Original Airdate: 28 February 1993 Written by: Anthony Horowitz Directed by: Brian Farnham Recurring cast: Captain Hastings, Inspector Japp
Tropes
Actionized Adaptation: The original story took place almost entirely within the Chevenix residence. In the episode, a sequence where Poirot, Hastings and Japp rescue John Lake from a burning building is added.
Adaptational Job Change: John Lake and Hugo Trent, who were a land agent and a soldier respectively in the source novella, are now an architect and a furniture designer respectively in this episode.
Arranged Marriage: Gervase Chevenix tries to arrange the marriage of his adopted daughter Ruth to his nephew, Hugo. The attempts of both parties involved to get out of this arrangement (since both are in a relationship with other people) provides part of the context of who would want Gervase dead.
Asshole Victim: Not to the extent of Henry Reedburn from The King of Clubs or Sir Reuben from The Underdog, but Gervase Chevenix isn't exactly the kind of man his bereaved would exactly grieve.
Cacophony Cover Up: Downplayed. The shot that killed Gervase Chevenix hit the gong in the hall, making everyone expect a second gong to call for dinner, but the murderer creates a sound mimicking a gunshot to make it appear that Gervase killed himself after the gong rang.
Establishing Character Moment: Gervase Chevenix introduces himself by loudly outbidding Poirot for a mirror that the latter really wanted to have, then all but compels the detective to drop by for business soon afterward.
Ruth Chevenix was a child out of wedlock by Gervase's brother and a typist. Ruth doesn't know where her mother is after she was adopted by Gervase. Said mother does appear later on.
When Miss Lingard is finishing up her book on art, Poirot notes that she's interested in a decidedly non-Fauvist piece depicting a mother with her dying child. This helps Poirot realize that she's Ruth's mother.
Heroic Fire Rescue: While Poirot, Hastings and Japp investigate the Northgate Development, they notice the smell of smoke in a room nearby, and when they open the door, they discover a fire that had started. They find John Lake unconscious and get him out of the burning building as fast as they can.
Hollywood Silencer: Used as a way to commit a murder and conceal the time of death.
Inheritance Murder: The killer murdered Gervase because he was on the verge of signing a will that would leave out her daughter from inheriting it unless she agreed to an Arranged Marriage.
Internal Reveal: Early in the episode we see John Lake and Ruth Chevenix get married, albeit secretly. When Ruth goes to the hospital to visit John, Japp tries to block her saying only family members may visit, upon which she points out that she is family by revealing their marriage.
It's Quiet… Too Quiet: When Poirot, Hastings and Japp visit the office of Northgate Development, they all note how curiously silent the place is. Turns out it's deserted, and they rescue an unconscious John Lake right before the building blows up.
Locked Room Mystery: Chevenix is found dead of what looks like suicide from a bullet to the head, the door locked and the windows latched, and the key to the room in his pocket. Poirot quickly concludes that the windows can be made to latch themselves if one were to lift it up and close the window carefully.
Luke, I Am Your Father: Miss Lingard is revealed to be Ruth Chevenix's mother, which is why she murdered Gervase: he was about to disinherit Ruth. She makes Poirot promise not to tell Ruth, and he agrees.
One-Woman Wail: Can be heard in the spooky music that plays in some parts of the episode.
Revealing Cover-Up: It's the killer's attempts at covering their tracks that, ironically, lead to Poirot solving the case.
Your Princess Is in Another Castle!: The episode appears to conclude with Poirot doing The Summation and identifying the guilty party... but we get another scene where Vanda Chevenix is almost manipulated into killing herself, and the real killer is then revealed.
