For all the comparing and complaining over Elementary and Sherlock, the truth is that it's a competent series which puts an entertaining twist on an overly-familiar genre. With news of Moriarty soon appearing on the series, there's no reason not to stick around to watch. And using Google doesn't count.Īs the series continues, Elementary has the opportunity to refine itself, slowly falling into the storytelling freedom that a multiple episode order allows. Still, Sherlock Holmes is the center of the series, so there should have been more engrossing scenes to show off exactly what he can do. Character development and relationship establishments get rushed for introductions and such. Because it's the first episode, you can forgive a few missteps. Debuting on CBS in 2012, this modern-day take on Arthur Conan Doyles temperamental detective stars Jonny Lee Miller as a blunt yet protective Holmes and Lucy Liu as a tough and intelligent Watson. In the end, that’s all anyone wants.Overall, there weren't enough familiar Holmes moments to make it feel like a genuine Sherlock tale - instead of just a version of The Mentalist, which itself is a version of USA's Psych. The world is not starved for Sherlock Holmes adaptations, but Elementary still manages to stand out from the crowd. Hopefully future episodes will get into Holmes’ darker flaws, particularly his addiction.Īlong the way, Elementary should prove rather conclusively that it’s a solid cousin to Sherlock and will give fans of the character more chances to see him solve crimes. Toss in Quinn, and you’ve got a trifecta of accomplished actors giving a real boost to a respected franchise. Graham Moores novel crosscuts a murder mystery and hunt for the diary of Arthur Conan Doyle with the actions. And that’s essential because the interplay between Holmes and Watson really is what drives the Arthur Conan Doyle stories. A Sherlock Holmes Tale Thats Hardly Elementary. Liu looks to be giving Miller plenty of room in the pilot but also makes clear that her character is not going to be lost. He’s someone you want to watch in a role that’s tailor-made to the whodunit procedural. And Miller’s force as an actor wrings everything out of the script. This version of Sherlock doesn’t embody the characteristics that I like in the famous detective’s other iterations, but that’s also sort of the. He’s a name brand but he can be played as damaged, as opposed to a perfect hero. Chapter One winds the clock back to Sherlock’s younger years, as he returns to the island of Cordona to visit his mother’s grave along with his talkative imaginary friend Jon (without the H). Now that’s what’s going to make Elementary eventually become an excellent drama. That’s an excellent decision because it makes Elementary focus not just on what CBS does best - hourlong procedurals in which a mystery is solved and the execution of it is done with minimum cliche - but also on the character-driven aspect of the show. PHOTOS: Tim Goodman Gives the Odds on Which Fall TV Shows Will Survive When Elementary, a contemporary take on Sherlock Holmes, premiered on CBS in the fall of 2012, it felt terribly redundant.The second season of the BBC’s Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch as. They won’t, period, no matter how much eventual tension there might be. Along the way, Elementary should prove rather conclusively that it’s a solid cousin to Sherlock and will give fans of the character more chances to see him solve crimes. In fact, the producers have gone out of their way to thankfully confirm Elementary won’t be a will-they-or-won’t-they situation. That’s a lot more difficult to pull off because the chemistry between the two is hard-earned (and should be), and there’s no inkling of any of it being sexual. Liu’s calm mannerisms play well with Holmes’ more outlandish stunts, and instead of screaming and going into hysterics about his behavior, she demands access to his process and respect in the relationship. Tobias Gregson ( Aidan Quinn), who had worked with Holmes on a case with Scotland Yard and believes highly in his skills as an investigator (if not as a well-balanced man with manners, which neurotic and cocky Holmes could never be). Although Watson has the resolve to do the “sober companion” job, she can’t control Holmes when he’s drawn in to work for the NYPD, at the authorization of Capt. That would be Watson, who suffers the torment of Holmes’ fast and stinging barbs about being a baby-sitter, etc. When he arrives in New York, Holmes is disappointed to see that his father has hired a “sober companion” to watch over him. The steely countenance set off by the flagrantly expressive eyebrows. The roaring intellect mixed with a bit of geek-out obsessiveness. Miller is superb and compelling as Sherlock, sent to New York City by his father after falling out of favor as a consultant for Scotland Yard and also needing a stint in rehab. There’s something about the Good Company Players actor’s interpretation of the role that just seems right: The supreme confidence tempered by the slightest fumble of awkwardness.
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