The Third Floor Flat

"The Third Floor Flat" is one of the more intriguing Hercule Poirot mysteries. For this episode of the BBC and PBS television series, Agatha Christie's super sleuth doesn't need to go far from home. The crime occurs right in his digs - the Whitehaven Mansions.

This episode has more than the usual build-up, and Poirot solves the murder very quickly - although he doesn't let on to others right away. This talk also is an excellent one to trace back the clues to discover how Poirot became suspicious of the culprit. It's all there plain as day, but as always, with Poirot so interested in every detail, only his little grey cells are capable of arranging the pertinent details for the conclusions.

All of Poirot's company are present - Captain Hastings, Miss Lemon and Chief Inspector Japp. Japp comments to his Bobbies when they arrive at the apartment building to be extra careful because they are on the home grounds of the sharp detective, Hercule Poirot.

And, the story has some humor, as we come to expect. Here are some favorite lines.

Miss Lemon, "It's only been tree weeks since your last case." Hercule Poirot, "Three weeks is an eternity to a brain like mine. Without the constant stimulation, my little grey cells will starve to death. Already you can see I am suffering the effects."

Captain Hastings pulls up in his convertible and honks the horn. Hastings, "How's the cold, old boy?" Hercule Poirot, "... I wouldn't be surprised if riding in tat care was responsible for my present malady." Hastings, "She's much too much of a lady to give anyone a cold. She's running like a bird since I fitted the hew gaskets" Poirot, "Birds do not run, Hastings. When you were little you should have paid more attention to your lessons in biology."

Captain Hastings, "You're really in a bad way, aren't you?" Poirot, "Well, my friend, as one approaches the end, one begins to see life as it truly is."

Hercule Poirot, "You see, Hastings? I am still a force to be calculated."(sic)

Hercule Poirot, "Hasting, my friend. Poirot is as magnanimous in defeat as he is modest in victory." Chief Inspector Japp, "Oh, yes." Poirot, "In view of the fact that you are going to need every penny you can get to restore this beautiful machine to health, I have decided to pay up and be content."

Hercule is bored - no cases for the little grey cells. Furthermore he is sick with a cold, and this is making him cranky. He becomes even more cranky after watching a murder-mystery play, and finding the plot sub-par. On returning from the play, however, he discovers that his newly-arrived upstairs neighbour has been murdered. Poirot quickly sets to work in solving who did it.

Overly simple, making this one of the worst Poirot episodes. The murderer is revealed in double-quick time, leaving the remainder of the episode an action drama rather than a murder mystery. Very basic plot, and the murderer is fairly obvious.

There are one or two sub-plots which do add some colour to what would otherwise be a fairly dull affair: Hastings and his car, Poirot and his cold. Not enough to save the episode, however.

To take Poirot's mind off the fact that he has no case and his little grey cells are atrophying, Hastings takes him to the theater to see a mystery play. Poirot guesses the wrong murderer and then complains the audience wasn't given all the facts.

When they arrive home, they find out that there has been a murder two floors down, of a young woman who just moved in. The two women who lived in the same apartment line did not have their keys, and their dates go down the fire escape, but climb in the wrong window and find the body.

Strangely, the woman had left a note for one of the women in the other apartment wanting to speak with her.

Poirot works with Inspector Japp to attempt to figure out who killed this woman, and why.

Delightful mystery, with Poirot and Hastings in good form and interacting with people in the building, which one doesn't see much. Poirot also shows a lack of detachment when it comes to one of the neighbors -- he finds her lovely, and picks up that one of the men is in love with her, although she's engaged to someone else. Sweet as well as touching.

Very entertaining, and a good mystery.

Poirot is not in high spirits, a combination of man flu and no cases. To raise his spirits Hastings takes Poirot to the Theatre to watch a murder mystery. Whilst at the Theatre a murder occurs at Whitehaven Mansions, it's new resident Ernestine Grant, who's body is accidentally discovered by fellow Theatre goers Jimmy and Donovan, friends of Poirot's neighbour Miss Matthews. Fortnunately Poirot's grey cells are on hand to clear up the mystery.

It's an excellent episode, one of the best of the early ones. It is an ultra smart looking episodes, the Theatre scenes look wonderfully authentic, clothes and costumes throughout look super smart, it boasts a wonderful attention to detail. It's a very different episode, Poirot deduces the killer's identity swiftly, it's more about how to physically catch the killer then the solving of the crime.

Lots of fun too, I love Poirot's grumblings about his cold, it's a lighthearted start to the episode.

The acting is up to the usual high standard. I did enjoy the appearance, albeit brief one from Josie Lawrence, nice to see her cast in a different kind of role for her.

8/10

Hercule Poirot doesn't feel too good this morning: a) he has a cold, and b) no new cases have come his way in the past few weeks. He even picks the wrong murderer in a theatrical murder mystery that his friend Captain Hastings takes him to (though he insists that the writer of the play cheated the audience). But all that is about to change when a real murder happens - in an apartment just 2 floors below his own, no less!

Featuring fluid camera-work that immediately establishes the setting (3rd floor: the murder victim, 4th floor: the people who find the body, 5th floor: Poirot), a typically clever script (when Poirot, back in form and obviously pleased with himself, says "And now, I know everything!", few viewers will be prepared for his revelations), fine acting, and even some suspense at the end AFTER the culprit has been revealed, this early entry into the Poirot series is a good solid whodunit. (***)