He is still the intelligent, trained detective, but he is an old man, alone. I think this element perfectly captures this Poirot. It actually begins to drip as he talks with someone, and embarrassed, he stops coloring it.

It has gone to gray, and he dyes it each day. The goatee comes to a point in the middle, and is shaved clean on each side. Malkovich has a ‘normal mustache, turning down into a very neatly trimmed goatee. He lives alone, fastidiously shining his shoes. Poirot still lives at Whitehaven Mansions, but there’s no Hastings, or Miss Lemon, or George. Malkovich gives us a Poirot pre- Curtain, but later than we usually see him in the midst of his career (or retired and battling vegetable marrows). Granted, my mind sees David Suchet, or hears John Moffatt and he’s not ‘old.’ I don’t picture Poirot in his seventies or beyond in that book. Elephants Can Remember was the prior novel, published 52 years after the first. If you’ve seen David Suchet in Curtain (the last novel published, but written 35 years prior), you have a visual image of Poirot at the end of his life. It’s got more of a Dostoevsky bleakness to it than the typical Poirot. This is a much darker Poirot effort than ones we’ve seen featuring Suchet, Ustinov, Finney, and Branagh (and others).

It’s a depressing scene, and that mood pervades the entire series. The female landlord is a blowzy matron who arranges sex with her daughter for the tenants. The opening scene involves Alexander Bonaparte Cust arriving at his reserved lodging house. If you’ve not seen this version, and don’t want any surprises (and there are a few), go watch it before reading on. I try to write no/low-spoiler essays, but sometimes you gotta say what you gotta say. THERE BE SPOILERS– You can go watch this on Amazon. Of course, he has always looked a bit old, and he conveys Poirot’s weariness quite well. So, it’s Amazon’s three-part take on the 1935 novel. But that turned out to be an essay for another day. Hulk Hogan and Chris Lemmon (Jack’s son) are ex-Navy Seals with a prototype speedboat that is a Kit-light (for you Knightrider fans). That show, which is classic nineties Gorgonzola, was a tame version of the big budget action films of the era. Recently, I watched the first couple episodes of Thunder in Paradise. Obviously, the final vote was in favor of The ABC Murders, starring John Malkovich. I was really torn on what to write about for today’s column. Well, not really, but I’m here on Monday morning, anyways. And, we’re back!! Black Gate had some difficulties and was offline for last week’s regular spot, but the world is back to normal.

John moffatt poirot radio