Intelligent. Clever. Curiously charming.
If you have been living in the dark (or America), you have probably missed one of the most phenomenal 90-minute dramas to hit television in the pass two years. BBC's Sherlock offers both an intriguing and refreshing twist on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved deductive detective. Written by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (both Doctor Who writers), Sherlock brings Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and John Watson (Martin Freeman) into the modern age, putting technology like GPS, advance forensic science, and iPhones (oh so many iPhones) at their disposal for solving mysteries.
Originally airing in 2010 for both countries (season 2 just finishing in England and scheduled for May for America), the series was inspired by both Moffat's and Gatiss' love for the classic stories. However, Gatiss felt that staying within Holmes' original era would risk losing views due to Sir Conan Doyle's stories being "too reverential and too slow". The pair decided to reboot both Holmes' and Watson's, feeling that a current setting would not only be more entertaining but also to give both writers an opportunity to add their own semi-noncannon twists to the stories; somewhat creating their own Sherlock-timeline while still modernizing the classic works. It is very easy to see each each of the six episodes were influenced by Sir Conan Doyle's works but each one has its own unique charm as current technology it put into play. We constantly find Sherlock in forensic laboratories, using the internet, and relaying information to-and-from other characters via texting like the average person today.
Much like the classic-Sherlock, Cumberbatch's Sherlock remains just as clever and keen as ever but with a laboratory and fast technology at his fingertips, and announced mental disorders such as being a 'sociopath' - farther helping to build upon the updated characterization of the classic Sherlock. As for Watson, we see Freeman playing him as a much more well-rounded man who balances Holmes' ignorance with common sense and peaked intelligence.
The series manages to keep a very enjoyable pace by keeping the suspense high and viewer at the edge of their seats while giving calming moments to catch breaths. Humor is very subtle and somewhat on the grim side, but lighthearted enough to keep the series from being overly dark. At the same time, also enhancing the character's personalities as we see Watson having more generic, sarcastic humor while Sherlock's humor spawns from his awkward bluntness.
It also touches up on the view interesting perspective of adding the media's point of views of Sherlock into play regarding the plot. Through both seasons, he often shows a disliking for Watson's blog where Watson shares his opinions of their cases to the world. Eventually leading to the detectives gaining popularity as word of their magnificent work spread like wildfire over the net, thus interfering with their personal and business lives. It also explores the bitter relationship between Scotland Yard and Sherlock's private, home-ran "detective agency". It builds upon rivalries and hatred between the characters as Sherlock belittles their lacking observant abilities despite working in a scientific field and shows some paranoia the staff has regarding his strange obsession with crimes.
Needless to say, this was a perspective I was impressed to see be implemented into the storyline. After all, it is not uncommon for most fictional dramas to overlook the effects the protagonist has on the story's universe. Often neglecting realism for the sake of not throwing the creative flow off track but failing to see the potential suspense and tension that can spawn from adding parts of the real world to the fictional work itself.
Season two just finished airing in England and is scheduled to air in America on PBS in May. I am not surprised if anyone has not yet seen any of the newer episodes but for those who somehow have...Feel free to read my theory regarding how Moffat and Gatiss will work wound a certain 'plot point':
(Spoiler to Season 2: Highlight to Read)
"The Reichenbach Fall" - the finale of season 2 - is based off of "The Final Problem" which was officially meant to be Holmes' death. However, due to public outcry, Sir Conan Doyle was pressured into bringing Holmes' back in his works. Holmes was originally believed to be dead after plummeting from the top of the fall with Professor Moriarty. He later relieves how he survived to Watson, explaining about how he won the struggle and created the illusion that both men fell. However, he manage to climb up the cliff and take refugee near a path leading away from the fall and ran, then went into hiding with the help of Mycroft. Based on the time period, it is very believable to assume his body would not be found had he fallen into the river. The current could have easily swept the body away and without the technology we have now, it would have been extremely difficult to track down his remains. Thus making it possible to assume he truly is dead and giving Sir Conan Doyle the flexibility to write the return of Holmes.
However, with "The Reichenbach Fall", we see a more solid death for Sherlock. Having been pushed to a forced suicide by Moriarty, he jumps from the roof of St. Batholomew's and collides with the sidewalk in front of Watson and a crowd of passerbys. There is nothing to catch his fall and Moffat/Gatiss set up a real-time timeline of his suicide. We watch Sherlock panic after Moriarty shoots himself and calling Watson while standing at the edge of the rooftop. The two have a brief conversation as Sherlock tries to convince Watson that everything the papers have been saying regarding him are true, though leaving it up to viewer interruption so to whether or not he believes it himself. Seconds pass between when Sherlock hangs up to when he jumps, all of which Watson witnesses and sets the amount of time in stone for the viewer. Unlike the classic where the reader can only assume Sherlock fell with Moriarty based on the sets of footprints Watson finds.
We may want to believe that Sherlock had somehow cleverly switched himself with a dummy or Moriarty's body before jumping but the evidence supported by the phone call make it physically impossible. There literally is no time upon which he could make such a switch without notice. On top of that - regardless of who actually fell - the body is kicking as it instinctively tries to prepare for the impact, indicating that the jumper is a living person thus overriding the possibility of it being Moriarty's body in Sherlock's coat. Plus the close up of the body being carried away fits Sherlock's physical physique. There is no doubt that it was - indeed - Sherlock who jumped.
Of course, this does not officially mean the impact killed him. Not all suicide attempts end successfully (that's a grim oxymoron) and there even is a Wiki How on how to survive a long fall; so it is scientifically possible to survive the fall, especially with how quickly medical treatment was administered on him. Though we can safely assume confirmation of his death and a funeral service was held since we do see a grave, but was it truly him in the coffin...?
Do you remember what Irene Adler said in "A Scandal in Belgravia"? After she faked her death and she confronts Watson, she tells him that death reports are "only as good as the DNA says", and DNA can be obtained many ways. We have already seen moments in the series where reports have been forged to manipulate the truth. The first logical assumption is to believe Sherlock approached Molly to reveal his plan and convince her to help forge his reports. Before going to the roof, he approaches her saying he has always trusted her and needs her help, but the concept seems a tad farfetched for a few reasons. The first being that some evidence to support the theory that Sherlock did not suspect the suicide attempt that would be pushed on him; he seems legitimately shocked and panics as Moriarty mentions his plan. So believing that he approached Molly the night before to tell her that he would be faking his death and asking her to change the medical reports seems hard to swallow. The second being that he clearly did jump without any sort of plan, at least one that is noticeable to the viewer; why take the risk?
Needless to say, I believe Mycroft is the reason why Sherlock will be successful with pulling off his "death". We are aware of the high amount of power Mycroft has within the government and if the story follows the classic, then it is safe to assume he will help his brother go into hiding.
However, with "The Reichenbach Fall", we see a more solid death for Sherlock. Having been pushed to a forced suicide by Moriarty, he jumps from the roof of St. Batholomew's and collides with the sidewalk in front of Watson and a crowd of passerbys. There is nothing to catch his fall and Moffat/Gatiss set up a real-time timeline of his suicide. We watch Sherlock panic after Moriarty shoots himself and calling Watson while standing at the edge of the rooftop. The two have a brief conversation as Sherlock tries to convince Watson that everything the papers have been saying regarding him are true, though leaving it up to viewer interruption so to whether or not he believes it himself. Seconds pass between when Sherlock hangs up to when he jumps, all of which Watson witnesses and sets the amount of time in stone for the viewer. Unlike the classic where the reader can only assume Sherlock fell with Moriarty based on the sets of footprints Watson finds.
We may want to believe that Sherlock had somehow cleverly switched himself with a dummy or Moriarty's body before jumping but the evidence supported by the phone call make it physically impossible. There literally is no time upon which he could make such a switch without notice. On top of that - regardless of who actually fell - the body is kicking as it instinctively tries to prepare for the impact, indicating that the jumper is a living person thus overriding the possibility of it being Moriarty's body in Sherlock's coat. Plus the close up of the body being carried away fits Sherlock's physical physique. There is no doubt that it was - indeed - Sherlock who jumped.
Of course, this does not officially mean the impact killed him. Not all suicide attempts end successfully (that's a grim oxymoron) and there even is a Wiki How on how to survive a long fall; so it is scientifically possible to survive the fall, especially with how quickly medical treatment was administered on him. Though we can safely assume confirmation of his death and a funeral service was held since we do see a grave, but was it truly him in the coffin...?
Do you remember what Irene Adler said in "A Scandal in Belgravia"? After she faked her death and she confronts Watson, she tells him that death reports are "only as good as the DNA says", and DNA can be obtained many ways. We have already seen moments in the series where reports have been forged to manipulate the truth. The first logical assumption is to believe Sherlock approached Molly to reveal his plan and convince her to help forge his reports. Before going to the roof, he approaches her saying he has always trusted her and needs her help, but the concept seems a tad farfetched for a few reasons. The first being that some evidence to support the theory that Sherlock did not suspect the suicide attempt that would be pushed on him; he seems legitimately shocked and panics as Moriarty mentions his plan. So believing that he approached Molly the night before to tell her that he would be faking his death and asking her to change the medical reports seems hard to swallow. The second being that he clearly did jump without any sort of plan, at least one that is noticeable to the viewer; why take the risk?
Needless to say, I believe Mycroft is the reason why Sherlock will be successful with pulling off his "death". We are aware of the high amount of power Mycroft has within the government and if the story follows the classic, then it is safe to assume he will help his brother go into hiding.
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