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New CBS "Sherlock Holmes" show, "Elementary"
Watched the show Elementary last night. It's supposed to be an update of Sherlock Holmes in the modern day, but instead of modern-day London, it's in modern-day New York.
*MINOR SPOILER*
While the classic Holmes has a variety of idiosyncrasies, this Holmes is a former drug addict. He started his detective career in London, but due to some past indiscretion that involved drug addiction, he relocated to New York where this version of Watson, played by Lucy Liu, is his sobriety counselor. They keep in the fact that Watson is, or was, a doctor, but make no reference to Watson being a soldier of any kind.
*END SPOILERS*
I watched the show, but I can't say I liked it very much. I'd detail more of the story, but the story was so uninteresting, I can't for the life of me distinguish this from any other detective drama. This version of Holmes is less like Holmes and more like Adrian Monk, without the pathological fear of everything. I'll try to give it another viewing, but, to be honest, if you want a good version of Holmes in the 21st century, watch the BBC version with Benedict Cumberbatch.
I'd like to hear any comments about the show from the rest of the forum. Maybe you can persuade me to give it another few weeks or drop it altogether...
*MINOR SPOILER*
While the classic Holmes has a variety of idiosyncrasies, this Holmes is a former drug addict. He started his detective career in London, but due to some past indiscretion that involved drug addiction, he relocated to New York where this version of Watson, played by Lucy Liu, is his sobriety counselor. They keep in the fact that Watson is, or was, a doctor, but make no reference to Watson being a soldier of any kind.
*END SPOILERS*
I watched the show, but I can't say I liked it very much. I'd detail more of the story, but the story was so uninteresting, I can't for the life of me distinguish this from any other detective drama. This version of Holmes is less like Holmes and more like Adrian Monk, without the pathological fear of everything. I'll try to give it another viewing, but, to be honest, if you want a good version of Holmes in the 21st century, watch the BBC version with Benedict Cumberbatch.
I'd like to hear any comments about the show from the rest of the forum. Maybe you can persuade me to give it another few weeks or drop it altogether...
Comments
As for Holmes. I think the show has promise, but it does get bogged down in typical American detective show muck. The "Monk" comment from crash41 is very good. I like that they added the "addiction" angle. The BBC show sidestepped this aspect of Holmes personallity by saying he was addicted to nicotine. A bit of a cop out.
It wasn't the best interpretation, and it certainly wasn't the worst I've seen.
Some of the changes for modern times made great sense, like the stint in rehab from use of drugs, as opposed to the original version, where such drugs were legal.
Changing Watson into a female... makes no sense within the reasoning of the show. The role of sobriety support, within the addiction community, is generally not made with the opposite sex. It just isn't, and that kinda bothered me from the start.
I'm not opposed to a female Watson, but this seems a bit forced. (Oddly enough, I would have accepted it more readily if they had just gone with the original idea of a returning veteran seeking a place to live, and moving in with Holmes to share the cost. In that situation, man or woman wouldn't really matter.)
There is nothing I'm watching opposite it right now, so I'll stick with the show for the moment.
'nuff said.
Wow, Steve... just... wow.