Bookish Show: Sherlock Season 2

I know, it's about time, right? The 2nd season of Sherlock only just recently was put on Netflix, and I managed to miss the last episode when it was airing on PBS. I think I enjoyed this season even more than the first. Brief thoughts on each of the episodes:

A Scandal in Belgravia

Scandal indeed. The BBC show's take on Irene Adler is a bit more risque than I would have preferred, and I found this episode to be rather oversexed. However, I will say that I really enjoyed the way Sherlock and Irene Adler interacted. I think it is always more precious when a boy or man who isn't that into dating takes notice of a girl or woman for the first time -- in this case, "The Woman," and that was enjoyable, minus the sighing text messages (if you've watched this episode, you know what I mean).

The Hound of Baskerville

I loved this one -- I loved the concept, the chill factor, everything. I know that I read this book a long time ago (when I was eleven), but I don't remember much of anything about it, so I'm not sure how everything ties in with the original story, but I thought this episode was incredibly well done.

The Reichenbach Fall

This is definitely the episode freshest in my memory, as I watched it so recently. It is also a story with which I am somewhat more familiar. First of all, I loved all the elaborate hoaxes Moriarty constructs to baffle those around Sherlock and lead them to betray him (and by loved, I mean they were fascinating twists to the story). I originally struggled with the BBC's adaptation of Moriarty, associating him more with the bearded, silently sinister man portrayed in the Robert Downey Jr. adaptations, but the more I watch of Sherlock, the more I prefer the crazed, slightly frenzied, but always calculating version they present. I also loved how Sherlock's fall was orchestrated -- I am dying to see how it all works out in the next season.

Overall, a great season! I can't wait for Season 3.

Bookish Show: Sherlock Season 1

I am aware that I'm a bit late jumping on the bandwagon with this one. While I'd heard many people raving about it, I didn't really think of watching it until my husband suggested it. My husband hates all TV shows and most movies, so I was shocked that there was something he wanted to watch. I'm glad that we did dive in, because it has proven to be a great show so far. 

The show is actually more like a mini-series. In the first season, there are three episodes, all lasting about 90 minutes each. Season 1's three are "A Study in Pink," "The Blind Banker," and "The Great Game." I assume that "A Study in Pink" is based upon "A Study in Scarlet," although I haven't read it and can't say for sure (anyone know?). As for the other two, I am in the same boat, although certainly "The Great Game" has elements of traditional Sherlock Holmes that I am familiar with. The premise of the show is that Sherlock is a brilliant amateur detective in the present day, tortured by his need to find something interesting and too wrapped up in his overly intelligent mind to form lasting friendships -- until Watson, an ex-military doctor with a neurosis about a leg injury, shows up to share the rent in his flat. Watson, intrigued by Sherlock's bizarre behavior and adventures, begins a blog about their experiences, and assists Sherlock in many of his endeavors. 

In a nutshell, here are the thins I love about the show: 

* First of all, I love spin-offs -- this is a well-documented thing on this blog. I love retellings. I think certain bits of literature and media become our modern mythology, told again and again in new forms but never growing old.

* Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant as Sherlock. The recent Sherlock movies starring Robert Downey Jr. are favorites of mine, but I dislike the way Sherlock Holmes is at times portrayed as slapstick. While there is dry humor and a sense of the ridiculous at times with the way Sherlock behaves in the BBC series, it is not silly. The humor is more mature, more erudite. And I like it. 

* Also, Benedict Cumberbatch.

* I love the length of the episodes. They are practically their own movies, but we get more than one.

* I love the way technology supplements Sherlock's deductions. I think it is very cool to see the way someone with an extensive supply of information in his mind can use an endless supply of information at his fingertips.

* Favorite episode? The third, where we are introduced to Jim Moriarty, who is a surprise in every way. I probably wouldn't have portrayed his character the way he is portrayed, but it is a fresh take. And the madness of Moriarty is definitely boundless.

Overall? Highly recommended.