I have a lot of Sherlock Holmes feelings. I hadn't watched any adaptations* until the RDJ movies came out, but I'd read the stories and I'd read meta about the stories
( Read more... )
Yeah, I've seen the same reactions. Either people are extremely critical or they're bouncey about it. *g* It's interesting, though I'm appreciating the criticisms that go beyond 'it's not Sherlock' and "Watson is a girl!"
And the pattern isn't entirely consistent. A lot of people who are hard-core Sherlock (BBC) people dislike it, but not all. Some of the people who love it aren't huge fans of Holmes in general and some are. It's really making me wish there could be a wide-sampling poll, just to see what the trends are.
I'm appreciating the criticisms that go beyond 'it's not Sherlock' and "Watson is a girl!"
Yeah. I think it's especially interesting when the same scenes strike one person as very 'Holmes' and another person as entirely out-of-character.
I’ve been tracking #Elementary on Tumblr and it’s gotten such a wide range. I think the love is fairly consistent-Joan Watson, Sherlock Holmes, depiction of mental illness. And the meh reactions too are consistent-hope it’s not a romance, okay for an american procedural and the many variations of “not Sherlock characters” but still fun. The hate is consistent too-it’s not Sherlock, Watson is a woman, Sherlock has tattoos.
There was pre-fandom wank for Lois ’n’ Clark and Smallville as there is wank for any new adaptation, especially comics. But I dunno, maybe because the internet had fewer fannish outlets those wanks were relatively contained? But still, there’s something besides that going on. It seems to be coming mostly from Sherlock fans. Most Ritchie!Holmes fans I’ve known/seen on Tumblr are fairly enthusiastic.
I wonder if it’s because the Elementary and Sherlock have similar premises-modern 21st century-yet differ so much from that common start. Also, Moffat and et al were never kind to Elementary-damaging the [Sherlock Holmes
( ... )
I’ve been tracking #Elementary on Tumblr and it’s gotten such a wide range.
The way of Tumblr remain something of a mystery to me (though it's possible that tracking Teen Wolf and other newer fandoms may finally get me to take the plunge; most the activity in TW fandom seems to happen on tumblr). Sounds like you can track larger numbers of individual opinions there, which is neat.
I wonder if it’s because the Elementary and Sherlock have similar premises-modern 21st century-yet differ so much from that common start. Also, Moffat and et al were never kind to Elementary-damaging the [Sherlock Holmes] brand; we’ll sue them if it’s too similar; Watson is a nonsense gimmick; prefer Jonny Lee Miller not take the role; etc.-and that fueled Sherlock fans into hating it. But I like that fans are giving Elementary a go despite all that.
Yeah, I've been seeing a bit about how the people behind Sherlock are negative on Elementary, so I can see how that probably would have an influence on people who are invested are invested enough in the show
( ... )
I had a nagging sense that they'd cast the leads the wrong way round - that Lucy as Sherlock would've been inspired and interesting, and that JLM would have made a superb foil for her as Watson. I'm not quite sold on the dynamic, yet, but I'm going to continue. I think that I am struggling to see JLM as, well, Sherlock-smart. I'm entirely willing to be convinced, I'm just not, yet.
For my part, I loved JLM as Holmes. He clicked for me within the first minute of screentime. But I don't really associate him with any other roles*, so it's possible that's a factor.
* Apparently, the only other thing I've even seen him in is Trainspotting, which I had to have last seen at least ten years ago, so my brain isn't even associating him with that role any more.
Comments 6
Reply
I'm appreciating the criticisms that go beyond 'it's not Sherlock' and "Watson is a girl!"
Yeah. I think it's especially interesting when the same scenes strike one person as very 'Holmes' and another person as entirely out-of-character.
Reply
There was pre-fandom wank for Lois ’n’ Clark and Smallville as there is wank for any new adaptation, especially comics. But I dunno, maybe because the internet had fewer fannish outlets those wanks were relatively contained? But still, there’s something besides that going on. It seems to be coming mostly from Sherlock fans. Most Ritchie!Holmes fans I’ve known/seen on Tumblr are fairly enthusiastic.
I wonder if it’s because the Elementary and Sherlock have similar premises-modern 21st century-yet differ so much from that common start. Also, Moffat and et al were never kind to Elementary-damaging the [Sherlock Holmes ( ... )
Reply
The way of Tumblr remain something of a mystery to me (though it's possible that tracking Teen Wolf and other newer fandoms may finally get me to take the plunge; most the activity in TW fandom seems to happen on tumblr). Sounds like you can track larger numbers of individual opinions there, which is neat.
I wonder if it’s because the Elementary and Sherlock have similar premises-modern 21st century-yet differ so much from that common start. Also, Moffat and et al were never kind to Elementary-damaging the [Sherlock Holmes] brand; we’ll sue them if it’s too similar; Watson is a nonsense gimmick; prefer Jonny Lee Miller not take the role; etc.-and that fueled Sherlock fans into hating it. But I like that fans are giving Elementary a go despite all that.
Yeah, I've been seeing a bit about how the people behind Sherlock are negative on Elementary, so I can see how that probably would have an influence on people who are invested are invested enough in the show ( ... )
Reply
Reply
* Apparently, the only other thing I've even seen him in is Trainspotting, which I had to have last seen at least ten years ago, so my brain isn't even associating him with that role any more.
Reply
Leave a comment