Hercule Poirot is looking for a matter of "national importance" to investigate, but he settles for the disappearance of a female cook because the case intrigues him, in the very first episode of the "Poirot" series (which, when all is said and done, will have lasted 25 years!). Sometimes a TV series needs a little time to "find its footing", but "Poirot" did not: mostly everything that fans of the series love about it (mystery, humor, casting, music, vintage props, clothes, hats, cars, etc.) is already here from the first episode. The producers have spared no expenses (or at least it looks that way) in their efforts to fully transport you to mid-1930s England. And David Suchet needs no time to settle into the role of Poirot, either; he inhabits it right from his first few seconds on screen. The story, however, is not among the most challenging in the series, with one key disguise in particular very easy to see through. Still, this is a good introduction into the world of Hercule Poirot. *** out of 4.
Review of The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
