Sherlock
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch
, Martin Freeman
Elementary
Starring: Johnny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu, Adian Quinn
Category: Mystery, Drama
When Sherlock came out, I was blown away. I had no expectation whatsoever. First, the movies studios have expanded and shaped the Sherlock Holmes stories to suit their own mold and the result is that many people who are aware of Sherlock Holmes have the movie images and stories in their minds. This sometimes is not true to the books. Second, there have also been too many interpretations of the Sherlock Holmes series that have tried to be different but end up no where near and often incomprehensible. I'm looking at you The Return of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes Returns.
You have to go back to the original stories to appreciate Holmes entirely. His character was often less pleasant and manners more rough than the movies often show. This was acknowledged by Dr, Watson who serves as the narrator in almost all of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Most of the movies characters come across as polite but slightly eccentric Englishman. Did you know that the hat that is famously associates with Sherlock Holmes, the deerstalker hat, was never mentioned in any of the stories directly? He also never wore them often or in the city. It is his unique character in the stories, alongside his brilliant powers of deduction, that made him so appealing. In fact, Dr. House from the TV series House was noted for his similarities with the Sherlock Holmes in that they both use methods of deduction and logic, apply the knowledge of science and being sort of out of the mainstream social behavior. I consider Dr. House a worthy successor to Holmes but with the medical knowledge (and responsibilities) of Dr. Watson.
After watching Sherlock, the BBC version, I felt like giving it a standing ovation. The BBC series captures both of the characters wonderfully. The series not only captures the essence of Holmes, especially his idiosyncrasies, but manages to transport the character and intellect intact into the modern world. He is not easy to get along with as he is a driven, logical and focused individual. Like other geniuses, he worldview is different than most and that makes it harder for others to understand. What they see as something surprising and unexpected, Holmes sees as mundane and predictable.
And this is not just any modern world but modern-day London with it's character and personality intact. If this were an American production, you would have gotten cliches by the truckload. But since this is the BBC, London itself is a character, the more dank and dark one that Holmes inhabits.
The deep character links to the original books extend to Dr. Watson. While Dr. Watson severs as the narrator in many of the Sherlock Holmes books, there are some details as to who he was before he met Holmes. I found it especially delightful that they managed to incorporate and update his experience in Afghanistan. The original Dr. Watson was in the Anglo-Afghan war while the modern Dr. Watson also served in the modern day war on terror in Afghanistan. Both left the war with scars.
The storylines bear some resemblance to the original but appropriately updated and expanded. The pace is unsettling as it speeds up and slows down on a dime yet looses none of the drama that it tries to invoke. I thought I would be offended with the expansion of several of the minor characters but I wasn't. They were done with a purpose and properly fleshed out to add to the mystery but not enough to distract or bore.
Elementary, on the other hand is a mixed bag. I first wanted to write this off as another American TV series literally stealing from their British counterparts (you would be surprised how many popular shows are just copycats). But again I was surprised. I would like to say that Johnny Lee Miller was taking cues from Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of Holmes but he could have easily been sourcing from the source material. It's easy enough to point to other TV characters and draw parallels. But you have to remember that almost every cop show where some thinking is required to solve crime owes something to the Sherlock Holmes stories (sorry, Walker Texas Ranger and Fall Guy). And every anti-hero, anti-social detective character has their roots to Sherlock Holmes. So the question of who is copy whom should never arise. Finally, Adian Quinn, playing the Lestrade role, makes a good bridge between Holmes's existence and the law. I hope he has more to do and his character further expands.
It's Lucy Liu's Watson that most people are having trouble with. Not that it's because Dr. Watson is now a woman. It's because of her acting range. She has not demonstrated the range Freeman has but comparing her with an actor that has taken on Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the Hobbit is setting the bar a bit high. Problem is, even when given the opportunity, she seems to not be able to shine through. She has to stand up to Johnny Lee Miller who threatens to chew up the scenery at every available opportunity. Compare that to Freeman and Cumberbatch going at each other. Worse still, compare that to House and Wilson going at each other. So far, she does not compare. And Watson's shoes are getting bigger to fill.
Ultimately, both Sherlock and Elementary are taking the Sherlock Holmes stories to new areas. While Sherlock is more of updating and expanding the Sherlock Holmes novels and stories, Elementary is choosing to do new story-lines. The stories so far has shown the trademark Holmes deduction, reasoning and cunning in their stories and looks like it's not about to slow down. It's still very early and there is still room to grow. I hope Lucy Liu's Watson are given better lines and she steps up to it because what will make the series sink or swim will be her chemistry with Miller's Sherlock. As for the BBC series Sherlock, fans shouldn't be afraid of their approach. If you have read the Sherlock Holmes stories beyond the novels, there is a treasure trove of stories that can be modernized and given a new twist. I have read most of them, you would know that there are cases where he didn't solve the puzzle. The series would have a chance to rectify that. Still unsure, try these books: Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories, Volume 1
and Volume II. Or the Kindle edition of both of them.
For true fans of Sherlock Holmes, our cup runneth over.
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch
, Martin FreemanElementary
Starring: Johnny Lee Miller
, Lucy Liu, Adian QuinnCategory: Mystery, Drama
When Sherlock came out, I was blown away. I had no expectation whatsoever. First, the movies studios have expanded and shaped the Sherlock Holmes stories to suit their own mold and the result is that many people who are aware of Sherlock Holmes have the movie images and stories in their minds. This sometimes is not true to the books. Second, there have also been too many interpretations of the Sherlock Holmes series that have tried to be different but end up no where near and often incomprehensible. I'm looking at you The Return of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes Returns.
You have to go back to the original stories to appreciate Holmes entirely. His character was often less pleasant and manners more rough than the movies often show. This was acknowledged by Dr, Watson who serves as the narrator in almost all of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Most of the movies characters come across as polite but slightly eccentric Englishman. Did you know that the hat that is famously associates with Sherlock Holmes, the deerstalker hat, was never mentioned in any of the stories directly? He also never wore them often or in the city. It is his unique character in the stories, alongside his brilliant powers of deduction, that made him so appealing. In fact, Dr. House from the TV series House was noted for his similarities with the Sherlock Holmes in that they both use methods of deduction and logic, apply the knowledge of science and being sort of out of the mainstream social behavior. I consider Dr. House a worthy successor to Holmes but with the medical knowledge (and responsibilities) of Dr. Watson.
And this is not just any modern world but modern-day London with it's character and personality intact. If this were an American production, you would have gotten cliches by the truckload. But since this is the BBC, London itself is a character, the more dank and dark one that Holmes inhabits.
The deep character links to the original books extend to Dr. Watson. While Dr. Watson severs as the narrator in many of the Sherlock Holmes books, there are some details as to who he was before he met Holmes. I found it especially delightful that they managed to incorporate and update his experience in Afghanistan. The original Dr. Watson was in the Anglo-Afghan war while the modern Dr. Watson also served in the modern day war on terror in Afghanistan. Both left the war with scars.
The storylines bear some resemblance to the original but appropriately updated and expanded. The pace is unsettling as it speeds up and slows down on a dime yet looses none of the drama that it tries to invoke. I thought I would be offended with the expansion of several of the minor characters but I wasn't. They were done with a purpose and properly fleshed out to add to the mystery but not enough to distract or bore.
Ultimately, both Sherlock and Elementary are taking the Sherlock Holmes stories to new areas. While Sherlock is more of updating and expanding the Sherlock Holmes novels and stories, Elementary is choosing to do new story-lines. The stories so far has shown the trademark Holmes deduction, reasoning and cunning in their stories and looks like it's not about to slow down. It's still very early and there is still room to grow. I hope Lucy Liu's Watson are given better lines and she steps up to it because what will make the series sink or swim will be her chemistry with Miller's Sherlock. As for the BBC series Sherlock, fans shouldn't be afraid of their approach. If you have read the Sherlock Holmes stories beyond the novels, there is a treasure trove of stories that can be modernized and given a new twist. I have read most of them, you would know that there are cases where he didn't solve the puzzle. The series would have a chance to rectify that. Still unsure, try these books: Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories, Volume 1
and Volume II. Or the Kindle edition of both of them.For true fans of Sherlock Holmes, our cup runneth over.
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