felicityking

So I just discovered PBS has the episodes available for a limited time. So I'm scrambling to watch them before they expire. (Damn websites and their time limits! Don't they realize they are more stressful then good?) I must confess I wasn't interested in this show at first. Tumblr is completely to blame. It just kept showing up on dash, and the tags about it were so thoughtful and witty. So...I'm giving it another chance.

But a shallow note first. Benedict and that delicious wavy, curly hair! And those long coats with the collar turned up! And, then there is Martin, who brings on the adorable without even realizing it! He's like a teddy bear in his awe and astonishment towards Sherlock, but no afraid to rebuke him. But Benedict! Damn, he knows how to bring on the swagger!

1.03 This episode was the one that re-sparked my interest in the show. I caught it in the middle of the day being rerun on PBS and was automatically drawn in. (Although seeing the show constantly on my tumblr dash also helped!). It just flies by and it's so much fun. This episode does reveal Sherlock what he truly is: "not quite" heartless. But it's really subtle in the way it is shown: his little expressions, the way his words catch in his throat, his relationship with John. It also reveals the depths to which Sherlock is an genius.

1.02. Frankly, I don't even care about the cases. The relationships between the characters---however trivial--are just so well put together. And seriously! Could Sherlock and Watson be any more married? While I find the pacing slower than I what I had expected, the writing is really excellent. I also love that they just let London be: it's neither gritty nor glamourous, but is just the city.

1.01 I found the last half hour extremely predicable but fortunately, the show had reeled me in by then. The pacing was slightly off at times, and but the characterization made up for it. Even though the plot became creaky, the dialogue and very understated wittiness and snark is what kept the show good. I thought the actors did good bringing out the subtleties in the characters: underneath the uncaring steel, Sherlock has a tender, mischievous side. I think Sherlock could easily be played as a asshole (a la the movies and "House") so I'm glad this series--or the pilot at least--tried to show he's not as asshole, merely a loner.