It's been nearly a year and a half since Sherlock: The Great Game graced our screens, a masterclass in edge-of-your-set narrative pacing and cunning deduction. Millions of us were left openmouthed as Sherlock and Watson seemed ready to die, weapons aimed at a bomb-laden jacket that would kill them and Moriarty if fired upon. How do you go about resolving such an audacious cliffhanger? Why, with a bit of Bee Gees distracting Moriarty and changing his mind, of course! I wouldn't be surprised if some fans were disappointed with this get-out clause of sorts, but really the resolution was a back-drop to the main storyline, presented to us in the most effective possible way. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the many (and there are many) complex ploys and scheming subtlties that combine to bring us such shocking developments by the narrative's climax make A Scandal in Belgravia one of the most engaging, unpredictable and altogether brilliant pieces of television I have ever witnessed in my long viewership of a wide range of dramas. Heck, this may actually come close to being one of the best episodes of a show I have ever seen, full stop. Part of the success of the story comes once again from the class partnership of Cumberbatch as Holmes and Freeman as Watson, a couple made to be in the same room simply because of the sheer chemistry that exudes between them with every passing moment, no matter what the scene or situation. However, where Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have really hit the nail on the head with their adaptation of A Scandal in Bohemia is their discovery of Lara Pulver for the role of Irene Adler: Pulver wipes the floor with Rachel McAdams' sassy yet ultimately shortlived and shallow portrayal in the Ritchie film franchise, adding a layer of depth to her anti-heroine love interest for Holmes by constantly catching him and the audience unawares of her capacity for both darkness and intense romance. This quality rendition of Adler admittedly owes a debt to Moffat's fabulous script, easily one of his best and amazingly a cut above most of his Doctor Who work, but it is Pulver who encapsulates every element of Conan Doyle's reinterpreted character perfectly, a restrained and infinitely open deceiver who threatens to bring the British society around her to its very knees if she cannot be stopped. Scandal catches you off guard on so many occassions, it would be easy for you to (as I did) assume Mycroft is its antagonist when he emerges in the Bond Air plane, yet that would be far too simple, and I credit Moffat for fooling me and immediatedly after forcing me to think on what has actually just happened due to Sherlock's ignorance, rather than drip-feeding me the solution and wasting valuable time. Oh yes, if there's one thing Steven Moffat knows how to make use of, its time, and the way in which he structures this ambitious opener is so delicate that I can't help but think that Doctor Who could benefit from a few 90-minute specials under his pen in 2013 providing things don't become too self-congratulatory. There won't be a single moment in A Scandal In Belgravia where you'll take your eyes away from the screen, and if there is it will only be in despair at how little time you have left to spend with this perfect piece of telly. Yes, you read that right, go back and check it if you wish: think no single programme can attain perfection in the space of an hour and a half? Well, today was the day where Steven Moffat proved that hypothesis wrong, kick-starting 2012 with an almighty nuclear bang. Whatever your thoughts on Arthur Conan Doyle's work, the stereotypical adaptations of recent times and Ritchie's fast-paced action thrillers, there is absolutely no denying you will fall in love with Irene Adler (in so many more ways than one), and fall in love with this fantastic show all over again. It's elementary, really, and now an entire year's worth of television has to live up to it!
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Sunday, 1 January 2012
EXCLUSIVE Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia Review (5/5)
It's been nearly a year and a half since Sherlock: The Great Game graced our screens, a masterclass in edge-of-your-set narrative pacing and cunning deduction. Millions of us were left openmouthed as Sherlock and Watson seemed ready to die, weapons aimed at a bomb-laden jacket that would kill them and Moriarty if fired upon. How do you go about resolving such an audacious cliffhanger? Why, with a bit of Bee Gees distracting Moriarty and changing his mind, of course! I wouldn't be surprised if some fans were disappointed with this get-out clause of sorts, but really the resolution was a back-drop to the main storyline, presented to us in the most effective possible way. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the many (and there are many) complex ploys and scheming subtlties that combine to bring us such shocking developments by the narrative's climax make A Scandal in Belgravia one of the most engaging, unpredictable and altogether brilliant pieces of television I have ever witnessed in my long viewership of a wide range of dramas. Heck, this may actually come close to being one of the best episodes of a show I have ever seen, full stop. Part of the success of the story comes once again from the class partnership of Cumberbatch as Holmes and Freeman as Watson, a couple made to be in the same room simply because of the sheer chemistry that exudes between them with every passing moment, no matter what the scene or situation. However, where Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have really hit the nail on the head with their adaptation of A Scandal in Bohemia is their discovery of Lara Pulver for the role of Irene Adler: Pulver wipes the floor with Rachel McAdams' sassy yet ultimately shortlived and shallow portrayal in the Ritchie film franchise, adding a layer of depth to her anti-heroine love interest for Holmes by constantly catching him and the audience unawares of her capacity for both darkness and intense romance. This quality rendition of Adler admittedly owes a debt to Moffat's fabulous script, easily one of his best and amazingly a cut above most of his Doctor Who work, but it is Pulver who encapsulates every element of Conan Doyle's reinterpreted character perfectly, a restrained and infinitely open deceiver who threatens to bring the British society around her to its very knees if she cannot be stopped. Scandal catches you off guard on so many occassions, it would be easy for you to (as I did) assume Mycroft is its antagonist when he emerges in the Bond Air plane, yet that would be far too simple, and I credit Moffat for fooling me and immediatedly after forcing me to think on what has actually just happened due to Sherlock's ignorance, rather than drip-feeding me the solution and wasting valuable time. Oh yes, if there's one thing Steven Moffat knows how to make use of, its time, and the way in which he structures this ambitious opener is so delicate that I can't help but think that Doctor Who could benefit from a few 90-minute specials under his pen in 2013 providing things don't become too self-congratulatory. There won't be a single moment in A Scandal In Belgravia where you'll take your eyes away from the screen, and if there is it will only be in despair at how little time you have left to spend with this perfect piece of telly. Yes, you read that right, go back and check it if you wish: think no single programme can attain perfection in the space of an hour and a half? Well, today was the day where Steven Moffat proved that hypothesis wrong, kick-starting 2012 with an almighty nuclear bang. Whatever your thoughts on Arthur Conan Doyle's work, the stereotypical adaptations of recent times and Ritchie's fast-paced action thrillers, there is absolutely no denying you will fall in love with Irene Adler (in so many more ways than one), and fall in love with this fantastic show all over again. It's elementary, really, and now an entire year's worth of television has to live up to it!
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