Poirot (TV Series) The Adventure of the Western Star (1990) User Reviews

Diamonds Are Forever

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 29 December 2007]

The "Western Star" of the title is a flawless diamond that supposedly represents one eye of a Chinese god; the other eye is represented by an equally valuable diamond, the "Eastern Star". The first is owned by a Belgian female film star and her husband; the second by an English Lord and his wife. When both couples receive anonymous letters threatening them that their diamonds will soon be stolen, Hercule Poirot comes to the rescue.

This is one of the tightest, most story-driven "Poirot" episodes I've seen so far. Usually there's some sightseeing or some subplot along the way, but this time almost every one of the 50 minutes is, directly or indirectly, related to the main plot. Another notable thing is that one big twist is revealed halfway through - and the story just keeps going. Hugh Fraser has some outstanding acting moments in this one, particularly when Captain Hastings THINKS he knows what's going on. Well worth seeing. (***)

Tightly plotted and very well made

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 24 April 2012]

I have always loved Agatha Christie: Poirot, and while The Adventure of the Western Star is not one of my favourites of the short-story adaptations(Wasp's Nest, The Chocolate Box, The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman, The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb, Mystery at Hunters Lodge and Four and Twenty Blackbirds) it is one of the better ones with my only real complaint being the not so convincing accent of the actress playing Marie. Other than that, it was sumptuously shot and looks absolutely splendid in detail. The music further enhances the mood, often beautiful and often haunting. The writing is consistently, with some of the series' funniest moments, with Poirot's bow in the doorway, Japp hiding in the bushes and Poirot's lines about ice cold detective prowess(or something like that) and Why is it the misfortune of Poirot to be among such philistines? The story is very tightly constructed with every single scene relevant to the story. David Suchet is adorable, dapper, funny and somewhat adorable too here. Phillip Jackson and Pauline Moran support him wonderfully while Hugh Fraser gives one of his finest performances of the series in this episode, there is something about Hastings' naivety that I find amusing. All in all, a very good episode. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox

"Now, close your little book and eat your dinner."

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 28 July 2015]

Poirot is beside himself after receiving a request for a visit with famed Belgian actress Marie Marvelle. Marvelle happens to own a very valuable diamond, The Western Star. Someone has sent several notes threatening to steal the diamond. The next day, Poirot is visited by Lady Yardly, the owner of the famous Eastern Star diamond. She has also received messages threatening to steal her diamond. Poirot and Hastings visit Lady Yardly and, before they can lay eyes on the diamond, someone steals it. The theft occurs literally right in front of their faces. Needless to say, the theft does not sit well with Poirot.

In my comments on the Poirot episode I've recently watched, I've discussed my displeasure that there hasn't been good murder in quite awhile (4 or so episodes). Despite that fact and despite the fact that the mystery in The Adventure of the Western Star is overly difficult to solve, it's still a good episode. The plot in this one is as tight as I can remember. There's really not a wasted moment. Director Richard Spence did a fantastic job with pacing. Period sets, locations, and costumes are dead on the mark. The airport set, complete with vintage airplane, was a nice touch. The acting is what I've come to expect. I was especially impressed with Caroline Goodall as Lady Yardly. And, there are a couple of very nice comedy bits. My favorite has to be Poirot's reaction to meeting Marie Marvelle. I don't think I've ever seen Poirot that flustered.

Season 2: Continues in the vein of the first season to produce a roundly entertaining season

[bob the moo · 4 March 2014]

I'm not sure why I never watched Poirot when I was younger, particularly considering how I was basically brought up with Perry Mason and Columbo on Saturday afternoons in front of a good coal fire. Perhaps it was the day that ITV screened it originally, since in my house television on Sundays was generally frowned upon and not encouraged – so while people were enjoying the show it just passed me by. The later "big deal" specials I generally found to be good but I only watched now and again as I did feel like I was walking in on the end of something. Watching the first season for the first time about 25 years after it was made was a real good experience and I was pleased to find that the second season continues in the same vein.

In terms of the plot I cannot comment on the faithfulness of the adaptations but I would say that the episodes are generally very engaging because they are accessible and take the viewer with them. My reluctance with some of the BBC Marple films, for example, always came from the feeling that the focus was to be as difficult as possible and just fill time with crisp Englishness before pulling out the conclusion from the hat. With Poirot I didn't have this feeling because the stories were engaging, developed well and most importantly kept the viewer with it – OK Poirot himself may be ahead of us, but it was never a case of me not knowing what was going on and just waiting for Poirot to tell me. There were maybe a few moments where I wasn't sure how we came to certain conclusions or information, but mostly it was not the case.

That it does this is one thing but I also continue to love the extent to which the show is complimented by light comedy and entertainment. While the mysteries are the main thing, it doesn't take itself too seriously and has lots of nice asides and comic moments and they are often very well done. A simple flicker of confusion across Poirot's face when Japp said he was riding an invisible bike was typical of the very effective comic touches, but of course there is a lot of very funny and enjoyable material in there which is built in and around the mystery stories to make for a very strong package. The best example is the episode The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim which has plenty of great lines but is never better than the short scene starting with the line "I've got a parrot for Mr Poy-rot".

Suchet makes for a great lead again. His mannerisms and delivery of jumbled sentences is very good, as is his little impatience and arrogance but he is excellent the closer you look as he has lots of very fine detail in his delivery which adds to the production. His comic timing is also very good and he frequently made me laugh with the smallest touch. Fraser is forever the sidekick but his performance is also very good and he works very well alongside Suchet to produce a likable partnership. Jackson's Japp is also well pitched – the police character can often be just made bumbling or inept in this type of show (Lestrade in most versions of Sherlock for example) but here he is a good character who again fits well into the dynamic. Support turns throughout the season are generally good. The choice of locations remains good and even though time has aged the look of the episodes, the creation of time and place is very good with excellent costumes and design – locations are very well selected even if a couple of them get re-used as different places in different episodes.

The second season of this show continues the very high quality of the first; good mysteries which are told in an accessible and inclusive way, very good performances, material that is funny and entertaining and production design and detail which adds a feeling of quality and depth to each episode. Very enjoyable and very good viewing.

Interesting but the end is a bit anticlimactic

[grantss · 7/10 · 6 August 2016]

Hercule Poirot is excited at the prospect of meeting one of his idols, Belgian actress Marie Marvelle. When they meet, Ms Marvelle informs Poirot that she has been receiving letters, threatening to steal her priceless diamond, the Western Star. Upon research, Poirot discovers that there is also an Eastern Star diamond and the two form a set. The Eastern Star is currently owned by Lady Yardly. Within days, Lady Yardly comes to Poirot stating that she too is receiving threats of theft. Poirot visits Lord and Lady Yardly at their estate and, while there, the Eastern Star is stolen. The next morning, the Western Star is stolen out of Ms Marvelle's hotel by a man impersonating her husband.

Quite interesting but ultimately there are not that many surprises. The villains of the piece are fairly obvious. Moreover, the ending is a bit of a damp squib and is more about sentimentality than justice.

Some good banter though and the usual amusing sub-plots, generally at Hastings' expense.

Don't come the old acid with me!

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 29 October 2015]

A collector of stolen gems is in town, Henrik van Braks, and also in the area is the fabulous Wester Star jewel.

It goes without saying the usual production values are flawless, I particularly liked the opening sequences through the street. Some wonderful men's coats on show too.

Hastings is at his absolute best, he's on top form, his meeting Lady Yardly scene was so funny. As confident as he was you just knew he was going to get it wrong somewhere along the line.

I particularly liked Struan Rodger's performance as Van Braks, Doctor who fans will now him as the voice behind the face of Boe, not a huge amount of screen time but a convincing performance nonetheless.

It's a beautifully written episode, an intriguing story of the precious gem, with an equally interesting sub story involving Van Braks. The two stories intertwine effortlessly. Proof that you should never perhaps meet your idols. 8/10

The Adventure of the Western Star

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 27 November 2017]

Poirot is starstruck over a young beautiful Belgian actress Marie Marvelle. When he discovers she is getting threats over a valuable diamond known as the Western Star he becomes concerned.

Marie is planning to see Lord and Lady Yardly who own the valuable twin, the Eastern Star. They are also getting threatening letters and both diamonds are stolen with an unscrupulous Chinaman regarded as a suspect.

Poirot thinks one of the diamond might had been an imitation and linked with a blackmailing, adulterous husband who is also a thief.

Another episode with delightful production values, just watch the street scenes and the extras when Poirot and Hastings visit the Jewish jewellery area of London.

I did think it was easy to figure out who the shifty one was here, the ending was a bit loose with Inspector Japp being outsmarted by a man who deals in stolen gems and Hasting is still looking for a Chinaman.

The Chinaman

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 5 July 2014]

"The Adventure of the Western Star" is from the second season of Poirot, and it concerns a flawless diamond that represents one eye of a Chinese god. There is another one, the diamond representing the other eye, that is known as the "Eastern Star." Poirot is thrilled to be called to the hotel of a great Belgian film star. It turns out that she owns one of the diamonds. She has received threatening letters delivered to the hotel by a Chinaman, warning her that her diamond should be returned to its rightful owners and will be stolen.

The next day, an English woman who owns the other diamond calls and reports the same threats. When Poirot and Hastings visit her and her husband, the diamond is stolen nearly in front of them, and a piece of the Chinaman's robe is found caught in the doorway.

This story is extremely well done, though as a mystery, it's not Christie's best. In fact, I found it fairly obvious. But it is enjoyable, and after seeing the morose Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express, it was refreshing to see this earlier episode.

A faithful but not very exciting adaptation

[kaberi-893-642316 · 7/10 · 3 October 2015]

This is one of the more faithful story adaptations of the series. Poirot and Hastings are consulted by an actress who has received threatening letters regarding The Western Star, the large diamond given to her by her husband. Poirot offers to keep the diamond safe, but the actress wants to take it to Yardley Chase to show it off to Lady Yardley, who is said to have a large diamond of her own. The next day, while Poirot is out, Hastings is visited by Lady Yardley. Hastings tells Lady Yardley that he knows that she must have received letters as well, and agrees that he will go with Poirot to Yardley Chase that evening. But when they get there, as Lady Yardley is getting ready to show them the diamond, the lights go out, Lady Yardley screams, and the diamond disappears. Can Poirot discover who has the diamond, and get it back to its rightful owner?

Since it is a faithful rendering of the story, it comes off quite well. The extra details that have been added by the writers are mildly amusing, and don't take anything away from the story. The actress in this version is supposed to be Belgian, and there is a bit of a running joke about how Poirot seems to be the only man in England who is aware that there is such a thing as a Belgian film star. And Japp, who spends the episode trying to bring to justice the man who is trying to buy the stolen diamond, has the rug pulled out from under him yet again at the end. Overall, quite a good retelling of the story but nothing special.

Less intrigue than usual in this Poirot show

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 28 January 2018]

Blackmail, infidelity, diamonds and desertion contribute to this Agatha Christie story in the Hercule Poirot series. When I saw this episode in its first airing on TV, I thought it wasn't quite up to the standards of intrigue and mystery that we Agatha Christie fans had come to expect. Watching it again recently, I reaffirm that notion.

One scene is just too silly to be believed. The scene with Lady Yardly (Caroline Goodall) beginning to enter a room and then suddenly being pulled away by some unknown jewel robber is just too amateurish. Watching Poirot's face as she explains what happened to her, one can imagine that he thinks it was quite as silly as it looked to all the audience. Which means, it wasn't convincing and therefore a significant aspect of the plot is tipped to everyone. I don't know how they might have done that differently, but the actress just isn't convincing. Perhaps a little rewrite of the script to have had the necklace stolen the night before would work.

The Henrik Van Braks character is something of a red herring, but it is a way to get Chief Inspector Japp into the story. Otherwise, the period scenery, automobiles and dressing continue in a splendid manner of showing modern audiences something of the culture of the early 20th century in England.

There is one very good exchange of dialog between Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) and Poirot (David Suchet) at the end.

Hastings, "You know, you say you have the particular sensitivity to women and all that, Poirot. It seems to me that all you did for Mrs. Marvelle is to lose her her husband." Poirot, "A blackmailing, adulterous husband who is also the thief. That is such a great loss, Hastings?"

All Poirot shows are good but this one not one of the best

[Paularoc · 7/10 · 27 August 2012]

Beautiful Belgian actress, two magnificent diamonds, a mysterious Chinese man sending anonymous letters, a charming Lady - what more could one ask for? Well, a bit more humor and a little less outrageous plot with an overly obvious solution. The production values are as usual excellent; particularly interesting were the old mansion and the airport. And, most importantly Poirot and his cohorts - Hastings, Lemon and Japp, make any show better than it would have been without them. One of the better scenes is when Poirot meets with the beautiful Belgian actress. At their first meeting, he is all atwitter and at their last visit he is very sad for her. A solid episode but not in the top third of my favorites.

Poor adaptation

[donlessnau-591-637730 · 4/10 · 4 July 2021]

If they'd stuck with the story, it might have been very good. But they didn't and it stinks. The ending especially was needlessly confusing and complex. Not very good.

Who's Got The Goods?

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 22 May 2014]

The Western Star is not a ship or a celestial body but a gem, of which there are only two in the world. Threats have been received by both owners, who are strangers to one another, that the gems will be stolen. The germs ARE in fact stolen. Well, sort of. I was lost at times. I usually am in these stories because I am dull and Poirot, curse him, withholds information that would keep me, how you say?, au courant.

I give this extra points because the twin gems are owned by two babalicious young ladies -- one a Belgium film star and the other by some sort of upper-class Aryan. They're both a delight for the eye. But the aristocratic Lady Yardley is played by Caroline Goodall. She's startlingly attractive, with her carefully marcelled blond curls and her sea-green eyes. Her beauty if flawless.

The Belgian actress is attractive as well -- Rosalind Bennett -- though her French accent sounds put on. Nevertheless, Poirot gently captures her during a conversation in that language. Her husband, though, is suspicious from the beginning. He looks like he's wearing wolf man make up and his demeanor is narcissistic. If anyone belongs in the slams, he does. A night or two in the crowbar hotel would do him a world of good.

Nice shots, too, of what may be a twin-engined passenger airplane, the Lockheed Vega. An earlier episode had an "experimental" Spitfire. What lengths the producers went to in order to achieve period accuracy. Applause.

Diamonds are forever maybe

[safenoe · 6/10 · 3 May 2024]

Caroline Goodall plays Lady Yardly in The Adventure of the Western Star, which debuted in 1990, so that's 34 years ago, and I've been catching up on Poirot, and I especially like the shorter episodes with the whole Scooby Gang, unlike the later seasons where three of them (Hastings, Japp and Lemon) were away. Anyway, here there's a lot of intrigue about the "Chinaman", and I wondered about the lexicon, because no-one in the episode says "Germanyman" or "Franceman" or "Belgiumman" or "Englandman" init. Anyway, not a bad episode init, and worth watching once to get through the series and all init.