Original Airdate: 12 April 2004 Written by: Kevin Elyot Directed by: Andy Wilson Recurring cast: Col. Race Based on:Death on the Nile
Tropes
Adaptational Jerkass: Downplayed. As if to emphasise Linnet Ridgeway's self-indulgent and thoughtless character, one of the first things we see her do is snort some cocaine. In the book, Linnet is never suggested to have a drug habit.
Adaptational Nice Guy: This happens with Jim Ferguson. When he hears of Cornelia's engagement, he looks genuinely brokenhearted and seems to finally realize that his behaviour in trying to win her wasn't the best, and his jealous comments from the book are eliminated.
Adaptational Sexuality: Tim Allerton is strongly hinted to be gay, telling Rosalie Otterbourne she's "barking up the wrong tree" when she tries to come on to him. In the book, Tim was shown to be a Mama's boy, but still heterosexual, as he and Rosalie being in love are the reason the Poirot lets Tim off the hook for stealing the pearls.
Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole: The broad hint that Tim Allerton is gay and the removal of the friendships between Poirot & Tim's mother and Poirot & Rosalie Otterbourne creates a good-sized motivational plothole in this adaptation. In the book, Poirot lets Tim off the hook for the theft of Linnet's pearls, as Poirot knows Rosalie Otterbourne and Tim are in love. It's established that Poirot feels sympathy for Rosalie over what she's gone through, and wants the two to be happily married. In making Tim gay, though, that removes the whole motive for Poirot to let Tim go, and worse, adds even more unnecessary cruelty to the Trauma Conga Line that Rosalie endures in the story.
Adapted Out: This adaptation omits Miss Bowers, Mr Fanthorp, Signor Richetti, and the Karnak's engineer.
Ambiguously Gay: Tim Allerton. His refusal of Rosalie, and the manner of it, is suggestive; in the original novel, he ended up with her.
Book Ends: This episode starts with a glass-windowed rooftop view of Simon Doyle and Jacqueline de Bellefort in bed and ends with the same view of the two of them dancing by candlelight.
Composite Character: This adaptation combines the roles of Cornelia Robson and Miss Bowers and gives Fanthorp's role to Ferguson and Marie's to Louise.
Eiffel Tower Effect: In-Universe; walking around temple ruins the young heiress wondering where all the pyramids are, thinking Egypt is full of them.
Hotter and Sexier: Continuing from the trend set by the Five Little Pigsadaptation, the first scene of the adaptation features Simon and Jacqueline in bed together.
Major Injury Underreaction: Simon remains calm after being shot in the leg and is able to give everyone instructions for keeping Jacqueline safe and fetching the doctor. He's in a much worse state when the doctor arrives to see to his wound, because he was faking the initial injury to give himself an alibi, and didn't do a very convincing job of it.
"Psycho" Strings: Toward the end, some high-pitched Psycho strings play during a flashback in which Jacqueline de Bellefort repeatedly stabs Louise Bourget to death.
Suddenly Suitable Suitor: Subverted. Like in the original, Ferguson rashly proposes to Cornelia, and Cornelia doesn't change her mind when Poirot reveals to her his real identity as Lord Dawlish, something he didn't do in the original novel. She still ends up with Dr. Bessner as in the book.
The opening is very similar to the opening of the Harry Potter films.
During the night at a hotel, one of the songs that plays in the background is the instrumental version of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" from the 1933 musical Roberta.
