Talk about my Sherlock infection (tl;dr)
Recently (more recently than my current internet history would imply) I joined the BBC's Sherlock fandom. After series 2 (in America, they're call seasons, but since it's British I'll call them series) aired in the UK, the BBC's Sherlock fandom kind of exploded, and pretty much all the other fandoms I was following dropped off the grid.
This has happened before when Hetalia went viral, and I was all "wtf is stealing all my fandoms D:<" so I read a bit about Sherlock. Then bought series 1. When Amazon released the pre-order for the pre-order of series 2, I jumped it. On June 2, after I get the dvds, I'm totally having a marathon of series 1 and 2 and inviting all my college friends for it. Nine hour long marathon. Gods help me.
I didn't really want to be one of those fans that only likes the new shiny stuff and ignoring the rest of the franchise (Shin Megami Tensei, Final Fantasy etc etc), so I tried watching Sherlock Holmes (2009). Didn't like it. I don't really like Robert Downey Jr (made a decent Iron Man, but that's pretty much it for me), I didn't care for the case, and I didn't really enjoy the filming or the writing. I recently purchased the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes written by Sir ACD, so I'm going to give the original incarnation a shot, then find some other film adaptations in the franchise. Stretch out and see the possibilities the franchise has.
Okay, that's mostly background stuff, because I want to really rant talk about two things. My disgustingly large number of internet tabs open for Sherlock, and CBS's Elementary.
1. The rediculousness of my internet history
My life has kind of been absorbed by Sherlock. I've read so much fanfiction I can't remember the last time I read a novel not assigned in by a class, I've looked at a ton of semi-realistic/realistic fanart that have led me to wonder why the hell I wanted an anime art style, and I've recently spent way to long online trying to find a long gray coat like Sherlock's.
For the most part that's my internet addiction feeding off of one of the most creative, imaginitive and insightful fandoms I've ever dablled in. Seriously, the bad fanfiction are usually because of a lack in writing ability, not because of bad!fic. With some editing help and some writing classes, they'd be something wnderful.
Fanfiction has always had an appeal to me. It's premade characters and premade worlds, so it's all about the relationships, the writing, the story. I love the characters and fanfiction gives me more about these characters and the fandom. Sure there's a lot of smut to do with it. There's a lot of good smut written in fandom (a lot!). But it's not just the porn in the fanfiction I read, some of the best writing I've read never had a sexual relationship in it.
So, awesome series, awesome fandom, awesome fanfiction and a really fucking strong internet addiction that I need to deal with has lead to waaaay too much fanfiction and fandom. I don't regret lurking in the fandom, but daamn I wish I could relish the experience and savor it.
2. CBS's Elementary
Okay, when I first heard that there was going to be Modern American!Sherlock series, I kinda really overreacted. I was very upset. At the time, nothing had been released about the series and I thought the setting was going to be british with british characters created in America and I was kinda like "oh shit no, what are you doing America??"
My next reaction was all "BBC just finished the second series of a modern Sherlock Holmes television series, and if you're this far in production, you started on this after BBC had released the first series." I thought that not only was America copying something that had been created in Britian the year before, but I thought they were cashing into the success. Which okay, not a bad idea, Sherlock Holmes is really in right now.
Third reaction was exasperation. Why the hell is there another Sherlock Holmes?? Sherlock Holmes (2009), BBC's Sherlock series 1 & 2, Sherlock Holmes 2... Okay it's the same two sets just with sequels. I feel like there's more.... hmmm.... whatever that was my reaction.
Then information started coming out... It was set in New York, Watson was a girl, 'Sherlock' (by this point I'm wondering if Sherlock Holmes is just a templet, and it's not really a Sherlock Holmes series, but why the hell is it called Elementary then???) is British (I think that was his accent. I've only seen a 10 second commercial for it)...
I can live with it being set in New York. Sherlock Holmes outside of London is weird to me, but I'd rather America work with an American setting than a foreign one. Besides, if Sherlock Holmes is no longer in the Victorian Era, then the story is already drastically changed to the point of "why not be set in New York."
I kind of like the new Sherlock Holmes by what little I've seen of him. He held himself a bit like Benedict Cumberbatch from BBC's Sherlock. Okay that's wrong, New Sherlock Holmes held himself not like Robert Downey Jr, and really? That's what matters for me. I am willing to give that a shot.
What I've got a problem with is female Watson. If Sherlock Holmes is used as a templet, then It's not a problem to me. However, if she's really a female Watson, then I've got a problem. Because if the only reason she's a she is so that Holmes/Watson isn't gay, then I'm going to be upset. It's because of this reason why the tool is used that I've never really liked Genderbend stories -- where one of the characters was the opposite gender (there are some I like -- if they're about why it'd be different, or why it'd be the same, or if all the characters were genderbent, I'll give it a shot.).
I've been really upset about it, but I will admit, now that I've gotten used to it, I can compartmentalize, and I'm willing to try Elementary out when it is released this fall.
The main reason I wanted to get this all out is because on tumblr, apparently there's been a lot of hate and a lot of people saying "stfu, get over it." It got me thinking and I need to get over my shit with Elementary. I'm prejudging it, and I wanted to get it all out.
So, tada. My Sherlock Holmes Rant.