So I just finished spending a year reading all the Poirot novels and stories and watching all the Suchet Poirot episodes. In preparation for the Emmys, where Suchet is nominated for his work in Curtain, I'm watching all the episodes one last time and writing a review for each one.
This was a charming light hearted opener for the series. I like how they highlighted the way that Poirot was able to get information by appealing to the psychology of whoever he was talking to (often through flattery), whether it was lady of the house, the cook, or the porter at the train station. By far my favorite part was his interaction with the maid. I wonder if, having filmed the first interview with the maid and seeing how well it went, they decided to film the second scene with her as well, which was a deviation from the original short story.
I also enjoyed the references to Poirot's snobbery, especially the graceful apology he made to Mrs. Todd after almost refusing to help her. I think that was the best line from the original story that they borrowed.