Thoughts on Sherlock - Season 3

Oh my Sherlock.  I considered not posting about Sherlock because my thoughts aren't meaningful analysis but flailing feels and adoration.  The show is just so perfect.  But it's fun to gush, so I went for posting about season 3 and the show in general and all the reasons why I think it's perfection.

If you haven't seen the third season yet I THINK YOU ARE GROSSLY MISUSING YOUR TIME this does have some spoilers, so ya'll come back now, ya hear?

The Format

Three episode seasons.  It's kind of a major pain to have these three perfect episodes and then months of nothing new to subsist on, but it is so necessary to get those three quality episodes that I can't fault it.  And there is something magical about the number 3 - there's a beginning , a middle and an end, and in Sherlock the writers create perfect bell curves of plot. Not that the middle episode is the climax, but the height of plot potential for the whole season.  Because the show builds to the second episode, and then starts to break down what we have seen in the third episode.  It's quality over quantity, and my god is this show quality.

The Style

Is there another TV show that takes the visual to such ridiculous heights?  There might be, because I don't watch ALL the shows, but I doubt anything on TV right now is as innovative as Sherlock.  And I admire and value technical prowess in most creative works and the way Sherlock can show you something in a new and exciting way is very appealing.  I mean how about that scene were Sherlock is shot in "His Last Vow"?  Being able to visually translate Sherlock's mind palace is one thing (and fantastic in itself), but to show it in action as Sherlock deals with how to survive was incredible!  I absolutely loved that sequence and all the things it told us about Sherlock's character.  Like Redbeard and how Sherlock saw Moriarty.  This is a show that engages the viewer on all levels - with the characters, writing and story, and also visually - you just can't look away for a second or you'll miss something great.

The Characters

Well obviously.  Every single character in this show is memorable. And they continue to grow with every season.  Sherlock and John are the heart, but you can't dismiss what Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade, Molly or even Donovan and Anderson bring to the show.  And the villains are equally unforgettable.  Even Magnussen who I thought would have a larger role to play in the series and wouldn't have just one episode (but maybe he will because apparently even if you are shot point blank you might come back) was creepy and slimy and so riveting.  And going back to the growth of the characters - how amazing is it that we continue to see something new about them.  I mean, true, it's not outrageous to think there are things that there are things we haven't seen yet because of how short the seasons are, but I was impressed how the writers added family, a wife, a potential daughter and third Holmes brother into the mix in this season - and also changed how I feel about Anderson!  Who's character I disliked so much in the first two seasons!

The Writing

This is the number one reason why Sherlock excels I think.  It's smart, funny, witty and fast-paced.  Everything in the script is important and the attention to detail as a revision of Doyle's work is fantastic.  I don't think there is a better modern adaptation of any Classic work out now.  Although I'm not the biggest fan of the original stories, so maybe true Sherlock purists would have a thing or two to say.  But to those purists, I will also add that I really want to read all of the Holmes stories and that should make any purist fan happy - that a new adaptation brings more people back to the original work.  If there are any issues that people have with small things in the writing (or what I consider small things) like pacing or lack of a mystery in The Empty Hearse for instance, I say get a grip and look at the bigger picture.  This is a show about Sherlock and Watson, and if an episode veers into the relationship between them a bit more than usual, than it's because that is what we needed!  We can get another mystery any time, but we need to be invested in the characters.  I really think of this three episode format as one long story broken into three parts.  They all need to be looked at together.

Season 3

Well have I nattered on long enough about this show?  Definitely.  But I still haven't talked enough about the third season!!  One more thing that gets me about this show is how they are not afraid of change.  Watson getting married is such a big deal in my mind - it's so rare that a show will mess with the format like that.  I mean the dynamic has got to change with Mary and a baby in the picture!  And although it's sometimes hard to let go of things that you are comfortable with - like just Sherlock and John together - I am excited to see what's in store.  And just when I think there can't possibly be a bigger finale than Sherlock jumping to his death and surviving - now it's how did Moriarty do it???  Or is this a big swindle??  I just don't know. You can never tell - with Moffat especially I think.  He can and will turn anything around and he has a way of setting up a major conundrum and then making it unimportant within minutes of the next episode.

And to wrap this all up, these are my favorite bits from Season 3 of Sherlock:

The Empty Hearse
- The coolest opening sequence ever (with Derren Brown!)
- Mycroft wading in and his discussion with him while Sherlock is being shaved and dressed.
- Everything about Watson seeing Sherlock again
- Lestrade's reaction to finding out Sherlock is alive (that pause and an understated reaction)
- Sherlock and Mycroft playing Operation
- Sherlock and Molly <3

The Sign of Three
- The ups and downs of the Best Man speech was sheer brilliance
- The way they showed Sherlock talking to the women who knew the Mayfly man/appearance of the Woman.
- Sherlock's comment on moving Mrs. Hudson's glass a little out of reach (hilarious)
- Sherlock figuring out who the target was

His Last Vow
- The four major twists were so amazing - revealing Mary's lies, Sherlock getting shot, Sherlock shooting Magnussen and Moriarty's possible return.
- Everything about the beginning from John's tire lever to Molly slapping Sherlock
- Mary unknowingly reveals her secret to John
- Sherlock's family!
- All the major bromance feels!

Awesome Adaptations (33) - Sherlock "The Hounds of Baskerville"

Awesome Adaptations is a weekly bookish meme, hosted at Alisa Selene’s books blog, Picturemereading.  Anyone can play along! Each week there is a new category of adaptation to blog about. Any format (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. If you’re playing along on your own blog, just mention Picturemereading in your post and include the banner above. Let them know which film you’d pick and why it is an awesome adaptation worth watching. Oh, and don’t forget to share the link to your own post in the comments for that week’s challenge so that everyone can read your thoughts!

An Awesome Adaptation With Sleuthing!

Title: Sherlock "The Hounds of Baskerville"

Adapted from: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

It was hard to pick one Sherlock episode for this category, obviously because all of them are amazing, but I chose this one because it has such a brilliant mystery, and it is a complex adaptation.  So much is changed from the original story, but the idea of the original remains.  It has that horror element, that scary supernatural hound that is so expertly explained, with clues along the way to point to the correct solution.  But that solution is obscured by the scene where Sherlock sees the hound and begins to doubt himself and the mystery becomes a test of his ideology and rationality.  This episode (like all of them really) is a perfect blend of mystery and character development.

In some of the previous Sherlock episodes, there is more than one mystery to solve, and while it is a brilliant feat of adapting, I love how this episode has just one central mystery.  There are other puzzles that seem unrelated, but in the end everything comes together in a way that only Sherlock can make sense of.  This series' style of visualizing what goes on in Sherlock's head through on-screen graphics and text, creates a great moment near the end where Sherlock goes to his mind palace and starts really analyzing all the information he's gleaned.  The mind palace is an old method of storing memories, and this episode shows how useful it can still be.  And apparently terrifically useful for detectives.

This episode, with it's moody, sinister atmosphere, and a complex mystery that is made more awesome by how well Mark Gatiss can weave elements of the original story and yet create a completely new, modern version that still keeps the idea of this unshakable, haunting curse, is another brilliant example of how fantastic this show is, and how awe-inspiring a unique adaptation can be.

Awesome Adaptations (20) - The Reichenbach Fall

Awesome Adaptations is a weekly bookish meme, hosted at Alisa Selene’s books blog, Picturemereading.  Anyone can play along! Each week there is a new category of adaptation to blog about. Any format (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. If you’re playing along on your own blog, just mention Picturemereading in your post and include the banner above. Let them know which film you’d pick and why it is an awesome adaptation worth watching. Oh, and don’t forget to share the link to your own post in the comments for that week’s challenge so that everyone can read your thoughts!

An awesomely action packed adaptation

Title: The Reichenbach Fall from the TV show "Sherlock"

Adapted from The Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle

Omigod, this series.  Every episode could be featured somehow on Awesome Adaptations.  And maybe it will be!  But for now I want to focus on my current favorite episode of the show's run, and the one episode that had me shocked, scared, crying, and curled in the fetal position as I tried to process everything that just happened.  In terms of action packed, this episode has so many highs and lows and shocks and surprises, it truly is mind boggling.   If you haven't seen the recent BBC update of Sherlock hie you to Netflix post haste!  And meet your new obsession. :)

In terms of adaptation, this episode uses only a little from the original story.  Moriarty in the story is more of a plot device to end Sherlock Holmes.  His master criminal efforts are described and Holmes' efforts to find enough evidence to convict him and his whole agency of criminals are mentioned but nothing concrete is described.  The story is not a mystery at all, but Holmes on the run.  However in the TV show, Moriarty's behind-the-scenes criminal activities are fleshed out throughout the run of the two series.  So when you come to this episode (3rd episode of the 2nd season), you know all about Moriarty's villainy and especially of his character.   Moriarty of the show is especially complex - unhinged, obsessed and sinister.  He sees Sherlock as his equal and is determined to match wits with him to the death.  Moriarty's agenda drives the action and the choices Sherlock must make in this episode.  It is Sherlock on the run again, but this time Moriarty is calling the shots.  From committing outrageous crimes and getting away with it, to spreading lies and rumors about Sherlock that takes away all public regard for his accomplishments; Moriarty undermines Sherlock's beliefs and tests his mental acuity.  All leading to the fall Moriarty wants Sherlock to take.  The final scenes of this episode are tense to the extreme and brilliantly played by all the actors.

I don't want to reveal too much about what happens in this episode because it is more fun to be taken on the roller coaster ride of insanity.  This episode is absolutely compelling.  It's audacious.  Suspenseful.  Emotional.  Brilliant.  And of course, awesome.

Sherlock

Sherlock
BBC Series with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman

Season 2 of this amazing series has started airing in the United States on PBS (FINALLY!!!), with the first of a three episode series airing yesterday.  It is one of my favorite shows, and in my opinion one of the best TV shows ever made.  In all aspects and perhaps in large part due to the cinematic quality of the show.  They are really like films shown on television.  I've always been intrigued and delighted by TV shows that push the boundaries of traditional television content, shows like Community, another favorite, which is not at all a traditional sitcom.  But where Community sometimes must sacrifice quality for quantity I believe, Sherlock doesn't have that problem because the focus is only on quality.  The scripts are tight and well-written, intellectual, fast-paced and witty; the actors/characters (I guess Sherlock is not real...)  are amazing, believable, emotional or not as it applies, anchored in their reality, funny and well-rounded.  And even the directing and camera -work is inventive and contributes to the storytelling.  Visual storytelling is taken to new heights on this show, with the camera not a window through which we watch the story unfold, but a canvas where different parts of the screen can be used to tell the story.  It's unique (I think) and utterly brilliant, as the intricacy of the details of the plot can be conveyed quickly.

The first season was an amazing start, and it is with even more amazement that I find the second season continues to build on the characters and the story, with more innovation and skill.  With every episode, I think 'Okay, this is my favorite one' until the next one comes and surprises and delights me.  Although I firmly feel that the last episode of the second season has to be my favorite one now - it is such an emotional rollercoaster, with each segment so perfectly pitched.  I would recommend to anyone who has not seen this show, that if they had to watch one, it should be The Reichenbach Fall, but it would dull the overall effect if they didn't have the previous five episodes in which to watch and experience the emotional buildup.  Everyone on this show should win all the awards for this.  Even if the story isn't everybody's cup of tea, I think the technical skill showed in all aspects of the show should be recognized.  And as a modern update to somebody as famously iconic as Sherlock Holmes, this show more than surpasses any expectations.