Poirot "Dead Man's Mirror" #5.7 (1993) (TV)

"Saffra's dead... she's Vanda's spirit guide.", 21 August 2015

Poirot is asked by Gervase Chevenix to investigate possible fraud in a business relationship. Poirot arrives at Mr. Chevenix's home only to find a houseful of people who can't stand the man. It comes as no surprise to anyone when he's found dead. Inspector Japp initially calls is suicide, until Poirot starts asking questions. Once again, Poirot sets out to uncover a murderer.

While I don't necessarily enjoy Dead Man's Mirror as much as some of the others on IMDb, I readily admit it's very good. My complaint is that certain key points in the story are made way too obvious to the viewer. SPOILERS - Take Miss Lingard's relationship to Ruth Chevenix as an example. Was anyone really surprised when Poirot announced they were mother and daughter? I'm sure most saw it coming a mile away. And because of that, it's easy to spot the killer and the motivation behind the murder. - END SPOILERS

Still, as I said, it's a very good episode. While there's certainly a lot to enjoy, I'll focus on the supporting cast. Iain Cuthbertson is absolutely outstanding as the arrogant Gervase Chevenix. I'm not sure there's a more vial, pompous ass of a human being in any of the Poirot episodes. Also worth noting is Jeremy Northam. He's good. I thought he was great in The Tudors, so I enjoyed seeing him here.

I almost forgot, but I wanted to mention the score in Dead Man's Mirror. I think hauntingly beautiful and otherworldly are words I'd use to describe it. Really nice.

Overall, despite the problems I have with some of the staging, an 8/10 from me.

8/10