Agatha Christie's Poirot: Mrs McGinty's Dead
August 24, 2022 10:45 AM - Season 11, Episode 1 - Subscribe
Mrs McGinty is found dead in her home and her lodger James Bentley is arrested and convicted for her murder. It looks like an open and shut case, but Superintendent Spence is not convinced. He turns to Poirot for help, and together with Ariadne Oliver they set out to find the real killer.
This episode really stood out for me re the cinematography. I felt like I was watching a film. The director is new this season and the DP worked on The Blue Train and goes on to do a couple more important episodes. As far as acting, Sian Phillips was the standout. Can't believe she's still alive at 89. I thought she was already ancient in I Claudius. (No, just 40ish). The setting, the picturesque village, yet another white art deco house, and my favorite, the ancient filthy pile where Poirot was a PG.
The story was a bit jumbled. The red herrings were half-hearted. The second murder was inevitable and as soon as he said, I forgot something, I'll just be a sec, I knew. Also when Ariadne Oliver said he called his mother before they arrived at the theater, I was like, hold on, they don't have cell phones yet. The phone box though, she should've noticed that he was dialing different numbers and putting coins in even if his back was to her, they're not soundproof. So it was just the motive and I'm still confused about that. They were patron and protege, he was successful, why would she care that his mother was an accomplice to a long ago murder? Or I guess it was that he didn't want her or anyone to find out? Again, who cares? He wasn't raised by her in Australia, sins of the father, etc. He can still say he was adopted by his "mother".
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:18 PM on August 24, 2022
The story was a bit jumbled. The red herrings were half-hearted. The second murder was inevitable and as soon as he said, I forgot something, I'll just be a sec, I knew. Also when Ariadne Oliver said he called his mother before they arrived at the theater, I was like, hold on, they don't have cell phones yet. The phone box though, she should've noticed that he was dialing different numbers and putting coins in even if his back was to her, they're not soundproof. So it was just the motive and I'm still confused about that. They were patron and protege, he was successful, why would she care that his mother was an accomplice to a long ago murder? Or I guess it was that he didn't want her or anyone to find out? Again, who cares? He wasn't raised by her in Australia, sins of the father, etc. He can still say he was adopted by his "mother".
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:18 PM on August 24, 2022
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I'm surprised though that she didn't notice it took him a long time to come back to the car, I can't imagine doing the murder and then also calling three people like that would be super quick, but that's the one thing I felt got covered over.
posted by Carillon at 10:51 AM on August 24, 2022