Wasps' Nest

One of my favourite Poirot episodes. Beautifully acted by all four leading actors. The venture into 1930s fashion was superb. I always enjoy Poirot for the careful detail and attention paid to period details - clothing (esp. Hats), automobiles, architecture, furniture, and, especially, scenery. Watching Poirot is like time travel. And to have one of my favourite actors, Peter Capaldi (Local Hero, 1982), was such a treat. He plays a fantastically eccentric character, and though the role is minimal, he plays it to perfection. The plot is a treat as well. Without giving anything away, suffice it to say it is unlike any other Poirot dramatization in this wonderful series.

This film was puzzling to say the least, and the ending made me want to cry, which is rare for Poirot films as the endings of the hour-long films usually comprise of Hastings doing something silly and Poirot and Japp laughing at him, which is warming for the audience to see after the mystery has unravelled itself. However, I found this film a little more sentimental than the others, because the ending is sad, although I wouldn't have guessed so from the rest of the film which is more typical of the Poirot films. This film is full of red herrings, as always with Agatha Christie- such as the mysterious doctor appearing here and there, etc. I was glad to see that Hastings appeared in this film because he is excluded from some of the films and he is a valuable character, both for humour's sake and the sake of the plot.

Poirot runs into an old friend, author John Harrison. He is engaged to model Molly Deane but Poirot senses that something is amiss in their relationship. Deane was previously in a relationship with Harrison's best friend, artist Claude Langton. Poirot is fearful that a murder is being planned.

Reasonably interesting. There's no murder to be investigated here, but rather a murder to be prevented. Quite novel in that respect, though it does make the plot a bit conjectural, rather than based on clues and evidence.

Worth noting that the cast includes Peter Capaldi, of The Thick of It fame, as Claude Langton.

Wasp's Nest is definitely one of my favourite Poirot episodes. Apart from starting off a little too slow, there is next to nothing wrong with this adaptation. It looks very sumptuous, with lavish costumes, breathtaking scenery and fluid photography, and the music is gorgeous. The script is of fine quality, the pacing is just right with the exception of the slow beginning and the story is easy to follow. The acting here is exceptional, I know I have remarked more than once that what I love about Poirot is how it is made and acted. Wasp's Nest is no exception, with a stellar performance from David Suchet, in this series there is the perfect balance between the funny and the serious sides of Poirot, both of which Suchet does brilliantly. Hugh Fraser is wonderfully naive and funny as Hastings, and both Phillip Jackson and Pauline Moran are very effective in their roles as Japp and Miss Lemon. Out of the supporting performances, Peter Capaldi was the most impressive, it was a performance of real subtlety. And I can't write this review without mentioning the ending, by far my favourite scene of the adaptation, so quiet and poignant it was just sublime, and one of those scenes that had me in tears. Overall, I loved it. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox

Hercule Poirot must stop a crime before it happens in "Wasps' Nest" from 1991.

Hastings and Poirot are at a village carnival when Poirot sees an old friend, John Harrison, and Hastings immediately recognizes his fiancé, Molly Deane, a fashion model. Harrison invites them to his home the next week.

Once at Harrison's home, Poirot finds out that Molly's former fiancée is Harrison's best friend, Claude Langton, who played a clown at the village event. A few incidents put Poirot's little gray cells on alert: two kinds of lipstick on a cup, the inability to get rid of wasps on Harrison's land, a car breaking down, an old man who keeps showing up...Poirot believes a crime is about to be committed, and he utilizes Hasting's new love of photography to help him. Can he stop it in time? Meanwhile, poor Inspector Japp is in the hospital with acute appendicitis.

Excellent episode, and a poignant one, as Poirot works out what is gong to happen. There is even a fashion show of '30s clothes in this episode, another indication of the high production values that are always present.

It's a shame that Japp, Hastings, and Miss Lemon are not in later shows of the series, because as can be seen here, they really add to the episodes and also lighten them up because of Poirot's relationship with them. Later on, some of the shows are quite dark.

One of the best in the series.