Comments | selenak: Sherlock 2.01 A Scandal in Belgravia

selenak

Sherlock 2.01 A Scandal in Belgravia

Jan 02, 2012 16:36

You know, last year I had a double Sherlock Holmes problem, in that the Ritchie movie amused and entertained me but I really could have done without the bloody slow mo freeze frame thing, plus I thought Robert Downey Jr. did a variation of his persona rather than a performance of Sherlock Holmes, though Jude Law was fabulous as Watson. Also, I ( Read more... )

episode review, sherlock

Comments 22

crossoverman January 3 2012, 00:57:40 UTC

I think my biggest problem was the ending; "Sherlocked" I could have lived with, had he not also bested her AND then helped her to fake her own death. The dominatrix stuff was fine, but then to have Irene say she was gay - only later to discover her pulse quickens at Sherlock's touch, just feels not quite right. Still, maybe it's just that smart is the new sexy? I admire that Moffat tried something different with the character - and the subtext of their relationship still keeps it far away from it being physical, but she should have bested him and faked her own death.

Other than that, I was quite impressed with the Sherlock/Mycroft relationship stuff, the feeling that Sherlock and John have been good friends for quite some time now, and the little in jokes like "The Speckled Blonde" and the deerstalker hat - which had me rolling around laughing.

shezan January 3 2012, 01:21:15 UTC

I was deeply unhappy when Irene was shown to have worked for Moriarty. The canon Irene is smart and deeply honourable - and Holmes reserves his scorn for the King; this one is merely clever.

That being said, the dialogue is BRILLIANT. "And there you have a whole childhood in a nutshell": grandiose. John and Mycroft in cahoots to protect Sherlock: lovely. Many many wonderful things; have to rewatch when I finally get my new Mac, as opposed to a dinky loaned laptop.

bats_eye January 3 2012, 11:42:18 UTC

Yeah, it's often overlooked but the reason Doyle could let Irene win in 'a Scandal in Bohemia' is that she's in the right and just trying to live a decent life. I know why all the adaptions want to make her a villain (so that she and Sherlock can clash properly) but I wish they wouldn't. Not the least because if her plans are actually villainous Sherlock has to foil them and she can't completely outsmart him.

I hope if they bring back Irene again, and I did like her so I'd be glad if they did, it's as an ally rather than an enemy.

selenak January 4 2012, 11:47:51 UTC

but the reason Doyle could let Irene win in 'a Scandal in Bohemia' is that she's in the right and just trying to live a decent life

That is a good point. And you're right about the likely reason why most adaptions make her into a villain. Mind you, if Irene isn't a villain and you still want her and Sherlock to clash (on more than one occasion, and presumably if Original Sherlock had known that Original Irene had no blackmailing intention from the start, he'd never have taken the king's case), then the solution is probably the one Carol Neeson Douglas went for, making her into a crime solver as well (in addition to being a singer), which means she and Sherlock occasionally compete.

shezan January 3 2012, 01:32:18 UTC

But my favourite bit is the quasi-Pinteresque dialogue between Sherlock and Mycroft at the morgue. "Smoking indoors, isn't there one
of those... one of those law things?"

"We're in a morgue. There's only so much damage you can do."

and

"Look at them. They all care so much. Do you ever wonder if there's something wrong with us?"

"All lives end, all hearts are broken. Caring is not an advantage,
Sherlock."

"This is low tar."

"Well, you barely knew her."
Very still, very impressive.

ponygirl2000 January 3 2012, 17:35:40 UTC

That scene was beautifully shot as well, I loved the two of them in profile. It and the scene between John and Irene in the power station were my favourites.

airie_fairy January 3 2012, 23:26:45 UTC

Sherlock was weirdly adorable in this. And I already liked him before hand (what's weird is that I like him more than John, and John is played by Martin Freeman, and I have insane Martin Freeman obsession. I don't know how that happened). But, yeah, weirdly adorable. Probably because he was all nervous about girls, lol. And yeah, I think this is my favorite of all the Sherlock eps so far, even with the ending twists it took, which I am...eh about. And it's certainly better than any of his s6 DW writing. (I didn't even bother with LKH and Wedding, because by that point I decided it was already fucked enough that I realized if it got any worse I'd shoot, and that with the way things had been situated it certainly wasn't going to get better, as far as my concerns went. I was right ( ... )

selenak January 4 2012, 11:50:59 UTC

I am not sure whether or not I trust the Moff to write an awesome Mary. Or rather, I trust him to write one to begin with, but I am not sure whether or not I trust him to keep her that way. Then again, I'm in a positive mood right now, so maybe I do.

airie_fairy January 4 2012, 20:31:17 UTC

"Or rather, I trust him to write one to begin with, but I am not sure whether or not I trust him to keep her that way."

*sigh* He does seem to have a lot of trouble with that. Whether they have an extended run or a brief stint, a lot of them seem to get twisted or neutered somehow by the end. BUT MAYBE, if all that is required of their role is to be a strong, normal person, then she will be free of these pitfalls.