10:04 am - 09/14/2012
Sherlock Holmes gets his zillionth update, this time with Jonny Lee Miller (“Eli Stone”) playing Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless sleuth as a recovering addict whose British tycoon father ships him off to Manhattan for rehab.
Lucy Liu plays Dr. Joan Watson, a disgraced former surgeon who’s been hired to act as Sherlock’s 24-hour sober-living companion after his detox. In almost no time at all, they are working together on a murder case after Sherlock is asked by a New York homicide detective (Aidan Quinn) to examine a tony, uptown crime scene.
In a way, CBS is honoring its present-day success as crime-procedural central with this twist on the daddy of all detective serials. “Elementary” exhibits enough stylish wit in its mood and look to quickly distinguish itself from the latest British “Sherlock” series (seen on PBS), in which Benedict Cumberbatch (or Bandersnatch Cummerbund, as my colleague Lisa de Moraes likes to call him) plays a far icier version of the character. Miller’s Sherlock is just as ludicrously smart and socially callous, but he’s scruffier and more vulnerable. And as Watson, Liu seems to know exactly what’s she’s doing. There’s no reason this show can’t succeed, so long as the writers find a way to deal out more complex mysteries that are worth Sherlock’s time.
SOURCE
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TBH, (and I say this as a huge BBC Sherlock stan) there are parts of Elementary's interpretation of Holmes that I like better, and feel are closer to the actual ACD canon Holmes.
‘Elementary’: Sherlock, rehabbed (Washington Post Weighs in On New Series)
Sherlock Holmes gets his zillionth update, this time with Jonny Lee Miller (“Eli Stone”) playing Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless sleuth as a recovering addict whose British tycoon father ships him off to Manhattan for rehab.
Lucy Liu plays Dr. Joan Watson, a disgraced former surgeon who’s been hired to act as Sherlock’s 24-hour sober-living companion after his detox. In almost no time at all, they are working together on a murder case after Sherlock is asked by a New York homicide detective (Aidan Quinn) to examine a tony, uptown crime scene.
In a way, CBS is honoring its present-day success as crime-procedural central with this twist on the daddy of all detective serials. “Elementary” exhibits enough stylish wit in its mood and look to quickly distinguish itself from the latest British “Sherlock” series (seen on PBS), in which Benedict Cumberbatch (or Bandersnatch Cummerbund, as my colleague Lisa de Moraes likes to call him) plays a far icier version of the character. Miller’s Sherlock is just as ludicrously smart and socially callous, but he’s scruffier and more vulnerable. And as Watson, Liu seems to know exactly what’s she’s doing. There’s no reason this show can’t succeed, so long as the writers find a way to deal out more complex mysteries that are worth Sherlock’s time.
SOURCE
___________________
TBH, (and I say this as a huge BBC Sherlock stan) there are parts of Elementary's interpretation of Holmes that I like better, and feel are closer to the actual ACD canon Holmes.
I think JLM's Holmes is brill. I like BBC!Sherlock, but I think they sometimes take his assholeness too far and I like this Holmes being very aware of things and how his knowledge and way of picking up on things could impact someone, so he's very careful to try not to hurt someone. But at the same time, when he's angry, it's his go-to to try to shut someone down as fast as possible - he knows exactly what button to push and how to best go in for the kill. And then regrets it. He knows knowledge and being able to read people can be as dangerous as it can be useful and I love that.
IDK I think there's a LOT of potential for him to be an amazingly layered character that they already set up in the pilot alone. Shows usually take forever to flesh someone out, but Joan and Sherlock are already showing signs of depth that most shows take forever to get to and, ofc, immediate chemistry and playing off of one another.
I want to know who Lisa is on ONTD.
1. The BBC show doesn't take itself as seriously as the fans take it. There are a lot of fun things and little nuances which are cute and hilarious -- and that's so so often overlooked by the stans who're always talking about how glorious it is. The stylisation is ignored as is the impossibleness of a lot of the situations and characters. (Because seriously. Who in the fuck would ever cheat on Rupert Graves with a P.E. teacher. I mean really.)
2. That's what I mean when I say that JLM's Holmes feels more like the traditional Sherlock. He's polite and considerate like Sherlock was and he apologised to Watson often for his quirks and habits. It just ringers truer to me as what-this-character-would-actually-be-li
3.
Until proven otherwise, he is still JLM's Lestrade in my head, and he's who Sherlock left behind in London -- not a woman.
That is all.
Edited at 2012-09-14 02:54 pm (UTC)
2.) MTE. Both shows are great, imo, for the adaptations that they are and the direction they took them in. I wasn't a huge fan of Series Two, but I adore series one. They're completely different takes and directions. This one edges out for me a little more because I simply like the direction they went in the pilot and I hope it keeps up. I love the Sherlock/Joan dynamic, love that she doesn't put up with his shit, love that he already respects her.
I will never deny how much I cackle at Sherlock hating Anderson, though.
3.) I accept your headcanon and refuse to acknowledge any other reality when it comes to this.
This has always been my problem with BBC!Sherlock. At times it was too much, and uncharacteristic of Sherlock Holmes. I felt as if he went out of his way to be an asshole and it turned me off so bad, especially in series two.
However, DNW Joan/Sherlock
they need to stop being so adorable together if they don't want me to ship them irl tbqh.
Jonny.
they're both so stunning
holy fuck where is this from?!?!
do u have a link for reblog?
Stop being such a flop Sherlock stan, OP. You may choose only one.
NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES.
(Everyone must remember that BBC's Sherlock is British, and is therefore at its root classy as hell. )
Guess I can't blame him for wanting to be classy tho.
But i hate BBC sherlock fandom so i will continue feasting on their pain
Cool.
>.>
Edited at 2012-09-14 03:22 pm (UTC)
And it really wasn't that important to the Watson character imho. After all, the characterisation(s) of him that most people are familiar with (prior to Ritchie's films) barely references or seems at all ex-military. (I'm talking about stupid!Watsons)
The less US Military the better. Fuck them.