The Great Game

Genre : Crime Drama

Created by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat

Based on : Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Written by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson

Directed by : Paul McGuigan, Euros Lyn, Toby Haynes

Composer : David Arnold, Michael Price

Starring : Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott, Mark Gatiss

Sherlock Holmes seems to have caved in to his drug addiction because of the lack of ‘interesting’ cases and his eccentric behavior causes Watson to move out of the apartment and spend the night with his girlfriend. The same night, there is an explosion at 221B baker Street and it is clear that someone is after Sherlock’s life. Sherlock soon gets a series of calls from various victims controlled by a third party asking to solve various puzzles and crimes within a time limit in order to save their lives.

All the shortcomings of the second episode are all forgiven after this episode. In James Jim Moriarty, the creators have managed to create the perfect anti-Holmes. While Holmes is restrained and unflashy, Moriarty is flamboyant and swanky. While Holmes boasts the title of the world’s only consulting detective, Moriarty is the polar opposite - he’s the world’s only consulting criminal. 

Again, the writers successfully capture the essence of the original and the final confrontation between Holmes and Moriarty, which is supposed to mirror the exchange that takes place in The Final Problem,
has been beautifully executed by both Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch. Credit again goes to the creators Moffat and Gatiss to present an antagonist unlike any other to have appeared on screen.

The plot keeps you gripped from the start to the finish and before you know it, you’ll be watching the second season of the series(trust me, you just won't be able to help yourself!)

The Blind Banker

Genre : Crime Drama

Created by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat

Based on : Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Written by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson

Directed by : Paul McGuigan, Euros Lyn, Toby Haynes

Composer : David Arnold, Michael Price

Starring : Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott, Mark Gatiss

Follow Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) and John Watson (Martin Freeman) as they investigate a series of ciphers representing numbers in an ancient Chinese numeral system which have been left by a Chinese smuggling ring who seem intent on killing to retrieve an item that one of them stole.

After a brilliant start to the series, the second episode is somewhat disappointing and unmemorable. The story makes a few allusions to the ciphering techniques that Holmes applies in The Dancing Men and takes the concept of coded messages from The Valley of Fear (using book references), but apart from that the story is largely independent of any particular book. This fact clearly shows as the banal plot fails to keeps you engrossed and feels a bit dragged.

Although the episode comes nowhere close to the benchmark set by its predecessor it still makes a decent watch with Zoe Telford playing Dr Watson’s love interest and briefly bringing a strong female character into the mix.

Episode 3 : The Great Game

A Study in Pink

Genre : Crime Drama

Created by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat

Based on : Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Written by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson

Directed by : Paul McGuigan, Euros Lyn, Toby Haynes

Composer : David Arnold, Michael Price

Starring : Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott, Mark Gatiss

“There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skin of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it”
                                                              - Sherlock Holmes to Dr Watson, ‘A Study in Scarlet’

Across London, a number of ‘serial suicides’ are occurring which involves the victims killing themselves in the exact same manner, with the exact same poison pill. Sherlock forces Detective Inspector Lestrade to take his help by making a fool of him in front of the media while the Inspector is giving a press conference.

The rest of the episode follows Holmes and Watson as they try and solve this seemingly inscrutable case.

The main plot of the first episode is loosely based on A Study in Scarlet and it makes a few references to a few other stories from the original book series.

Doctor Who writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat really have done a remarkable job adapting this victorian epic in a modern day setting. The suitably retain elements from Conan Doyle’s stories at the same time giving them a refreshing twist.

What really amused me was how they have explored Sherlock and Watson’s relationship - Mrs. Hudson presumes them to be a couple when they move in together and throughout the series people often jump to the same conclusion. Whenever this happens on screen Watson is invariably offended while Sherlock remains indifferent. And if you think about it, Sherlock being gay would perfectly explain his somewhat misogynist attitude. Its the 21st century and anything is possible!

The episode is full of innovative ideas like the one mentioned before and looks at the characters from a different, more relevant, perspective. The plot keeps you gripped throughout and even those who have read the original story have something in store for them.

Overall, there is almost nothing that the episode gets wrong and its freshness and originality leaves you thoroughly entertained and wanting for more!

Episode 2: The Blind Banker

Sherlock : Season One Review

Genre : Crime Drama

Created by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat

Based on : Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Written by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson

Directed by : Paul McGuigan, Euros Lyn, Toby Haynes

Composer : David Arnold, Michael Price

Starring : Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott, Mark Gatiss

123 years after the world first heard of him, BBC brings to you a modern day rendition of the world’s most famous detective - Sherlock Holmes (just born in a different century and not so famous yet).

This 21st century investigator combines modern day technology with the classic “Art of Deduction” to solve bewildering crimes and catch bad guys. Featuring alongside him are all your favourite characters from the original series. Dr Watson (Martin Freeman), Holmes’ right hand man and perhaps the only person in the world who can solve the inscrutable puzzle that is Sherlock Holmes. Mycroft Holmes(Mark Gatiss) , Holmes’ elder brother who possesses powers of observation and deduction that even exceed Sherlock’s. And last but not the least Professor James Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes’ mirror image - just as Sherlock is the world’s only consulting detective, Moriarty is the world’s only consulting criminal.

Ever since Nolan’s Batman series came out, audiences across the world are no longer convinced with the smokes and mirrors approach to super heroes. I use the term super hero because Sherlock Holmes is in his own way as much a superhero as any other. This show presents Holmes as a more human and relatable person, even more so than the original series (at least in season 1). Holmes no longer relies on his memory for trivial matters such as the weather neither does he maintain an impractically large index of every criminal in the country. He now simply pulls out his I-phone and google's the information he needs.

Just as the creators have depicted Sherlock in a modern day avatar, they have done so with all the other characters. Mrs. Hudson is no longer their caretaker but has just leased out her room to Watson and Holmes and takes care of the duo out of fondness. While in the original, Conan Doyle only alludes to Mycroft’s association with the government, the series openly shows him as being affiliated with MI6, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service. But the depiction of James ‘Jim’ Moriarty is perhaps the most captivating of the lot.

The creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, ventured out to present Moriarty as someone who is ‘absolutely psycho’ and need to be congratulated for their efforts. Easily the most interesting character in the series, Moriarty (no longer Professor) plays Holmes’ counterpart who has a criminal strain running through his blood which has been ‘increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers‘; an evil so demented that you wish Sherlock had never crossed his path.

Benedict Cumberbatch plays the part of modern day Holmes to perfection and impresses with his impeccable dialog delivery (he does it without sounding like Tony Stark with a British accent). Another special mention goes to Andrew Scott for the portrayal of Moriarty in a never before seen avatar. From his dialogue delivery to his body language, everything about him seems nefarious.

The show’s principal virtue is that it preserves the original book’s integrity while at the same time presents it in a relatable and stylish manner. It possesses all the glitz and glam that viewers have come to expect from a prime-time show without reducing itself to a mere action series. That was one major complaint I had with the movies. Sherlock is someone who is skilled at martial arts but avoids physical exertion as much as possible. His boxing days were long over, he didn't go get into fights in underground joints for entertainment, he injected himself with a cocaine solution and sat in front of his fireplace. The series stays true to the original in this aspect and as a devout fan that is what I appreciate about it.

Apart from Sherlock’s fighting skills the series also eclipses some of his other talents. Several of the original stories involved Sherlock donning numerous disguises and spending nights just staking out, this is something that is rarely seen in the season. An anomaly in the show for me is Sherlock’s apparent cluelessness to his coworker Molly’s feelings for him. For the world’s smartest detective, this seems pretty stupid. However, these shortcomings are hardly notable and do not at all hinder the viewing experience.

A novel idea in the show was how text messages or emails appeared on the screen for the viewer to read instead of the actors having to read them out. This was the first time this was ever done on screen and has found its way to other shows and movies as well.

And last but certainly not the least, the music score. The theme song, when it came out, was perhaps the most widely hummed tune everywhere and due credit needs to be given to David Arnold for this musical masterpiece.

Overall, the conglomeration of brilliant screenplay, dialogues and solid acting performances along with a catchy background score make it one series you definitely should not miss!

Episode 1: A Study in Pink