the actual murder scene is perhaps one of the darkest moments in the show's history, it lingered longer then usual, and was more graphic then usual, even the description was bleak. (tame by today's standards I know.)

As always with the series it's a gorgeous looking episode, the sets, buildings, clothes etc are perfectly in character, the scenes at the train station particularly look great.

It's a fairly simple mystery, but the strength of it lays in the impact of Flossy's death, her father is grief stricken and even Poirot is hit hard by it. In some episodes murder seems almost casual, not the case with the Plymouth Express, once she's found the episode takes on a different feel.

I actually think it's a goody. 8/10