(Show Review) Sherlock - Series 1

Time to read: 3 min read

Show Cover Show Cover

Shut up.

I didn't say anything.

You were thinking. It's annoying.

Review

This is one of my favourite TV series of all time and I recently started rewatching it with my girlfriend. Sherlock is a modern interpretation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular consulting detective and Martin Freeman as his companion Dr. John Watson. The series oozes charm and is the right mix between cerebral and entertaining. The supporting cast, such as Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs), Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves), and Mycroft Holmes (Mark Gatiss), were fantastic interpretations of their counterparts in the books.

A Study in Pink

The first episode is a reimagining of the classic A Study in Scarlet where mysterious deaths pop up around London associated with taking a poisonous pill. This episode introduces the two main characters and they immediately have amazing chemistry together. The witty but cerebral tone of the episode also shows which I particularly enjoyed. The character development is also superb and I like how they've adapted the character backgrounds to the modern age, such as Dr. Watson being a veteran of the Afghan War while in the books he was a veteran of the Anglo-Afghan Wars.

The Blind Banker

This episode is an amalgamation of multiple classic stories, but mainly based on The Adventure of the Dancing Men. There’s a series of crimes with mysterious symbols left at the scenes, and Holmes and Watson become embroiled in a conspiracy involving a Chinese smuggling ring. This episode felt very generic compared to the previous one. While it’s not a bad episode and the mystery aspects are interesting, both the character interactions and story fall short compared to the first episode.

The Great Game

This episode is based on The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans ; in this episode, Mycroft tasks his brother to look into a murder which may have been connected to a top secret military project. At the threat of hostages, Holmes is forced to solve a series of crimes by the mastermind criminal Moriarty (Andrew Scott). This episode introduces the great rivalry between Sherlock and Moriarty. Scott’s Moriarty feels unhinged but highly intelligent and makes for an amazing foil to Holme’s cool and collected Sherlock. Overall this is probably the best episode of the series, with thrilling pacing and excellent writing.

Conclusion

A fantastic modern reinterpretation of a classic.

Overall rating: 9.1

What does the rating mean?