Original Airdate: 20 April 2001 Written by: Anthony Horowitz Directed by: Brian Farnham Recurring cast: Captain Hastings, Miss Lemon, Inspector Japp Based on:Evil Under the Sun
Tropes
Adaptation Deviation: With the Gender Flip of Linda Marshall into Lionel Marshall, Linda's use of voodoo that apparently cursed Arlena is changed to Lionel's research on deadly poisons under the guise of revising for chemistry exams.
Adaptation Dye-Job: Rosamund Darnley is stated to have dark hair in the novel. Here in the episode she's blonde by virtue of being played by Marsha Fitzalan.
A subplot about Hastings' new Argentinian restaurant, the "El Ranchero", is added, where Poirot suffers from a health scare that leads him to go to Sandy Cove Hotel.
A minor subplot regarding Arlena and an American stockbroker named Nathan Lloyd is added, which reinforces Arlena's characterization as a flirty but naïve woman.
The subplot regarding Horace Blatt involving the smuggling of heroin is further expanded upon.
Adaptational Heroism: Major Barry is changed from a relatively suspicious, though ultimately innocent character to an undercover official seconded to Scotland Yard for drug investigations.
This adaptation changes the name of Kenneth's first wife from Ruth to Linda. In the original book, Linda was the name of Kenneth's daughter whom this adaptation turns into a son Lionel.
The name of the hotel where the action takes place is now the Sandy Cove Hotel, instead of the Jolly Roger Hotel.
The Gardeners and Dr Neasdon are cut from the episode. Inspector Colgate's role was given to Chief Inspector Japp.
Kenneth Marshall remarrying, this time to Rosamund Darnley, is cut from the episode.
Christine Redfern's ostensible fear of heights is cut from the episode, with her role in the murder instead being revealed by the shards from the bottle of tanning lotion she threw out a window.
As the Good Book Says...: In the opening credits, we hear Reverend Stephen Lane recite passages from the KJV version of 1 Kings 21 before saying that those who are like King Ahab's wife Jezebel in committing evil deserve punishment. This foreshadows how Christine Redfern plays the Jezebel to her husband Patrick's Ahab by trickery. The passage also details how Naboth's vineyard came to be possessed by his enemies after his death, not unlike how the Redferns committed murders to gain their victims' money.
Busman's Holiday: Lampshaded when everyone asks why Poirot is at the Sandy Cove Hotel, assuming he's working on a case. Miss Lemon even mentions the trope by name when she's on a phone conversation with him.
Continuity Nod: Hastings has set up a new restaurant serving Argentinian food, "El Ranchero", using money that's implied to be the funds sent to him after the events of Lord Edgware Dies.
Diet Episode: Poirot has to go on a diet at the Sandy Cove Hotel on Miss Lemon's orders after an incident at an Argentinian restaurant has sent him to a hospital where he is declared "medically obese". It turns out at the end that the incident is not obesity or his health problems but food poisoning—fourteen cases of it in fact (Poirot's was one of them), so the restaurant had to be shut down until it can work out the food poisoning bit.
Flat "What": Hastings has this reaction when Miss Lemon tells him that he'll accompany Poirot to the Sandy Cove Hotel.
Gender Flip: This adaptation turns Kenneth Marshall's daughter Linda into his son Lionel (while giving the name Linda to Lionel's deceased mother).
He's Got a Weapon!: When Japp and Hastings corner one of the drug smugglers operating out of Pixy Cove, he pulls a gun on the two unarmed men. Luckily, Major Barry arrives just in time to disarm him and rescue Japp and Hastings.
I Surrender, Suckers/Sore Loser: Toward the end, after Poirot denounces Patrick Redfern as the murderer, Redfern makes a toast to Poirot, and then, just as he approaches as if to congratulate Poirot, he makes a surprise attack by attempting to strangle Poirot. Leave it to Hastings to save the day. In the original novel, he attacked Poirot without any prior pretence at gracefully conceding.
Spotting the Thread: After Poirot, Hastings and Japp encounter two men claiming to be birdwatchers, Poirot asks the other two if they noticed anything strange about them. While Japp replies in the negative, Hastings points out that the two men weren't carrying any binoculars despite their claims of birdwatching.
Undercover Cop Reveal: Major Barry turns out be working for the Home Office, investigating a drug smuggling ring on the island.
Yank the Dog's Chain: Hastings' restaurant, which was the result of the investment he put his money into, has to be shut down after multiple incidents of food poisoning including Poirot himself.
