Episode 1.0, The Unaired Pilot (60-min. "Study in Pink")

[Carol the Dabbler 14,653]

True.

 

Sherlock didn't take John's quandary into account because he didn't know that John had followed him.  John didn't take Sherlock's free will into account because he (very understandably) assumed that Sherlock was acting under duress.

 

I suspect if it had gone to court, the jury would have believed that John thought Sherlock's life was in immediate danger.  But that would still have left him facing charges of gun possession.  So Sherlock was very wise to play dumb.

 

[Pamela 313]

True.

 

Sherlock didn't take John's quandary into account because he didn't know that John had followed him.  John didn't take Sherlock's free will into account because he (very understandably) assumed that Sherlock was acting under duress.

 

I suspect if it had gone to court, the jury would have believed that John thought Sherlock's life was in immediate danger.  But that would still have left him facing charges of gun possession.  So Sherlock was very wise to play dumb.

  

[shoot999 33]

I think it's just a 50 / 50 chance. The cabbie wouldn't always push the same bottle towards the victim. I suppose he made that choice based on his assessment of the person's character. The situation is new every time and the previous "games" don't really influence the odds for the next.

 

I think I would have snatched up both bottles and switched them around until none of us knew which was which. Then I'd have asked the cabbie if he still wanted to play. His gun was fake, so where would be the big risk?

 

 

Ive often wondered if Derren Brown was 'consulted' on this. He  performs this particular trick with Stephen Merchant  on youtube and shows that not only is it not 50/50 but about playing the player. When the first season aired Gatiss said prior to the final episode that 'theirs a comparison between Sherlock and Derren Brown'.  Brown is also a 'friend' of the show and has performed tricks with Martin Freeman and Gatiss (League of Gentlemen).

 

 

A clip of Brown doing a Sherlock.

 

http://ideducedit.tumblr.com/post/23027566632/derren-brown-is-like-a-real-life-sherlock-holmes

[T.o.b.y 8,736]

Yes, of course it's about playing the player. Sherlock and the cabbie were trying to figure out how the other person thinks and what he was most likely to do. Which is why Sherlock of course would never have leveled the field the way I suggested - he was only interested in proving that he won.

[mangopony 31]

I like the UAP too but I think it was really a "first draft" and I'm glad they remade it. Sherlock is too normal in UAP for me. I completely agree with those who have said they prefer his aloofness in ASiP more. And, while he is cute in the UAP, he's much more sexy in the aired episodes (especially in the purple shirt - more of this please Mofftiss!!)

[Mr. Holmes 3]

Just curious if anyone had any ideas or theories to how the homicidal taxi man's antics worked?  He lets you choose the pill, takes the other one, and yet he had successfully won four times in a row.  Is there anything here to speculate about, or was it just something Moftiss left way too ambiguously to make sense of?

[Caya 4,393]

Well either he was plain lucky or (my personal suspicion) he'd taken an antidote beforehand. Or he'd built up an immunity beforehand, like in The Princess Bride.

[Carol the Dabbler 14,653]

Or he was lying.

 

As Julia Mae pointed out in the "Study in Pink" thread, in each of the other four cases, the bottle held three pills.  Sherlock was told to choose between bottles holding just one pill each.  I'm not saying that the number of pills makes a difference, merely that "the game" is different this time.  For all we know, none of the others were offered a choice of bottles, and the cabbie never swallowed any pills at all.

 

[Pawse 147]

 

 

 

 

Also, I'm ashamed for being a ridiculous fangirl here, but Benedict Cumberbatch was hot in the pilot, haha. I wish they had kept that hairstyle!

Oh, yeah. LordByronBatch!

 

 

Oh dear. I think I have to go watch this again now.

Oo!

[Sacker 33]

Finally watched it (not a fan of alternate versions).  I enjoyed it.  From some of the discussions, I was expecting it to be really different.  I didn't think it was, at least not in a take me out of the story kind of way.  No doubt about it, Study is much more polished, but the core of the story is all there in The Pilot.  In fact, while I most certainly prefer Study, there are some things that work really well in The Pilot. 

 

Two things jumped out immediately.  One was the rainy evening at the crime scene,  To me, that sort of calmed down the scene.  It gave the insults and accusations out on the street an equalizing layer.  In Study, that portion of the episode seems a little harsh (lighting\interaction\etc).  The second was the lack of Mycroft.  I love the character as written & acted, but the very first episode had enough going on without adding yet another layer of mystery.  Sherlock and John coming to terms with each other, Sherlock's personality, John's personality, and the crime itself are plenty for one episode.  To me, the Mycroft tangent was an unnecessary distraction for the first episode.

 

One thing I thought was greatly improved upon in Study was the cabbie\Sherlock pill scene.  It works much better on the bigger scale of the school.  I also prefer Vinette as Sally.  Some of it could be that I liked her already as an actress, some is the lack of uniform in Study.  She comes across as a more substantial character, not just a uniformed officer insulting Sherlock.  I like also that she becomes a bigger part of the series as it goes on.  The added graphics for texts vs showing the phone work really well also. Easier to stay in the moment of whatever is on-screen at the time.

 

Anyway, that's it.  Nothing too dramatic because I didn't see the differences as too dramatic.  I'll gladly watch it again occasionally.  Won't replace Study, but doesn't threaten it either.

[Carol the Dabbler 14,653]

... Two things jumped out immediately.  One was the rainy evening at the crime scene,  To me, that sort of calmed down the scene.  It gave the insults and accusations out on the street an equalizing layer.  In Study, that portion of the episode seems a little harsh (lighting\interaction\etc)....

 

I agree about the "mood" aspect of the rain.  However, Moftiss have pointed out somewhere that it was something of a plot nuisance for them, because of Sherlock's statement a few minutes later about the weather.  Admittedly, he said Cardiff was the only place where there had been heavy rain and strong wind within the past few hours.  But having rain in London does kinda take the edge off of that statement.

 

[Sacker 33]

Man, I didn't even snap to that contradicting the story.     I'll go ahead and give myself the Picard facepalm.  ;-)

 

[Carol the Dabbler 14,653]

He also said strong wind, though, and the wind wasn't strong in London.  In fact, I don't recall noticing any wind at all in that scene (we just re-watched the pilot tonight).  So don't palm your face too hard!

 

[Sacker 33]

I was about to settle in with a late night episode of Doctor Who. All this Pilot/Study discussion has got me craving some Sherlock. ;-)

 

Since Study In Pink is my favorite episode, I feel fortunate that I have two versions. A deeper version and a tighter version. May just have to go Pilot tonight.

[Redbeard 446]

I just watched the unaired pilot and have to agree that I prefer the final aired version.  It was fascinating to watch though.  I found the character of John to be very much the same, but I found Sherlock a little different.  Definitely more boyish, unsure, and seemed more human - smiled a lot more it seems.  By the time of the actual aired version, it seemed like Benedict had more of a handle on the character, played him with much more authority and confidence and attitude.  And that is when he really owns the role.  But all the great elements were there, you can see it was the beginning of an amazing thing. 

[Bakerstreet Irregular 2,301]

 

but I found Sherlock a little different.  Definitely more boyish, unsure, and seemed more human - smiled a lot more it seems.

 

   This is also true in the original "A Study In Scarlet". Holmes is actually bubbly when Stamford introduces Watson to him at Bart's. He is laughing and excited about the experiment he has just completed and it tested properly. He seems to become more withdrawn and prickly as he gets older.

[Carol the Dabbler 14,653]

Hello, Redbeard -- welcome to Sherlock Forum!    Thanks for jumping right in with your observations!

 

I'm kind of torn between the Pilot and the 90-minute "Study."  I like both, just in different ways.  Good point about the original story, Fox -- but on the other hand, Redbeard, maybe they decided to start out with the character that you prefer because that's what audiences expect after generations of movies with the more confident Holmes.

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular 2,301]

I have been remiss. Welcome to the Forum, Redbeard!  Looking forward to more of your insights.

[Redbeard 446]

Thank you both for the kind welcome!  Coming to a forum for the first time can feel like a new kid at a new school with no friends lol.  Thanks for being friendly. 

[Caya 4,393]

Oh, don't worry - to honour our favourite high-functioning sociopath, we're ... er ... welcoming to all strangers ... okay, the logic's not exactly sound . Guess we're a friendly self-help group for Sherlock addicts because we're all in the same boat .

[Convict13 229]

 

... Two things jumped out immediately.  One was the rainy evening at the crime scene,  To me, that sort of calmed down the scene.  It gave the insults and accusations out on the street an equalizing layer.  In Study, that portion of the episode seems a little harsh (lighting\interaction\etc)....

 

I agree about the "mood" aspect of the rain.  However, Moftiss have pointed out somewhere that it was something of a plot nuisance for them, because of Sherlock's statement a few minutes later about the weather.  Admittedly, he said Cardiff was the only place where there had been heavy rain and strong wind within the past few hours.  But having rain in London does kinda take the edge off of that statement.

 

Doesn't he say that it had only started to rain in London?

[Ruthyone 1,290]

I liked the pilot as it seemed like a testing ground for the series. The one we all saw was a lot more polished and and of course longer but it's nice to have both!

[Carol the Dabbler 14,653]

... Two things jumped out immediately.  One was the rainy evening at the crime scene,  To me, that sort of calmed down the scene.  It gave the insults and accusations out on the street an equalizing layer.  In Study, that portion of the episode seems a little harsh (lighting\interaction\etc)....

 

I agree about the "mood" aspect of the rain.  However, Moftiss have pointed out somewhere that it was something of a plot nuisance for them, because of Sherlock's statement a few minutes later about the weather.  Admittedly, he said Cardiff was the only place where there had been heavy rain and strong wind within the past few hours.  But having rain in London does kinda take the edge off of that statement.

 

Doesn't he say that it had only started to rain in London?

 

Yes, I believe he did.  They apparently added that line at the last minute, to keep Sherlock's deduction from sounding stupid.  (Couldn't have that!)

[T.o.b.y 8,736]

I haven't seen the pilot in a long while - it kind of irritates me to see an "alternate" version of events and I prefer the aired version of A Study in Pink. But I just came across this little clip from it and I must say, it has its strange charm. I totally see why they didn't keep this - it's more like a homage to old vampire movies than anything else - but I must say I love it. Very swoon-inducing...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy0BnoMsBb0

[Bakerstreet Irregular 2,301]

It was very gothic wasn't it?