Sherlock (BBC Series 1-4) Review: The Definitive Sherlock Holmes for the 21st Century
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Mark Gatiss, Louise Brealey, Andrew Scott, Amanda Abbington, Rupert Graves, Una Stubbs
**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any effect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind.
The Review
This is a slightly different kind of review, seeing as this article will encompass the entirety of the show to date, which includes seasons 1-4 but does not include the special in which the cast goes back to the original late 1800s setting. That being said, even though in four seasons, and over 15 hours of content, I feel I can holistically review this show as a unit rather than in each individual season. And that purely stems from the fact that this show is so unbelievably consistent, that you don't feel like there are seasons at all. You feel like each episode bleeds into the next as part of one, giant episodical anthology.
While casting may not always be everything to a show or film, it can certainly be critical, especially when adapting from a source material, and especially when dealing with as iconic a duo as Holmes and Watson. And the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes may have been one of the best castings in the twenty-first century. Because with the new spin on the show, taking place in modern-day, Cumberbatch delivers an arrogant, sociopathic ,erratic, and yet endearing performance as the great detective.
Not ot be undone, Dr. John Watson, played wonderfully by Martin Freeman, takes center stage as well, unlike in the books where he often takes a backseat. There are certain points in the show where Watson, in fact, is more the central character than Holmes himself, and he serves to truly bring the humanity out of them both. But while each individual works so well on their own, it is truly when they are on screen together the show takes off and elevates to another level.
And truly, it is the showrunners' (Moffat and Gatiss, the latter brilliantly playing Sherlock's elder brother Mycrot) love for the source material that really, TRULY makes this show so special. Each and every episode is laden with careful, reverent references to the novels while also bringing their own unique, fresh twist. It is evident with each and every line of dialogue that the two have such a love for Conan Doyle's work.
With the show of the format being such that each episode is essentially a short movie, we are able to truly dive into each mystery as if they had a true beginning, middle, and end. These are not part of a larger arc, necessarily, although some beautiful character moments and arcs are allowed to flourish rather subtly. But each episode serves its own purpose. I suppose on that basis alone, there are certain arcs and episodes that don't work nearly as well as others.
For example, a couple of the episodes towards the end of season 4 where new plot elements were teased but fell through didn't seem to be quite as interesting. The more interesting episodes really seemed to revolve around Sherlock, Watson, and the villain Moriarty.
Now, when James Moriarty is first introduced to the show, I was taken aback. He was not the suave, menacing equal to Sherlock, but rather a goofy, terrifying opposite, which brilliantly was perhaps even worse. Andrew Scott plays the character in such a way that makes his chaotic nature so unpredictable, and yet so well-thought out, you can't help but marvel at his prowess.
I could sit here and nitpick the show to death, going episode by episode and finding small elements I didn't like, and episodes as a whole that I found unsatisfying, but the bottom line is this. Sherlock is one of the best pieces of storytelling that I have seen ever. The care put into each script, each character, each performance is so tangible, that it sweeps you in to whichever narrative you happen to be watching. Regardless of the episode, you'rer always going to be invested in the adventure of Holmes and Watson, and just like the books, that's just how it should be.
While casting may not always be everything to a show or film, it can certainly be critical, especially when adapting from a source material, and especially when dealing with as iconic a duo as Holmes and Watson. And the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes may have been one of the best castings in the twenty-first century. Because with the new spin on the show, taking place in modern-day, Cumberbatch delivers an arrogant, sociopathic ,erratic, and yet endearing performance as the great detective.
Not ot be undone, Dr. John Watson, played wonderfully by Martin Freeman, takes center stage as well, unlike in the books where he often takes a backseat. There are certain points in the show where Watson, in fact, is more the central character than Holmes himself, and he serves to truly bring the humanity out of them both. But while each individual works so well on their own, it is truly when they are on screen together the show takes off and elevates to another level.
And truly, it is the showrunners' (Moffat and Gatiss, the latter brilliantly playing Sherlock's elder brother Mycrot) love for the source material that really, TRULY makes this show so special. Each and every episode is laden with careful, reverent references to the novels while also bringing their own unique, fresh twist. It is evident with each and every line of dialogue that the two have such a love for Conan Doyle's work.
With the show of the format being such that each episode is essentially a short movie, we are able to truly dive into each mystery as if they had a true beginning, middle, and end. These are not part of a larger arc, necessarily, although some beautiful character moments and arcs are allowed to flourish rather subtly. But each episode serves its own purpose. I suppose on that basis alone, there are certain arcs and episodes that don't work nearly as well as others.
For example, a couple of the episodes towards the end of season 4 where new plot elements were teased but fell through didn't seem to be quite as interesting. The more interesting episodes really seemed to revolve around Sherlock, Watson, and the villain Moriarty.
Now, when James Moriarty is first introduced to the show, I was taken aback. He was not the suave, menacing equal to Sherlock, but rather a goofy, terrifying opposite, which brilliantly was perhaps even worse. Andrew Scott plays the character in such a way that makes his chaotic nature so unpredictable, and yet so well-thought out, you can't help but marvel at his prowess.
I could sit here and nitpick the show to death, going episode by episode and finding small elements I didn't like, and episodes as a whole that I found unsatisfying, but the bottom line is this. Sherlock is one of the best pieces of storytelling that I have seen ever. The care put into each script, each character, each performance is so tangible, that it sweeps you in to whichever narrative you happen to be watching. Regardless of the episode, you'rer always going to be invested in the adventure of Holmes and Watson, and just like the books, that's just how it should be.
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