How did you know, Sherlock?

[Elementary]

It's Elementary, my dear Watson.

 

Hi! As you can perhaps deduce, I really like the ACD books, but having seen the show, I am just awed at how the world can produce something so majestic and at the same time utterly hilarious. My favorite scenes include "But it's Christmas, Sherlock!", the "Egg. Chair. ????", "Punch me. Just punch me.", "I AM BORED"... and many others, and often because I am amazed at how well the humor and characterization reflects that in the actual books.

 

And also because of how Cumberbatch brilliantly makes Sherlock come alive in the modern day:

 

 

Yup, gist of this is true to the book!

 

 

And this...

 

 

 

And breathtaking moments like this...

 

 

Just yes... I love this series and I cannot wait until 2016.

 

Hello again!

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Welcome to the Forum, Elementary!  Glad to see that you have jumped right in with both feet.

 

  I too am very impressed as how well they have brought the Victorian Sherlock Holmes forward to the 21st Century without making it corny, sappy, or portray Holmes as a frozen in time anachronism. He is fresh, he's exciting, it all feels so very new and yet for those of us who have been reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for years can easily find our fog enshrouded crime solving hero. The stories and elements of the original are all here and it's just as wonderful and addictive as when Doyle first wrote it.

[Elementary]

Totally agree! I also think the music / soundtrack is absolutely brilliant. It is just so ingeniously paced with the emotion and the action. 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Very true about the music. And I have also noticed how actually "Old World" it sounds especially with the hammered dulcimer. I have been able to get all kind of tracks to function on my phone, ringtone and email alerts. Really cool. Now if I could find some London wallpapers that would actually work with my phone I would be so very happy.

[sherlockandjohn]

Very true about the music. And I have also noticed how actually "Old World" it sounds especially with the hammered dulcimer. I have been able to get all kind of tracks to function on my phone, ringtone and email alerts. Really cool. Now if I could find some London wallpapers that would actually work with my phone I would be so very happy.

 

Hammered dulcimer, is that what it is? Prominent in "The Game is On", right? Thanks for that one, FOX; I've been wondering. It really does transport me back in time, but also - mysteriously - reminds me of Sherlock, even though I've only ever seen the movies with Downey and Law. But even so, with the stuff I had heard about Sherlock, the music somehow fit. Strange, isn't it?

 

This is an incredibly dynamic series. Not only is the main character refreshingly modern, yet old-fashioned at the same time, but also the characters and the story lines keep moving forward. Very important! In many series, in particular those with lots of episodes, there seems to be much going back and forth with the character arcs and relationships. Even with shows that I like I am often left feeling that the characters become uninteresting after a while, because they keep making the same mistakes, and the writers keep revisiting the same relationship issues. The people stop moving forward. Of course this resembles most of us in some periods of our lives, but I'd rather watch and read something inspiring and dynamic than a portrait of my own life. Sherlock offers that while still being full of characters I can relate to. There's lots of humor, but also plenty of profound character drama that deals with powerful emotional themes and issues. I can actually relate to a lot of it, and that's amazing, considering how unique the Sherlock world is.

[Carol the Dabbler]

... In many series, in particular those with lots of episodes, there seems to be much going back and forth with the character arcs and relationships. Even with shows that I like I am often left feeling that the characters become uninteresting after a while, because they keep making the same mistakes, and the writers keep revisiting the same relationship issues.

 

It used to be that they'd try to make the episodes fairly interchangeable -- in other words, no story arc -- so they didn't have to worry about showing them in any particular order.  And frankly, shows with lots and lots of writers (especially free-lancers) would probably be well advised to keep doing that, just to maintain their sanity.

 

[sherlockandjohn]

You're probably right. Unfortunately, those shows now completely fade in comparison with the brilliance of something like Sherlock - at least to me. Not saying that there aren't other brilliant shows out there, but I have become more picky, I'll admit. Perhaps that's actually a good thing...

[Arcadia]

I can't remember any more, but there was a show many years ago that was one of the first (on American prime time, that is) to use the "continuing story" format instead of the "episodic" format Carol describes. Drat, what was that show? Anyway, it was a revelation at the time, and my preferred form of TV ever since. Just more proof that Sherlock was made for me!!!

 

 

 

This is going to bother me all night .... what WAS that show?

[Carol the Dabbler]

... the "Egg. Chair. ????"

 

I've been meaning to ask about that reference (but thought I was probably overlooking something obvious). It doesn't sound at all familiar. Could you provide a context?

 

 

I can't remember any more, but there was a show many years ago that was one of the first (on American prime time, that is) to use the "continuing story" format instead of the "episodic" format Carol describes. Drat, what was that show?

 

The earliest story-arc shows I can think of offhand were sitcoms, like Friends -- unless you're talking about one of the primetime soap operas, like Dallas.

 

[Arcadia]

Nope, not a sitcom, and definitely older than Friends anyway. And definitely not Dallas. Something offbeat, I think, as that's what I'm most likely to have watched.

 

There's Buffy, of course, but I'm thinking it's older than that. Drat.....I used to have such a good memory!

[Elementary]

 

... the "Egg. Chair. ????"

 

I've been meaning to ask about that reference (but thought I was probably overlooking something obvious). It doesn't sound at all familiar. Could you provide a context? 

 

Yes, it was in the Sign of Three during the stag night. Sherlock was very drunk and a client showed up in a bad time. And John is like, 'Sherlock, clues!" So Sherlock looks around the room and everything is very fuzzy and things have really bad descriptions - round chair is labeled as "Egg. Chair. ???" in his mind, the client is named "client. victim. nurse. ????". I have to say this was the funniest scene for me probably in the entire show. I was just shaking uncontrollably.

 

I wonder if the actors were actually drunk during that scene, they were so convincing.

 

John: "Am I a pretty lady?"

[Carol the Dabbler]

I don't think they'd have been nearly that funny if they'd really been drunk.  No, that was a pair of truly exquisite performances.  Thanks for explaining -- I thought Sherlock's drunken observations were hilarious, but guess I missed that one.

 

 

Arcadia, I have no idea at this point.  Any guess as to the decade?

 

[Arcadia]

I am beginning to think I might be thinking about anime. StarBlazers, to be specific. Altho something else keeps niggling in the back of my head. Late 70s early 80s, maybe?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Little House on the Prairie?  Family?  The Waltons?  Battlestar Galactica?  Paper Chase?  That's just the late 70's.  I'm not super-familiar with many of those shows, but I believe most of them had at least a story arc.  I hadn't realized that the concept went back quite that far (not counting soap operas, of course).

 

[Arcadia]

Nope, none of those had the continuing story line like I'm thinking about. Soap operas are closer but that's not what I'm thinking of. Must be anime, the earliest live action one I can come up with is Buffy.

[jesskayding]

Good topic. Elementary. I didn't realize you were new... I don't know how I didn't, but welcome! ^_^

[Elementary]

Good topic. Elementary. I didn't realize you were new... I don't know how I didn't, but welcome! ^_^

 

Thanks! Yes, I am new. I forgot to mention that I started watching Sherlock in 2010, saw the first three episodes, then saw the two episodes of Season 2, and for some reason I gave up. I am not sure why. But I just recently binge watched all nine of them and am completely and utterly in love. Maybe because I appreciate the books more. 

 

Also, my username is not to be confused with the new American show Elementary. Watching the trailer actually almost made me cry inside. Their Sherlock looks like an idiot in the trailer, even Miss Watson is more badass than him. 

[jesskayding]

Yeah. I think Elementary is so cheesy. It's different just to be different. The main actor is blonde. Sherlock is blonde! & his portrayal of Sherlock is poor @ best. He's more weird than quirky.

[Elementary]

Yeah, I'd be fine with Sherlock being blonde if he actually acted like Sherlock. This one acts like an idiot... in the trailer, the part where he is looking for clues actually reminds me of the drunk BBC Sherlock looking for clues in The Sign of Three.

 

aka this

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Trailers sometimes do a poor job of representing the actual episodes or movies, and this may be one example of that.  Miller's Holmes has his own style, to be sure, but I think it's usually pretty consistent with Conan Doyle's Holmes.  I especially love the way he doesn't hesitate to fling himself down on the floor to sniff things, which reminds me of that "bloodhound" quote that Mary reads from John's blog (after he "borrowed" it from Doyle).

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

It really isn't fair to judge something until you have experienced it a few times first to get a real feel for it.

[Elementary]

I know, I am aware of that. I usually don't do that, but sometime it happens with things where I have a vision of how it should be. I'll give it a chance though, sometime. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

From what I've seen (1-1/2 seasons), Elementary is pretty good.  It's not Sherlock, and it's not the Jeremy Brett series, and it's neither the Rathbone movies nor the Downey movies -- but neither are they Elementary.

 

Seems to me the basic difference is that Elementary is more plot-driven, with a lot of twists.  If Sherlock has it all figured out at ten minutes before the hour, just wait -- there's a major twist coming!

 

[Pawse]

Welcome!

[jesskayding]

I think Elementary can be a cheap fix while waiting for the good stuff...