Yes I am back again. I said I would expand more on Sherlock in the future, and what kind of person would I be if I didn't? Please don't think less of me after reading this, but I will give you fair warning that I may come off sounding a little crazy...
So. Sherlock. As I said in my last post, it is a BBC drama created by Steven Moffat (writer and producer of Doctor Who) and Mark Gatiss (who plays Mycroft Holmes). So far there are two seasons, each with three episodes. Each episode is 90 minutes long.
Now, I like to culture myself. In the short 18 years of my life, I like to think that I have read a lot of books, and watched a lot of movies and t.v. shows. I've had obsessions before. I remember finishing Eldest, the second book in the Inheritance Cycle (aka Eragon) by Christopher Paolini. I adored it, and the wait for Brisingr seemed to stretch on forever. Don't even get me started on Inheritance. Likewise, when I first started reading Harry Potter at fourteen, I dived headfirst into that fandom and am yet to surface. How I Met Your Mother and Castle were also met with much enthusiasm, I think I finished all four and a half seasons of Castle within 3 weeks. Clearly you can see I get attached to good stories.
But Sherlock has far surpassed any past obsessions. I cannot see any faults with it. The writing, the acting, the set, the soundtrack, all of it comes together to create something that can only be described as art.
I know that not everyone feels this way. I watched the first four episodes with my fifteen-year-old sister, but after that, she really didn't care. One of my best friends also watched all the episodes, and although she enjoyed them, she's not nearly as crazy about the show as I am. Maybe it is because, having taken drama all through high school, I can truly appreciate great acting. Or, because I love to write, especially scripts, I know the minds of creative geniuses when I see them. Who knows? Art is subjective to tastes and everyone's own perception of beauty. I guess this show just ticked all the right boxes for me.
Aside from that, I think it should be hard for anyone to deny the intelligence behind the stories. Yes, they are based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes stories, but Moffat and Gatiss are the ones behind the script. Each episode made me awe at the cleverness behind the crimes and Sherlock's deductions, laugh at the fabulous comedic timing, grow to know and love each character and all their individual quirks, sob at some of the more emotional moments and just generally appreciate all the little things worked into the script.
There is so much depth to everything that happens, I can spend hours just picking each moment apart. Character development and relationships (especially Sherlock and John) are fascinating to watch unfold, and are spread out along the episodes so you never get too much. There are some really profound moments, especially whenever Sherlock lets some of his human side show. I do not want to get into details because there are just far too many, and I do not want to spoil the show if you haven't seen it.
However, it's not just the writers and creators to thank for the show's genius, but the actors too. Benedict Cumberbatch has Sherlock down pat. I will never be able to imagine Sherlock Holmes another way. He owns the character of the sociopath, right down to the sarcasm, arrogance and coldness, but also the innocence, naïvety, and childish nature of Sherlock. He's captured him perfectly, and let's not even mention the cheekbones.
Martin Freeman is the perfect match for Benedict. Moffat and Gatiss have said that Benedict became more of a Sherlock when Martin started playing Dr. John Watson, and they couldn't see anyone else taking the part. It is obvious as soon as you start watching that Martin and Benedict have great chemistry, as it really comes through in Sherlock and John's friendship. Martin gives the perfect balance of strength and charm to John, and you can sympathize with his confusion and frustration every time Sherlock goes off track.
Aside from these two, all the other characters are also fantastically portrayed. Mark Gatiss is a brilliantly cold Mycroft, Rupert Graves a loveable Detective Inspector Lestrade, Una Stubbs an absolutely darling Mrs Hudson, Louise Brealey an adorable Molly Hooper, and Andrew Scott an incredible Jim Moriarty. He is the epitome of terrifying, and it is obvious why he won a BAFTA.
Of course, everything has it's bad points. Sherlock's seems to be purely the waiting time. I am very lucky, because I only recently hopped on the bandwagon. I cannot imagine how those who have been with the show from the beginning feel.
Season 1 was released in 2010, Season 2 in 2012. Season 3 is currently being filmed, and is due for release at the end of the year. Unfortunately, as the fanbase has grown bigger, many more people have turned up to filming, and some spoilers have gotten out. The internet has been a dangerous place for those who wanted to avoid them, although after several messages from the creators about respecting the story and the actors (the crowds could be very distracting while filming), the 'setlock' hype has calmed down somewhat. There is currently only five more days of filming (Season 3, Episode 2) before they take a break. Episode 3 will be filmed in August.
So it is a horribly long wait before the adventure resumes and we can finally deal with the horrific cliffhanger of Season 2. And there are many, many questions to be answered.
Well, that is my brief overview of Sherlock. And yes, I say brief, because there is so much that I have not addressed! In short, go watch it. It is well suited for just about everyone, and it's only getting bigger and better as time goes on. I promise, you will not be disappointed.
"I'm a consulting detective. Only one in the world."
Evie xx
