Sherlock
VOD (1)
Seasons(4) / Episodes(12)
Plots(1)
Laptops, mobile phones and the internet are the new tools for crime in a modern London under threat from serial killers, bombings and gang warfare. Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), the most brilliant intellect of his generation, has a unique analytical brain unlike anyone else's, and staves off the ever-present threat of boredom by solving crimes, the more intricate and baffling the better. Meanwhile, his friend and flatmate, John Watson (Martin Freeman), is an army doctor invalided home from the battlefields of Afghanistan. (BBC)
(more)Reviews of this series by the user DaViD´82 (4)
Sherlock (2010)
An instant Classic! A modernization that doesn’t stop at “to make it present-day and look cool" (you know, Hamlet in a suit like in a Tarantino movie, holding a Beretta instead of a sword), but approaches the entire Holmes cult with such invention, while remaining true to the original (you can see that the creators are fans and had actually read the books and not just the cover notes), that however much Doyle didn’t like Holmes, he would love this “smart is the new sexy" style. And, from the very beginning, Cumberbatch is aiming for the best Holmes of all time, just as Freeman is gradually working toward becoming the most interesting Watson ever. 1x00: Unaired Pilot 4/5 See separate review. 1x01: A Study in Pink 5/5 The epitome of a perfect pilot “intro" episode to a series. And when I write perfect, I mean really perfect. 1x02: The Blind Banker 4/5: More detective, more adventurous in good penny-press style and in the second half even a much more traditional approach than you might expect after the first episode. Although being different from first time round, it certainly is no worse. 1x03: The Great Game 5/5: Having cut the pilot, McGuigan also did the cutting for the (first?) season finale, and you can really tell. If, using a bit of poetic license, we compare the first episode to Se7en, this one could be compared to Saw (or rather to Epitafios, if anyone has ever seen that). Phenomenal from start to just before the finish. The finish isn’t that phenomenal. It’s much, much more than “merely" phenomenal. I don’t share the certain hesitancy in accepting Moriarty’s affected style, but I understand. In any case it’s impressive. 2x01: A Scandal In Belgravia 5/5: Definitely the new sexy. The well-deserved status of “legend overnight" put Sherlock and its Moffat/Gatiss creator duo into a difficult position full of considerably great (or rather huge to unattainable) expectations not just of fans, but of everybody who values originality, style and quality. And so they spent a good long time preparing season two, because even a “darn good sequel" would have unavoidably meant disappointment over loss of quality. Also, in addition to these expectations, they lost the moment of surprise and initial enthusiasm too. On the other hand, time has shown that Sherlock isn’t based on hype. And so, how to repeat the unrepeatable? Simple... Add something else that not just jumps over the yardstick of quality, but that moves the yardstick up a notch. Yes, it seems impossible, but that’s how it is. Primarily due to the fact that the way Irena Adler is presented here is a commercial for femme fatales and is the perfect embodiment of sensuality. Sparks fly so much during their flirtatious scenes with Sherlock, that it’s surprising that the wallpaper in the living room didn’t catch light. The creators also improved their work with the viewer; this time round he/she is unabashedly encouraged (and he/she is given all necessary information and time) to engage in “deduction" alongside Holmes. And that wonderful feeling when here or there (or at least once!) you deduce sooner than he does... Money can’t buy that feeling of triumph! And while that intriguing idea involving characters’ “real" websites/twitter profiles from the first season remained unexploited, it is integral to season two. First and foremost is Watson’s blog where cases that came up between season one and season two are described in detail; unfortunately then these cases are merely mentioned in fragmentary form at the beginning of this episode. 2x02: The Hounds of Baskerville 4/5: Got to see a man about a dog. ...this English euphemism captures this perfectly. In comparison with previous episodes, this slows down by a few levels. Here and there we find breakneck speed or coquetting with the postmodern. It is sober (which isn’t necessarily bad), atmosphere building (nighttime passages are nicely horror movie, the daytime pleasantly less heavy). The problem is that this time for the first time ever the divergence from the original material in the main storyline comes across strained and forced; modernization in this case does more harm than good. This is not in essence The Hound of the Baskervilles and, what is worse, this isn’t even Sherlock. These are The X-Files; but good, no two ways about it. McGuigan did what he could In his director’s chair, but Gatiss did a bit of a sloppy job at his screenwriter’s desk. 2x03: The Reichenbach Fall 5/5: Or: the episode with the biggest heart. And also an episode when this version of Sherlock outgrew the original. Phenomenally written, even better performed; what the Cumberbatch, Freeman, Scott trio display here is usually rewarded with the highest of accolades. Enough ideas for thirty more movies (crime à la Brothers Grimm!). Suspense, an oppressive atmosphere, emotions, inevitable fates. You name it, you’ll find it here. A predictable ending, but how it was filmed. Hats off, wigs and all. 3x00: Many Happy Returns 4/5 The exceptional nature of Sherlock is reaffirmed in the domain of webisodes, which usually aren’t anything more than superfluous filler nodding exclusively at staunch fans. This episode is completely self-sufficient, clever and fans are also treated to more than one nod (and one wink). 3x01: The Empty Hearse 4/5 How to achieve the status of a legend after all that fatefulness? Simple: take a completely different slant that you have so far. Relaxed, tongue in cheek, even with a (meta)grin on their lips, which surprisingly really seems to fit after all that seriousness. The case as such this time is sidelined (literally), but for once it doesn’t matter one little bit. 3x02: The Sign of Three 4/5 The first episode which suffers from being feature length. You see, it takes a good half of the episode to get going, eventually managing to link the wedding celebrations with solving the case; however obvious the perpetrator and how he did it was. Although the first half contains potentially good scenes such as “Sherlock and the wedding speech" or “Sherlock and Watson drunk as a skunk" etc., but they are disproportionately drawn-out, sometimes teetering on the brink of an unintentional parody of itself. It doesn’t topple over it thanks only to the actors. 3x03: His Last Vow 5/5 That is the thing with Sherlock, it's always the unexpected. Full of twists and tension between characters and a finale in the best traditions of the preceding seasons. That makes it even more surprising that everything surrounding Appledore (including the solution) is so evident and unfortunately not very “Sherlock-esque". It was disappointing that the creators chose the cheap “ultra slippery" caricature option with Magnussen; if they had left him in a purely emotionless, business role, the solution would have suddenly been so much more interesting, controversial and bold. Too bad that they didn’t try that. 4x00: The Abominable Bride 4/5 See separate review of this special. 4x01: The Six Thatchers 3/5 See separate review. 4x02: The Lying Detective 4/5 See separate review. 4x03: The Final Problem 4/5 See separate review.
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The Six Thatchers (2017) (S04E01)
Silence before the storm being built step by step. But in the final, there is no even a thunder. No thunder, but no even lighting. That's basically enough anyway; especially when it nicely except for a few minutes, follows serious (in the Moffato-Gatissian sense) mode at the expense of the comedy (one would almost be afraid that it will be a Shercom and mime sitcom). It's on riding the "Bond" wave. However, both key levels are to some extent problematic. The crime line gets fragmented in a promising way into six directions (and plays with the Six Napoleons in the spirit of the opening series) to result in a point clear from the prologue, and no matter how the personal line is crucial, by being entirely from Sherlock's point of view and purely about it, so Watson, who is sadly lags behind, doesn't get enough space (and let's admit that Holmes without Watson in the book, is just not that good, let alone here). Because of this, the closing doesn't have the right driving force the creators intended. However, it has the potential for interesting lines for the rest of the series. Definitely the weakest episode so far, but not downright weak or futile, though perhaps too much on the verge of Mrs. Hudson with "Norbury".
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The Lying Detective (2017) (S04E02)
It has its undeniable drawbacks (aptly described by many here), but it is also one of the better updates of the original (a neglected short story within the canon that gave rise to one of the greatest detective clichés). This time, it doesn't look like it's unnaturally incorporated into the action, but on the contrary, the whining padding (which works only thanks to the central acting duo) is built around it. The "(non) Sherrinford" conclusion is being heralded from the very beginning of the series. In this, unfortunately, it´s too easy to see Moffat and Gatiss through.
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The Final Problem (2017) (S04E03)
What is surprising is that the episode for which the ground has been prepared since the end of the second season would worked in the same manner as the episode of Doctor Who. And what is even more surprising that the local "Saw storyline (with Fort Boyard dimension)" has already been used in Sherlock once. Only this time it´s much better. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that it is fun, it keeps perfect pace and it can be just as exciting as ridiculously emotional. And so, in the end, what is most harmful is the fact that in the final twenty minutes it will take three steps backwards, or several years of indicating, and the created fateful tension is completely wasted.
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