Poirot "The Big Four" #13.2 (2013) (TV)

It strays from Christie's work, but in this case, that's not a bad thing, 30 March 2017

I've loved Agatha Christie's books for as long as I can remember. But, The Big Four never did anything for me. It wasn't a typical Poirot story – dead body, cast of suspects, gathering information, drawing room denouement. That's the Agatha Christie I enjoy. The Big Four was always more of a spy story and not necessarily what I call a "true" mystery. And, to make things worse, it's a mess of a novel regardless of what you call it with any number of unrelated plot points and themes. As far as turning it into a television production, I couldn't imagine how it could be done. So, I was dreading sitting down with The Big Four. How was it? Well, better than the book – but that's not saying much. Thankfully (and I won't say this about many episodes), the decision was made to strip most of Christie's ridiculous plot and replace it with a more traditional, but equally ridiculous, plot.

What it all boils down to is a man who creates a mind-blowing scheme to win over a woman who rejected him in the past. His plan involves multiple murders, kidnappings, and threats of war between nations just so he can get close to his love. How utterly ridiculous! The idea is completely . . . well, it's just plain stupid. There's no reason to go into any more detail or write any more about it. The Big Four is about as bad as I've seen in the Poirot series.

The only saving grace is the inclusion of Miss Lemon, Japp, and Hastings. I really did enjoy seeing these characters again – even if Miss Lemon and Hastings' screen time is limited. It's like welcoming an old friend who's been gone for a decade. I'm glad the producers saw fit to get the band back together for one last time.

I'm being very generous with a 5/10.

5/10