When the Sherlock series first debuted a couple of years ago on the BBC Maria and I almost missed it. Surprising because we’re both huge fans of both Sherlock Holmes and British detective dramas in general. This time around, for the second series of Sherlock, we were on the ball. And waiting.
The first 90-minute installment in the three-episode second series run is called ‘A Scandal in Belgravia’ and like the mysteries from the last season it’s a take off on a familiar Sherlock story with a whole bunch of twists and turns.
Sherlock and Watson find themselves confronted with a number of mysteries from an outdoorsman killed by a backfiring car to a dead man in a trunk to a dominatrix trying to bring down the British monarchy. It’s a bit of an everything goes but, of course, like any good Sherlock story it all works itself out in the end and ties itself together in a neat little package.
What’s great about Sherlock is, well, a number of things really. The writing is brilliant. From quick-witted dialogue to out-standing plots I really have to applaud the writing staff. I mean, you really need to have the longview to see your way through such complicated twists and turns and it’s impressive. The acting is top-notch. Benedict Cumberbatch remains an absolute perfect Sherlock: disengaged and disinterested yet sharp as a knife and violently unemotional. Martin Freeman is a great Dr. Watson as well: humble, clever, and wholly loveable—yet dangerous, too.
As far as the episode itself, ‘A Scandal in Belgravia’ is pretty quickly-paced, even for Sherlock. It’s difficult to follow, at times, and perhaps that’s simply because they wanted to pack as much into the episode as possible. At several points I was sure there wasn’t going to be a clear and concise resolution to the case—I hate when detective shows end up with muddy conclusions—but I wasn’t let down. This episode packs it in and doesn’t let up, you’re in for a real mind trip but it’s absolutely worth it in the end.
The story itself is interesting, centering around a scheme to bring down the government and the makings for an international incident, and leave lots of room for the characters to amaze us. Like Sherlock from last season, this episode packs the same energy and, importantly, comedy that I loved. Cumberbatch and Freeman have great chemistry on the show and this episode even gave us a chance to enjoy the company of Mrs. Hudson, the landlady. If I had a criticism of the cast it’d be Lestrade, so far his character has left me just a little bit disinterested—compare him to Guy Ritchie’s take on the hapless inspector in his adaptation and they’re miles apart.
I will say this: I was a tad bit skeptical given some of the controversy surrounding this episode. A plot line about a dominatrix and what some of the papers were calling “full nudity” ended up being nudity—but, tastefully, you don’t see anything—and, well, a dominatrix but nothing bizarre and no scenes of her at, um, work. I could editorialize here and lament over what’s wrong with hyper-sexualized shows like Game of Thrones but suffice to say I’m glad Sherlock opted for tastefulness over curb appeal.
Overall, ‘A Scandal in Belgravia’ is another fine installment in a very fine series. When you hear “modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes” it’s enough to send shivers up the spine of even the most dedicated of Sherlock fans. Fear not, BBC’s Sherlock has absolutely hit the mark. It’s high-tech, high-paced, and high-drama. A warning though, jumping in mid-series is not recommended. If you’re interested in this show get your hands on the three-episode first season and start there. And enjoy.
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