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The third episode of Agatha Christie’s Poirot (English TV Serial, which was aired in Briton), is titled as The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly.
| TV Serial | : | Agatha Christie’s Poirot |
| Season | : | Season 1 |
| Episode # | : | 3 |
| Episode Title | : | The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly |
| Originally Aired | : | 22 Jan 1989 |
| Starring | : |
David Suchet (Hercule Poirot), Hugh Fraser (Captain Arthur Hastings), Philip Jackson (Inspector James Japp), Pauline Moran (Miss Felicity Lemon), Julia Chambers (Ada Waverly), Patrick Jordan (Tredwell), Patrick Connor (Hughes), Samantha Beckinsale (Barmaid), Dominic Rougier (Johnnie Waverly), Geoffrey Bateman (Marcus Waverly), Carol Frazer (Jessie Withers), Sandra Freeman (Miss Collins), Robert Putt (Rogers), Phillip Manikum (Sergeant), Jona Jones (Constable), Jonathan Magnanti (Policeman), and others… |
| Purchase Link(s) | : |
 
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The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly – is a case of a child’s abduction. The challenging fact for Poirot here is the abductor warn about the abduction to take place with date and time precisely! Now, if one wants to kidnap someone then he/she will perform the abduction first and then demand the money, right? Why will he alert the victim’s family (and thus the officials too) in advance?! They can arrange safety majors and the job for the abductor got tougher! And by specifying the time of abduction, the kidnapper puts his mouth in the lion’s head, as he can surely be caught!
After watching this episode you will be able trace links with various novels/films which followed the similar path; having the same chain of incidents.
- Man On Fire – English Novel
- Man On Fire – A 1987 movie, based on the same novel
- Man On Fire – A 2004 movie, based on the same novel
- Ek Ajnabee – A Man Apart – A 2005 Hindi movie, based on 2004 English Movie (Man On Fire)
Don’t read the next paragraph as it may contain spoiler(s) :), if you haven’t watched the episode yet.
If you have watched/read any of the above stuff, we are sure you get the idea of the main culprit. Though Hercule Poirot and Inspector Japp have tough time finding the conclusion. In addition, the episode authentically explores the effects of the need of money. We often say people marry rich heiress/heir for money only. They often land into domestic trouble due to different way of thinking and mindset. On the other hand, they think they possess a lot of money (which actually belongs to his/her spouse). Their (mis)adventures or high standard life style then leads them to the need to a large sum of money. Which leads them to crime.
Poirot cases are mostly the battle within the mind (or shall we say – little grey cells – as Poirot says) to imagine the possible situations which lead to the crime and finding the culprit. And it is depicted fine here. The conversation between Mr. Waverly and Mr. Poirot when they meet for the first time in Poirot’s office, is interesting. Actually you can see various attributes of Poirot, Captain Hastings, Miss Lemon in nice manner in the scene before and after. Also the conversation between Inspector Japp and Mr. Waverly at the Scotland Yard is a nice watch. You see the real problems police face here. Running with limited staff, they need to decide priorities and Japp was ignorant of the case at first. It is filmed well.
The high point of the episode is abduction of the kid. Right under the nose of Poirot, Mr. Waverly, Hastings, Inspector Japp and his team!!!
The end of the episode is thoughtful, and you will appreciate Poirot’s decision here, at certain extent.
The Fantastic Four (Poirot, Lemon, Japp, Hastings) are in full form. Of course the episode relies largely on David Suchet and he proves his metal. He is fantastic. His body language, facial expression, gestures, makes you believe him as a detective. Philip Jackson is first rate as Japp. He has the persona of a police officer. Hugh Fraser is convincing. His face tells a lot.Pauline is a nice actor and she does her bits as Miss Lemon. Geoffrey Bateman is in full form and he looks his character. Rest of the actors does their work mostly in convincing manner. The incidents are filmed really well. The camera angles, the lighting, the surroundings, the locales, everything fits in remarkably. The story is dramatized to keep you glued. These days the story may not look much thrilling, based what we have seen on the celluloid these days (with fantastic advancement in technology, and some remarkable story tellers); but it is definitely a – good to watch – episode. It is very tough to convert a well-known, popular, crime thriller into a TV serial episode. The hard work of people behind the scene is clearly visible.
The remastered DVDs came up with good sound and picture qualities, and you can expect the same quality at Amazon Prime as well. So seeing all the positive aspects, if murder mysteries and thrillers are your choice, than you may not like to miss this one.
Did you read the reviews for the first episode of this TV Serial? Also what you think for this episode? Do share your feelings via comments below. If you find this review helpful to make you a buying/watching decision, do not forget to share with your friends and family 🙂
