Elementary, My Dear Cumberbatch!!

Last night, Nate & I just finished watching Disc 1 of the BBC's new show Sherlock. I'm in love. Unfortunately, it seems that Sherlock will be a tease of a lover, since there are only three(!) episodes total in Season 1 -- and I've already seen two of them. Not only that, but Season 2 probably won't start until at least fall of 2011, due to scheduling conflicts with the writers/actors/etc. Sigh...at least the episodes are 90 minutes each!

And to top it all off, I've been told that the final episode of Season 1 is a cliffhanger, which makes me afraid to watch it and be left unsatisfied. But I will probably still watch it as soon as I can. Because I'm totally in love with this show.

I'm not a superfan of Arthur Conan Doyle, but I have read a little Sherlock Holmes, and I know the basic outlines of his more famous mysteries, as well as the character's many quirks & attributes. So it was a pleasant surprise to see so many of those things updated almost effortlessly into a 21st-century setting. It feels remarkably faithful to the original source material, while remarkably contemporary at the same time.

Here's a few things I really like:

1. The casting. The chemistry between the two leads is very strong and it makes for an energetic, funny, and exciting dynamic--just as the partnership between Holmes and Watson should be. Of course, since this is the 21st century, "bromance" jokes abound; Holmes & Watson are often mistaken for a gay couple. Watson spends lots of time denying this while Holmes is coyly silent about the whole thing. It's pretty funny stuff.

2. Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes). I've never seen him in anything else, but he takes an intimidating role and really makes it his own. He plays Holmes as very Aspergian--sure he's brilliant, but he's emotionally stunted, socially backward, and disliked by many. But he's so charismatic (plus kind of a cutie) that you (the viewer) love him anyway. Plus, he has the most incredibly awesomely silly British name in the history of British names. I could say it all day! Benedict Cumberbatch! Benedict Cumberbatch! Benedict Cumberbatch!

3. Martin Freeman (Watson). He plays the good doctor (yes, he's still a doctor) as a world-weary, action-hungry Afghan war vet, with just the right mix of passion and humor. Freeman plays the nebbish, hangdog type very well. Don't believe me? Go watch the UK version of The Office. Or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Or wait until next year & watch The Hobbit, when he will take his rightful place onscreen as Bilbo freakin' Baggins!

4. Production values. Often the BBC shows look a bit low-rent (the perils of not working with Hollywood money). Not so here. Nice camerawork, cinematography, direction, etc. At times, the visual style of the show strongly resembles those of American procedurals (particularly the CSI shows, with their penchant for extreme zoom shots of evidence/speed-ramping, etc). But it never sinks to the level of a procedural clone--the good writing and acting see to that. It's better because it's British! :)

5. The writing. The mysteries both pay homage to some of Conan Doyle's original mysteries (A Study in Scarlet, The Adventures of the Speckled Band, etc.), as well as update them convincingly (using GPS-enhanced smartphones to track a killer, for instance). I have to confess that the payoff is sometimes not quite as good as the setup (sometimes the killer's identity is a little too easy to deduce, or a final confrontation a little silly), but the journey makes it worth the trip. Besides, being able to see the solution at the same time as Holmes makes the audience feel smarter!

6. Moriarity!! Can't wait to see him in the final episode (yes, I know he's coming--he has to. He's the Joker to Holmes' Batman).

7. The dialogue:
"I'm not a psychopath, Anderson, I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research."
Hee hee!


So, what more could you ask for in a show? (Besides more episodes, that is?) Go watch Sherlock now!

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH! BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH!