Sherlock - "The Abominable Bride" Grade and Discussion thread

[Christopher]

If they had stuck with that, it would have been a great homage to classic sherlock holmes. I am not sure the writers needed to make it more complex with the Moriarty and mind palace subplot.

On the one hand, I can see how it could've been interesting to see how the show's staff would handle "classic" Sherlock Holmes. But on the other hand... tons of people have already done classic Sherlock Holmes. What more is there to add to that? It would've been kind of going through the motions if that were all they'd done. They chose instead to have a dialogue between classic and modern Holmes -- which is what they've kind of been doing from the word go, but it was more overt here. They took classic Holmes and used it in a new way, not just imitating it but commenting on it and interrogating it, remixing it as a modern Sherlock's projection of himself back into the past, with its familiar elements gaining new meaning as representations of Sherlock's mindset toward himself and the people around him. And it critiqued and deconstructed the gender norms of Victorian society in a way that a straightforward adaptation could not have done.

 

[Mr Light]

Is Sherlock a sociopath?
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/asked-neuroscientist-sherlock-holmes-actually-193000188.html

 

[Mudd]

Absolutely loved it.

The self-referential humor in Sherlock is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the show.

"Fat Mycroft," of course, is the original conception of the character pre-Sherlock. The writers have made a point in previous episodes of modern-day Mycroft's struggles to maintain a healthy weight.

I like Andrew Scott as Moriarty a great deal. There was kind of an off-the-wall rumor floating around not long ago that the producers of the new Trek series want him as a regular. That would be cool.

 

[Romulan_spy]

On the one hand, I can see how it could've been interesting to see how the show's staff would handle "classic" Sherlock Holmes. But on the other hand... tons of people have already done classic Sherlock Holmes. What more is there to add to that? It would've been kind of going through the motions if that were all they'd done.

I became a fan with Classic Sherlock Holmes. So I might be a little partial. I always enjoy a good classic Sherlock Holmes mystery.

They chose instead to have a dialogue between classic and modern Holmes -- which is what they've kind of been doing from the word go, but it was more overt here. They took classic Holmes and used it in a new way, not just imitating it but commenting on it and interrogating it, remixing it as a modern Sherlock's projection of himself back into the past, with its familiar elements gaining new meaning as representations of Sherlock's mindset toward himself and the people around him. And it critiqued and deconstructed the gender norms of Victorian society in a way that a straightforward adaptation could not have done.

I agree the show definitely did a fantastic job of delving deep into Sherlock's psyche. From that perspective, The Abominable Bride is a brilliant piece of work.

 

[Starkers]

Absolutely loved it.

The self-referential humor in Sherlock is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the show.

"Fat Mycroft," of course, is the original conception of the character pre-Sherlock. The writers have made a point in previous episodes of modern-day Mycroft's struggles to maintain a healthy weight.

I like Andrew Scott as Moriarty a great deal. There was kind of an off-the-wall rumor floating around not long ago that the producers of the new Trek series want him as a regular. That would be cool.

Scott is perhaps the only aspect of Sherlock I'm not fond of. For some reason his portrayal of Moriarty has always jarred with me. I couldn't even tell you why to be honest!

 

[BeatleJWOL]

I couldn't even tell you why to be honest!

Cause his version of Moriarty is batshit insane. That should bother you.

 

[hux]

He doesn't come across as insane. He comes across as someone trying desperately to look insane.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I voted "very good." I loved the humor, self-referential and otherwise, and the mystery, both on its own merits and in its connection to the 21st century storyline. However, the worst thing about it was that I found stretches of it to be boring in a way that previous episodes of Sherlock had not been.

 

[Mudd]

Moriarty doesn't come across as insane, simply as deeply weird.

 

[cultcross]

He doesn't come across as insane. He comes across as someone trying desperately to look insane.

I think this is what I can't buy about Moriaty. He's just trying too hard to be 'mad' and never comes across as a genius criminal mastermind at all. He should be the foil to Sherlock, his equal and opposite reaction. His Locutus. But instead, he's his Shinzon.

 

[Irvy]

Of course he's a genius criminal mastermind. Moriarty isn't insane, he knows his adversary. Sherlock can glance up and down at you, pick out all your data and repeat it back to you. Moriarty is essentially immune from that because he never presents his true face, he switches accents, he hams it up to throw Sherlock off.

 

[Christopher]

I think this is what I can't buy about Moriaty. He's just trying too hard to be 'mad' and never comes across as a genius criminal mastermind at all. He should be the foil to Sherlock, his equal and opposite reaction. His Locutus. But instead, he's his Shinzon.

I thought Shinzon was a terrific character, actually, and a very effective foil for Picard. Scott's Moriarty is more along the lines of Jim Carrey's Riddler. Or John Simm's Master.