Poirot Series 10 - DVD Review

 ***Complimentary product received in exchange for an honest review***

Newly remastered and restored to their original U.K. broadcast order, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Series 10 debuts on Blu-ray and arrives on DVD on November 26, 2013 from Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand. David Suchet stars as Agatha Christie’s mustachioed mystery-solver in these four feature-length episodes from the hit series. Poirot solves these complex cases with flair and finesse with the help of Hugh Fraser (Sharpe) as Captain Hastings, Philip Jackson (Little Voice) as Chief Inspector Japp, and Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon. Brimming with opulent 1930s period details and pitch-perfect performances, these lavish adaptations look better than ever in this remastered edition. ITV Studios’ Poirot has aired on ITV1 in the U.K. since 1989 and on PBS and A&E in the U.S. The episodes from Series 10 debuted in 2006. The 2-disc Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD sets include all four mysteries from Series 10, now with SDH subtitles ($49.99/$39.99, AcornOnline.com). With the filming of Series 13 completed, David Suchet has now filmed all of Agatha Christie’s works with Poirot (70). The final series of five episodes airs in the UK in 2013-14 with the U.S. premiere in 2014.

Series 10 guest stars include Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class), Elliott Gould (Ocean’s Eleven), Alice Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness), Lindsay Duncan (Rome), James D’Arcy (Hitchcock), Lucy Punch (Doc Martin, Vexed), Honeysuckle Weeks (Foyle’s War), and Zoë Wanamaker (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) as Ariadne Oliver.

THE MYSTERIES (original U.K. broadcast order):

The Mystery of the Blue Train—When a wealthy woman is brutally murdered aboard a train, Poirot searches both for the killer and the victim’s priceless jewel.

Cards on the Table—A mysterious man invites Poirot to a dinner party—only to wind up dead during a bridge game.

After the Funeral—Poirot visits Enderby Hall to investigate the Abernethie family after two siblings die in short order.

Taken at the Flood—Poirot becomes involved with the wealthy Cloade family, whose past tragedies still haunt them.

BONUS: Behind-the-scenes featurette (46 min.) and photo gallery

Street: November 26, 2013

4 mysteries; U.K. broadcast order; SDH subtitles

Blu-ray 2-Disc Set (SRP: $49.99, Approx. 388 min., plus bonus) – UPC: 054961200696

DVD 2-Disc Set (SRP: $39.99, Approx. 388 min., plus bonus) – UPC: 054961200597

Acorn released Series 1 – 6 on DVD and Blu-ray in 2012 and Series 7&8 and Series 9 in October 2013.

My Thoughts 

Poirot Series Ten kicks off with four brand new episodes. In the Mystery with the Blue Train, a wealthy woman is murdered on a train ride, and Poirot has to find both her killer and her missing jewels before they reach their final destination.  In Cards on the Table, there is a murder at a dinner party during a game of cards. After the Funeral was my favorite of the four. Two siblings both die under mysterious circumstance, and Poirot heads to their elite family home to seek out clues to their undoing, only to discover a sinister family plot is afoot. Finally, Taken by the Flood is about a rich family with a lot of skeletons in their closets and only Poirot can find way to put them to rest once and for all.

I really enjoyed Series 10 of Poirot. It's packed with lots of mystery and intrigue, but this time around, there wasn't as much humor as there was in other seasons. It seems to be taking a slightly darker turn, but Poirot is still an engaging character with a lot of personality (and a really cool mustache) . There were also a few of my favorite characters missing from the cast this time around, including Mrs.Lemon. It was still an enjoyable season and I look forward to Series 11!

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in the review are my own and were not influenced in any way.***