Sherlock Series 2
Sherlock Series 2 DVD (BBC DVD /2 Entertain)
Unlike the vast majority of viewers who were enthralled and captivated by Sherlock, as the final moments of series two played out, I wasn’t worried, I knew that all would be well, because as all long time Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle fans, I knew the “secret”. James (or Jim as he’s know in ‘Sherlock’) Moriarty was the only one who died at Reichenbach Falls, Holmes survived their final encounter. So, given how closely the twenty first century adaptations follow the original Conan Doyle stories, with names, plots and places remaining roughly the same, just the surroundings and the world in which the tales unfold is changed, a changed made necessary by the passage of time, when (warning upcoming spoilers, but if you don’t know what’s about to follow, then you must be future proof, and have found a miraculous way if shielding yourself from the constant media barrage and onslaught that passes for modern life) Benedict Cumberbatch, the eponymous hero of the series, plunges from the roof of Saint Barts Hospital, in full view of John Watson at the end of ‘The Reichenbach Fall’, I knew that despite the odds, Sherlock wasn’t dead, and I knew this because Moriarty, and Moriarty alone, was the only one who died at Reichenbach. When you watch it again, the clues are all there, scattered throughout, the how and the why becoming more and more apparent with each repeated viewing, but don’t look to me for the answer, watch ‘The Reichenbach Fall’ and discover the clues yourself. They are, as Holmes himself said in ‘The Crooked Man’, ‘Elementary’. But even though the series appears to end in disaster (Holmes’ fate is sealed by a fleeting appearance before the final credits) for Watson and his incredible friend, on every other level, and in every other aspect, it’s a triumph. The decision to focus on the relationship between Moriarty (yes, I know, that’s one part of Conan Doyle’s work that’s been greatly expanded upon, as Moriarty was originally created for the sole purpose of destroying Holmes, and as such, only makes a fleeting appearance in Holmes mythology) and Holmes – the polar opposites, the good and bad who ensure and preserve universal balance, as for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction, so the existence of Holmes necessitates the existence of Moriarty, was a daring one, but thanks to the incredible performances by the aforementioned Cumberbatch (although I still think Nicholas Briggs is a better Holmes) and Andrew Scott as Moriarty, and the first class writing that propels the show, it’s a decision that draws the viewer in, capturing their imagination whilst providing an underlying series arc. Bringing in Irene Adler and the spectral hound that originally haunted the Baskervilles, was and is, just the icing on the cake, and making sure that each worked perfectly within the context of the show, that my friends is the double cream layer on the same cake that goes that little but further, making sure that no sane individual could, and can, resist sitting down for four and half hours with only Sherlock Series Two for company. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat have taken a beloved character, repackaged and served him for old and new fans alike, exposing an entire generation to a wealth of possibilities and a world of incredible narrative and literature. They did so knowing, as every Holmes fan does, the true appeal of the character, which in the grand scheme of things, is really rather simple. Life is determined by cause, effect and the linear progression of time, but Holmes bends the laws of physics, seeing effect and tracing it back to cause, a reversal of flow, thus his deductions, which to him seem mundane at times, appear to be impossible science and magic to the rest of us. And who doesn’t like magic? While Holmes exists, “magic” exists, and it’s magic that Gatiss and Moffat have captured so perfectly in Sherlock. Brilliant, simply brilliant… Tim Mass Movement
