Canonical References in Sherlock - "A Study in Pink"

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes

A big incentive to watch the non-Canonical takes on the Sherlock Holmes legend is to catch the nods to the original stories. This is one of the many advantages of reading the Canon as few things bring more joy than discovering the hidden references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s genius.

Most non-canonical adaptations of Sherlock Holmes pack in a sizeable number of nods. This is true of the Basil Rathone movies and the Guy Ritchie directed movies.

The critically and commercially acclaimed BBC series, Sherlock takes this to a whole new level. Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat and Steve Thompson have packed in a ton of these and each episode is a veritable goldmine.

The first episode of the first season: “A Study in Pink” is a modern update of A Study in Scarlet and contained a number of clever references to that novel. I will be listing those references in a separate post. Here, I have listed the references to other Canonical stories and novels:

John Watson with his walking stick

1. Watson is seen with a limping leg initially and towards the end of the episode, Holmes makes a mention to Watson about the injury to his left hand - Reference to Watson’s injury being inconsistent in the Canon
2. Sherlock's blog is titled “The Science of Deduction” – exactly named as the chapters from A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four
3. Sherlock knifing his mails on the mantelpiece – Reference to this line: “..his unanswered correspondence transfixed by a jack-knife into the very centre of his wooden mantelpiece,…” from The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual
4. Mrs Hudson: “That’s not decent” in response to Sherlock’s happiness about his latest case – Reference to the line spoken by Watson: “I can hardly think that you would find many decent citizens to agree with you” from The Adventure of the Norwood Builder
5. Sherlock: “The game, Mrs Hudson is on!” – Reference to the famous line: “The game is afoot” from The Adventure of the Abbey Grange
6. Sherlock explaining his profession to Watson: “..means when the police are out of their depth, which is always, they consult me” – Reference to the line: “When Gregson or Lestrade or Athelney Jones are out of their depths—which, by the way, is their normal state—the matter is laid before me.” from The Sign of Four
7. Sherlock making deductions from Watson’s phone – Sherlock Holmes makes a similar deduction about Watson’s watch in The Sign of Four


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8. Sherlock's deductions about Anderson and Donovan based on the former’s deodorant – Sherlock Holmes makes a deduction based on Beryl Stapleton’s perfume in The Hound of the Baskervilles.
9. Lestrade’s reaction to Sherlock’s deductions: “Oh for God’s sake, if you are just making this up…” – Reference to the lines spoken by Watson: “You cannot expect me to believe that you have read all this from his old watch!” and “… and, to speak plainly, has a touch of charlatanism in it.” from The Sign of Four
10. Donovan's comment about Sherlock: “He is not paid or anything. He likes it.” – Sherlock Holmes often takes cases without consideration for any kind of compensation in the Canon.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes

11. John hitting on Anthea during the ride to meet Mycroft – Dr Watson has always been a Ladies Man. He himself states in The Sign of the Four: “In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents, …”
12. Mycroft to Watson: “When one is avoiding the attention of Sherlock Holmes, one learns to be discreet..” – Reference to the line spoken by Sherlock: “One has to be discreet when one talks of high matters of state.” from The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
13. Mycroft's comment about Sherlock: “He does love to be dramatic.” – Reference to Sherlock Holmes’ statement: “..but Watson here will tell you that I never can resist a touch of the dramatic.” from The Adventure of the Naval Treaty
14. Sherlock's text to Watson: “..Come at once if inconvenient. If convenient, come anyway. SH” – Reference to the famous message: “Come at once if convenient - if inconvenient come all the same.” from The Adventure of The Creeping Man
15. Mycroft’s surveillance on Dr Watson on the streets and having access to his medical records – Reference to the line: “He is the British Government” from The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
16. Mycroft’s deductions about Watson experiencing tremors on his left hand, that Sherlock (seemingly) missed – Sherlock mentions that Mycroft has superior powers of observation and deduction in The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter
17. Sherlock enjoying his nicotine patch on the sofa – Reference to this line: “Finally he thrust the sharp point home, pressed down the tiny piston, and sank back into the velvet-lined arm-chair with a long sigh of satisfaction.” from The Sign of Four
18. Sherlock: “Breathing’s boring” – References to the lines: “But I abhor the dull routine of existence” and “..existence is commonplace..” from The Sign of Four
19. Sherlock: “It’s a three patch problem” – Reference to the line: “It is quite a three pipe problem,…” from The Adventure of the Red-Headed League
20. Sherlock describes Mycroft as “The most dangerous man you have ever met” to Watson. - Holmes refers to Colonel Sebastian Moran as “The second most dangerous man in London” from The Adventure of the Empty House
21. 22 Northumberland St. – Reference to the Northumberland hotel in The Hound of the Baskervilles
22. Sherlock: “I think better when I talk aloud.” – Sherlock Holmes often thinks aloud in many cases, including The Sign of Four, The Valley of Fear and The Boscombe Valley Mystery
23. One of Angelo’s employees is named Billy – Reference to Sherlock’s page Billy, who appears in The Valley of Fear, The Problem of Thor Bridge and The Mazarin Stone.
24. Sherlock and Watson keeping an eye on the cab - Reference to them following the hansom in The Hound of the Baskervilles
25. Watson: “I got the cab number.”– Reference to The Hound of the Baskervilles

Sherlock and John chasing the taxi

25. Sherlock exhibits his detailed knowledge of London during the taxi chase
26. Sherlock to Watson about their surveillance at the restaurant: “It was a long shot anyway” – Reference to this line: “A long shot, Watson; a very long shot!” in The Silver Blaze
27. Sherlock to Watson: “I haven’t the faintest…” – Sherlock makes similar statements in The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger and The Valley of Fear
28. During Lestrade’s “drugs bust” at 221 B, Sergeant Donovan discovers some human eyes in the microwave oven. - Reference to this line stated by Dr Watson in The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual: “Our chambers were always full of chemicals and of criminal relics, which had a way of wandering into unlikely positions, and of turning up in the butter-dish, or in even less desirable places.”
29. Sherlock claims to be conducting some experiment with the aforementioned human eyes – Reference to this line from The Adventure of the Dying Detective: “His incredible untidiness, his addiction to music at strange hours, his occasional revolver practice within doors, his weird and often malodorous scientific experiments, and the atmosphere of violence and danger which hung around him made him the very worst tenant in London.”
30. Sherlock: “In her dying moments…Scratched the name of Rachel on the floor with her fingernails. That must have hurt” – Reference to the victims scratching a message in The Adventure of the Retired Colorman.
31. Sherlock to Watson (while trying to figure out why the victim scratched the name on the floor): “Oh, use your imagination.” Watson: “I don’t have to” – Reference to this line spoken by Sherlock Holmes from The Valley of Fear: “It is, I admit, mere imagination; but how often is imagination the mother of truth?”
32. Sherlock’s reaction to Lestrade’s suggestion that he probably lost the phone at 221 B Baker Street - “Me.. I did not notice it?” – Reference to Watson’s statement in The Reigate Puzzle: “I was pained at the mistake, for I knew how keenly Holmes would feel any slip of the kind. It was his specialty to be accurate as to fact,….”
33. Jeff (the cabby) to Sherlock: “I was warned about you. I have been on your web site too” – Reference to the line written by Irene Adler to Sherlock Holmes from A Scandal in Bohemia: “I had been warned against you months ago.. And your address had been given to me.”
34. Jeff (the cabby) to Sherlock: “You know every street in London” – Reference to Sherlock having extensive knowledge of London
35. Jeff (the cabby) to Sherlock: “You are just a man. And there is so much more than that. An organization.” – Reference to Professor Moriarty's line in The Final Problem:  “You stand in the way not merely of an individual but of a mighty organization, the full extent of which you, with all your cleverness, have been unable to realize.” 
36. Mycroft to Sherlock: “So another case cracked. How public spirited. But that’s never your motivation, is it?” – Reference to this exchange from The Adventure of the Red-Headed League - Holmes: “My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so.”. Watson: “And you are a benefactor of the race.” Holmes: “Well, perhaps, after all, it is of some little use,..” 
37. Sherlock about Mycroft: “He is the British Government” – Sherlock makes the same statement in The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
38. Sherlock to Mycroft: “I never guess” – Reference to the line: “I never guess. It is a shocking habit,—destructive to the logical faculty.” from The Sign of Four
39. One of the victims is a young man named James Phillimore – Reference to this line: “Among these unfinished tales is that of Mr. James Phillimore, who, stepping back into his own house to get his umbrella, was never more seen in this world.” from The Problem of Thor Bridge (Credit to Loveable Freak for pointing this out)
40. Another victim named Beth Davenport – A character by the name J. Davenport responds to Mycroft Holmes’ advertisement in The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter

I welcome the readers to add any other nods that I might have missed.

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TV Review: Sherlock - "The Hounds of Baskerville"

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Holmes and Watson

Holmes is in between cases and as is his wont, starts craving for artificial mental stimulants. Watson does his best to dissuade Holmes from his drug intake and is relieved when Henry Knight arrives at 221 B with his case.

The case in question is arguably the most popular novel in the Sherlock Holmes Canon: The Hound of the Baskervilles. As was the case with A Study in Scarlet, the canonical novel has been updated for a modern adaptation.

Henry has recurring memories of his father being killed by a hound 20 years ago. Henry returns to the place of his father's demise and claims to have seen the footprints of a gigantic hound. Holmes is quite dismissive of Henry's beliefs in the existence of a hound, but his interest is nevertheless piqued and takes up the case. Holmes and Watson soon arrive at Dartmoor and Watson does some sleuthing of his own in a local café.

Instead of the Baskerville Hall, we have a military complex. Barrymore, Lyons, Frankland and Stapleton work at the complex. Dr Mortimer though still remains the same except for the fact he is now a she (a trait shared with the character of Stapleton). The escaped convict Selden does not directly appear in the episode but does contribute to a cheeky moment.

Sherlock comes face to face with a nightmare

Sherlock uses Mycroft’s credentials to sneak into the military complex. Sherlock and Watson discover that there is a lot of research and testing going on, that may or may not be related to the hound. Soon their adventure is cut short and the cheerful Dr Frankland comes to their rescue by (wrongly) confirming Sherlock’s identity as Mycroft.

There is a little mystery involving Dr Stapleton as well, that confirms Sherlock’s suspicions that there is some genetic testing going on at the complex.

Soon Sherlock encounters the cause of Henry's fear and is forced to reevaluate the case. Sherlock copes with the emotion of fear and overcomes it soon enough to solve the mystery. Mark Gatiss has done a fine job of reworking the original story.

There are quite a number of clues spread throughout the episode that astute viewers would have noticed. I will not reveal the resolution, except to note that readers familiar with the canon will be reminded of The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot.

Russell Tovey as Henry Knight

Cumberbatch gets to display his acting chops as the character of Sherlock evolves further in the second season. Freeman provides ample support as Watson. Russell Tovey makes an impressive Henry Knight, the man who has been scarred for life after witnessing his father getting killed. Rupert Graves has a bigger role in this episode and as always delivers a nice performance. Mark Gatiss is a gifted writer and has a fine command over the language. From the reworking of the episode title to renaming Sir Henry Baskerville to Henry Knight and the term HOUND, Gatiss has woven a fine web of word play.

Now on to the trivia section. I caught the following references to the original stories:

1.   The Adventure of Black Peter (Holmes’s appearance at 221 B with a harpoon)

2.   The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (Holmes placing a bet with a local guide to get some information)

3.   The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter ("Mycroft is the British Government")

4.   The Sign of the Four (“When you have eliminated everything that is impossible, the remaining however improbable must be the truth”)

5.   The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot  (I will leave it to the readers to figure this one out)

The episode is easily the best of the season and returns Holmes to his Doylean roots. This is my favorite episode so far after A Study in Pink.

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TV Review: Sherlock - "The Blind Banker"

Zoe Telford with our dynamic duo in 'The Blind Banker'

This episode is not a direct adaptation or a modern update of any of the Canonical stories by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) is asked by one of his classmates, Sebastian to investigate a case of office break-in.

Soon, Sherlock and Watson (Martin Freeman) discover that one of the bank employees is murdered in his apartment.  The police force is puzzled, as all the doors and windows are bolted from inside. Sherlock deduces that the man was being threatened and the break-in at the bank was done to send him a coded message.

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A journalist is murdered shortly and the killer’s modus operandi is quite similar to the previous one. Sherlock notices that the killer has to be extremely athletic to be able to commit both these crimes in high-rise buildings.

The trail leads to an international gang of smugglers called "The Black Lotus". The action-packed climax befits an action movie more rather than a Sherlock mystery.

The mystery itself is not upto the usual standards of Arthur Conan Doyle. But this drawback is offset by Freeman and Cumberbatch's excellent on-screen chemistry. Zoe Telford plays Sarah, Watson's boss. Her sense of humor makes her a perfect choice and she is a joy to behold on the screen.

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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.

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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.

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TV Review: Sherlock

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in BBC 'Sherlock'

The BBC series Sherlock is a contemporary take on Arthur Conan Doyle's stories and novels set in the Victorian era. Benedict Cumberbatch has an amazing screen presence and makes a great Holmes for the 21st century. I find his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes to be quite faithful to the Canon.

Benedict has the right physicality to play the legendary detective. His rich baritone is the icing on the cake. This is one of the best casting choices in a long time and full credits to Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes 

Conan Doyle had created Dr Watson as a competent and loyal ally of Holmes. The BBC adaptation hits a home run on this count as Martin Freeman is a pitch-perfect Watson. Freeman embodies both humanity and humility, two qualities that Holmes more than often seems to be totally lacking in. He won the BAFTA TV award for Best Supporting Actor for his work and he truly deserved it.

Martin Freeman as Dr Watson

The character of Molly Hooper is not part of the Sherlock Holmes canon and has been created especially for this series. Loo Brealey is a nice addition to the stellar cast and makes Molly the adorable girl-next-door whom many of us have come across in our lives.

Loo Brealey as Molly Hooper with Benedict Cumberbatch in BBC 'Sherlock'

The series has had 2 seasons so far, with each season consisting of 3 90-minute long episodes.

The first episode “A Study in Pink” is based on A Study in Scarlet, the novel that introduced Sherlock Holmes. This is easily the best episode of the season. Click here to read the full review of the episode. Click here to check out the amazing number of Canonical references in this episode.

The second episode, “The Blind Banker” had Sherlock locking horns with an international gang bent on smuggling antiques. This episode is relatively less interesting compared to the first episode. Click here to read the full review of the episode.

The final episode, “The Great Game” introduced us to Jim Moriarty, the modern day version of Professor Moriarty. There are a lot of nods to the original stories and the final scenes between Moriarty and Sherlock were great. Click here and here to check out the amazing number of Canonical references in this episode.

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In keeping with the modern times, there are some conspicuous departures from the original stories:

•  Holmes and Watson maintain their own blogs.
•  Holmes texts Watson instead of sending telegraphs.
•  Holmes uses nicotine patches instead of needles.
• Three-pipe problem is now a three-patch problem.

These changes remind us that we are watching a revisionist, albeit an entertaining take on Holmes. Particularly appealing is the way Holmes’s patented system of making observations have been picturized. Using onscreen text and numbers literally to show Holmes’s train of thoughts and deductions, the series makers have successfully introduced Sherlock Holmes to a whole new generation. The series won the 2011 BAFTA TV award for Best Drama Series. Steven Moffat was awarded the 2012 BAFTA Television Special Award for his contribution to television.

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, co-creators of  'Sherlock'

The second season opened with “A Scandal in Belgravia”. We meet a very modernized version of Irene Adler as she tries to outwit Sherlock. Mycroft and Moriarty too have some significant roles in this episode. Click here to read the full review of the episode.

This was followed by “The Hounds of Baskerville”, the dramatization of arguably the most famous novel featuring Sherlock Holmes. Most of the supporting characters have been changed. The episode is my favorite in the second season and has Sherlock do some actual sleuthing to solve a mystery. Click here to read the full review of the episode. 

The season ended with “The Reichenbach Fall”, based on The Final Problem. The writers have done some of their best work here. Unfortunately, Andrew Scott goes so way over the top as Moriarty that he seems more like a caricature of a criminal mastermind rather than being one. Click here to read the full review of the episode. 

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