Wednesday 4 January 2012

Sherlock: 'Brainy is the new sexy.'


Sherlock is the best thing on British television in the last 10 years at least. This is a fact. Imagine my unbridled joy when I discover that with fuddled heed and broken body, sprawled on my couch on the first day of the new year, Sherlock would be there like a welcome can of Irn Bru.

And jings that cliff hanger last series was beyond gripping but it's conclusion did cross the line into the daft. 'Staying Alive' as a ring tone? Since we're on it, I'll get my gripes out of the way first. So death by boomerang? Come on. But these are tiny, extremely minor criticisms in what was otherwise an excellent episode.

As we begin the series, Doctor Watson's blog has made the duo a bit of an internet phenomenon but will their new found fame bring more unwanted attention? Yeah, probs. John and Sherlock's relationship has also developed into a kind of friendship, they have a laugh, exchange knowing looks and private jokes but of course Sherlock remains as unsolvable as a Rubiks Cube (okay, technically Rubiks Cubes are solvable but they're tricky buggers). It seems, however, that Sherlock has softened since we last saw him, showing uncharacteristic kindness and care Mrs. Hudson in particular and now he's even gone and fallen in love. Sort of. Weird, eh?

Yes, Miss Irene Adler (Lara Pulver), Conan Doyle's intellectual match for Sherlock, makes her first appearance and flipping heck, what an appearance. In this incarnation she is a dominatrix, known to the wealthy, important and famous merely as 'The Woman'. She manages to procure all kinds of secret documents and scandalous photographs from her clients because she 'knows what they like'.

Sherlock and John are summoned by Mycroft to Buckingham Palace and charged with the safe return of compromising photographs from Miss Adler from a mystery client (who could it be?). Sherlock arrives wearing only a sheet, refusing to dress until he is told who his client is (it's Buckingham Palace, love and you're Sherlock Holmes, have a guess), long story short we get a glimpse of Cumber-bum. Lovely.

Miss Adler seems to best Sherlock at every turn and he is impressed and intrigued by someone as clever as he is and of course it helps that she's a bit sexy too. I won't give the plot away but I will say this, FUCKING WOW. So if you haven't watched it yet, get on it.

As always Cumberbatch and Freeman are brilliant but the Star of the Fucking Show this week goes to Mark Gatiss's Mycroft. Elegant, precise and dry as ever, the way he moves, the way he seems to carefully select his words, it's all very near perfect. I hope to be seeing a lot more of Mycroft Holmes as the series continues.

Moffat's writing is excellent as per, with my favourite line delivered by Miss Adler, 'Look at those cheekbones. I could cut myself slapping that face. Would you like me to try?' His plot is intricately woven and so fiendishly clever, after all, 'brainy is the new sexy.' Welcome back Sherlock.

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