Poirot "Wasps' Nest" #3.5 (1991) (TV)

"Absurd! There is nothing wrong with the body of Poirot. He is in the peak of condition!", 2 August 2015

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.

8/10