Sherlock {TV Show Review}

I’ve been a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes eversince I was a kid, so when my friend Nantoy told me that there was a TV series called Sherlock which puts the famous detective in the modern-day era, I got intrigued and told him I would watch it even before he could get around to telling me to do so, which was what he was getting around to doing. See, in that way, I am like Sherlock. I can read people. Haha. As if! I’m nowhere near his league.

So I watched the pilot episode and I was hooked from this moment:

Benedict as Sherlock is just bloody brilliant. Physically, because as IMDB trivia tells me: “Benedict Cumberbatch was cast after Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss watched his performance in Atonement. They thought he looked like a perfect Holmes.” But more than physically, he exudes a mysterious aura. “You being all mysterious with your cheekbones and turning your coat collar up so you look cool,” as Watson put it in one episode.

But more than mysterious, he is witty and brilliant,  but arrogant and socially inept, and you could loathe him but end up just being wowed by him. He actually reminds me of Dr. House, and no wonder, since Dr. House was actually patterned after Sherlock Holmes’s character.

Meanwhile, John Watson is not the same dull sidekick from the short stories who just does whatever Sherlock asks him to do. He is still Sherlock’s chronicler, though, but now he blogs on his laptop instead of typing away on his clunky typewriter. You can visit his blog here. Most importantly, they have great chemistry, and it is very easy to fall in love with their friendship-slash-bromance.

The genius in the modernized episodes is not just in transporting stories that were first penned in the 1800s and giving them a modern incarnation, but in that they actually kept just small kernels of the real stories in the shows but changed the way the episodes play out.

For example, the first story about Sherlock was actually called “A Study in Scarlet” and the first episode in the TV show is called “A Study in Pink.” They kept a kernel from Scarlet – the mysterious pills used for murder and the profession of the murderer, but they changed the motives for the murder. And also, the word “rache” scratched out at the murder scenes had different meanings in Scarlet and Pink. The way they used it in Pink, though, as an important clue, was just pinkly brilliant!

But even if you’re completely unfamiliar with the original stories, you will still enjoy the show, which is full of humor, mystery and action. Each episode is 90 minutes long, however, but there’s only three episodes per season and only two seasons so far, so it’s quite easy to catch up.

I mostly laugh while watching, but that last episode from season 2, The Reichenbach Fall, got me crying a river even though I already knew how the ending would be, based on the title, which was also taken from an original. The ending is a cliffhanger though and Season 3 is going to be in 2013 – so far away! My low EQ! Argh! I guess I gotta be content with my own guesses to explain what happened for now.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite moments from the show. Spoiler alert.

Brilliant but Naive

Molly Hooper: Listen I was wondering. Maybe later, when you’re finished…
Sherlock Holmes: You’re wearing lipstick. You weren’t wearing lipstick before.
Molly Hooper: I… I refreshed it a bit.
Sherlock Holmes: Sorry, you were saying?
Molly Hooper: I was wondering if you’d like to have coffee?
Sherlock Holmes: Black, two sugars please.

Sherlock Holmes: I see you’ve got a new boyfriend, Molly, and you’re serious about him.
Molly Hooper: Sorry, what?
Sherlock Holmes: In fact, you’re seeing him this very night and you’re giving him a gift.
Dr. John Watson: Take a day off.
Lestrade: Shut up and have a drink.
Sherlock Holmes: Oh come on, surely you’ve all seen the present on top of the bag? Perfectly wrapped with a bow, all the others are slap-dash at best. For someone special then. Shade of red echoes her lipstick, either an unconscious association or one that she’s deliberately trying to encourage. Either way, Miss Hooper has loooove on her mind. The fact that she’s serious about him is clear from the fact that she’s giving him a gift at all, that would suggest hopes of a long-term relationship. And the fact that she’s seeing him tonight is obvious from her makeup and what she’s wearing. Obviously trying to compensate for the size of her mouth and breasts. [voice trails off as he opens the tag: “Dearest Sherlock Love Molly xxx”]

Molly Hooper: You’re a bit like my dad. He’s dead. No, sorry.
Sherlock: Molly, please don’t feel the need to make conversation, it’s really not your area.
Molly Hooper: When he was dying he was always cheerful, he was lovely, except when he thought no one could see. I saw him once. He looked sad.
Sherlock Holmes: Molly.
Molly Hooper: You look sad… when you think he [John Watson] can’t see you. You okay? Don’t just say you are, because I know what that means, looking sad when you think no one can see you.
Sherlock: You can see me.
Molly Hooper: I don’t count. What I’m trying to say is that if there’s anything I can do, anything you need, anything at all, you can have me.

Sherlock’s Archenemy

Dr. John Watson: Who are you?
Man: Interested party.
Dr. John Watson: Interested in Sherlock, why? I’m guessing you’re friends.
Man: You’ve met him. How many friends do you imagine he has? I am the closest thing to a friend that Sherlock is capable of having.
Dr. John Watson: What’s that?
Man: An enemy.
Dr. John Watson: An enemy?
Man: In his mind, certainly. If you were to ask him, he’d probably say his archenemy. He does love to be dramatic.
Dr. John Watson: Well thank God you’re above all that.

(Later)
Dr. John Watson: I just met a friend of yours.
Sherlock Holmes: A friend?? [Confused]
Dr. John Watson: An enemy.
Sherlock Holmes: Oh. [Confusion goes away] Which one?
Dr. John Watson: Your archenemy. According to him. Do people have archenemies?
Sherlock Holmes: Did he offer you money to spy on me?
Dr. John Watson: Yes.
Sherlock Holmes: Did you take it?
Dr. John Watson: No.
Sherlock Holmes: Pity, we would’ve split the fee. Think it through next time.
Dr. John Watson: Who is he?
Sherlock Holmes: The most dangerous man you’ve ever met and not my problem right now.

(Much Later)
Dr. John Watson: That’s him. That’s the man I was talking to you about.
Sherlock Holmes: I know exactly who that is.
Man: So, another case cracked. How very public-spirited.
Sherlock Holmes: What are you doing here?
Man: As ever, I’m concerned about you.
Sherlock Holmes: Yes I’ve been hearing about your concern.
Man: Always so aggressive. It never occurred to you that you and I belong to the same side.
Sherlock Holmes: Oddly enough, no.
Man: We have more in common than you’d like to believe. This petty feud between us is childish. People will suffer. You know how it’s all upset Mummy.
Sherlock Holmes: I upset her? Me? It wasn’t me that upset her, Mycroft.
Dr. John Watson: Now, wait. Mummy. Who’s Mummy?
Sherlock Holmes: Mother. Our mother. This is my brother Mycroft.
Dr. John Watson: He’s your brother?
Sherlock Holmes: Of course he’s my brother.
Dr. John Watson: So he’s not –
Sherlock Holmes: Not what?
Dr. John Watson: I don’t know. A criminal mastermind?
Sherlock Holmes: Close enough.
Dr. John Watson: So when you say you are concerned about him, you actually are concerned?
Mycroft: Yes of course.
Dr. John Watson: So it actually is a childish feud.
Mycroft: He has always been so resentful. You can imagine the Christmas dinners.

Danger Lover

Text from Sherlock to Watson:
Baker Street. Come at once if convenient. SH.

Second Text from Sherlock to Watson:
If inconvenient, come anyway. SH.

Third text from Sherlock to Watson:
Could be dangerous. SH.

Watson: You want me to come with you?
Sherlock: Problem?
Watson: Yes, Sergeant Donoham.
Sherlock: What about her?
Watson: She said you get off on this. You enjoy it.
Sherlock: And I said ‘dangerous’ and here you are. [Leaves]
Watson: Damn it! [Follows Sherlock]

Sherlock Holmes: You’re a doctor. In fact, you’re an army doctor.
Dr John Watson: Yes.
Sherlock Holmes: Any good?
Dr John Watson: Very good.
Sherlock Holmes: Seen a lot of injuries, then?… violent deaths?
Dr John Watson: Yes.
Sherlock Holmes: Bit of trouble, too, I bet.
Dr John Watson: Of course, yes. Enough for a lifetime… far too much.
Sherlock Holmes: Want to see some more?
Dr John Watson: Oh, God yes.

Bromance

Dr John Watson: You don’t have a girlfriend then?
Sherlock Holmes: Girlfriend? No, not really my area.
Dr John Watson: Alright… Do you have a boyfriend? Which is fine, by the way.
Sherlock Holmes: I know it’s fine.
Dr John Watson: So you got a boyfriend?
Sherlock Holmes: No.
Dr John Watson: Right. Okay. You’re unattached. Like me. Fine. Good.
Sherlock Holmes: John… I think you should know that I consider myself married to my work, and while I’m flattered by your interest, I’m really not looking for any…
Dr John Watson: No. I’m not asking. No. I’m just saying, it’s all fine.
Sherlock Holmes: Good. Thank you.

Sherlock Holmes: Punch me in the face!
Dr. John Watson: Punch you?
Sherlock Holmes: Yes, punch me in the face! Didn’t you hear me?
Dr. John Watson: I always hear “Punch me in the face” when you’re speaking but it’s usually subtext.

Sherlock Holmes: What I said before, John, I meant it. I don’t have friends. I’ve just got one.

Dr. John Watson to Sherlock Holmes’s grave:
You told me once that you weren’t a hero. There were times I didn’t even think that you were human but let me tell you this: you were the best man and the most human human being that I’ve ever known and no one will ever convince me that you told me a lie.
I was so alone, and I owe you so much.
There’s just one more thing. One more thing, one miracle, Sherlock, for me. Don’t. Be. Dead. Would you do that? Just for me? Stop it. Stop this.

The Woman

Irene Adler: Brainy’s the new sexy.

Sherlock Holmes: Oh, you’re rather good.
Irene Adler: You’re not so bad.
[intense gazing into eyes ensues]
Dr. John Watson: [interrupting the silence] Hamish.
[IA and SH look confused]
Dr. John Watson: John Hamish Watson. Just if you are looking for baby names.

Sherlock Holmes: Please don’t feel obligated to tell me that was remarkable or amazing. John’s expressed that thought in every possible variant available to the English language.
Irene Adler: I would have you right here on this desk until you begged for mercy twice.
Sherlock Holmes: I’ve never begged for mercy in my life.
Irene Adler: Twice.

Sherlock Holmes: When we first met, you told me that a disguise is a self-portrait. How true of you. The combination to your safe: your measurements. But this, this is far more intimate; this is your heart, and you should never let it rule your head. If you’d chosen any random number you could have walked out of here today with everything you’ve worked for, but you just couldn’t resist it, could you? I’ve always assumed that love is a great disadvantage. Thank you for the final proof.

P.S. If you watch the series and reach the first episode of the second season, you’ll understand where the title of this blog came from. 😉