Sherlock

After persistent demands from my little sister that I watch this show, I finally gave in, and five minutes into the first episode I knew I had stumbled onto something special. Special enough to elicit my attention for the next nine hours (two seasons). After those nine hours, I decided, or deduced, that "Sherlock" was the best television show that I have ever seen. To be honest, the BBC has never ever interested me in the least bit. I just don't get British humor. I never did. I have plenty of friends that watch their shows, and I have given them a fair shot. Some shows are okay, but most of them, I can't stand. "Sherlock," on the other hand, is a brilliantly crafted show that I can't get enough of. Maybe there's more to the BBC than misunderstood humor after all. Way to go BBC. You win.

My favorite part of this show has to be the casting. Benedict Cumberbatch completely owns this character. He successfully creates his own sense of who Sherlock is, and births an incredibly intelligent, observant, socially inept character. Martin Freeman doesn't play the classic John Watson that we are used to seeing as "Sherlock's sidekick," but instead plays John, Sherlock's only friend. He actually rarely offers insight into the cases that Sherlock can't already deduce himself, but is there instead for Sherlock himself. He keeps Sherlock on task by guiding him through the social norms, and sometimes interpreting his brilliance for others around. Both of these characters and names are so familiar to the audience already that we have grown accustomed to how they should speak, and act, but Benedict and Martin surely did not get that memo. They have, without a doubt, created something entirely unique, within this series. I loved watching the two of them grow together. In the beginning, like any relationship, there is miscommunication, frustration, second guessing, and mystery. John and Sherlock are not immune to this. They mature as a couple, not like that (they ensure you), of friends who depend on each other. Many times in life or death scenarios. Throughout the two seasons, these two fight again and again, but are always drawn back together as their relationship goes through the ebb and flow of life.

Normally television shows have an overall lower standard of production they set themselves at compared to that of most feature films. They don't have the budget, or the time to create something as complex as a feature film. "Sherlock," again, side steps this normality and holds itself at the highest level possible. They respected themselves and the audience with being able to handle complex issues and information. Everything was specifically designed to be something that Sherlock himself would be entertained by.

Much of the success of "Sherlock" has to go to the writers. Without the flawless modernization of the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this show would not be as entertaining. They have seamlessly taken the characters out of their original time period and placed them in a world filled with computers, cell phones, televisions, etc. While being in the modern world helps Sherlock at times, he still relies, just as he should, on using the science of deduction. He uses his greatest strength above everything else: his wit. With this mentality, the writers have respected, and protected, the soul of the characters. One of the reasons I love this show so much is because it uses wit and intelligence as its driving force. It's not the sex, or violence, or special effects, it's the intelligent story.

The success of this program shows for itself the work of artistry it took to create this production. It pulls you in and won't let you go until you are dying for more. To everyone who worked on this in any capacity, job well done. This is truly a work of art.