Insta-reaction (sort of)
Sherlock, The Abominable Bride (4.01?)
Ever since hearing they were doing a Victorian-set episode, I thought they had better have good reason. Having seen it, I think it was partly an excuse to do a crackfic version of their own show, because Sherlock basically went back on the drugs to traipse around in his head to figure out what fandom figured out in the less entertaining five minutes after ‘Moriarty’ popped up at the end of the last series trilling ‘Miss me?’ I.e. that someone was using his image. But that’s why we love this Sherlock Holmes.
Sometimes, I think Moffat and Gatiss are too clever for their own good, AND YET if you’re going to do something like this, i.e. mainly do an alternative version of your modern-day adaptation in the period the stories were originally set, you have to make it an exceptionally fun ride, and oh they did. I was chuckling at all the snark and sillinessL Mrs Hudson, you gem! Mycroft turning into Michael Ball (sorry, but true)! Moriarty! Andreson still being a conspiracy theorist. Watson’s ‘tache being to disguise himself and all the other self-referentialism of Watson’s Strand stories!
HOOPER! I was wondering how they’d fit her into the Victorian era (or Sally, but she didn’t turn up, however I loved that the servant at Baker Street was that kid from last year - it was, wasn’t it?) as she’s their creation. For a second, I thought they were just making her a man, but no, she was passing as one to do her job. Darling girl! Beasley must have had fun there. Though, when Hooper was one of the conspirators/brides, I did get worried that they were making a link between her and real!Moriarty’s organisation, which I couldn’t have borne, but I think she was just an example.
I mean, the stuff about women was definitely an attempt to critique Doyle, more so than admit sexism on the show (yeah, talk to me about how you mishandled Irene, sirs) but MARY. I loved her in both time frames - like how she undermined Moriarty, discomfiting him where Sherlock failed to, BTW.
I was too busy hooting to have taken in Sherlock calling Emilia ‘him’ or the obvious similarities between the cases at first. I loved the lampshading of Sherlock’s mind’s melodrama, but I adored the Gothic mansion (bravo, location scout). And that was Oliver Mace!
I enjoyed most of it - the Sherlock-John banter, the banter full stop, the way the newspaper clippings floated up in front of Sherlock and how gonzo Moriarty is in Sherlock’s head. (I’d heard an interview with Andrew Scott over the autumn where he misdirected like mad about appearing in Sherlock.) Having said that, they need to give it a rest. Yes, Scott’s Moriarty is wonderful, but they should focus more efforts on making the next big bad wonderful.
But the OTT Falls and John turning up and Sherlock’s glee when he’s falling! And there are probably dozens of things that I loved that I am forgetting.
One of them was Cumberbatch’s voice - isn’t he doing voice work on The Jungle Book? I would be there FOR THAT ALONE.
Also, they sneaked in some genuine Mycroft-Sherlock feels in the real world, which, after the last episode and the way that their relationship in Sherlock’s Victorian London had degenerated, I wanted. And while it was a fun trip for the viewers, I like that they’re not glossing over the drug abuse. Of course, it’s all very well asking John to look after Sherlock, but John has Mary and the baby (mainly the baby) to look after first.
This was also partly dealing with our Sherlock’s fall and its affect on John and Sherlock taking that in.
But it was interesting that Sherlock was cogitating on John/Mary in the way their relationship was played out - although some of it was a retread of John not knowing all that Mary is. I could do with some meta on all the seeing but not observing (is that the quote?) that Sherlock did. After all, he wasn’t in every scene, so what are we to make of those scenes where he was absent - sure Mrs Hudson and Lestrade, or Mycroft and Mary were talking about him, but Mrs Hudson and Mary, and Watson and the maid (I will talk to my wife to talk to you. When you see her, sir. Ha!) And the not seeing Molly? And Victorian!Watson forcing him to talk about sex and romance (which was hilarious, but are they going somewhere with that? At the moment, they’re playing with his feelings for Irene and, arguably, Moriarty, and, a teeny part of me thinks Molly.) On the other hand, I can’t be dealing with meta that is mainly coming from a Johnlock perspective.
For although I fear some things fell apart more than could be explained away by it mainly being in drug-addled Sherlock’s mind (Oh, hi coda, now you were the most self-indulgent bit of a lot of self-indulgence) and I could have done without the close-up of the rotting body, myself, It was take that Guy Ritchie adaptations, this, and yes, we know this is meta, I enjoyed it ever such a lot, okay!? There are some things I'd like to think over a bit more, but I wouldn't mind seeing this again, and I preferred it to the third series. When is there more?
This entry was originally posted at http://shallowness.dreamwidth.org/213608.html.
Ever since hearing they were doing a Victorian-set episode, I thought they had better have good reason. Having seen it, I think it was partly an excuse to do a crackfic version of their own show, because Sherlock basically went back on the drugs to traipse around in his head to figure out what fandom figured out in the less entertaining five minutes after ‘Moriarty’ popped up at the end of the last series trilling ‘Miss me?’ I.e. that someone was using his image. But that’s why we love this Sherlock Holmes.
Sometimes, I think Moffat and Gatiss are too clever for their own good, AND YET if you’re going to do something like this, i.e. mainly do an alternative version of your modern-day adaptation in the period the stories were originally set, you have to make it an exceptionally fun ride, and oh they did. I was chuckling at all the snark and sillinessL Mrs Hudson, you gem! Mycroft turning into Michael Ball (sorry, but true)! Moriarty! Andreson still being a conspiracy theorist. Watson’s ‘tache being to disguise himself and all the other self-referentialism of Watson’s Strand stories!
HOOPER! I was wondering how they’d fit her into the Victorian era (or Sally, but she didn’t turn up, however I loved that the servant at Baker Street was that kid from last year - it was, wasn’t it?) as she’s their creation. For a second, I thought they were just making her a man, but no, she was passing as one to do her job. Darling girl! Beasley must have had fun there. Though, when Hooper was one of the conspirators/brides, I did get worried that they were making a link between her and real!Moriarty’s organisation, which I couldn’t have borne, but I think she was just an example.
I mean, the stuff about women was definitely an attempt to critique Doyle, more so than admit sexism on the show (yeah, talk to me about how you mishandled Irene, sirs) but MARY. I loved her in both time frames - like how she undermined Moriarty, discomfiting him where Sherlock failed to, BTW.
I was too busy hooting to have taken in Sherlock calling Emilia ‘him’ or the obvious similarities between the cases at first. I loved the lampshading of Sherlock’s mind’s melodrama, but I adored the Gothic mansion (bravo, location scout). And that was Oliver Mace!
I enjoyed most of it - the Sherlock-John banter, the banter full stop, the way the newspaper clippings floated up in front of Sherlock and how gonzo Moriarty is in Sherlock’s head. (I’d heard an interview with Andrew Scott over the autumn where he misdirected like mad about appearing in Sherlock.) Having said that, they need to give it a rest. Yes, Scott’s Moriarty is wonderful, but they should focus more efforts on making the next big bad wonderful.
But the OTT Falls and John turning up and Sherlock’s glee when he’s falling! And there are probably dozens of things that I loved that I am forgetting.
One of them was Cumberbatch’s voice - isn’t he doing voice work on The Jungle Book? I would be there FOR THAT ALONE.
Also, they sneaked in some genuine Mycroft-Sherlock feels in the real world, which, after the last episode and the way that their relationship in Sherlock’s Victorian London had degenerated, I wanted. And while it was a fun trip for the viewers, I like that they’re not glossing over the drug abuse. Of course, it’s all very well asking John to look after Sherlock, but John has Mary and the baby (mainly the baby) to look after first.
This was also partly dealing with our Sherlock’s fall and its affect on John and Sherlock taking that in.
But it was interesting that Sherlock was cogitating on John/Mary in the way their relationship was played out - although some of it was a retread of John not knowing all that Mary is. I could do with some meta on all the seeing but not observing (is that the quote?) that Sherlock did. After all, he wasn’t in every scene, so what are we to make of those scenes where he was absent - sure Mrs Hudson and Lestrade, or Mycroft and Mary were talking about him, but Mrs Hudson and Mary, and Watson and the maid (I will talk to my wife to talk to you. When you see her, sir. Ha!) And the not seeing Molly? And Victorian!Watson forcing him to talk about sex and romance (which was hilarious, but are they going somewhere with that? At the moment, they’re playing with his feelings for Irene and, arguably, Moriarty, and, a teeny part of me thinks Molly.) On the other hand, I can’t be dealing with meta that is mainly coming from a Johnlock perspective.
For although I fear some things fell apart more than could be explained away by it mainly being in drug-addled Sherlock’s mind (Oh, hi coda, now you were the most self-indulgent bit of a lot of self-indulgence) and I could have done without the close-up of the rotting body, myself, It was take that Guy Ritchie adaptations, this, and yes, we know this is meta, I enjoyed it ever such a lot, okay!? There are some things I'd like to think over a bit more, but I wouldn't mind seeing this again, and I preferred it to the third series. When is there more?
This entry was originally posted at http://shallowness.dreamwidth.org/213608.html.