Cassandra Knapman
Originally the year was 1881 and the location, 221B Baker Street, London, England. This refers to, of course, the infamous Sherlock Holmes books written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Each Sherlock mystery would be solved by Sherlock coming to a shocking conclusion using pieces of information that everyone missed. Throughout the books, Sherlock’s flatmate, Watson, played narrator for their tales. But perhaps this
story is a little too outdated for this day and age. Enter Steven Moffat and
Mark Gatiss, the minds behind the BBC’s modern adaptation of these old Sherlock
tales. Their version still plays out at the same address, 221B Baker Street, and
with the same characters. The most noticeable change is the backdrop. No longer
set in Victorian England, the BBC’s “Sherlock” features our favourite
detectives running around the streets of modern dayEngland.
Doctor John H. Watson, an ex-army doctor, has recently returned from Afghanistan and finds himself in need of a flatmate to afford accommodations in London. He
is then introduced to Sherlock Holmes, the self-proclaimed “consulting
detective. Soon, Watson learns that Sherlock has an uncanny ability to deduce
anyone’s life story by simply looking at them. Working voluntarily, Sherlock
steps in to solve any case that stumps the British police. Then enter Moriarty, the consulting criminal, whose own intelligence has left him bored with the world and out of
challengers. That is, until he hears of Sherlock and begins to plan Sherlock’s
downfall.
Sherlock is blunt, but his charismatic excitement around each new murder is captivating. His relationship with John is one of speculation among fans and other characters alike. Despite the fact that John declares himself straight and Sherlock considers himself married to his work, the sexual tension and direct hints of a possible romantic relationship throughout the show suggest at a most interesting friendship. Sherlock drives most of the other characters crazy with his ability to decode where they have been. Each side character is a creative insertion to the tale, providing alternate views, a challenge for Sherlock, and a laugh for the audience. Sherlock’s one
true challenger is the lovably eccentric Moriarty. He plans the downfall of
Sherlock with as much enthusiasm and glee as a kitten with a ball of yarn.
Every show, the audience is charmed by an amazing script, witty repartee between characters, the characters themselves and the devious complexity of every case. Each of the 6 episodes is a mini movie in itself at 90 minutes long, and can be
seen for free on Netflix or as part as PBS Masterpiece Theater. “Sherlock” now
awaits the filming and release of the 3rd season while the fans
attempt to solve the cliff hanger mystery presented at the end of the final
episode of the 2nd season. Fans wait with bated breath to watch their
favourite crime solving duo. John phrased what he and Sherlock do in the best
way when he said, “We solve crimes, I blog about it and [Sherlock] forgets his pants.”