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Poirot Season 13 Episodes
Season 13 Episode Guide
5 Episodes 2013 - 2013
Episode 1
Elephants Can Remember
Mon, Aug 11, 201489 mins
Ariadne Oliver is accosted by the unpleasant Mrs Burton-Cox, whose son Desmond has hopes of marrying Ariadne's beautiful goddaughter Celia Ravenscroft. But Mrs Burton-Cox will not give her blessings to the match until she learns the truth of the deaths of Celia's parents, who were found shot to death on the grounds of their estate a decade before. Were they murdered, or was it a suicide pact? If they were murdered, who shot whom? Despite being insulted by the woman's impertinence, Ariadne is nevertheless drawn to the cold case by curiosity, and resolves to find out the truth when she is persuaded by Celia herself. When she turns to Poirot for assistance, however, she finds him already preoccupied investigating the murder of an elderly psychiatrist who was the father of a personal friend. So Ariadne sets out to solve the Ravenscroft affair herself, with the mantra that 'elephants can remember' - no matter how much time has passed and how much people who were acquainted with the Ravenscrofts have aged, memories remain unchanged. However, the memories of the people Ariadne interviews are not as reliable as she has hoped, and soon the investigation takes a sinister turn when Desmond's life is threatened by an unknown entity. When Poirot realizes that his investigation is inextricably linked with Mrs Oliver's, the two join forces. With the help of a wigmaker, the evidence of a clever dog, and a French connection to the Ravenscroft case, Poirot is able to penetrate the fog of memory to uncover the truth of two long-ago deaths, and how that tragic story inspired the present-day killer whom he himself has been hunting.
Episode 2
The Big Four
Sun, Jul 27, 201487 mins
A Russian grand master dies mysteriously during an international chess match. The case is related to a political intrigue involving the so-called Peace Party and its leaders Madame Olivier and Abe Ryland. Poirot investigates with his old friends Hastings, Japp and Lemon, helped by a reporter and a minor actress, but the quartet must soon fight a dangerous battle with the Big Four, a secret society manipulating for their own personal chess game a great number of international celebrities.
Episode 3
Dead Man's Folly
Sun, Aug 3, 201489 mins
With summer in the air, wealthy squire Sir George Stubbs and his fragile, childlike wife Hattie plan a grand fête for their Devonshire neighbors to celebrate their recent acquisition of Nasse House. Fancy dress, fortune telling, and a coconut shy are all scheduled, as well as a murder hunt designed by mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver. But Mrs Oliver is convinced something is amiss, and asks Hercule Poirot to attend the festivities as a means to put her mind at rest. Poirot scrutinizes the eclectic lot, which includes officious politicos, a put-upon secretary, a rakish architect, warring holidaymakers, a garrulous ferryman, an urbane foreigner, and Nasse's former matriarch, now content to be a humble lodger. They certainly have secrets to hide, but are any of them likely murderers? Or victims? When Mrs Oliver's fears are realized, however, the events are far from how she imagined them to unfold. A murder occurs as anticipated, but bizarrely, the victim is Marlene Tucker, a local Girl Guide who was assigned the role of the victim in Mrs Oliver's murder game! Her seemingly senseless death precipitates an even greater intrigue when Hattie Stubbs vanishes into thin air, clothes and all. Then the ferryman dies in a seemingly unrelated accident. What could all of this mean? Was Marlene silenced as a witness? Was Hattie abducted against her will? Was Mrs Oliver unknowingly manipulated by an unscrupulous murderer? And how does Sir George's hideous folly figure into the mystery, if at all? Poirot is on the case, determined to put the follies of Nasse House to rest once and for all.
Episode 4
The Labours of Hercules
Mon, Aug 18, 201489 mins
In an attempt to snare the enigmatic art thief Marrascaud, Poirot and the Metropolitan Police set an irresistible trap: at the society debut of wealthy aristocrat Lucinda Le Mesurier, a priceless painting called 'Hercules Vanquishing the Hydra' by Marrascaud's favorite artist will be displayed, with Lucinda wearing exquisite diamond jewelery. A confident Poirot is convinced the criminal will be apprehended, but he does not foresee the eventual, disastrous outcome: not only does Marrascaud pinch the painting, but Lucinda herself is brutally murdered, and her jewels are stolen as well. The catastrophe weights heavily on Poirot's conscience, and he sinks into a steady depression, despite the entreaties of his physician, Dr Burton. Three months after Lucinda's murder, a lonely chauffeur asks Poirot to find his true love, the maid of celebrated Russian ballerina Katrina Samoushenka. Pitying the man, Poirot agrees to reunite the lovers pro bono and sets off to the Hotel Olympos in Rochers Neiges, Switzerland, where Katrina is supposedly staying. Run by the hearty (yet corrupt) Italian Francesco, the hotel is world-famous for its Alpine spa treatments, and much to Poirot's surprise, it is also Marrascaud's current hideout. But what identity has the villain taken? Among the guests, Poirot not only finds the bedridden Katrina, but also her imperious Austrian psychotherapist Dr Lutz, M.P. Harold Waring, who has shouldered the blame for an illicit scandal involving his superior, bossy Mrs Rice and her daughter Elsie Clayton, whose abusive husband is also staying at the hotel, parlor-game enthusiast Schwartz, and the only woman who has ever stirred his heart: former jewel thief Countess Vera Rossakoff, whose criminologist daughter Alice Cunningham is also present, along with her unsightly pet bulldog, Binky. A motley crew, indeed, and just as impenetrable. When an avalanche strands the guests, it becomes even more imperative to find Marrascaud. But several distractions prevent Poirot from facing his nemesis. Why is Katrina being deliberately evasive about the fate of her maid? Why does Dr Lutz have such a powerful hold on her? Why does Elsie's husband always dine in his room? What is Countess Rossakoff doing in Switzerland, and has she really given up her life of thievery? Why is Schwartz so hard to read? What happened to the old servant, Robert, and why is his replacement so inexperienced? Who tried to frighten Alice? As more and more questions pile up, less and less time remains as Poirot strives towards redemption for his past mistakes. But will he succeed in battling his inner demons as Hercules succeeded in conquering his twelve Labours, or will Marrascaud be the first criminal to prevail against the Belgian detective?
Episode 5
Curtain: Poirot's Last Case
Mon, Aug 25, 201489 mins
Still mourning the untimely death of his wife, Bella, Hastings is summoned to Styles Court in Styles St. Mary by his old friend Poirot. It is the country manor where, thirty years previously, he and Poirot had first met in England and where they had also solved their first murder mystery together. Now, Styles has changed hands and is being run as a modest post-war guest house, and it is here that Hastings makes a gut-wrenching discovery: Poirot's health has taken a turn for the worse. The Belgian detective is now old, gaunt, arthritic, and confined to a wheelchair as he battles a weak heart. But his little gray cells are as active as ever, which is why Poirot has called him to Styles in the first place - a murderer is in their midst, and may be ready to strike again. He asks Hastings to be his eyes and ears about the place, for Poirot does not know who is likely to be the killer's next victim. Being as observant and vigilant as possible, Hastings takes stock of his fellow company, which includes Styles' elderly owners Daisy and Colonel Toby Luttrell, melancholy spinster Elizabeth Cole, charming aristocrat Sir William Boyd Carrington, perceptive birdwatcher Stephen Norton, dashing womanizer Major Allerton, introverted chemist Dr John Franklin and his unpleasant wife Barbara, Mrs Franklin's caretaker Nurse Craven, and, most significantly, his fiercely independent daughter Judith, currently working as Dr Franklin's laboratory assistant. Any one of these people could be a killer, but Hastings is at a loss as to exactly who, especially since he seems more interested in reconnecting with his estranged daughter and protecting her from indecent cads like Allerton. But soon, the murderer's presence becomes apparent: first, Colonel Luttrell nearly kills his wife in a supposed shooting accident, and then Barbara Franklin dies after ingesting a toxic alkaloid that her husband has been researching. Just when a solution seems in sight, Norton is found dead from a gunshot wound. Who is behind these cold-blooded acts, and for what reason? How much has Poirot been withholding from Hastings, and were any of these events truly preventable? What has Judith been hiding from her father, and can the two be reconciled despite their differences? What role does Shakespeare play in the proceedings? And, finally, can Poirot solve his final case in spite of his deteriorating health, or will the curtain come down on him before he can bring a ruthless killer to justice?
