The Guinness Book of World Records anoints Sherlock Holmes as the most portrayed movie character in history. When that many people have played a character, it’s unlikely one could rise to a most iconic status. Basil Rathbone defined Sherlock on the radio, stage, and screen for many years, so much so that when Disney made a Sherlock-based cartoon film, The Great Mouse Detective, they named their protagonist in his honor. Holmes has been portrayed by Orson Welles, Leonard Nimoy, Peter O’Toole, Charlton Heston, Robert Downey Jr., Ian McKellen, and, most recently, Will Ferrell. And yet there is one actor who has managed to make the role his own. Steven Moffat’s 2010 BBC One modernized update of the Holmes stories, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role, now occupies the top spot in the collective consciousness when it comes to our Sherlock Holmes rankings. It’s the first and best version we tend to think of. What about the 3-episode arc of Series 1 made Sherlock such a runaway hit?
In the Series’ first episode, “A Study in Pink”, itself a re-imagination of the first Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, the story opens on John Watson (Martin Freeman), a veteran army doctor struggling to re-adjust to life back home after a war wound sent him home from Afghanistan. We’re introduced to everything from Watson’s eyes, and in many ways, he is the protagonist of the series. He’s our stand-in for this world. After being matched up with Holmes as a potential roommate by a mutual friend, Watson reacts to the bizarre spectacle of Sherlock Holmes much in the way you or I would. He is offended by the rudeness, shocked by the callousness, and enthusiastically entertained by the brilliance. In a way, he’s a bit of a crutch for the show – instead of being left to make up our minds on Sherlock, or worse, not knowing exactly what to think of the star detective, Watson is there to let us know at all times. He makes Sherlock Holmes digestible. When we feel disconnected from Sherlock, we can always root for John Watson. And could there be a more obvious casting decision for this specific goal – making one character identifiable – than Martin Freeman, who already played Tim Canterbury, one of the most easily identifiable characters in television history? It’s a slam dunk marriage of actor and role, and it’s arguably the most fundamental aspect of Sherlock‘s success.
There’s another fundamental aspect, of course, and that’s the titular genius detective. In 2010, Benedict Cumberbatch was, to most of the world, an unknown. A successful actor on the British stage, he had appeared with some acclaim in some BBC One productions, but where Sherlock had a known quantity with Freeman, it had a question mark with Cumberbatch. As we know now, this casting, also a perfect choice, would launch Cumberbatch to superstardom. In that opening episode, you can almost instantly see that he’s the perfect choice for Sherlock. Cumberbatch’s Sherlock operates and lives on his own plane of existence, bored with the common problems of the mere mortals that surround him. He is, in many ways, a superhero. Flawed in a few ways faithful to the writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but superpowered in all others. He checks many of the superhero boxes – we marvel at his powers, laugh at his quirks, and rely on him to save the day. Much like Gotham’s Jim Gordon and his Batsignal, Scotland Yard’s Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade (Rupert Graves) calls on his mysterious “consulting detective” to come instantly solve any problem that comes his way.
That’s how the action in “A Study in Pink” begins. A series of self-inflicted deaths have Lestrade re-assuring the press that these are nothing but coincidental suicides. With each assurance, however, both Lestrade and the journalists in attendance of the press conference receive text messages mocking those assurances. These are, naturally, from Sherlock Holmes, who can’t resist the urge to sneer and prod the non-geniuses around him. Lestrade turns to Holmes, and you know it isn’t the first time. There’s a history between the two. Lestrade has a respectful but hesitant approach to Holmes, for good reason. Holmes helps solve cases, but he’s a complete pain in the ass to be around, and too much Sherlock involvement in police matters might open the door to public scrutiny. A man who plays by his own rules is hard to describe as a true asset to Scotland Yard. These similar suicides hook Sherlock’s usually bored mind. He’s fascinated at uncovering the truth, and thus we begin the investigation. It’s incredibly fun to watch, as the show’s style and camerawork do wonders to convey the speed at which Sherlock processes information. Without going into too much detail, it’s a strong enough mystery and detective story that you’re instantly hooked.
“A Study in Pink” also does a nice job introducing other long-term story arcs and recurring characters. Ms. Hudson, their landlady, is delightful. John meets a mysterious government figure (Mark Gatiss, the series’ co-creator) who merely seeks information on Holmes. We meet Molly Hooper, a morgue worker whose painfully obvious love for Sherlock is either ironically undetected by the world’s greatest detective, or Sherlock simply doesn’t care enough to acknowledge this professional annoyance. And, at the risk of wading into spoilery territory, this episode reveals a long-term enemy, or at least his name. It’s a great opening episode, mostly for establishing the dynamic between Holmes and Watson. You start to realize the two need one another. Their chemistry is phenomenal.
The Series’ second episode, “The Blind Banker”, continues showing us that John Watson is struggling to fit into society. He gets a job as a physician at a nearby clinic, but is immediately bored with the job. That does lead to a potential romance with another doctor (Zoe Telford), and their moments together are among the best of the episode. As for the central mystery, it’s a bit convoluted, and perhaps not as memorable as those that surround it, but it’s compelling enough in the moment. This may be the weakest episode of the first Series, but that’s only by comparison.
“The Great Game” ends the season, and it ends it with a figurative bang (if not a literal one). For two episodes, we danced around the introduction of classic Doyle villain James Moriarty to the story. He is hinted at, barely whispered about, as if he is the real-world equivalent of Lord Voldemort. Rather than continue to string along the mystery surrounding him, “The Great Game” begins to tackle it head-on, with the unseen antagonist sending Sherlock around to find answers in a series of unsolved crimes. It is a remarkable episode of television. From the beginning, you know the pace of this episode thanks to the “five pips”, and you know the stakes for each stage of the game. Our favorite thing to do as viewers is watch Holmes and Watson solve mysteries together, and “The Great Game” provides that thrill over and over again. It also doesn’t merely tease us when it comes to the antagonist. It throws some meat to its hungry audience, giving us an excellent final showdown that not only seems like a fitting end for Series 1, but also sets us up perfectly for Series 2. It ends on one hell of a cliffhanger, which possibly feels a bit cheap, but it’s still a fun conclusion to a fun season, and it leaves you eager to find out what Sherlock has in store next.
Is it Watchlist-worthy?
Absolutely. If you haven’t yet gotten on board the Sherlock train, you need to do so right now. Series 1 is one of the best opening TV seasons this decade.