Little Schools House: SPOILER ALERT(kind of): Review of Sherlock

So, what shall I post today? How about another movie review? Or better yet, a television show review!

"But how? How a whole tv show?" you might ask.

I'll tell you: A review about a British show.

Because a 'season' in a British show can be three episodes long and it still counts as a season.

For example: Sherlock.

In fact, I believe thats what my review will be about. After all, there are only 6 episodes (and thats two seasons my dears).

So, this particular version of Sherlock Homes is a modern take on the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. By the way, random factoid about Sherlock Holmes: Arthur Conan Doyle became Sir Arthur Conan Doyle because the Queen of England knighted him for his Sherlock stories.

Okay, now for the review.

I say review, but I am slightly biased. This is my favorite show at the moment.

So, as I said, this is a modern take on the story. As before, John Watson is a doctor. But in this version, he is an army doctor who was injured. In the beginning, he (Watson) is talking with his psychiatrist. Since he had been in war, her suggestion to him is to write a blog. She thinks this will aid him in re-adjusting to civilian life.

Well, John really has nothing to write.

One day, he is out walking (which is rather difficult since he has an injury and has to walk with a cane), when he meets an old friend.

They get to talking and John's friends mentions a guy who is looking for a flatmate.

So is John.

So his friend introduces John to a man at the morgue (he isn't dead, he's just doing some 'research' or something there). John lends the man his phone. With only looking at his phone and watching him walk into the room, the mysterious man can tell John has been to war, has a drunk brother (actually, its a sister, but he didn't know that at the time), and is looking for a flatmate.

This man, of course, is Sherlock Holmes.

So, he tells Watson to meet him at the a flat the next day. Its 22b Baker Street, the iconic home of Sherlock Holmes.

Of course, they get the flat. And the adventures begin.

Inspector Detective Lastraude (I believe that is how you spell his name) is stumped. There have been a string of apparent suicides.

Well, he can't figure out what's going on, so he calls Sherlock in on the case, and Watson tags along.

The most recent 'suicide' was a girl who was from the media 'judging by the frankly alarming shade of pink' she was wearing (this first case was called A Study in Pink, BTW). Sherlock figures that she must have an overnight bag somewhere, but its nowhere near the body.

So he goes on a hunt for her case.

Which of course he finds. He is, after all, the world's leading (and only) Consulting detective. He didn't become that for no reason.

In this case, Sherlock notices that the woman in pink's phone is missing. So he texts her phone (using John's phone of course. He doesn't want his to be tracked). And gets an answer.

I don't want to spoil the ending, so I'll leave the first episode at that. Mystery shows aren't as much fun when you know who the bad guy is. Of course, I'll re-watch it, but I've always loved Sherlock Holmes, and this version especially.

So, in the second episode, John and Sherlock have been friends for a while.

And John finally knows what to write on his blog. He takes to writing about the cases Sherlock has solved (in the books, it reads as if John is the author. In the show, he's the writer still, but he just blogs about it).

Again, I really don't want to spoil the story. Especially with episode three. Thats the end of the season. If I say much, it'll be major spoilers.

So, I'll just say this: if you like Irene Adler (the woman, as Sherlock says in the books), she is in the first episode of season two. This one is based off of A Scandal in Bohemia. I personally didn't watch that one. I am lucky enough to have parents who pre-watched that episode. Apparently, that one was a pretty inappropriate. But what can you expect from Irene Adler?

The second episode in season two is based on The Hound of the Baskervilles. I haven't read that one yet, but I can tell you, the show was pretty scary. Steven Moffat (the genius who wrote this version of Sherlock Holmes and all the best episodes of Doctor Who) has a thing for gas-mask episodes. And he really good at writing scary stuff. If you've ever seen The Empty Child (Doctor Who, season one), you'll know what I mean.

The last episode of this season is the most recent of the whole show. I hate British shows for that reason. Three episode comprise an entire season...

Anyway, this last one was really sad. It was based off The Final Problem. If you've ever read that one, you probably have an idea of why its soooo sad. I was literally about to cry through almost the whole episode. Of course, I really can't say why, but I will say that Moriarty shows up in this one.

I really hate not writing more about each episode, but I think if I do, that will ruin pretty much the whole plot.

Even though I usually hate when someone tries to 'modernize' something, I really liked this one. Maybe because Steven Moffat did it. Maybe its because its Sherlock Holmes, and I love pretty much all things Sherlock. Maybe its because Martin Freeman plays John Watson.

Martin Freeman also plays Arthur Dent in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy