Here I am, arriving several years late to the party again, but I blame Dr. Who this time. I have given the Doctor several tries, but he keeps turning me off, and I hold him accountable for steering me clear of most things spawned in Britain — I just could never figure out what I was missing, and why I couldn’t latch on to that immense wave of fandom.
Last year, a friend recommended Orphan Black to me, and just knowing that it was produced by the BBC set me up with low expectations (sorry!). Fortunately, my Netflix queue was low on binge-worthy shows, and I burned through the whole series in no time. I loved it! This show opened my eyes to the possibility that the BBC might actually be not too shabby. After that, I gave Luthor a shot, but had to bail on it because I don’t go for the psycho killer/CSI kind of shows. And then I found Sherlock.
You know Sherlock, that show with the dude that played Khan in Star Trek and that other guy who’s in the Hobbit movies. I kid, because I have the UTMOST respect for both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman after devouring all three seasons of Sherlock. I was hooked after the first five minutes and knew this was going to be something to savor. After completing the series, I had to share it with someone and put on the first episode for my wife, and she was hooked. I watched the entire series again with her, and then watched the “making of” mini-shows that Netflix offered. I devoted two solid weeks of my TV-viewing life to Sherlock, and I would willingly watch it again. It’s soooo good.
I’m sure the fanfare has been there all along, but I honestly don’t recall people shouting about how much they enjoy this show. The writing and acting is superb, and like with any great show, you grow more and more fond of the characters with each episode. The show rewards you for watching it from the beginning, by building on the characters and their relationships with one another. I can’t think of another show that I can say this about, but I would not change a thing about it — the show has found the perfect balance of plot, characters, and humor.
Each season is only three episodes long, and there are only three seasons, so it is an easy binge. My favorite episodes are S2:E1 A Scandal in Belgravia, and S3:E3 His Last Vow, but they are all excellent. Of course, now I don’t know what to do with myself. What can I possibly watch now that I have been exposed to perfection?
—
This week, the League of Extraordinary Bloggers is talking about things that are “soooo good.” Check them out!
It really is a great piece of work. I came late to it also but it is one show that lived up to the hype. Haven’t loved a show like this since Torchwood. Sherlock is such a fresh look at one of the great characters in literature and it had every reason not to work but does in spectacular fashion. I love the way British shows do all the great storytelling in so few episodes. So much better than ten episodes of filler with most US shows. Cumberbatch is the real deal. I also like Elementary for different reasons. Johnny Lee Miller does a Sherlock that is more vulnerable and more scary than Cumberbatch but both are an embarrassment of riches.
It’s true about the storytelling — one episode of the show leaves you feeling like you watched three or four, but in a good way! I haven’t given Elementary a try, but Torchwood is on my radar.
Ah, I wasn’t quite sure what you meant by “Sooo Good!” I was thinking about writing about ice cream, maybe I still will.
Do it! I like ice cream. 😉
I still haven’t jumped on the Sherlock train yet, and I have nothing but love for the Beeb. And you must not be on/use Tumblr or Pinterest because the Sherlock fandom is all over those places 🙂
Ha, I’m sure it is. Now that I’m tuned into the show, I see references to it all the time. I guess I had blinders on for the last five years!
I love the show too, but I have been obsessing and collecting SHERLOCK HOLMES stuff since my early teens (42 now). No matter how many times I try, I can’t seem to get my wife to watch it with me. She is into dreck like BIG BROTHER.