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| Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson in CBS Elementary |
The pilot starts with a struggle inside a house between a red-headed woman and an
unknown assailant and the scene closes with the assumed murder.
As is usually the case with other adaptations and the Canon
itself, we first meet Watson. In this instance, it is Joan Watson, played
remarkably well by Lucy Liu. She has been hired to be the sober companion to
Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) by the latter’s father.
Sherlock is a recovering drug addict and escapes from the rehabilitation facility he was admitted to, right on the day of his release. He attributes his action to sheer boredom.
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Sherlock is a recovering drug addict and escapes from the rehabilitation facility he was admitted to, right on the day of his release. He attributes his action to sheer boredom.
If anyone needs counselling/therapy services, they can check out BetterHelp, an organization that connects people with licensed, accredited professionals. Check out the site for free-to-read articles about various mental health issues including depression, anxiety among others.
Captain Tobias Gregson (Aidan Quinn) calls in Sherlock to solve
the aforementioned murder. Detective Javier Abreu (Manny Perez) is not very
keen on getting outside assistance.
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The rest of the episode goes along predictable lines: Holmes and Watson get to know each other and the murder case is resolved as well.
The rest of the episode goes along predictable lines: Holmes and Watson get to know each other and the murder case is resolved as well.
This adaptation in addition to being set in the modern times has a
female Watson. What’s more, Sherlock’s father is around and is playing an
active role in Sherlock’s life. To the best of my knowledge, this is a new in
the annals of Sherlock Holmes adaptations.
Jonny Lee Miller makes an OK Sherlock Holmes. This version of
Sherlock worked as a consulting detective in London, before moving to NY.
Miller's Sherlock does not have any idiosyncrasies or quirks that can make his
portrayal unique or stand out from the crowd.
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Lucy Liu as Joan Watson
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Lucy Liu gives the better performance (in my humble opinion) as Joan Watson, the everyman we can relate to. Her interactions with Miller’s
Holmes are very typical of the ones we have read in A Study in Scarlet. Liu
successfully sells the concept of a female Watson and deserves credit. The
casting of Liu raised a lot of eyebrows and I can say with confidence that Liu
makes a great Watson.
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| Aidan Quinn as Captain Tobias Gregson |
Aidan Quinn makes a likeable Tobias
Gregson. He respects Holmes for his skills. I still miss Lestrade. The
Official Police Force is never the same without our little sallow, rat-faced
Inspector!
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The direction by
Michael Cuesta is competent. The music and cinematography are adequate.
Canonical References
- In the story His Last Bow, Sherlock mentions he is writing a book on Bee Keeping entitled “Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, with some Observations upon the Segregation of the Queen”. Miller’s Sherlock quotes the exact name of the book and also maintains a bee hive on his terrace! This is easily the best Canonical reference and I am curious as to how they are going to top this one in the upcoming episodes.
- In The Adventure of the Red Circle and The Adventure of the Red-Headed League, Sherlock Holmes displays his enjoyment of music. In Elementary, Sherlock’s father informs Joan Watson about his son’s love for music!
- In The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton, Holmes breaks into a house to secure some documents. In a superb twist, Miller’s Sherlock breaks out of a facility.
I liked the modern
updates to Sherlock’s methods – using Google and Facebook. Nice touches and
very Sherlockian in nature.
The episode moved at
a good pace and the acting is commendable. The solving of the case involves
teamwork from Holmes and Watson.
Click here to read all my posts about CBS Elementary.
Click here to read all my posts about CBS Elementary.
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