Sherlock Holmes. The name used to invoke a feeling of mystery, of sleuthing, that perhaps, somewhere, the game is afoot.
Now, hearing “Sherlock Holmes” tends to prompt the question, “Which one are you talking about?” And that’s a perfectly valid thing to ask—there are two current TV incarnations of him. (Yes, there's also the film version portrayed by Robert Downey, Jr., but we’re going to focus here on the small-screen varieties.)
So, which TV show provides the better Holmes & Watson? They each have their merits, and Sherlock Holmes fans are divided. We thought we'd compare different elements of each show, lay out the evidence, and finally deduce a winner.
Johnlock shippers might want my head on a pike for calling this particular match for Elementary, but CBS took a real gamble casting Watson as a woman. There was the possibility that it could have gone horribly wrong, but credit should be given where credit is due. After all, Sherlock and Watson are a timeless pair: genius detective and loyal sidekick. It's a pattern that's worked (and worked well) for over a hundred years--so why mess with a good thing? Well, a lot of Holmes fans felt the same way. When CBS announced it was breathing life into another Holmes reincarnation, and that this time, John Watson would be Joan Watson, there was a kerfuffle from prospective fans. However, CBS nailed it right on the head. Joan is a wonderful take on the character of Watson. No longer military, but still a doctor, she's compassionate and very tuned in to Sherlock's needs as a former addict. Over halfway into the first season, Joan simply isn't just his sober companion anymore--she's his friend. She worries about his wellbeing and his sobriety. And since Elementary’s creators have assured fans that there will be no Sherlock/Joan romantic relationship, it leaves the whole spectrum of their relationship to be explored without worrying about any sort of romance springing up. They solve crimes, and they work together well--and one of the best feathers of this new Holmes-Watson dynamic is that Joan isn't afraid to give Sherlock a hard time. Watson being a woman this time around has no bearing on their interaction, and it's enjoyable to watch a show where the two main characters can disagree on some things, but still have a positive relationship. It's a nice change from a lot of other man-woman crime-solving teams, where romance often seems to happen inevitably. And for this reason, I think Elementary wins out.
London vs. New York. It hardly seems like it’s worth even debating, but let’s break this down. Sherlock Holmes is a British creation. He’s almost always in a British setting, and it feels like a breath of fresh air to have Sherlock in a new location entirely. Yes, there are tons of crime dramas that take place in America—even some specifically set in New York—but it’s really fun and interesting to see the great detective, who already has established himself as such, take on the horrible crimes that the Big Apple has to offer. The difference between Sherlock’s location and Elementary’s location is that New York seems like such a faceless city, with people coming and going at all times of night and day. In Sherlock, we’re treated to shots of the English countryside, of small side streets where only taxi cabs are present. New York gives everything a more rushed, urgent feel, and it gives the impression that Sherlock might not solve his case—but of course, he always does.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle knew success for a reason: he wrote mysteries that confounded his audience and kept them guessing until the very end. BBC's Sherlock has found success in taking certain tales and adapting them into a sharply clever miniseries, modernizing them and making them even more horrifying in some cases—remember when Moriarty strapped a bomb to that child? Crime dramas in America almost always seem as though they’ve been through the same filter—even if they’re “Ripped from today’s headlines,” they all seem to be stories we’ve heard before. And even though some of Sherlock’s episodes are literally stories we’ve heard before, the modern twist makes them almost new. Elementary, at times, seems like any other crime procedural on television, just with two people named Sherlock and Watson investigating for clues. The BBC has put forth episodes that, despite their 90-minute run time, keep viewers on the edge of their seats waiting to see the resolution.
Looks like it's a split decision. Even Sherlock couldn’t have seen that one coming! What do you think? Does America’s #1 new show hold a candle to the BBC’s worth-the-extremely-long-wait adaptation? Weigh in below!
Elementary airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS. Sherlock's much anticipated third season has been delayed to late 2013 or early 2014.
UPDATE: By reader request, here's a poll to see which show our readers like the most....
