I was going to review Sherlock episode by episode, but there are only three, so it felt more appropriate to review the "season" as a whole. Season one of Sherlock set an impressive bar for television in general, and of course for it's succeeding season in particular, by giving us three episodes that were enormously impressive, alongside updating Sherlock Holmes for a new generation. Insular and autistic, technologically savvy with an encyclopedic memory, the new Sherlock Holmes felt like the perfect update, and was brought to impressive life by Benedict Cumberbatch who played the part as though he were born to. It's diffifcult to make such an arrogrant character likable, but Cumberbatch succeeded, helped in no small part by an astonishing chemistry with Martin Freeman, playing Dr John Watson. Freeman is a great actor, but his understated performance as Watson allowed audience empathy: if Watson could like Holmes, then so could we. Add to them DI Lestrade (Rupert Graves), Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs), Molly Hooper (Louise Brealey), Sgt Donovan (Vinette Robinson), the mercurial Mycroft Holmes (Mark Gatiss) and criminally insane James Moriarty (Andrew Scott), and you have a very, very solid cast.
Happily the cast is back for the second season, and everyone is given a chance to expand on their characters and build upon their performances in the previous year. We'll get to the support in a moment, but let's take a look at Sherlock and John first. This year, Cumberbatch gets to expand upon Sherlock in three different ways over the three episodes. In the first, A Scandal In Belgravia, Holmes is forced to confront the possibility of love with the mysterious Irene Adler; in the second (The Hounds Of Baskerville), Sherlock has to deal with his own insecurities - the possibility of being wrong and the absence of friends in his life; while in the third (The Reichenbach Fall), Sherlock has to deal with his world slipping away, coming up against someone who is possibly more than his equal. This gives Cumberbatch a lot more to do with Sherlock, and every performance is perfectly nuanced, giving us an even more interesting character than we got in the first season. Plus we get the deerstalker joke which is very well played.
But for me, it was Martin Freeman who got to shine in season two. Although undeniably good in the first season, Watson occasionally seemed to be really playing his sidekick role all too well, but this season has given us the chance to see Watson step out from Holmes shadow just a little more, and his character to become more rounded, while at the same time developing a firm and unshakeable loyalty to Sherlock. The moment where Sherlock admits that he has only one friend, is a great moment for Sherlock, but it is the final scene of the season when Watson analyses what Sherlock has done for him, and how being in Holmes company has changed him for the better, is the far better moment for Watson. It's a delight to see, and gives Freeman his greatest moment to date.
The supporting characters are indeed developed nicely as well: Lestrade becomes a loyal supporter for Holmes, and in Reichenbach, we discover that he is one of the three close friends Sherlock admits to having. The other is Mrs Hudson, a woman for whom Sherlock is happy to apparently effectively torture a man in revenge for the pain they have inflicted on her. Although Moriarty never claims her to be one, Sherlock himself tells Molly how important she is to him, and Molly is a great character who still manages to have a heart of gold despite the horrid treatment she receives from Sherlock. Donovan remains sceptical throughout the season, but steps up in the final episode to deliver the first attack on Sherlock. Moriarty and Mycroft, however, become ever more interesting - Moriarty playing his game throughout the season, while Mycroft plays his own game with Sherlock, using John as his pawn when he screws it up. I'm not really a big fan of Gatiss, but I do think Mycroft is the character he appears born to play. Gatiss goes from effortless charm to sneering anger brilliantly, and I can never decided whether I like Mycroft or not (the character, that is, not the performance which I most certainly do).
And finally, of course, James Moriarty. In this series, Moriarty is a very different character to the versions that have gone before. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, Moriarty is often mentioned, but only ever appears in one story (the very one where he and Holmes fall from the Reichenbach Falls). In this series, he virtually cameos in every episode, but it is not until the last episode where we get to see Moriarty at his best - a cunning master of disguise, a spider at the centre of a web (as Holmes poetically describes him). An out of control Moriarty is the perfect foil for the always in control Sherlock, and their final showdown is outstanding. Andrew Scott almost steals the series from Cumberbatch and Freeman. Almost.
A Scandal In Belgravia brings Sherlock up against Irene Adler, a dominatrix for the rich, and the possessor of a lot of secrets which disturbs Buckingham Palace and Mycroft Holmes, so much so that they summon Sherlock to confront her. The original story - "A Scandal In Bohemia" - does indeed deal with Adler blackmailing royalty, but this time round Adler is actually seeking protection from those that want her secrets for their own benefit. Lara Pulver plays Adler, and is a joy to behold in the role (not least because of her initial naked appearance), creating a character who becomes as infatuated with Holmes as he is with her. The final face off is great, and given Adler having the upper hand for the entire episode, it's very satisfying to see Holmes regain a certain amount of control. Her links to Moriarty give the solution to the cliffhanger from last season, but also set up what Moriarity actually is. This episode, written by Steven Moffat, is a brilliant opening to the season and is full of Moffat's wit and the strong, sexually powerful women that Moffat likes to write about. The problem with a three episode season is that one is the best, one is the worst and the other sits between. When you have three brilliant episodes, it's harsh to say that this is the middle one, but it doesn't quite have the impact of the final episode, but hits a great deal more than the second.
The Hounds Of Baskerville obviously follows, very loosely, the most famous Sherlock Holmes story. Last year, when Steve Thompson wrote the second episode of the season and it wasn't quite as good as the other two, I placed the blame at Thompson's door, believing that Moffat and Gatiss probably understood their characters a little better than Thompson did. However, it's clear that thanks to the three episode season, the first and last episodes are always going to be the big opener and closer, meaning that the second episode is always going to be the weaker of the three. Gatiss writes a fantastic story, not utilising the on screen graphics that Moffat is such a fan on, but taking the original story and adapting a little more closer than either Moffat or Thompson are inclined to do. The episode features Russell Tovey as Henry Knight (as opposed to Sir Henry Baskerville), and in truth I've never been a fan of Tovey, not quite seeing the attraction. Again, Tovey doesn't really impress her, but is effective in his part. It's a good episode and better than most television, but is my least favourite of the three episodes.
The Reichenbach Fall rounds the series off with a Steve Thompson script that echoes "The Final Problem" story - cleverly alluded to here at various points throughout the episode. There are no guest cast in this episode, really, as the eight regulars step up to tell the story of Holmes' life being manipulated by Moriarity into a final defeat. This episode was brilliant, though if you knew a little of "The Final Problem" you had some idea of where it was going (I sort of guessed that Moriarity and Holmes would die at the end, and did indeed suspect a fall from a building). However, Thompson was clever enough to include even little points such as Holmes sending Watson away before heading for the final confrontation. Cumberbatch and Scott are electric on the rooftop in the climactic scene, though I also love the confrontation between Mycroft and John as the truth comes out. The ending, as I mentioned earlier, is easily the highest point for John in the entire six episodes.
Ultimately, season two has amped up Sherlock, taking it to the next level in both its approach and its storylines. Characters are becoming more and more enjoyable, while Gatiss, Moffat and Thompson's adaptations of Conan Doyle's work are not only extremely entertaining, but very, very clever. With the announcement that there will indeed be a third season (presumably after Cumberbatch fights the crew of the starship Enterprise, and Freeman wanders around Middle Earth), again we play a waiting game for the return of a series which is taking television to a new high.
Happily the cast is back for the second season, and everyone is given a chance to expand on their characters and build upon their performances in the previous year. We'll get to the support in a moment, but let's take a look at Sherlock and John first. This year, Cumberbatch gets to expand upon Sherlock in three different ways over the three episodes. In the first, A Scandal In Belgravia, Holmes is forced to confront the possibility of love with the mysterious Irene Adler; in the second (The Hounds Of Baskerville), Sherlock has to deal with his own insecurities - the possibility of being wrong and the absence of friends in his life; while in the third (The Reichenbach Fall), Sherlock has to deal with his world slipping away, coming up against someone who is possibly more than his equal. This gives Cumberbatch a lot more to do with Sherlock, and every performance is perfectly nuanced, giving us an even more interesting character than we got in the first season. Plus we get the deerstalker joke which is very well played.
But for me, it was Martin Freeman who got to shine in season two. Although undeniably good in the first season, Watson occasionally seemed to be really playing his sidekick role all too well, but this season has given us the chance to see Watson step out from Holmes shadow just a little more, and his character to become more rounded, while at the same time developing a firm and unshakeable loyalty to Sherlock. The moment where Sherlock admits that he has only one friend, is a great moment for Sherlock, but it is the final scene of the season when Watson analyses what Sherlock has done for him, and how being in Holmes company has changed him for the better, is the far better moment for Watson. It's a delight to see, and gives Freeman his greatest moment to date.
The supporting characters are indeed developed nicely as well: Lestrade becomes a loyal supporter for Holmes, and in Reichenbach, we discover that he is one of the three close friends Sherlock admits to having. The other is Mrs Hudson, a woman for whom Sherlock is happy to apparently effectively torture a man in revenge for the pain they have inflicted on her. Although Moriarty never claims her to be one, Sherlock himself tells Molly how important she is to him, and Molly is a great character who still manages to have a heart of gold despite the horrid treatment she receives from Sherlock. Donovan remains sceptical throughout the season, but steps up in the final episode to deliver the first attack on Sherlock. Moriarty and Mycroft, however, become ever more interesting - Moriarty playing his game throughout the season, while Mycroft plays his own game with Sherlock, using John as his pawn when he screws it up. I'm not really a big fan of Gatiss, but I do think Mycroft is the character he appears born to play. Gatiss goes from effortless charm to sneering anger brilliantly, and I can never decided whether I like Mycroft or not (the character, that is, not the performance which I most certainly do).
And finally, of course, James Moriarty. In this series, Moriarty is a very different character to the versions that have gone before. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, Moriarty is often mentioned, but only ever appears in one story (the very one where he and Holmes fall from the Reichenbach Falls). In this series, he virtually cameos in every episode, but it is not until the last episode where we get to see Moriarty at his best - a cunning master of disguise, a spider at the centre of a web (as Holmes poetically describes him). An out of control Moriarty is the perfect foil for the always in control Sherlock, and their final showdown is outstanding. Andrew Scott almost steals the series from Cumberbatch and Freeman. Almost.
A Scandal In Belgravia brings Sherlock up against Irene Adler, a dominatrix for the rich, and the possessor of a lot of secrets which disturbs Buckingham Palace and Mycroft Holmes, so much so that they summon Sherlock to confront her. The original story - "A Scandal In Bohemia" - does indeed deal with Adler blackmailing royalty, but this time round Adler is actually seeking protection from those that want her secrets for their own benefit. Lara Pulver plays Adler, and is a joy to behold in the role (not least because of her initial naked appearance), creating a character who becomes as infatuated with Holmes as he is with her. The final face off is great, and given Adler having the upper hand for the entire episode, it's very satisfying to see Holmes regain a certain amount of control. Her links to Moriarty give the solution to the cliffhanger from last season, but also set up what Moriarity actually is. This episode, written by Steven Moffat, is a brilliant opening to the season and is full of Moffat's wit and the strong, sexually powerful women that Moffat likes to write about. The problem with a three episode season is that one is the best, one is the worst and the other sits between. When you have three brilliant episodes, it's harsh to say that this is the middle one, but it doesn't quite have the impact of the final episode, but hits a great deal more than the second.
The Hounds Of Baskerville obviously follows, very loosely, the most famous Sherlock Holmes story. Last year, when Steve Thompson wrote the second episode of the season and it wasn't quite as good as the other two, I placed the blame at Thompson's door, believing that Moffat and Gatiss probably understood their characters a little better than Thompson did. However, it's clear that thanks to the three episode season, the first and last episodes are always going to be the big opener and closer, meaning that the second episode is always going to be the weaker of the three. Gatiss writes a fantastic story, not utilising the on screen graphics that Moffat is such a fan on, but taking the original story and adapting a little more closer than either Moffat or Thompson are inclined to do. The episode features Russell Tovey as Henry Knight (as opposed to Sir Henry Baskerville), and in truth I've never been a fan of Tovey, not quite seeing the attraction. Again, Tovey doesn't really impress her, but is effective in his part. It's a good episode and better than most television, but is my least favourite of the three episodes.
The Reichenbach Fall rounds the series off with a Steve Thompson script that echoes "The Final Problem" story - cleverly alluded to here at various points throughout the episode. There are no guest cast in this episode, really, as the eight regulars step up to tell the story of Holmes' life being manipulated by Moriarity into a final defeat. This episode was brilliant, though if you knew a little of "The Final Problem" you had some idea of where it was going (I sort of guessed that Moriarity and Holmes would die at the end, and did indeed suspect a fall from a building). However, Thompson was clever enough to include even little points such as Holmes sending Watson away before heading for the final confrontation. Cumberbatch and Scott are electric on the rooftop in the climactic scene, though I also love the confrontation between Mycroft and John as the truth comes out. The ending, as I mentioned earlier, is easily the highest point for John in the entire six episodes.
Ultimately, season two has amped up Sherlock, taking it to the next level in both its approach and its storylines. Characters are becoming more and more enjoyable, while Gatiss, Moffat and Thompson's adaptations of Conan Doyle's work are not only extremely entertaining, but very, very clever. With the announcement that there will indeed be a third season (presumably after Cumberbatch fights the crew of the starship Enterprise, and Freeman wanders around Middle Earth), again we play a waiting game for the return of a series which is taking television to a new high.
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