This eighth volume of episodes from the popular British television series Agatha Christie's Poirot brings us three more highly entertaining adventures from the files of Hercule Poirot (David Suchet), the detective whose "little gray cells" are more than a match for any criminal.

The three 50-minute episodes included here come from the fifth season of the show, and were first aired in 1993. All of them are based on original short stories by Agatha Christie, and were originally published in the 1924 collection Poirot Investigates.

"The Case of the Missing Will" is the first episode in the set; it's an entertaining story that just barely misses the mark of being outstanding. Poirot gets involved with a murder case that at first doesn't even seem like a murder... except that the death occurred suspiciously right before the dead man was going to alter his will, and the original will itself disappears as well. The story is complex and plays out well, giving ample opportunity to speculate as to "who did it"; the only problem is that the cast of secondary characters, and their relations to each other, gets a little confusing. For viewers who pick up on names and faces right away, this will be a great episode; for those of us who aren't so good at remembering who's who, "The Case of the Missing Will" could have used just a bit more time on introducing the characters.

In "The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman" Poirot investigates the suspicious death of an Italian nobleman, while Captain Hastings contemplates buying an expensive Italian car, and Miss Lemon is discovered to have an "admirer." All these threads of the story end up coming together in an entertaining manner, making this a solid Poirot episode.

The real gem of this set is the final episode, "The Chocolate Box." Here we're taken back to Poirot's days in Belgium as a police officer, as Poirot recounts to Inspector Japp the circumstances surrounding his very first private case. It's a case that he seemingly did not solve at the time, but we soon see that the situation is more complex than it seems. This episode is very nicely done; the characters and situation are introduced extremely well, so it's always clear who's who. The resolution is both unexpected and quite interesting, and the "frame story" of Poirot revisiting the case 20 years later works well also.

The DVD

Video

The image quality of the episodes in Set 8 is distinctly better than most of what we've seen in the Poirot: Collector's Set series. The picture still tends to be slightly washed-out and soft, but overall it's reasonably clean and clear. Contrast is handled reasonably well: it's a little bit on the heavy side, but dark scenes still show a reasonable amount of detail, with minimal grain. All three episodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack for this set offers a solid audio experience. The dialogue is clear and easy to understand, and the charming theme music is well balanced with the rest of the track.

Extras

The usual special features are included: text information on David Suchet and Agatha Christie, and cast filmographies.

Final thoughts

Poirot: Collector's Set 8 is one of the best in the Poirot series, with very three entertaining stories, one of which is a real stand-out. Fans of the Poirot series will certainly want to add this one to their collection; Set 8 is also perfect for viewers who are interested in watching some Poirot episodes, but aren't sure where to start. This set gets a "highly recommended."