The Adventure of the Clapham Cook

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired

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Mrs Ernestine Todd, from Clapham, asks Poirot to help her find her cook, Eliza, who has vanished without trace. Poirot likes to take on only big and important cases, so at first he feels slighted by being called on to work on such a trivial matter. But he agrees to visit Mrs Todd's house, and after he has seen the contents of the missing cook's trunk, Poirot decides the case might prove to be worthy of his great talents, after all.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (2)

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  • Who'd have thought that a missing cook could be so problematic?

    8.0
    "Great"
    By qstevie, May 16, 2006
    I did not realise that this was the opening episode. It is, however, typical Christie. A seemingly minor problem - the missing cook - becomes something much bigger once Poirot gets his little grey cells involved.

    The way the story develops is perhaps a little obvious and we are in the world of disguises again, but it is not quite too obvious and is very watchable.

    I particularly like Bridget Forsyth as the cook's employer. I still remember her from The Likely Lads and she still does righteous indignance very well, being more than a match for Poirot.

    All in all, a little convoluted, but definitely worth watching.moreless

  • The whole gang (Poirot, Hastings, Miss Lemon, and Japp) is present in the "Poirot" pilot episode.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By mysteryfan427, Sep 06, 2005
    This is the episode that started it all. And while it's good and is accurate to what future episodes would bring, it could have been better.

    David Suchet is good as Poirot, but not great. But who can expect him to be? It is the first episode, and the character would develop a lot further in later episodes. "The walk" is not there, and Poirot smiles with his teeth visible, which if you look at later seasons, he never does. But I'm not blaming him at all. His performance is still fantastic.

    Hastings, Japp, and Miss Lemon add to the fun. Hastings has many funny moments. It's always amusing to see him trying to catch up with Poirot and being left in the dark. Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson, and Pauline Moran are all teriffic.

    But the episode has a few flaws. I found the Scottish maid Annie annoying, as I could barely hear a word she said. The accent was far too thick. Also, Hastings makes a quick remark in the beginning about a bank, and later suddenly Poirot and Hastings are talking about the same bank and its importance. They keep talking about a man named "Davis" and I had no idea who he was. Only on watching it again could I comphrehend it, and even then I felt that not everything was made clear.

    Still, it is a good episode, and I enjoyed it.moreless
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