Agatha Christie's Poirot

Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989)

132 mistakes since 9 Oct '19, 00:00

(5 votes)

The Mysterious Affair at Styles - S3-E1

Plot hole: Can't fault this massive plot hole to the adaptation, but to the source material; the culprit (forgetting the stupidity of writing an incriminating letter detailing the plan to murder someone, and put it in a desk he shares with her) since there are people outside the room that are about to enter, tears the letter in 3 neat vertical strips, rolls them, puts them in the vase on the mantlepiece, and then opens the side door to slip away...instead of simply pocketing the letter and going through that same door. Nobody was going to search him or anything and could have burned it, torn it into confetti, anything, later. It takes way way longer to do what he did, which needed him to stay there in the room increasing the chances of being found out. And of course he and his accomplice do not retrieve the letter after.

Sammo

Agatha Christie's Poirot mistake picture

The Double Clue - S3-E7

Factual error: Attention to detail in props is always extremely high in this series, and tubular flashlights have been in circulation since the beginning of the century. However the one that the supposed burglar is holding as they make their way through the top floor of the villa looks perfectly modern and unlike any model compatible with the 30s. (00:10:20)

Sammo

Evil Under the Sun - S8-E1

Revealing mistake: As the major tries to convince the Chief Inspector to leave the island, we see Hastings come down the stairs. However, prior to this we can see Hastings waiting just out of shot for his cue to enter. The edge of his hat is visible for several seconds, and when he's cued he begins walking into the shot. (01:15:27)

The Double Clue - S3-E7

Plot hole: Since the Countess was the only person to be at every dinner when the jewelry thief was in action, it takes a very special kind of idiot to not identify her as the culprit. Japp here did not need at all Poirot's acumen, but simple due diligence cross-checking the guest lists, something there is absolutely no reason he wouldn't do, and yet she is never treated as a special suspect. Also, Japp's job is described as being in jeopardy after the first 3 thefts, a 4th happens, he does not quite solve it (but retrieves at least the necklace), but he's off the hook despite the thief being unidentified, at large and with still the jewelry stolen from the first 3.

Sammo

The Mystery of the Spanish Chest - S3-E8

Continuity mistake: When Poirot pulls out of the drill hidden in the handle, he holds it triumphantly in his right hand. In the next shot he mounts it on the handle starting the motion with the drill already in the left hand and the rest of the gimlet in the right. (00:40:00)

Sammo

The Underdog - S5-E2

Factual error: Lily looks over part of the procedure for the manufacture of Astroprene. There are several problems with the chemical structures shown in step two of the procedure. This step appears to be a simple acid catalyzed rearrangement of the molecule shown. The procedure should begin with a C inside the hexagonal ring and end with the C outside the ring with no other changes. The errors include, among other things, a carbon atom at the lower left of the ring with two lines (bonds) to it. The C should have four bonds (lines), the two shown plus two to hydrogen atoms (H). The bonds to H may be condensed so the C will look something like -CH2 - (the 2 would be a subscript). (00:10:30)

Noman

The Lost Mine - S2-E3

Audio problem: There's a bit of a mix-up in the codenames of the cars who chase Reggie Dyer. Unit 7 is the first to give chase and it is identified by its crew with the photographer. Then Unit 8 intercepts at the rendez-vous point. Check the license plate; FVW 49. Japp mentions a "unit 10" that is not shown. Later in Chinatown, Japp calls for the other cars, and "Car 8" responds, but its license plate is now YD 8501 and it's another car model. Unit 10 is again not shown. They dubbed in the wrong voiceover, they should have kept offscreen the second response by Unit 8 and made it Unit 10's.

Sammo

The Lost Mine - S2-E3

Factual error: In Poirot's study, Lord Pearson shows the big piece of mineral, saying "You're left holding a a nugget of top-grade 24-carat silver." That's a laughable blunder, from a top level banker and investor about to do a massive mining deal even. Silver purity is expressed in millesimal fineness. (00:11:30)

Sammo

Five Little Pigs - S9-E1

Factual error: In the beginning of the episode when Poirot eats with the daughter of the murdered man, on several occasions there are closeups of him. When in closeup, it is obvious the actor is wearing modern contact lenses, not accurate for the time.

Death on the Nile - S9-E3

Factual error: The night of the murder, before Jackie has her nervous outburst Ferguson is reading a magazine. It's Life magazine from January 1937 with FDR on the cover. The episode is set in January 1936 (as you can see from the date on Pennington's ticket).

Sammo

Death on the Nile - S9-E3

Factual error: When Jacqueline surprises the Doyles revealing her presence on the boat, she was initially covering her face with the December 1938 issue of Vogue. The story is set in January 1936.

Sammo

Murder on the Links - S6-E3

Factual error: Poirot gets on the train to London. The engine has an SNCF plaque on it. The video then cuts to the 1936 cycle race. The BCNF was not formed until 1938.

The Veiled Lady - S2-E2

Plot hole: When Poirot and Hastings break into the house, they search the entire house for the box, without success. However, later on, when they are in the kitchen, the housekeeper comes down the stairs - having been lying in wait for them. How did Poirot not run into her when he was initially searching upstairs, particularly when he was making such a thorough search?

swordfish

The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor - S3-E6

Factual error: It is well established that the episode takes place in 1935 (Nairobi Daily Press dated Saturday July 27 1935, the poster in town advertises the meeting for "Today, Wednesday September 4th", day of the week consistent with the year), but Poirot and Hastings are stopped on their way to the train station by a Wolseley Series II - 14/56, a model that entered production in mid 1936. (00:17:00)

Sammo

The Double Clue - S3-E7

Factual error: At the party, Marcus Hardman tells Bernard that the Countess recently arrived from Russia, and she describes herself as being in exile. Which made sense in the source material, set right after the Russian Revolution, but less sense in this adaptation, set in the mid 1930s. If she stayed in Russia that long, she would have spent 15-20 years with zero privileges from her rank at that point, and nothing from her old wealth, seized by the communist government.

Sammo

The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor - S3-E6

Other mistake: Investigating Poirot's investigation, the clumsy constable crushes a tiny egg under his foot. Poirot crawls to him and points with his cane at the other eggs in the bush. But he points practically at his shoe, and the eggs are in a different spot to the left. (00:20:10)

Sammo

More quotes from Agatha Christie's Poirot

Problem at Sea - S1-E7

Trivia: Poirot in the ship's lounge is reading the actual May 1st 1935 issue of Bystander (recognizable by the cover and with the correct page order, does not seem to be a simple movie prop), roughly consistent with the time frame of the first season and a contest taking place on the 14th. (00:07:50)

Sammo

More trivia for Agatha Christie's Poirot

Answer: He definitely says "Belgian", but the subtitles get it wrong and show him saying "American."

Wblank71

Answer: It sounds a bit like "American", but listen very closely and you will hear "Belgian".

More questions & answers from Agatha Christie's Poirot

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