SHERLOCK.

[kaydeefalls]

Holy shit, how awesome is the new "Sherlock" on BBC?

SO FREAKING AWESOME.

That's -- oh MAN, I never would have thought a modern update of Sherlock Holmes would work, but it does. And while I adore the Robert Downey Jr. movie (clearly), in some ways I think this adaptation is actually truer to the original stories, weirdly enough. I'm deeply impressed that they managed to basically transcribe the first meeting between Holmes and Watson without changing a damn detail apart from the modern setting.

And the CASTING. That? Is absolutely Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, from the look to the attitude to the snark. (And unrelatedly, were Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Morgan separated at birth or what? The physical resemblance is uncanny.) And MARTIN FREEMAN AS WATSON, MY LOVE CAN ONLY BE EXPRESSED IN ALL CAPS. Aasdkjhasdfkllahsdfa. Love this Lestrade, too, although he's not quite as close a match to the Doyle version, but who cares.

The style of filming took a bit of getting used to -- I'm not a fan of all the fade-outs, but on the other hand, GREAT incorporation of texting and whatnot, A+++. And MYCROFT. YES. That's Dr. Lazarus from Doctor Who, isn't it? Anyway. I <3 him already, and his banter with Sherlock. (Although his physical resemblance very much is not Doyle's. But I couldn't care less.) On the negative, I don't know that they should have resolved the mystery of his identity quite so fast. It would've been more fun toying with the possibility that he might be Moriarty. Giving us both Mycroft AND Moriarty in the first episode just feels like they're rushing it a bit. It's a series! Draw things out! Don't answer everything all at once! Keep us guessing! (The cabbie was revealed too early and too obviously as well, but eh.)

The slashiness goes without saying, obviously. It's Holmes and Watson.

In conclusion: A+++ would watch again. Y HALO THAR NEW FANDOM. I will need a new Sherlock icon, methinks.

Comments

[sheldrake.livejournal.com]

I -- what you said, basically. :)

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

:D

[mind-the-tardis.livejournal.com]

Haven't watched these yet, myself, but the guy playing Mycroft is Gatiss ;P Writer cameo.

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

Gatiss! Who...yes, also played Lazarus in Who. VINDICATED. I didn't realize he was also a writer, though. Awesome.

[mind-the-tardis.livejournal.com]

Yep! He's written several Who eps. "The Unquiet Dead," "The Idiot's Lantern," and "Victory of the Daleks," sez Wiki.

*scoots off from random trivia tagging to read Holmes stories, as the flist has reminded me that I still haven't read all of them*

[skew-whiff.livejournal.com]

And he was also in the TV comedy series The League of Gentlemen (which I thoroughly recommend if you like dark humour and British horror), and he wrote the Lucifer Box series of novels, as well as some Doctor Who spinoff books back in the hiatus years.

I'm quite fond of Mark Gatiss; the man's a huge geek about science fiction, history and horror, and thus a chap after my own heart. (Actually, I went through this phase when I was about sixteen when I had a massive crush on him. It's faded down to more of a general appreciation, though I still wouldn't say no.)

[skew-whiff.livejournal.com]

YES. My thoughts exactly! I'd been expecting to like it, seeing as I'm fond of both Martin Freeman as an actor, and Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss as writers, but I hadn't been expecting to love it as much as I did. I had no idea it'd all work so well, but I adored how they made use of the modern setting (in particular, Holmes' preference for using text rather than calling people, which just seems to fit perfectly). And aah, the bromance. That goes without saying. I was charmed to bits when they went for Chinese in the end.

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I love me some Freeman and Moffat, so I wasn't surprised that it was good, but it was SO good, y'know? :D

The texting! It also works as updating Holmes's many telegrams in the original -- word-for-word, in some cases.

Oh, bromance. I love that they've known each other for all of five minutes and already everyone thinks they're boyfriends. Oh, BOYS.

[skew-whiff.livejournal.com]

The series has certainly prompted me to get back to reading the originals - which I am familiar with, but not nearly as much as I should be. That has to be sorted out as soon as possible.

I'm loving the fun they're having with the subtext, too. I seem to remember some quote from a Moffat interview where he says, fairly simply, that it's because in this more open day and age, people are likely to assume two men who live in the same house and spend so much time together are probably a couple, and that's normal and acceptable. Even if they're probably going to go with the usual interpretation of Watson as straight and Holmes as largely asexual (Irene Adler excepted, of course), it's always nice seeing different sexualities acknowledged without it being a big deal.

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

I recently read all the original stories -- which, by the by, are more or less canon slash. But that's neither here nor there. :) I'm enjoying the modern update of that as well -- it would be stranger to NOT comment on it. And Watson's always been a bit of a ladies' man, and Holmes has always seemed mostly asexual, so I'm fine keeping their relationship in the glorious realm of obvious subtext.

[pocky_slash.livejournal.com]

Martin Freeman's Watson makes me want to bake him pies and knit him scarves omg, I can't even deal with it. NINETY MINUTES STRAIGHT OF HEART-HANDS AT THE TEEVEE.

Also, I didn't mind the Moriarty reveal so early, given the series is only (atm) three episodes long. So I'll buy it XD

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

WATSON. YES. God, he's spot-on perfect.

I didn't realize until after watching it that there were only three episodes. So, yeah, okay, the Moriarty reveal makes sense in that context. But 3 episodes is NOT NEARLY ENOUGH. MOAR SHERLOCK PLZ.

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

It does feel a bit rushed, but at the same time I loved every single minute of it. TOTALLY AWESOME. (I also agree about the cabbie reveal, too.)

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

Oh, absolutely. My nitpicks didn't affect my complete, blissful enjoyment of it all. :D

[lauypauy.livejournal.com]

more sherlock love :) it was pretty amazing and quite true to the style of the books too (which i'm half way through - the texts about come if convenient and even come if inconvenient are word for word from one of the books, but obvs sent by runner, not by text! love that they've used it though). and gatiss as mycroft is very good. like that he gave himself a cameo as he has written bits of it with moffat - now should be considered the dream team, lol. and he's written spy books before so he knows what he's doing. sorry for long message - so much love for this and few people i know to share it with!

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

I did notice the texts being word-for-word from the telegrams in the stories. It made me very gleeful.

MYCROFT!

[euruaina.livejournal.com]

Heh, I know! Isn't it just AWESOME? :D I loved love loved it so much. Am eagerly awaiting the next episode.

...gah, I need at least one Holmes & Watson icon. drat.

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

SO FABULOUS. Oh, my heart. :D