"A Queer and Pleasant Danger" -- MissyJack's Take on Sherlock

[devifemme]

Woohoo, just found a marvelous LJ post on the BBC Sherlock Holmes series, contrasted with the ABC series updating Holmes and called "Elementary" -- http://missyjack.livejournal.com/986420.htmlRead more... )

Comments

[ready2please]

Jonny Lee Miller was married to Angelina Jolie before she married Billy Bob Thornton. I enjoy Elementary. I have not seen the other series on BBC.

There is a new miniseries coming on BBCA in January that I am looking forward to. Fleming - The Man Who Would Be Bond.

I may catch the other Sherlock series there as time permits.

[devifemme]

I didn't know that about Miller -- it speaks well of him (as it did of Thornton) that la belle Jolie saw depth and charm in him (them) where I see none.

[musicman]

I love Elementary. Lucy Liu is so sexy. And Johnny Lee Miller cracks me up.

Sherlock is a bit more edgy, and less funny.

The actor who plays Watson to Cumberbach's Holmes was also Bilbo in the new The Hobbit. He's a lot better in Sherlock, IMO. As for Cumberbach - I don't get all the fuss over his acting.

[devifemme]

e are big fans of Elementary -- and I remain fascinated by Sherlock's relationship with Capt. Gregson (the excellent Aidan Quinn) of NYPD. Sherlock is rather in awe of him -- sees him as his professional equal! His thing about Liu's Watson is murkier -- and the idea of Watson as a woman is one of Elementary's more interesting responses to the Conan Doyle original.

[musicman]

Interestingly, the Sherlock shows I've seen have Watson and Holmes endlessly confused by others as gay partners. At first, Watson corrects the mistake, but seems to grow used to it after a while, and Sherlock just smiles.

[devifemme]

Apropos of your thought, I just visited my Czech LJ pal Anna's Sherlock Tumblr ("cumberbatchitis"), finding a wild reblog. Someone took on the Sherlock/Watson attraction in the new UK episode, The Sign of the Three, in which Watson marries...a woman. Enjoy it:

http://ivyblossom.tumblr.com/post/72398582589/the-sign-of-the-three-a-study-in-sherlock

[ggary]

I'm a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes from the age of about 10, when I first read the stories at school. At first I wasn't certain that an update to the modern era could work (although it has been attempted before), but it's nice to see that both have been a success. Personally, I prefer SHERLOCK to ELEMENTARY, and this isn't simply a question of national bias. The American show is good fun and well made, but it feels more like a detective show with a character called Sherlock Holmes, whereas SHERLOCK is genuinely an attempt to redo the character for the contemporary world. Although there are plots and mysteries, the centre of the show is the character of Holmes, and his friendship with Watson (the episode that they showed on New Years Day was very much about Watson forgiving Holmes for allowing him to believe that he had been dead for the past two years). Because it's British, no-one can actually say upfront how they feel about one another, and there's a huge amount of sub-text, not only between H and W, but with Holmes' brother Mycroft

[devifemme]

Thanks, Gary -- I rather look forward to Sherlock as the Beeb sees him. I'm glad you ferreted out Anna's odd-but-fun Tumblr on Benedict C. (I know there is a huge community celebrating his modern -- and "gay" -- role out there, and Anna is a good guide to it.)

And you Moffat aside is wryly put: "no big deal" treatment of same sex marriage! Very cool, my dear friend!

[awakenyourfaith]

I love both Elementary and Sherlock :) I got into Elementary during Sherlock's 2-year hiatus, and I adore it just as much. I thoroughly enjoy the very different but intriguing dynamics of both Holmes'/Watsons. I could go on and on about how much I love these two shows, but I so appreciate the diversity in Elementary's cast and story-telling. It's very refreshing. In direct contrast, Sherlock is very white and male - l'd love to see more POC/WOC in the show. Maybe in future episodes? Who knows?

Thank you for sharing the post!

[devifemme]

You're entirely welcome; I was happy with the outpouring of interest!

What's "POC/WOC"?

[awakenyourfaith]

Wonderful!

POC stands for People of Color and WOC stands for Women of Color. I apologize for the lack of clarification.

[devifemme]

No need to apologize: I should have recognized them. And I agree that would be a great direction to go with the show. I already like the black guy who's his AA sponsor: the episode with the two of them playing with the security system on that Lamborghini was delicious. And Sherlock's nuanced reaction to him pushing him (Sherlock) to become a sponsor/mentor himself -- for a young black dude -- bodes well for such a plot direction.

Thanks, J

[fixnwrtr]

MissyJack did forget that BBC's Sherlock is also about 1 hr 40 mins long and therefore equivalent to 2 shows, which brings the total to 6 shows per season, which seems to be the usual BBC entry. Twelve shows is the maximum.

[devifemme]

I did not know that. Certainly Elementary seems constrained by its one-hour (really, about 45 minutes) format. BTW Am I recalling correctly that you also enjoyed Elementary? We commenters here all ought to be thinking more about Lucy Liu in that enterprise. Watson comes off as a slave to Holmes's moods in both of the TV series (as well as in Conan Doyle, if my 30-year ago memory of the books serves) -- but, as a modern feminist, she abides more than she perhaps should.

I wonder if the writers have considered making her a dominatrix -- or at least ponder it aloud (responding, as Holmes makes one of his remarks about prostitutes).

[fixnwrtr]

No, I've not seen Elementary. One fault I've found with all the Watsons until Martin Freeman's version is that they all seemed to be slightly stupid and clueless, even more so with Holmes at the helm. I never thought that of Watson in Conan Doyle's stories of the pair, just that Holmes's expertise was more cerebral than Watson's more clinical approach. Watson was less a side kick, or booby in the case of the television and movie portrayals, than a true partner. I find that the modern BBC version of Watson is closer to Conan Doyle's view of the good doctor. After all, not any idiot can be a doctor in the first place, and a successful doctor even less so, although his cases run to the more absurd in the latest episode.

[devifemme]

Lucy Liu as Watson is really the best thing about Elementary. Last evening we re-watched the London episode (the story is really set in NY, whence Sherlock fled as his drug habit overwhelmed him -- an interesting scene-setter for the American series). It was to introduce Elementary to our UK guesthouse; she quite liked it.