Wasps' Nest

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.

Poirot runs into an old friend, author John Harrison. He is engaged to model Molly Deane but Poirot senses that something is amiss in their relationship. Deane was previously in a relationship with Harrison's best friend, artist Claude Langton. Poirot is fearful that a murder is being planned.

Reasonably interesting. There's no murder to be investigated here, but rather a murder to be prevented. Quite novel in that respect, though it does make the plot a bit conjectural, rather than based on clues and evidence.

Worth noting that the cast includes Peter Capaldi, of The Thick of It fame, as Claude Langton.

Hercule Poirot must stop a crime before it happens in "Wasps' Nest" from 1991.

Hastings and Poirot are at a village carnival when Poirot sees an old friend, John Harrison, and Hastings immediately recognizes his fiancé, Molly Deane, a fashion model. Harrison invites them to his home the next week.

Once at Harrison's home, Poirot finds out that Molly's former fiancée is Harrison's best friend, Claude Langton, who played a clown at the village event. A few incidents put Poirot's little gray cells on alert: two kinds of lipstick on a cup, the inability to get rid of wasps on Harrison's land, a car breaking down, an old man who keeps showing up...Poirot believes a crime is about to be committed, and he utilizes Hasting's new love of photography to help him. Can he stop it in time? Meanwhile, poor Inspector Japp is in the hospital with acute appendicitis.

Excellent episode, and a poignant one, as Poirot works out what is gong to happen. There is even a fashion show of '30s clothes in this episode, another indication of the high production values that are always present.

It's a shame that Japp, Hastings, and Miss Lemon are not in later shows of the series, because as can be seen here, they really add to the episodes and also lighten them up because of Poirot's relationship with them. Later on, some of the shows are quite dark.

One of the best in the series.

"This is the most difficult case in my career", says Poirot at one point. "I'm trying to solve a crime that does not exist".

When Poirot meets the son of an old friend of his, a writer who is engaged to a beautiful fashion model, he senses that something might be wrong. The model's previous boyfriend, a sculptor, still seems to be in love with her. A sinister-looking old man is constantly lurking about. And why does this nest of wasps at the writer's garden seem to be so difficult to exterminate?

Sometimes it's hard to explain why a film, or a TV episode in this case, works so well, you just have to experience it for yourself. The story itself is ingenious (this time, Poirot has to connect the pieces to prevent a future crime, not solve a past one), and the ending left me speechless. But what gives "Wasps' Nest" an extra layer is how unexpectedly moving and quiet its resolution is. Up to this point in the series (Season 3, Episode 5), this is a candidate for best episode. (***1/2)

Poirot is not in the best of spirits, desperately needing a crime. After attending a fête the chances of a crime seem more likely.

The episode looks utterly fabulous, maybe it's the cars and clothes, but somehow I've always thought of Wasp's Nest as one of the best looking episodes in the series. Royal Doulton aplenty, it's a visual treat, Summer is truly captured.

Suchet's performance is as always first rate, never really in question. I think it's the story itself that makes this episode extra special, it's up there with the very best. Not a huge role for Doctor Who number twelve Peter Capaldi, but he's great as always.

I love the running joke about Mrs Japp, the fact that we never get to see her.

A slightly unconventional episode, but truly enjoyable nonetheless, very very sad. 9/10