It was 2013. A Wednesday night in November, specifically. David Suchet, the man who had basically become Hercule Poirot for an entire generation, sat in a wheelchair on screen. He looked frail. Thin. Nothing like the dapper, chocolate-loving Belgian we’d spent twenty-five years watching. This was the beginning of the end for Hercule Poirot series 13, and honestly, it felt like losing a member of the family.
By the time the final credits rolled on Curtain, the show had accomplished something no other detective series really has. They filmed every single Poirot story Agatha Christie ever wrote. Every novel. Every short story. It’s a staggering achievement. 70 episodes in total. But that final season—series 13—was different. It was darker, weirder, and way more emotional than the cozy mystery vibes of the early 90s.
The Five Films That Closed the Book
Most people forget that Hercule Poirot series 13 wasn't just one long season. It was five feature-length films. Each one had a totally different vibe, mostly because they were adapting some of Christie’s most "difficult" late-career work.
- Elephants Can Remember: This one pairs Poirot back up with Ariadne Oliver (the brilliant Zoe Wanamaker). It's a "cold case" story about memory. The book is kind of a mess—Christie was quite old when she wrote it—but the TV adaptation by Nick Dear actually cleans up the plot holes. It’s a solid, melancholic start.
- The Big Four: Talk about a weird one. This is basically Christie trying to write a James Bond thriller before James Bond existed. There’s a secret society, a Russian grandmaster, and even a "hollowed-out volcano" feel to it. Mark Gatiss helped write this one, and you can tell. He leaned into the pulpiness while bringing back the "old gang": Hastings, Japp, and Miss Lemon.
- Dead Man’s Folly: Filmed at Greenway, Agatha Christie’s real-life holiday home in Devon. It’s stunning. You've got a murder hunt at a summer fete that turns into a real murder. It’s probably the most "classic" feeling episode of the bunch.
- The Labours of Hercules: This is a visual masterpiece. Set in a snowbound hotel in the Swiss Alps. The writer, Guy Andrews, had to cram twelve short stories into one 90-minute film. He did it by creating a central mystery involving an art thief named Marrascaud. It feels like a dream—or a nightmare.
- Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case: The big one. The one that makes everyone cry.
Why "Curtain" Still Hits So Hard
If you haven't seen Curtain, prepare yourself. It’s bleak.
Poirot returns to Styles Court—the setting of his very first case—to stop one last killer. But he’s dying. He has a heart condition, he’s lost weight (Suchet actually lost about 30 pounds for the role), and he’s confined to a wheelchair.
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The most shocking part? Poirot becomes a killer himself. He realizes the villain, Stephen Norton, is someone who manipulates others into committing murder. Norton can't be caught by the law. So, Poirot takes matters into his own hands, shoots Norton, and then suppresses his own medication to let himself die.
It’s a massive departure from the "Order and Method" Poirot we knew. He dies as a murderer. It’s heavy stuff.
The Transformation of David Suchet
Suchet’s dedication was next level. He didn't just play Poirot; he inhabited him. To get the "perfect" waddle in the early years, he famously clamped a penny between his buttocks while walking. But for Hercule Poirot series 13, the physicality changed entirely.
He had to play a man whose body was failing but whose mind was still a "fine-tuned engine." The scene where he says "Cher ami" to Hastings for the last time? That wasn't just acting. Suchet was saying goodbye to a character he’d played for a quarter of a century.
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Behind the Scenes: The Real Locations
A cool detail for the super-fans: they couldn't get the original house used for Styles in the first season. Instead, they used Shirburn Castle. It looks different—moodier, more oppressive. It fits the tone of a world at war (it's set during WWII).
Also, The Labours of Hercules wasn't filmed in Switzerland. Most of those "Alpine" shots were clever camera work and CGI mixed with locations in the UK. But Dead Man's Folly being at Greenway? That was the real deal. Walking through those gardens on screen feels like walking through Christie’s own imagination.
What Most People Get Wrong About Series 13
People often complain that these final episodes are "too depressing." They miss the Art Deco brightness of the 1930s episodes. But here’s the thing: that was the point.
The world was changing. The series follows Poirot from the optimistic, flashy 1920s through the grim reality of the 1940s. The shadows got longer because the world got darker. Series 13 isn't just a collection of mysteries; it's a character study of a man realizing his time has passed.
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The return of the original cast in The Big Four was a gift to the fans, but it also served a purpose. It reminded us of what Poirot was losing. Seeing Japp, Hastings, and Miss Lemon together one last time made the isolation of the final episode even more painful.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re planning to dive back into Hercule Poirot series 13, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Watch 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' first: Before you watch Curtain, rewatch the very first episode. The parallels are everywhere. From the house itself to the dynamic between Poirot and Hastings, it brings the whole journey full circle.
- Look for the Wigs: In Elephants Can Remember, pay attention to the talk about wigs. It’s a weird Christie obsession that actually matters to the plot.
- Note the Lighting: Watch how the lighting changes from Dead Man's Folly (bright, summery, fake) to Curtain (shadowy, grey, cold). It tells the story as much as the dialogue does.
- Check the Soundtrack: Christian Henson took over the music for the final run. It’s less "jaunty" than the original theme and much more atmospheric.
Hercule Poirot series 13 remains a landmark in television history. It’s rare for a show to get to finish exactly how it wants. It’s even rarer for an actor to stay with a role long enough to see the character through to the very end of their life.
If you want to experience the full weight of the finale, don't skip the "middle" episodes like The Labours of Hercules. They build that sense of weariness and longing that makes the final "Curtain" call so unforgettable.
For fans of the genre, this wasn't just a TV show ending. It was the closing of the definitive chapter on the greatest detective in fiction. Order and method, right until the very last breath.