'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' is the first Poirot story. However as this is the feature length story marking the beginning of the the third season, it almost serves as a prequel.The action moves to 1917, the great war is still raging. Lieutenant Hastings has been wounded and also maybe shell shocked. He is invited by an old friend John Cavendish (David Rintoul) to stay at his vast estate, Styles Court to recuperate. Along the way Hastings is told that John's mother has married Albert Ingelthorpe (Michael Cronin) who is 20 years younger than her. The motive for the marriage can only be money.In the nearby village Hastings encounters a man who he once met, Hercules Poirot who is a Belgian refugee.Later that night John's mother dies, it is poison. Hastings has no option but to call in Poirot, the man who he once helped in an investigation.The obvious culprit is Albert Ingelthorpe who is silent about his whereabouts and who also purchased some poison for a dog. However Poirot is convinced that Ingelthorpe might have a watertight alibi even though he has motive compared to others in the household.A generation of schoolchildren at the time might have been confused that PE teacher, Mr Baxter from Grange Hill cannot surely be the baddie. As we have gone back in time Suchet's Poirot has more hair. Unfortunately little is done make Hastings and Japp look younger.As I have said about the previous early episodes of Poirot, the art and set decoration is sumptuous. There are just some wonderful scenes with a huge hanging painting as some people walk down the stairs of some government building. There are short scenes which require period detail, costumes, sets and extras. Money was thrown into this series.However it did feel a bit overlong and the reasons that Poirot deduced to catch the culprit was rather weak. It is a locked room mystery but one where the killer has written down the incriminating evidence.

This was the first mystery story that Agatha Christie ever wrote. Reasonably faithfully depicted here, it is an entertaining if straightforward retelling of what happened when Captain Hastings, recovering from a war wound in 1917, finds himself visiting the estate of an old friend in the village of Styles St. Mary. The same village where, coincidentally, Hastings's acquaintance Poirot has been living for the last 4 years, along with 7 other Belgian war refugees. When Poirot's benefactor, Mrs. Inglethorp dies mysteriously one night, Poirot and Hastings work together to investigate the matter.The story is helped along by some minor touches of humor, especially the scene where a young woman appeals to Hastings for advice, and Hastings impulsively proposes marriage to her. This story, outside of simply being the first Christie novel, is also noted for having her first rather shocking final revelation, one that here is so shocking that the final confession "All right, we love each other!" looks really too ridiculous to be believed. But overall, the period detail is wonderful to behold, and Suchet and company as usual do an excellent job.

Although IMDb lists this feature length outing as the first episode of the third season, it is actually a stand-alone episode which was made to mark 100 years since the birth of Christie. I know this because early doors I did have to do some Googling to understand the context because the film is the very first book where Poirot makes an appearance and as it fit into the flow of the season. The plot sees Hastings having only previously met Poirot once but by chance reunited with him as the little Belgian and others have temporarily been granted entry into the UK to escape the war. Whenever the residence where Hastings is staying experiences a death, he suggests they involve Poirot to help with the investigation.The change in time appears to have had other impacts too because this special is not quite as good as the previous two seasons had been. The change in dynamic and relationship is an impact but it is not particularly negative in the grand scheme of things but it does jar a little when watching in the context of the previous episodes; Hastings is a darker character in the wake of the war and Poirot's relationship with him is perhaps too superficial (as one would expect) so the humor between them is not as evident. The plot is engaging but not all of it makes sense and as part of filling out two hours, there is a lot more in the way of red herrings than normal which by definition means that the mystery becomes less accessible and less straightforward. These factors are small things though because, although clearly different from the episodes before, the film still works very well and delivers in the ways it normally does – even if that is not quite as well as we are used to.The cast remain very good although understandably there is some restrictions on their characters as we "get the gang together" as it were. Suchet is as good as ever even in a younger appearance; I liked that he retained the character but made it work a few steps earlier in the line – for example his fussy, irritable streak is more gently shown with an attention to detail. Fraser has less of a comedic role, which is a shame as he is very good at that, but he does make for more of a rounded character. Jackson is solid in support as usual but is less used. The supporting cast are generally pretty good although in a way I went for them less because to me they were part of the "fuller" film feel and thus worked a little against the fresher, more accessible plots than I had enjoyed of late.The Mysterious Affair at Styles is still a very enjoyable film that is a nice addition to the episodes even if it clunks a little bit against the flow. The essence is still there even if it must be said the longer running time and the change in the dynamics does rather reduce the fresh humor of the episodes and how accessible they were.

David Suchet is the quintessential Hercules Poirot, and it was a joy to see his portrayal of the famed detective's first case. After a slow start, the "funny little man" makes his first appearance on the screen. Of course, the character as portrayed by Suchet was still being developed, so there are a few minor differences, but nothing that would be annoying.As was mentioned before, the period sets, clothing and props were delightful. The mannerisms of the upper crust are always fun to watch in Poirot, as they seem completely oblivious to the real world.I highly recommend this program to fans of the series.