Wasps' Nest

Poirot is not in the best of spirits, desperately needing a crime. After attending a fête the chances of a crime seem more likely.

The episode looks utterly fabulous, maybe it's the cars and clothes, but somehow I've always thought of Wasp's Nest as one of the best looking episodes in the series. Royal Doulton aplenty, it's a visual treat, Summer is truly captured.

Suchet's performance is as always first rate, never really in question. I think it's the story itself that makes this episode extra special, it's up there with the very best. Not a huge role for Doctor Who number twelve Peter Capaldi, but he's great as always.

I love the running joke about Mrs Japp, the fact that we never get to see her.

A slightly unconventional episode, but truly enjoyable nonetheless, very very sad. 9/10

Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings are invited to visit a friend in the country, only to find mystery galore. Poirot is stung by a wasp, but can he stop anything more deadly from happening? Captain Hastings lends a hand with his film darkroom, his latest hobby. Chief Inspector Japp is hospitalized with appendicitis. This one has a sad ending, with a different twist than most Poirot mysteries.

Poirot shows his squeamishness in this episode. After Japp's appendectomy, Poirot and Hastings visit him in the hospital. Japp says he wondered if the anesthesia was properly administered, because he thought he could feel every incision and move of the doctor. At which point, Poirot quickly gets up and says that he and Hastings must leave.

As with all of the films of this and other Agatha Christie mysteries, I appreciate the great resources the English have for making old movies. The land, castles, old buildings are one thing. But the great numbers and varieties of vintage cars in so many street scenes are most impressive. Also, the dress and other costuming of the period.

"Wasps' Nest" is an excellent story of intrigue in the Christie and Poirot series. Here are some favorite lines from the film.

Captain Hastings, "I thought a nice afternoon at a garden fete might cheer him up a bit." Chief Inspector Japp, "Hmm. About the only thing that's gonna cheer him up today is the discovery of a body in a lucky dip."

Captain Hastings, "You're not planning to use the bathroom for the next half hour or so, are you Poirot?" Hercule Poirot, "Well, let me check with my diary, Hastings. No, it would seem not." Hastings, "Good. If you need me, you know where I am." He sets up a darkroom in the bathroom.

Hercule Poirot, after being stung by a wasp, "The open air - it should be closed during the summer. Captain Hastings - he wonders why I have a hatred for these crawling, buzzing things; and the reason is, they're always trying to kill me."

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

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.

Copying the plot summary from IMDb: "At a village fête, Poirot runs into an old friend, John Harrison and his fiancé Molly Deane, a fashion model. Harrison invites Poirot and Hastings to tea the following week where Poirot learns that Molly had once been engaged to a local artist, Claude Langton. Poirot is puzzled by a number of apparently unrelated incidents but concludes that someone is being untruthful and that a murder is being planned. Courtesy of Hastings' new hobby, photography, Poirot knows exactly what is going to occur."

Wasps' Nest has to be the most unusual episode of Poirot I've seen so far. It's a bit surprising how much I like this one considering there is no actual murder - something I've complained about endlessly in the past. In fact, there's no real crime at all. And the ending is something I really wasn't expecting. As the end credit rolled, I just sat there, unable to move, taking in everything I had just seen. "Sad" doesn't begin to describe the feeling the end left with me. It's the only episode I can think of where a tissue might have come in handy. Another great thing about the plot is that the mystery here works. Until the final scene, I had no idea who was trying to kill who. Very well done.

Beyond the plot, there's a lot more to enjoy. I'm amazed that in episode after episode the makers of Poirot find such interesting locations. And the attention to period detail is always amazing. In this one, period cars and fashion take center stage for me. The acting is great. The four regulars are as good as I've come to expect. Suchet is just brilliant. The supporting cast is just as strong with Martin Turner, Melanie Jessop, and Peter Capaldi all shining bright. I'll cut this short and say Wasps' Nest is a solid episode anyway you want to look at it.