Okay, so it's not really news. The announcement was made back in January that Holmes and Watson would be teaming up again for another run, but it gives me a good excuse to offer up some praise for series creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (who also plays Sherlock's brother Mycroft), as well as for actors Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Watson).
What's so great about Sherlock? I'm sure many will wonder. We've seen dozens of retellings of the adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle's character, the most famous detective in history. What's so special about this one?
Let's start with the setting. It's not so much the where, but the when. No, this is not your traditional Sherlock Holmes, scouring for clues in signature deerstalker cap. This is a modern reimagining of the character and the original stories. Modern technology figures prominently in the stories. Watson, for example, writes a blog about the cases he and Holmes are investigating, and the blog itself figures in some plot elements. In one episode, a cell phone and the data it holds is the key to a case. It's obvious to see that an important premise of the series deals with how the world's greatest detective would utilize modern technology. What if Sherlock Holmes had access to forensic evidence and computer technology? You can see the many answers in every episode. Technology is often used to put a new twist on Conan Doyle's stories, for example in the episode "The Hounds of Baskerville." But it's nice to know that the technology can't provide all the answers; it's more about the logic and the cunning Sherlock employs in utilizing the technology and, at times, even outsmarting it.
It's not just the idea of dusting off some old books and throwing them into a modern setting. Posing the serious question of what if Holmes and Watson were alive today is central to the series. Instead of using some contrivance such as time travel or doing down the path of making this Holmes the great-great-great grandson of the original, Moffat and Gatiss have opted for a kind of modern reboot. Because of that, it works very well in context. And the show has a lot of fun playing with the traditional images of the character. Cumberbatch's Holmes never wears a hat, but he is given a deerstalker in one episode as a gift from an adoring fan. He finds himself reluctantly obligated to wear it a couple of times.
Another appeal of the series is the strong characters. Moffat's Holmes is arrogant and patronizing, sometimes callous and borderline amoral. As he remarked in one episode, "I'm not a psychopath; I'm a highly functioning sociopath." He delivers analyses and punchlines with machine-gun rapidity and impact. Holmes is at his worst in his uncaring treatment of Molly. His treatment of her is often excruciating, though he does finally tell her in one episode that he needs her.
While he is often insensitive to the feelings of others and even uses them to suit his needs, Sherlock nevertheless acts on their behalf to protect them and genuinely seems to care. And there are times, especially when Holmes matches wits with arch-nemesis Moriarty, that he seems vulnerable and appears to doubt his intellectual prowess. The balance between these extremes ultimately makes his callousness endearing and even provides much humor.
Juxtaposed against the cold, analytical Holmes is the sensitive, insecure Watson. John Watson is a war veteran, a former army medic and is, psychologically and physically, damaged. When he first meets Holmes, John walks with a limp and uses a cane to get around. Sherlock declares the problem to be psychosomatic and then tricks Watson into not only walking without the cane, but running. In many respects, John is the straight man to Holmes' often comically manic and obsessive actions. But Watson's good intentions often result in some of the most amusing moments in the series. At one point while investigating at night John sees a flashing light in the distance. He determines that it must be someone sending a message in Morse code and so attempts to decipher it. The results aren't exactly what anyone expected, especially when he investigates the source of the mysterious blinking. At moments like this, you want to cheer Watson for being clever, but it's another example of his failing to match the brilliance of his partner. John is often on hand to help bring some sanity to Holmes' methods and to smooth things over when Sherlock insults others, as he tends to do.
Cumberbatch makes a fine Sherlock and Freeman seems the perfect Watson. Gatiss is appropriately royal as Sherlock's government official brother, and Andrew Scott is fairly detestable as the nefarious Moriarty. It's a fine cast that meshes well. All in all, the characters are very likable—or appropriately despicable. Even the despicable ones are likably so.
In Sherlockian tradition, each episode features its share of puzzles that leave the audience guessing. Most of the time the guessing comes in the form of trying to predict how exactly Holmes will solve the mystery or figure his way out of a predicament. The series offers up a fine share of twists and surprises to keep viewers on their toes. The action is often so chaotic you don't quite have enough time to figure it all out. It's hard enough just to keep up with the collective train of thought of the series.
What may be the most enjoyable part of the show, however, is the humor. Between Holmes' antics, Watson's apologies and the unpredictable actions of many characters, the show is one of the most knee-slappingly funny I've ever watched. You can never quite predict just how Holmes will respond to another character, but you know it's going to be irreverent, inappropriate or, to some varying degree, in bad taste. And you can't help but feel a bit sorry for Watson to have put up with it all. There's plenty of sympathy for Mrs. Hudson as well, as she never knows quite what she's going to find when she opens the fridge. Why she even does it any more is beyond me, but she seems to have this compulsion to be offended by its contents.
The worst part about the show is that each "series" spans but three episodes. Each episode is an hour and half in length, but the end of each series comes all too quickly. The wait between Series 1 and Series 2 seemed interminable. And now I'm left wondering when those of us in the States will finally get to see Series 3. I can't help wondering what it would be like to see these characters on the big screen. The problem is, any movie shorter than three hours just wouldn't be enough, I'm afraid.
I cannot recommend Sherlock highly enough. In the sea of everything else you can watch on TV, this one is a sheer delight.
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