To my crime-seeking readers,
As we embark on this short journey together, I would like to share with you the reasons behind my creation in hopes that you will not only enjoy it, but the creation behind the creation as well. Grab your deer stalkers and scarves because in this journey, we are not looking at the great detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, but rather Sherlock and John as they solve crimes throughout modern day London in the brilliant TV show that is Sherlock.
From the beginning of the show, we are introduced to someone who is not seen as an average human to others. He is a rude, arrogant, emotionless, but brilliant man with the strange name of Sherlock Holmes. As the audience gets to know Sherlock, we see that he may actually be the only character in the show who is more human than any other person. Dr. John Watson also admits this. Unfortunately, other people do not see him as a human at all, but rather a psychopath and more specifically, a freak. Throughout the series, Sherlock is continuously labeled as an “other” by the people who don’t believe in him as well as the people who do. Although, the people who believe in him label him by praising his work and see Sherlock’s differences as a key to helping the world. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss touch on this fact that many people are labeled as other because of who they are, what they do, and what they believe. Everyone is different and that is what makes people unique. A real life example of someone from the show who has had difficulties with this issue is co-creator and the actor of Mycroft Holmes (Sherlock’s older brother), Mark Gatiss who is homosexual. Having to deal with being “different” for much of his life and co-creating Sherlock has helped to share light on the fact that everyone is who they are and to never let anyone tell you otherwise.
The entirety of the show is about the world looking at someone who they do not see as normal. This is a topic I can not leave out of my adaptation because it is so important to the original and every adaptation ever made of the detective. There is a cruel plan forming in my head on how to emphasize this idea of how people see those who are different. It was not clearly shown in the show, so I plan to implement it myself into my adaptation. One other idea I will also emphasize more than any other does not really go in the line of monsters and misfits, but more towards the show itself and something that our world has trouble dealing with today. The fear of failure.
There are many features that make the show unique in its own way and enjoyable to watch. For me, there are too many features that I can talk about what makes this show brilliant. Both Moffat’s and Gatiss’s writing is something I have enjoyed since the first episode. Although sometime there was a bit of cringe, it was still great to see their work being played out. Even though Sherlock is smarter than everyone, both these writers may have been more clever than the great detective himself. Moffat and Gatiss were the people who made the deductions before Sherlock did and how they used subtle foreshadowing was unbelievable. It would stay in the back of your mind and you would never expect it to be important. It is the shock in each episode that hooked me to the show. But if you have great writing, you will need great actors and actresses to play their parts. Casting for Sherlock could not have been more perfect. The producers were nervous that they would not be able to find the perfect Holmes and Watson for their creation. Benedict Cumberbatch was the only person they saw to play Sherlock and just needed to find someone who would complete him. Then Martin Freeman went to the auditions and the producers knew, that was the show. Over the course of seven years with four series (seasons), both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have made names for themselves and it somewhat started with this show. Every important scene would not be as rememberable as they are without this duo. Every ad lib they did improved the scene, every emotion made a scene more powerful, and everything they did made the show seem real to people. Both brought out the characters from the famous detective stories and made them less of a story and more of real life. Now leaving these two protagonists and onto the antagonist that is Andrew Scott’s, Jim Moriarty. Not once have I heard of a villain people cheer for when they make a grand entrance. This Moriarty, as said by Moffat and Gatiss, is not in anyway the same Moriarty that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created. It is this that makes his character liked by so many. He may come off as annoying, but it is an evil annoying that caught viewers’ interest. Andrew Scott’s acting was great to watch because he was entertaining with his cheerful voice, playful attitude, but dark personality and the ability to change from happy to deathly serious in a blink of an eye. All of which made Moriarty more sinister and hold a greater meaning behind everything he says.
I will say, the storyline is just a bit too quick. Series one and two are slower than that of series three and especially series four, but it is hard to tell the story you want in three episodes per series. Moffat and Gatiss did a great job with telling their story, but some parts seemed a bit rushed. The best part about creating my own adaptation is that I can tell my story in all the time I need. The only change is to make sure the story is not rushed and flows freely throughout each chapter. Rushing the plot made Moffat’s and Gatiss’s work a bit confusing in parts of series three and all of series four. If I take my time with my adaptation of Sherlock, the story would make much more sense to readers and who, hopefully, will enjoy it.
In no way am I planning on changing the message the Moffat and Gatiss have provided over these past seven years. I do plan on making a sequel to their creation (my very own Sherlock season 5 which everyone has been wanting for a couple of years now) and add in a prequel moment within my adaptation. I believe by doing this, it may enhance the message that being “different” in a “normal” society may cause someone to be labeled and cast away out of society.
As we finish our time together, I want you, the reader, to at least take this with you. The world is a complex place and everyone has their own way of living. Unfortunately, many of those in society don’t understand this and continue to believe that everyone needs to be the same, that there is a superior race, that everyone must be everyone. Truth is, you pick your own life and never let anyone dictate how you live it, just like Sherlock does. He is one of the smartest people in the world and could have been a remarkable scientist or be just like his brother and run the British government. Instead, he solves crimes for the New Scotland Yard as a consulting detective, a job title he created. So be like Sherlock, go out and live your life.
Your creator,
Jenica Botting