It’s fair enough to say that folks, this season, brainy is definitely the new sexy since the Sherlock fever has caught on and spread like wildfire amongst the youth and old alike. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this ingenious sleuth, Sherlock Holmes is the all time famous detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle in English literature and who is especially recognized for his unique deduction methods and close attention to detail. His stories are mostly narrated by Dr. John Watson, Holmes’s best friend and closest confidant as well as companion for all his cases.
Over the years, Sherlock Holmes has been brought to life by various telecasts in various languages, but the one which has caught maximum attention and is currently trending is the BBC Sherlock series launched in 2010, which is a contemporary portrayal of the adventures of Sherlock and Watson set in 21st century London.
Sherlock depicts a consulting detective who helps the Scotland Yard, primarily Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade to solve their cases, assisted by his flatmate, Dr. John Watson who is a former Army officer returned from war in Afghanistan. Their adventures start from 221B Baker Street and break into a fast paced thriller which intertwines with discovering and disambiguating the large criminal network controlled by Jim Moriarty, a criminal mastermind and Sherlock’s arch-nemesis.
Sherlock Holmes is shown to be a brilliant high functioning sociopath who has uncanny awareness to detail and surroundings but is almost unaware of day to day life activities and human emotions. The character has been portrayed brilliantly by Benedict Cumberbatch who has done a fantastic job of making Sherlock his own. Dr. John Watson portrayed by Martin Freeman is also of favourable character that often gets frustrated with Sherlock whose eccentricities and superiority complex annoy him to no end but also has the highest regard for his intelligence and considers him as his best friend.
The series also involves many intriguing characters like Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s elder brother of superior intelligence (If that’s even possible!) who occupies a superior position in the British Civil Service, Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock and Watson’s landlady and Molly Hooper, pathologist who helps Sherlock in some of his cases.
The series consists of nine episodes up till now split into 3 seasons. Each episode is around 90 minutes but is extremely engaging and once started, becomes an addiction. So everyone who likes Sherlock or to watch fast paced thrillers, this series is something you must definitely not miss as not only does it engage as well as entertain but also makes us invariably form a bond with all its characters.
And for all the Sherlock Holmes fans who haven’t watched this, please do and you’ll fall in love with Sherlock all over again. I guarantee you, once begun, you will NEVER get bored.
-Aiyer