modern Sherlocks

[pensnest]

Well. My clearest memory of the newest 'Sherlock' episode (from New Year's Day) is saying, out loud, "Hit him! HIT HIM!!" And being in consequence very happy when John did.

Seriously, though. How can the writers think it works to portray Sherlock as that much of an idiot? To re-enter his bereaved best friend's life as a joke? A great detective would *have* to understand human nature rather better than that if he's to be effective in figuring out crimes. It makes no sense. It is stupid.


We've been watching the first season of 'Elementary' for a few days now, and I think it is awesome. JLM Sherlock is a far, far nicer human being than BC Sherlock, and Joan Watson is much more useful than John Watson, even though they are both medically qualified. John seems to be much more the bloke who runs around in Sherlock's wake being nice to people; Joan points out useful and salient facts which contribute to the solving of puzzles.

And although Benedict Cumberbatch plays his part very well, Jonny Lee Miller's acting is so, so beautiful, and subtle, and complex, and everything.

There are people in both settings who'd happily wallop Sherlock with a very large mallet—in JLM-Sherlock's case, I don't want them to.

Comments

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

I've always said the writing on BBC Sherlock is doing the actors a disservice (very much like Series 7 of New Who). I need to get around to watching Elementary (ironically it's only because of a spoiler I inadvertently came across that really got me interested in it) just to do a comparison. Empty Hearse was rollicking fun but at the end I remarked to someone that none of it would've worked if not for Cumberbatch's considerable acting ability.

[pensnest]

Absolutely. BC very nearly sold it, but he did better than the material deserved. I think the writers do it for fun, but without thinking things through. Sad, really.

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

And please don't get me started on the amount of fan service. *makes face*

(this coming from the person who is only online at this time to get a dl of the ep before she goes to work. I really do hate timezones.)

[pensnest]

I'll be interested to see what you make of the latest one!

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

I'm scared, tbh. I did enjoy Empty Hearse muchly, but it left me feeling a little empty (ha!) after I had time to digest it. I still do love all the little bits of character insight (and by god I do love Gatiss's sense of humour), but oh, it could've been so much more. It's just indicative of what I call Mofftiss's Major Malfunction: they seem too caught up in their own cleverness to really put in as much effort as they once did, and it is telling that Sherlock is starting to suffer from the exact same problems that the latest New Who does. Which is a shame, because as Blink and A Study in Pink shows, Moffat CAN be a good writer.

[msktrnanny.livejournal.com]

I do think Mr. Miller is soundly underrated as an actor in general. I adore the flawed Holmes he plays, a man so accustomed to getting by on his intelligence that even years after his first foray into mis-stepping he is still shocked by it. And he works at learning, which is delightful to watch! Joan has grown on me considerably since the pilot.

Since I don't watch Sherlock, there'll be no comparison betwixt the two for me. :-)

[pensnest]

I'd just re-watched the 'Emma' with JLM as Mr Knightley (yum), so this is a most interesting contrast!

I like the fact that JLM-Sherlock occasionally, very occasionally, *apologises* outright. He's very well characterised by the scripts, and lovely to watch.