Sherlock - "The Lying Detective"
Jan. 9th, 2017 10:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatDefinitely better than last week's episode, with a lot of twists and turns. Unlike other versions of "Sherlock Holmes", it's sort of hard to figure out what will happen next because the plot is rollicking past you at a 100 mph. Also, Moffat/Gatis are going for a more noirish take on the series than most. If you aren't a fan of noir tropes, I can't see you liking Sherlock all that much. (ie. lots of shady ladies, the heroes deeply flawed, and often things not ending well. In the noir, the hero stares into the abyss, and more often than not, falls in.) I think the series skates across the line of the traditional noir trope, but just barely. Noir heroes are often jerks. But never boring, and quite fascinating in a way.
Say what you will about Moffat's Sherlock, he's not boring. Wish I could say the same thing about Elementary, gave up on that finally, because I kept wandering off or going to sleep during it. I like the characters in some respects better, but dang, is it dull at times. May be the 22 episode procedural format? (shrugs)
Yes, I'm being annoyingly opinionated. Not feeling up to snuff physically, and it leaves a slight after taste of irritability. Also, I'm trying not to worry about DJT's cabinet picks. Culverton Smith, the villain in this week's Sherlock, reminded me uncomfortably of DJT. Sort of Mini-Version of DJT on speed. (You know like Doctor Evil's Mini-Me? Well Culverton Smith is Mini-DJT. Which is enough to give anyone nightmares.)
I like how the series continues pulls back the veil on our ego driven culture. Where everything is a competition, and people are broken down into winners and losers, while powerful men like Culverton Smith see themselves as untouchable and able to do anything.
Other things I like about this episode, which I found easier to follow and more emotionally satisfying than the last one. Moffat is a better writer than Gatis, who I think is a better actor. Gatis plays Mycroft Holmes. Moffat utilizes gimmicks, but not to the same degree, and far more effectively. The flashback was utilized effectively here, but in a confusing manner in the last episode.
Also the parallel use of "ghost", making us wonder if both men were in fact talking to ghosts. Or people who weren't there. Faith - who appears to be ghost that only Sherlock sees, to the point that Sherlock himself is not sure she is real. And Mary, the ghost only Watson believes he sees, although Sherlock appears to see her as well at the end. Then, it is revealed that Faith is real, but had not visited Sherlock or rather, the "real" Faith Culverton had not. So who did? Did anyone? And if she didn't, how did he get the information?
Also, some nice eye tricks. One that bothered me throughout and I kept thinking - are these two women the same and how can that be, was nicely resolved. I was very happy with that. I doubted what I saw, because I have horrible facial recognition skills, and people often look alike to me. But I kept thinking, damn, the actress playing Faith and Watson's psychologist look like they are the same woman or related. The writer cleverly plays with the audience's eye -- by having the two women on screen talking to Sherlock and Watson separately. Neither man looks closely at either woman. Their attention is elsewhere. Sherlock to be fair is high, and something has set him off. Watson is distracted by guilt and haunted by a ghost. Eerily Watson's guilt and what set Sherlock off are one and the same. Just as Faith and the psychologist are one and the same.
Watching this episode, like many Moffat episodes, felt like watching the working out of a chinese puzzle box. Once the layers are peeled back, it all makes sense.
I loved the twists. Both of them. And the explanation of what is setting off Sherlock. No one present figured it out. We kept getting red herrings, first with Moriarty, then with Mary Watson...and hints, "missing Holmes sibling", "I did it for Sherlock just as I did it for the other.." and "wasn't there another Holmes who was a serial killer?" Culverton asks. Finally, the repeated use of "miss me", which is used by a dead Moriarty, and again by a dead Mary Watson on a CD. But turns out to be the message, Uros/Faith puts on the piece of paper she leaves with Sherlock in hidden ink.
And the character moments, between Sherlock and Watson, where Watson confesses his own guilt to Sherlock and Sherlock reminds them both that they are only human. And flawed. Sherlock and Watson manage to get the other to confess and to forgive themselves. Sherlock even states, rather well, that Mary's sacrifice - in order to save his life -- was a gift and a curse, placing an undue weight on him that he's not sure how to handle. How do you repay that?
The final reveal that Faith, the woman on the bus, and the psychologist are all one woman -- Sherlock and Mycroft's sister, Uros Holmes, who may be the key to what sets off Sherlock. Although why it had to be a sister or a woman, not a brother...I've mixed feelings about. It is decidedly in keeping with the noir trope the writers are following. Women don't fare well in male written noir, I'm afraid. They are however, quite clever. Which may explain why I love noir, the ladies are very smart. And rarely damsels. Hence the mixed feelings. You get great female characters in noir fiction, they just don't tend to fare that well. Mrs. Hudson is a great gal Friday, as is Molly. And so happy, that Irene is still alive. I couldn't remember if she was dead.
Oh, least I forget, Benedict Cumberbatch is hot when he's ruffled, unkept, and unshaven. This whole episode -- the man was sexy as hell. And more likable than usual. I like Sherlock in spite of myself. Would hate him in real life. What? I often love fictional characters that I'd despise in reality, that's the whole fun of fiction. It allows us to feel empathy and jump inside the minds of characters and personalities, we couldn't deal with in real life, and as result, perhaps, feel more empathy for their real counterparts..well with a few exceptions.
Overall, I rather enjoyed that episode. And I'm still enjoying Sherlock, even when it gets a bit muddled.
YMMV.
Say what you will about Moffat's Sherlock, he's not boring. Wish I could say the same thing about Elementary, gave up on that finally, because I kept wandering off or going to sleep during it. I like the characters in some respects better, but dang, is it dull at times. May be the 22 episode procedural format? (shrugs)
Yes, I'm being annoyingly opinionated. Not feeling up to snuff physically, and it leaves a slight after taste of irritability. Also, I'm trying not to worry about DJT's cabinet picks. Culverton Smith, the villain in this week's Sherlock, reminded me uncomfortably of DJT. Sort of Mini-Version of DJT on speed. (You know like Doctor Evil's Mini-Me? Well Culverton Smith is Mini-DJT. Which is enough to give anyone nightmares.)
I like how the series continues pulls back the veil on our ego driven culture. Where everything is a competition, and people are broken down into winners and losers, while powerful men like Culverton Smith see themselves as untouchable and able to do anything.
Other things I like about this episode, which I found easier to follow and more emotionally satisfying than the last one. Moffat is a better writer than Gatis, who I think is a better actor. Gatis plays Mycroft Holmes. Moffat utilizes gimmicks, but not to the same degree, and far more effectively. The flashback was utilized effectively here, but in a confusing manner in the last episode.
Also the parallel use of "ghost", making us wonder if both men were in fact talking to ghosts. Or people who weren't there. Faith - who appears to be ghost that only Sherlock sees, to the point that Sherlock himself is not sure she is real. And Mary, the ghost only Watson believes he sees, although Sherlock appears to see her as well at the end. Then, it is revealed that Faith is real, but had not visited Sherlock or rather, the "real" Faith Culverton had not. So who did? Did anyone? And if she didn't, how did he get the information?
Also, some nice eye tricks. One that bothered me throughout and I kept thinking - are these two women the same and how can that be, was nicely resolved. I was very happy with that. I doubted what I saw, because I have horrible facial recognition skills, and people often look alike to me. But I kept thinking, damn, the actress playing Faith and Watson's psychologist look like they are the same woman or related. The writer cleverly plays with the audience's eye -- by having the two women on screen talking to Sherlock and Watson separately. Neither man looks closely at either woman. Their attention is elsewhere. Sherlock to be fair is high, and something has set him off. Watson is distracted by guilt and haunted by a ghost. Eerily Watson's guilt and what set Sherlock off are one and the same. Just as Faith and the psychologist are one and the same.
Watching this episode, like many Moffat episodes, felt like watching the working out of a chinese puzzle box. Once the layers are peeled back, it all makes sense.
I loved the twists. Both of them. And the explanation of what is setting off Sherlock. No one present figured it out. We kept getting red herrings, first with Moriarty, then with Mary Watson...and hints, "missing Holmes sibling", "I did it for Sherlock just as I did it for the other.." and "wasn't there another Holmes who was a serial killer?" Culverton asks. Finally, the repeated use of "miss me", which is used by a dead Moriarty, and again by a dead Mary Watson on a CD. But turns out to be the message, Uros/Faith puts on the piece of paper she leaves with Sherlock in hidden ink.
And the character moments, between Sherlock and Watson, where Watson confesses his own guilt to Sherlock and Sherlock reminds them both that they are only human. And flawed. Sherlock and Watson manage to get the other to confess and to forgive themselves. Sherlock even states, rather well, that Mary's sacrifice - in order to save his life -- was a gift and a curse, placing an undue weight on him that he's not sure how to handle. How do you repay that?
The final reveal that Faith, the woman on the bus, and the psychologist are all one woman -- Sherlock and Mycroft's sister, Uros Holmes, who may be the key to what sets off Sherlock. Although why it had to be a sister or a woman, not a brother...I've mixed feelings about. It is decidedly in keeping with the noir trope the writers are following. Women don't fare well in male written noir, I'm afraid. They are however, quite clever. Which may explain why I love noir, the ladies are very smart. And rarely damsels. Hence the mixed feelings. You get great female characters in noir fiction, they just don't tend to fare that well. Mrs. Hudson is a great gal Friday, as is Molly. And so happy, that Irene is still alive. I couldn't remember if she was dead.
Oh, least I forget, Benedict Cumberbatch is hot when he's ruffled, unkept, and unshaven. This whole episode -- the man was sexy as hell. And more likable than usual. I like Sherlock in spite of myself. Would hate him in real life. What? I often love fictional characters that I'd despise in reality, that's the whole fun of fiction. It allows us to feel empathy and jump inside the minds of characters and personalities, we couldn't deal with in real life, and as result, perhaps, feel more empathy for their real counterparts..well with a few exceptions.
Overall, I rather enjoyed that episode. And I'm still enjoying Sherlock, even when it gets a bit muddled.
YMMV.
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