Review Wednesday

Happy Wednesday. The other half of this blog's gone AWOL, and I'm not really sure what to do.

Do you know how I remembered to spell Wednesday right? It was like in 2nd grade, and I was all like, "But that's stupid, there doesn't even sound like there's an N in it, what if it's a creeper N and it's here to get in my head and my poor days of the week, OMG."

And my teacher (forgot her name, oopsies) said,

"Well, just think of a wedding. Wed. And at the wedding, because the bride and groom are allergic to rice, the guests throw Nestle's chocolate at them instead. Nes. See?"

I said no. And look at me now. Bless you, Ms. What's Her Face.

I think I had something of substance to actually share. Hm.

Only kidding. I'm so embarrassingly obssessed with this blog. Without it, I'd talk my sister's ears off.

Hahahaha. That's actually not so bad a picture.

SHERLOCK

Sherlock Holmes is on the case again in the thrilling contemporary version of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic... True to the spirit of the original books, this series plunges viewers into a fast-paced world where Holmes and Watson must navigate a maze of cryptic clues and lethal killers to solve three thrilling, action-packed, modern-day mysteries.

So, basically, this is Sherlock Holmes set in the twenty-first century, and I must tell you that this series is quite extraordinary.

The story begins with John, who, of course, has just come back from Afghanistan as a veteran, which works well with modern times. Through a mutual friend, John is introduced to the fantastic Sherlock Holmes, self-proclaimed consulting detective and high-functioning sociopath. The two are caught up in a case, and it's just like what Arthur Conan Doyle's stories would have been back during his time; cutting-edge, contemporary, and so well-done.

To start with, the lighting, the sets, the editing, it's all gorgeous. You have that sense of Victorian London, while being constantly reminded that it's a modern city that never stands still. Towering skyscrapers, cabs, metal and chrome, neon lights.

The fact that it's Sherlock Holmes updated might cause hardcore book fans to shy away, but the modern setting is blended flawlessly together with the heart of the stories. Yes, the characters text, ride cars, eat out. They call each other by the first name, use laptops, dress rather well, I must say, but it's still the detective and his doctor. It's Sherlock Holmes, stripped of the pipe, the deerstalker, the ridiculous plaid, and you still feel it's him, still see that connection between him and John, his impatience with everyone who can't keep up, his practical, quick mind.

Written by the Doctor Who team, the scripts are perfection. Really. Fast-paced when they should be, intriguing, witty, and sometimes bitter. The Moriarty lines are especially something, unhinged and primal, in such a way that he goes from that sixty-something math professor in the books, to a young, mentally-unstable genius. On the complete other end of the scale, Sherlock/John banter is fast, funny, and totally quotable. Much love.

The real focus of the show are the actors, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Benedict is an exotic, primal force as an actor. He has this extraordinary on-screen presence, and you kind of automatically think, "Oh, he looks like a Sherlock Holmes." And he does. He's dashing, extremely good-looking, and brilliant with his lines. He's got the fascinating ability to take quotes, deductions, whatever, and pump them with emotion, pulling faces, inflicting tones, body language. Benedict is the only person the creators saw for the role. So FRICK YEAH.

However, it's really Martin Freeman as John Watson that brings heart into the role. Creator Stephen Moffat said, "He (Martin) finds this sort of poetry in the average, every-day man." And he does. Martin's take on the good doctor is not that bumbling, overweight sidekick. He is an ordinary man, haunted by his memories of the war, fascinated by Sherlock Holmes, and rather infatuated with danger. Martin's performance balances out Benedict's, which is always too-much-at-once kind of thing, while Martin is a subtle act, the quietly loyal friend who steps in at the most unlikely times.

And there we hit the heart of the matter. I hate to do this, but this is going to be a spoiler.

In the first episode, John shoots a man to save Sherlock's life, a man who he's known for less than an hour. And it really was Sherlock's own fault.

In Arthur Conan Doyle's canon, Holmes was a mystery. You felt that he was the grade A hero, you know, all-knowing, captivating protagonist. But sometimes, it was undecided. Holmes performed outrageous experiments, talked cruelly at times, shamelessly manipulated people. In one short story, he allowed a murder to take place, purely because he was tired of a man. We weren't really sure what he was, and that was captivating.

Not in this series.

Sherlock is cold, slightly autistic, and extremely sociopathic. He is rude, has no use for normality, quite cruel, and utterly brilliant. He needs constant stimulation, needs that high he gets from solving puzzles, mysteries, and he honestly doesn't give a flying toss about anyone involved. He avoids stupidity like it's a disease, constantly demeans Scotland Yard, and plays dark little games with John, manipulating and corrupting him. This Sherlock is inhumane in his experiments, disrespectful, and at times, unhinged. He hates his brother, uses Lestrade only to steal his cases, and pretty much wrecks John's social life.

And it's kind of sick that we all still idolize him. You just feel that he's the hero, even if he's basically a rotten person with a brilliant mind. We kind of just overlook his faults, glaze them over, saying that it's alright, there are excuses, it's not his fault. We want him to be that hero, that savior that he is remembered as in classical literature.

But he's not.

He's not a good person,  and the way he's living will probably end up killing both him and John.

I still believe him to be a fascinating character, and yes, he still is my hero, and will always be. I'm just saying that we can't make some of the things he does okay, because faults are what build the character. His flaws, secrets, thoughts. They're wrong, and not something charming or whatever. Kind of like House. We love him, but he's basically a freaking criminal with what he does.

Now on the matter of John. He has a danger addiction.

I was really amazed by how they played that angle out. They translated Dr. Watson's friendship with Holmes to his missing the war in the modern times. Mycroft, Sherlock's older brother, deduces this about him, telling John, "When you walk with Sherlock Holmes, you see the battlefield. Welcome back."

John, this John, goes into black cars when strangers tell him to, shoots a man across two buildings for Sherlock, runs through alleys at night, and puts up Sherlock's madness and insane experiments. I don't think it's bravery, and it's certainly not stupidity. It's that need to be teetering on the edge of death, of sanity, and making it away, breathless, blood and adrenaline rush. That. Nothing at all like the good doctor who found mystery interesting, but not anything more.

And while this is fascinating to go in depth about the characters and their flaws, at the end of the day, it equals a brilliant update. Because this is modern, this mental, fantastic duo. We see their mistakes early on the series, and then, the two of them, start to get over it, to make each other better, instead of sinking into the maddening spiral, making each other worse than ever, as predicted by Mycroft.

SPOILER- In the last episode, Moriarty tells Sherlock that if he doesn't stop prying, "I will burn you. I will burn, the heart, out of you."

Sherlock replies, in a perfect deadpan, "I have been reliable informed that I don't. Have. One."

"But I think we both know that's not true." And Moriarty does this little nod thing, behind him, where John is
strapped up in bombs and pointed at by snipers.

D'AWWWWW. JOHN IS SHERLOCK'S HEART. D'AAWWWW. ♥♥♥

Sorry. Carried away. AGAIN.

Yeah, so that's about it. Hope this nonsensical ramble didn't put you off, because you HAVE TO SEE THIS.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO GO TO BRITAIN. GO FORTH. YOU CANNOT NOT SEE THIS.

It's humor, drama, mystery, action, all in one.

Trailer and Some Video Clip Thang-




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-Luna