For the longest time I have held a grudge about this show just because it wasn't the BBC's Sherlock. From memory it wasn't long after Sherlock had finished that Elementary aired and I was still riding the coattails of my favourite duo so couldn't quite comprehend a female Watson and the Americans taking Holmes.
It took me several years to get over it because the stories of Sherlock Holmes mean a lot to me despite the fact Conan Doyle despised him. But in the end I convinced myself that any form of Holmes was still Holmes and ultimately I was willing to see how it all panned out.
Firstly, Jonny Lee Miller is an excellent Holmes. The way he holds his back straight is a very Holmesian trait and how he has a blatant disregard for both police officers and the law, he was a brilliant choice for the character I must admit.
If we turn to Joan Watson, again I think they made an excellent choice in terms of casting. Lucy Liu is already an actress I hold in high regard, but her portrayal of the famous sidekick was far more evolved than I would have expected. Traditionally Doctor Watson is an brilliant doctor, but a rather bumbling sidekick in order to contrast Holmes' brilliance on a grander scale. With the first series of Jeremy Brett's Sherlock, Watson was played by David Burke who made the character less bumbling and more serious. He elevated Watson's intelligence which further boosted Sherlock's rather than having a dumb sidekick to make his brain seem brainer.
By the time Watson was replaced by Edward Hardwicke, the character seemed to have digressed slightly. When Martin Freeman took on the character he again chose to portray the man as a smart doctor and a serious man, but who was rather aloof when it came to social settings which was a nice balance. It meant that Sherlock was further boosted in terms of his own intelligence, but he had Watson to lean on for the more human aspect. I bring this up as Joan Watson is much the same. She is not the dumb sidekick. In fact I believe that Joan Watson has taught more to Sherlock Holmes about what it is to be human than any of the Johns. Joan seems very grounded, she's quite empathetic and I think the change in gender is what makes this work so well. She brings a much broader perspective to each case than what it was with just the two men. It is nice.
I also like the fact that they gender swapped Moriarty. I must admit it was a bit of a shock when Natalie Dormer turned up causing chaos. Not sure how I feel about them being former lovers, the same side of a coin but with wildly different outcomes. Moriarty is what Sherlock would be without his support network and I think that scares him, but equally I think that is what he would become if he lost Watson. However, it was certainly very interesting to see the former lovers come at odds. I like that there was a valid reason for Moriarty to be so possessive of Sherlock.
I also really enjoyed the fact that Lestrade was played by my favourite butler, Sean Pertwee. I enjoy it when he turns up in American shows playing the roughed up version of a beloved British character. Nothing changed here, it's just he had less morals than Alfred.
Rhys Ifans was also an inspired choice for Mycroft. It concerns me that he has an agenda that isn't in Sherlock's interest, but I liked the spin on the busybody brother. A restaurateur who isn't nearly as smart as his baby brother but has a malicious streak which keeps him in check. The entire dynamic of the show is different and interesting, no one seems sure of one another.
The detectives, Gregson and Bell, they seem to take on the sidekick mantle that Watson once had. Holmes and Watson become partners towards the end of the season and so the dynamic shifts so that we need a character in order to fit the purpose of sidekick/lack of intelligence. While both of these men are good at what they do, they don't seem to have the scope to see the full picture like Holmes and Watson do.
Considering I followed a self imposed boycott of this for so long, it was pretty good. The cases are pretty simple and they are a decent distraction for 45 minutes or so. It isn't much to rave about, but they're a pretty good watch. I'm halfway through season 2 at the moment and I'm a bit bored of it if I'm honest as its a bit samey at the moment but it's picking up so I'll stick with it!
For now though, season 1 has earnt my respect and so I'm giving it a 7/10. It'll never be Sherlock, but for an American TV show about a British staple, it was pretty good.
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