TV Review: Sherlock - "A Study in Pink"

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman share excellent chemistry

The opening shots establish Dr Watson (Martin Freeman) as a man haunted by his war memories. As a result of his war injuries, Watson is aided by his walking stick. Compounding his already traumatized existence is the boredom and loneliness, which John tries to dispel by blogging. All this is about to change shortly, when he runs into an old friend, Stamford.

Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch), as we meet him, is whipping a corpse with a riding crop to find out if it is possible to inflict bruises on a dead body. His colleague, Molly Hooper (Loo Brealey) has a crush on him that appears to be completely unrequited.

No sooner than Sherlock and Watson have moved into 221B Baker Street that Watson starts noticing some truly bizarre things about his roommate. Holmes had already deduced a lot of information about Watson in their very first meeting and the presence of a human skull in the living room only serves to pique Watson’s interest even more.

Click on the link below to buy your copy of Season 1:

Soon Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) visits them asking Sherlock for assistance in solving what appears to be the latest in a string of apparent suicides. The resulting investigation restores the much needed excitement and action back into the soldier’s life.

In addition to the investigation, Watson meets up with a stranger, who offers to bribe him in exchange for information on Sherlock. His powers of observation and deduction seem to exceed those of even Sherlock. Watson is convinced that he has met the archenemy of Sherlock.

This episode is based on A Study in Scarlet and has some significant deviations from the canon. While the modus operandi of the killer remains the same, his motivations are vastly different. What was originally a story of revenge has been modified to suit the story arc of this modern adaptation, which is to introduce Moriarty as a devious mastermind and the one man hell-bent on a mission to destroy Sherlock.

Loo Brealey as Molly Hooper with Benedict Cumberbatch

The series has always been marked by sharp wit and humor and this is apparent nowhere more than in this season (and series) opener. With a spot-on performance from Cumberbatch and a smart update of the Canon, this episode is just the right start to the series that would soon become a worldwide hit.

Click here to read all my posts about BBC Sherlock.

If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to this blog by clicking here.

Image Sources: Cumberbatchweb, three hares

You might also like:

Canonical Nods in "The Empty Hearse"

Canonical Nods in "The Sign of Three"

TV Review: Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes – "Bloody Inscription" (1979) - Review

Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes in 'Bloody Inscription'

The first episode of the Russian adaptation “Acquaintance” had Holmes and Watson get acquainted (pun intended) with each other, before they are beseeched by Helen Stoner (The Adventure of the Speckled Band).

This episode is a faithful adaptation of A Study in Scarlet, the first novel written by Arthur Conan Doyle that introduced Sherlock Holmes as the world’s first consulting detective.

Vitaly Solomin as Dr Watson

Holmes and Watson investigate the murder of one Enoch Drebber. Holmes, in his usual style, makes a series of observations and deductions, much to the amusement of his official counterparts, Gregson and Lestrade.

The Scotland Yard detectives follow their own lines of investigation and each is confident of his own success. Soon, another murder occurs that proves both of them wrong. This time, the victim is Joseph Strangerson.

Click on the link below to buy the DVD:

As expected, Holmes follows his own course of investigation and brings the case to a successful conclusion.

Vasily Livanov continues to amaze as the master detective as does Vitaly Solomin as Dr Watson. But the standout performance is given by Boryslav Brondukov as Lestrade. Brondukov makes for a very remarkable and interesting Lestrade, one who will appeal to and amuse all Sherlock Holmes fans.

Boryslav Brondukov as Inspector Lestrade

Click here to read all my posts about the Russian adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. 

If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to this blog by clicking here. 

Image Source: Lenfilm Film Studio

You might also like:

“221 B Baker Street” - Review

“Rock, Paper, Scissors” - Review