I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

The 2012 BSI Weekend Recap — Saturday

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"then on Saturday" [HOUN]</h4>
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The day after the BSI dinner and Gaslight Gala can be a bit of a paradox for some people. For after the dinners, some attendees gather to celebrate well into the night. It's an unwritten tradition to keep the newest investitured members of the Baker Street Irregulars awake until at least 2:21 a.m. That's not too rare when you're in the city that never sleeps, but with the doors of the Vendors Room opening at 9:00 a.m. sharp (and Jerry Margolin always jockeying to be the first in), it can be difficult to rouse yourself from an otherwise groggy state.<br />
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This year's Vendors Room was packed with merchandise, from the new to the old and rare. The Baker Street Irregulars had its usual range of books available from the <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsimanuscriptseries.html">BSI Manuscript</a> and <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsiinternationalseries.html">BSI International</a> series, as well as <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/grandgamev2.html" style="font-weight: bold;"><i>The Grand Game Volume Two</i></a>, the continuation of the first volume edited by Leslie S. Klinger and Laurie R. King. In addition to the <i>Grand Game</i> compendium being completed, there was a very handsome <i><b><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/grandgamelimited.html">Grand Game Limited Edition</a></b></i> being offered for sale; you can order it online after March 30. There will be 100 box sets created, with gilt-stamped volumes, a companion index with an expansion of the origin of the Game and Ronald Knox, and a gold-stamped slipcase.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>The afternoon turned toward West 44th Street as Sherlockians descended on the New York Bar Association for the reception and auction. As usual, Don Novorsky hosted the event and recognized the previous evening's <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/6697583377/">newly-investitured Irregulars</a>. Then, we we all treated to a fun little vaudeville routine by Jim Saunders and Henry Boote, who performed a Sherlock Holmes-inspired version of the old <a href="http://www.marx-brothers.org/marxology/shean.htm">Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Shean</a> bit. While we didn't record Jim and Henry, here you can have a look at what it looked like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkzAEGarl9Q">as performed by Charles Winniger and Al Shean</a>:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/6697551885/" title="BSI Raffle prize by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="BSI Raffle prize" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6697551885_2489a7e1ce_m.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The 2012 raffle prize</i></td></tr>
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Directly after the performance, it was time for the drawing of the raffle prize. All weekend, raffle tickets were sold to raise money for the John H. Watson Fund, a self-exhausting fund that is available to all Sherlockians (BSI membership is not required) who wish to travel to New York for the annual Baker Street Irregulars weekend but who may not be able to afford to otherwise attend. This year's raffle prize was donated by Maggie Schpak, BSI ("The Soup Plate Medal"), who works in metallurgical costuming. It was a replica of Lady Frances Carfax's Spanish diamonds, which you can see to the right.<br />
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Then it was time for another highlight of the weekend - the Sherlockian Year in Review, as given in verse by father and daughter team Al ("Inspector Gregory") and Betsy ("Lucy Ferrier") Rosenblatt. As usual, their observations and wit skewered events and individuals who made headlines throughout the year, and then turned toward the doings of the weekend. They even stopped mid-poem to break out in song to honor Henry Boote's Two Shilling award (sung to the tune of "Aunt Clara," of course).<br />
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The final programmatic event was Peter Blau's professional auctioneering effort to raise money for the Watson Fund. This year, the items included original posters from <i>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</i>, a hand-turned wooden fountain pen made from wood salvaged from the barque <i>Lone Star</i>, original artwork by Charles Meyer, BSI ("Adloph Meyer") and a handmade wooden collector's cabinet made by Joe Coppola ("The Stranger's Room"). And in a last-minute surprise appearance, a Peter Blau-ish powder blue blazer worn the previous evening in the skit was offered up by Scott Monty. Peter and Scott stood side by side, taking bids for the jacket. The winning bid was a Canonical $221 and the buyer plans to donate it to the <a href="http://www.bsitrust.org/">BSI Trust</a>.<br />
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Afterwards, Sherlockians went their separate ways. Some caught trains, others joined up for an intimate dinner for 10 for Indian food, and many others got Lost in New York with a Bunch of Sherlockians at Pete's Tavern. The wrap-up brunch was hosted the following day by Lyndsay Faye at the Irish Rogue.<br />
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We have a few photos from the weekend. If you'd like to see them, there's a slideshow embedded below on the site. If you're viewing this on email or an RSS reader, please click through to the full article, or <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/sets/72157628871829545/with/6697449965/">check out our set on Flickr</a>.<br />
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If you weren't able to make it to the weekend this year, there's always next year! Set your calendar for <b>January 10-12, 2013</b>.<br />
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<i>Do you have a memory or a first-person account of what happened at one of the events that we didn't cover? We'd love to hear about it in a comment below.</i><br />
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The 2012 BSI Weekend Recap — Saturday

"then on Saturday" [HOUN] The day after the BSI dinner and Gaslight Gala can be a bit of a paradox for some people. For aft...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The 2012 BSI Weekend Recap — Friday

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"Today is Friday" [CARD]</h4>
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Friday is always a hectic day during the BSI Weekend. From impromptu breakfasts to early pilgrimages down to Tribeca to see <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/10/infinitely-more-mysterious-devi.html">Otto Penzler's offerings as the Mysterious Bookshop</a>, there are plenty of mind- and waist-expanding opportunities to be had before running off to...lunch.<br />
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<b>The William Gillette Lunch</b></h3>
The Gillette Lunch has been in place for many years, having been first established in the early days of the BSI as an opportunity for those traveling from out of town to gather before the BSI dinner. Susan Rice and Mickey Fromkin have been running this event for a couple of decades, after it was handed down to them from Lisa McGaw.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Susan Rice - all smiles</i></td></tr>
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Guests are welcomed to the quickly overflowing bar area of <a href="http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=63709c1ff5d9d35a61c4186a878d6a7d&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bakerstreetblog.com%2Fsearch%2Flabel%2Fbsi2010&v=1&libid=1326557509698&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.moranschelsea.com%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bakerstreetblog.com%2Fsearch%2Flabel%2Fbsi2011&title=The%20Baker%20Street%20Blog&txt=Moran%27s%20Chelsea%20Restaurant&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13265577788861">Moran's Chelsea</a> restaurant (an aptly named or aptly selected venue, as the case may be) and conversation quickly rises, along with the temperature of the facility. But all is well as we wind our way into the substantial dining area and prepare for the welcome from Susan. We remember William Gillette of course, but also the founders and previous administrators. After a quick promotion of the <a href="http://www.beaconsociety.com/">Beacon Society</a> - the group that promotes educating the young on Sherlock Holmes via the original stories - we dine.<br />
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After lunch come the skits. In this case were treated to two: a "Tonight Show" (c. 1895) rendition of Carnac the Magnificent; and the Friends of Bogey's of Baker Street giving us their fanciful interpretation of Sherlock Holmes on the <i>Titanic</i>. The iceberg even got a starring role.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Iceberg right ahead!</i></td></tr>
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We all wended our way to our respective hotels, some walking in the bracing cold in a futile attempt to burn some calories before attending another meal in three hours or so.<br />
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<b>The BSI Dinner</b></h3>
We attended the BSI dinner (as we have for the last 17 years), so we can only report on that. [<i>Ed. note: if you attended the Gaslight Gala, we'd be delighted to have a writeup of what happened there. Please click on the Tip button at the top of the site.</i>]<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Connie Keane</i></td></tr>
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Prior to the dinner, it is always the custom to name "The Woman" of the year - typically the spouse of a BSI who has supported and encouraged her husband's work and in many cases who has been a co-conspirator in support of the BSI. This year it was Connie Keane, wife of Michael Keane who manages the <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale.html">BSI Publications</a>. As it turns out, it was Connie who first encouraged Michael's interest in Sherlock Holmes, so as Leslie Klinger (who introduced Connie at the reception) put it, "Michael Keane would not exist if it weren't for Connie!" She did however put her foot down when Michael wanted to name their son Sherlock.<br />
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The dinner kicked off with the normal routine: our annual photograph taken with a 100 year-old camera, as well as welcome remarks from "Wiggins," the head of the BSI. He noted that this year marks a number of anniversaries: the 125th anniversary of the publication of <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>; the 175th anniversary of Dr. Joseph Bell's birth; the 120th anniversary of the birth of Basil Rathbone; and the 75th anniversary of the death of William Gillette. Mike also noted that the BSI Publications have produced an enormous amount of content in the last 11 years; in the last year alone, titles like <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsiinternationalseries.html">Italy and Sherlock Holmes</a></i>, <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsimanuscriptseries.html">Bohemian Souls</a></i>, two <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/christmasannuals.html">Baker Street Journal Christmas Annuals</a></i>, and two volumes and a special edition of <i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/grandgamev2.html">The Grand Game</a>.</i>  In addition to those remarks, Wiggins also bestowed the Benefactor Award on Glen Miranker, who has very generously given of his time, materials and resources to support the <a href="http://www.bsitrust.org/">BSI Trust</a>. "For the sake of the trust," [MUSG] indeed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>For this camera, it's always 1895</i></td></tr>
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Tom Francis, on behalf of the Trust, accepted a trove of materials that were donated by the <a href="http://special.lib.umn.edu/rare/holmes.phtml">Sherlock Holmes Collections</a> of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Tom cautioned all attendees to save and donate their BSI correspondence, because "we don't know which of these clowns are going to become important" down the road. That got a great laugh from those assembled, but also served as a great reminder - especially in this digital age - that correspondence is to be treasured and preserved for future generations, to help tell our story.<br />
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The rest of the program unfolded splendidly, with toasts given by Lyndsay Faye, Andrew Solberg, Jim Saunders and Don Novorsky, and the reading of the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2010/04/curious-constitution-sign.html">BSI's Constitution and Buy-Laws</a> by Costa Rossakis. Papers were read by Barbara Rusch, Burt Wolder and Bob Katz - or more appropriately, talks were given by Burt and Bob, who each performed the amazing feat of speaking without notes. As the theme of the evening was "His Last Bow," Burt covered the Chicago connection, with an interesting conclusion as to who Martha was (we'll won't spoil the surprise, as it's likely to appear in the <b><i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">Baker Street Journal</a></i></b> - which you should subscribe to, if you don't already). And Bob shuffled off to Buffalo to look at the connection between England and New York in 1912.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Will the real Peter Blau please stand up?</i></td></tr>
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In a bit of comic relief Paul Singleton and Scott Monty performed an updated "Two Thousand Year-Old Man" routine, modeled after the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=two+thousand+reiner+brooks&oq=two+thousand+reiner+brooks&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=375l4300l0l4452l19l17l0l15l1l0l117l186l1.1l2l0">Carl Reiner / Mel Brooks collaboration</a>. In this case, the Mel Brooks character looked and sounded an awful lot like Peter Blau.<br />
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Vinnie Brosnan recited the Musgrave Ritual and the audience replied with the appropriate answers. Otto Penzler took us back in time to the House of El Dieff as we remembered old Irregular Lou David Feldman, who was a bookseller extraordinaire. Otto recalled Lou's so-called "warehouse" where he kept many volumes; to Otto's surprise on his first visit, it was actually an apartment at 63rd Street and Park Avenue in New York.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Henry Boote tickling the ivories</i></td></tr>
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In a surprise move, Wiggins called up Henry Boote and referred to him officially as the Music Director of the BSI before bestowing on Henry a well-deserved Two Shilling Award, given to Irregulars who have gone above and beyond in their service to the organization. Henry then took to the piano, where he performed a series of "His Last Bow"-inspired songs. He cleverly rewrote the lyrics to "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," "Chicago," and "When Irish Eyes are Smiling," followed by the traditional "Aunt Clara."<br />
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Then of course, it was time for Francine Kitts to solemnly <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/search/label/terrace">stand on the terrace</a> for the following six Irregulars: Jason Pierre Rouby ("Vanderbuilt and the Yeggman"), Dr. George L. John ("Sir Jasper Meek"), Peter Wood ("The Second Stain"), J. Warren Scheideman ("Count Von und zu Grafenstein"), Dr. Bruce L. Crawford ("The Solitary Cyclist"), James H. Bready ("The Disappearance of James Phillamore"). They will all be sorely missed by friends, family and Sherlockians alike.<br />
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Before we moved on to the final portion of the program Wiggins called up Mary Anne Bradley to receive an Editor's Award for her 2011 <i>Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual, The First Lady: Lenore Glen Offord.</i><br />
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And then, the moment we were all waiting for - the reading of the 2012 Honours List.<br />
<ul>
<li>"Thucidydes" - Mark Schwartz</li>
<li>"Birdy Edwards" - Phil Bergem</li>
<li>"Helen Stoner" - Helen Dorey</li>
<li>"Thorneycroft Huxtable" - Peter Accardo</li>
<li>"Baritsu" -  <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Akane Higashiyama</span></li>
<li>"Inspector Lestrade" - Don Hobbs</li>
<li>"John Hector McFarlane" - Donny Zaldin</li>
<li>"Mary Morstan" - Mary Anne Bradley</li>
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The evening concluded with Marsha Pollak reading Bill Schweikert's poem "<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/10/episode-12-bob-thomalen-part-2.html">A Long Evening with Holmes</a>," and the assembled members and guests then disassembled.<br />
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The 2012 BSI Weekend Recap — Friday

"Today is Friday" [CARD] Friday is always a hectic day during the BSI Weekend. From impromptu breakfasts to early pilgrimages...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Did Sherlock Holmes Have Asperger Syndrome?

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"a technical character" [SPEC]</h4>
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The BSI 2012 Weekend officially began with the Thursday evening Distinguished Speaker Lecture. In this case, we were honored to have Dr. Lisa Sanders join us.<br />
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Dr. Sanders has written a column for the <i>New York Times</i> since 2002 called "<a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/health/columns/diagnosis/">Diagnosis</a>" and it is this column that was the basis of her becoming the technical adviser for <a href="https://amzn.to/36BSozR" rel="nofollow"><b><i>House, M.D.</i></b></a> She is also the author of  <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3paDc34" rel="nofollow">Every Patient Tells a Story</a></i></b>. She joined us at the Manhattan Club on January 12 to give the talk <i><b>"Is Holmes Crazy as a Fox, or Just Plain Crazy?"</b></i><br />
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Dr. Sanders opened by saying how thrilled she was to be around people who have the same passion that she does, for she has been a Sherlockian for most of her life In fact, it is her interest in Holmes - having devoured all of the stories and everything related to Sherlock Holmes - that led to her fascination with diagnosis, eventually leading to her becoming a physician after a mid-life crisis. She gave a nod to House, saying that he is not her ideal Holmes, but then "neither is Robert Downey. Jr.," to which the audience responded with a round of applause.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>Dr. Sanders noted how important Sherlock Holmes was in her life. Her interest in the character opened her up to a new way of looking at diagnosis. She acknowledged the original inspiration behind Holmes, Dr. Joseph Bell (see <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/05/great-teacher-cree_30.html#.U-pZn_ldWAU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Story of Dr. Joseph Bell</a>" and <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/02/insignificant-looking-man-inspired-me_20.html#.U-pZsPldWAU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Sherlock Holmes</a>"), who himself was a master diagnostician. So she began to try to piece together a differential diagnosis for Holmes's behavior. What is that odd behavior that Holmes displays toward Watson when they first met? In her lecture, Dr. Sanders said would try to diagnose it.<br />
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<b>Was Sherlock Holmes Bipolar?</b></h4>
In his introduction to <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/36ttzG1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Complete Sherlock Holmes</a></i></b>, Kyle Freeman wrote that Holmes was bipolar. Dr. Sanders understands the basis for this differential diagnosis of bipolar disorder:  Holmes not speaking for days on end, contrasted with fits of high energy. "If that ain't bipolar disorder, what is?" she remarked.<br />
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She continued, citing the opening of <i>The Sign of Four</i>, with Holmes in a depressed state, using cocaine multiple times a day for many months. To continue, she posited that if one agrees with this diagnosis, one might subscribe to the theory of Moriarty as a figment of Holmes' imagination. After all, he never told Watson about his "Napoleon of crime" prior to "The Final Problem," and even then, Watson never saw Moriarty in the flesh; he took Holmes's word for it. But the mugging, bricks falling, carriage nearly running Holmes over - all could be classified as classic mania, with delusions and paranoia. But Dr. Sanders trusts the intelligence and medical observation of Dr. Watson enough to dissuade her that this was in fact the case.<br />
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<b>Was it A.D.D.? </b></h4>
Online article supposes Holmes was suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder. Supported by examples of hyper-focus, the constant self-medicating, either with drugs or activity. But Sanders pointed out that the American Psychological Association's <i>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV)</i> states that such a diagnosis requires <u>deficit</u> of attention. There was very little evidence to support Holmes lacking attention.<br />
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<b>Sherlock Holmes Suffered from Asperger's Syndrome<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></h4>
Finally, Dr. Sanders settled on her diagnosis. "I think he has Asperger's Syndrome," she stated. A murmur went over the crowd. In justifying her diagnosis, she half playfully said "I'm a doctor, not a lawyer. That means I didn't leave anything out," looking toward some lawyers in the room, to a fit of laughter from the audience. The comparison of doctors and lawyers would continue to be a theme throughout the room on this evening.<br />
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She continued, saying that Asperger's Syndrome, which has been placed in the <a href="http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94">Autism Spectrum Disorder</a> (ASD), has a number of characteristics that were present in Sherlock Holmes's behavior. Here we give you the proposed DSM-V diagnosis of ASD:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A.    Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays, and manifest by all 3 of the following:<br />
   1.     Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity; ranging from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back and forth conversation through reduced sharing of interests, emotions, and affect and response to total lack of initiation of social interaction,<br />
   2.     Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction; ranging from poorly integrated- verbal and nonverbal communication, through abnormalities in eye contact and body-language, or deficits in understanding and use of nonverbal communication, to total lack of facial expression or gestures.<br />
   3.     Deficits in developing and maintaining relationships, appropriate to developmental level (beyond those with caregivers); ranging from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit different social contexts through difficulties in sharing imaginative play and  in making friends  to an apparent absence of interest in people. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
B.    Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities as manifested by at least two of  the following:<br />
   1.     Stereotyped or repetitive speech, motor movements, or use of objects; (such as simple motor stereotypies, echolalia, repetitive use of objects, or idiosyncratic phrases).<br />
   2.     Excessive adherence to routines, ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior, or excessive resistance to change; (such as motoric rituals, insistence on same route or food, repetitive questioning or extreme distress at small changes).<br />
   3.     Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus; (such as strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).<br />
   4.     Hyper-or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment; (such as apparent indifference to pain/heat/cold, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, fascination with lights or spinning objects). </blockquote>
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Dr. Sanders ticked off her list:<br />
<ol>
<li>Deficits of social-emotional reciprocity. Think of the scene when Watson first met Holmes: Holmes was more interested showing off his test than interacting with Watson.</li>
<li>Difficulty in developing and maintaining relationships. Holmes had only one friend.</li>
<li>Lack of picking up on social or emotional cues. Holmes reaction to Watson's write-up of <i>A Study in Scarlet</i> was not very empathetic. Similarly, he thinks of Watson's brother as a case study rather than as a relation of Watson in <i>The Sign of Four</i>.</li>
<li>Restricted repetitive patterns of behavior. Holmes only knows what he knows, as evidenced from Watson's list "Sherlock Holmes: His Limits." [STUD] In addition, the strange interest that manifested through monographs - footprints, tobacco ash, etc.  </li>
</ol>
She didn't go through the entire list, but made a strong enough case with her facts. In addition, she took <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html">an Asperger's test that was developed by Simon Baron Cohen</a> (you can take it too by clicking the link), answering as if she were Holmes. She scored 38 out of 50; anything over 30 is considered Asperger's.<br />
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In terms of evolution and why this disorder still exists today, Dr. Sanders cited advantages of being solitary, thinking on your own, seeing things differently, particularly in hunter/gatherer times. The notion of being a loner (fox) versus part of a pack (dog) could sometimes benefit individuals in the tribe who simply didn't go along with the group-think. <br />
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That concluded the lecture, which led to a few questions from the audience.<br />
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One attendee mentioned the book <a href="https://amzn.to/3LUqBe5" rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time</a> and said that he himself concluded Holmes did <u>not</u> suffer from Asperger's because of some emotional expressions Holmes made toward Watson. He wondered if we need to look at the survey again. Dr. Sanders remarked that one of the things working against this diagnosis is that Holmes could understand the motivation behind people's behavior; whether or not he had empathy, he understood how emotions influenced actions.<br />
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Another audience member asked, "What's the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?" Your editor retorted, "The difference between a doctor and a lawyer," which brought down the house. Dr. Sanders, with help from the audience concluded that one is crazy and can't see reality;  the other doesn't care about others or doesn't have guilt.<br />
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A final question was regarding <i>House</i> - the attendee asking which came first, the creation of Gregory House or the influence of Holmes on the character/series? Dr. Sanders said that David Shore wanted to do a medical show, while Paul Attanasio wanted something related to Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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Did Sherlock Holmes Have Asperger Syndrome?

"a technical character" [SPEC] The BSI 2012 Weekend officially began with the Thursday evening Distinguished Speaker Lecture....

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Would You Be Afraid to Sleep in the Same Room with a Lunatic..." [VALL]

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<span style="text-decoration: underline;">"would you be afraid to sleep in the same room with a lunatic?" [VALL]</span></h4>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>Viewers in the UK were treated last night to the latest episode of BBC Sherlock's second season, arguably the most anticipated Sherlockian adaptation in years and certainly one of television's most popular dramas.  The <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8998621/Sherlock-The-Hounds-of-Baskerville-BBC-One-review.html">well-received "Hounds of Baskerville,"</a> with a clever--occasionally frenetically clever--script by Mark Gatiss, followed in "A Scandal in Belgravia's" footsteps with cunning modern twists to the traditional canon. <br />
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Henry Knight, as played by Russell Tovey, is one of the series' most affecting clients to date, playing a young man whose father was murdered before his eyes upon the moors--slain by, he believes, a gigantic hound.  Is the monster, now a thriving local tourist attraction, the mutant product of a nearby secret military lab by the name of Baskerville?  Or is Knight the victim of a series of hallucinogenic delusions?  Sherlock and John travel to Dartmoor to discover the truth, and experience a number of terrifying impediments in their quest.<br />
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Benedict Cumberbatch, who was just <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8998228/Sherlock-the-20-greatest-Sherlock-Holmes.html?image=19">named by the Telegraph</a> as the greatest Sherlock Holmes of all time, begins the episode manic and off-balanced--wielding a harpoon and covered in blood, having just taken the tube home, in a satisfying nod to BLAC and the benefits of exercise before breakfast.  He is desperate for brainwork and for cigarettes, chewing the wallpaper in ways that called to my mind Brett's animated interpretation rather than the very still, contained Sherlock of season one.  But he soon settles into the case, with John--whose opportunity to pull rank at a military base is gut-deep satisfying--at his side, pursuing an elusive horror that in every way tests each man's mettle.<br />
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Gatiss's sly references to canon are interwoven effortlessly; a village scene in which Sherlock attempts to draw out the local hound expert by telling John he's lost a bet is a perfect replica of the exchange with the goose vendor in BLUE, right down to the "pink 'un" in his back pocket.  Sherlock's reference to John as a "conductor of light" will not go unnoticed by a single enthusiast, to my mind, and the arc of the story as regards Sherlock adapting to the unnatural (for him) sensations of both fear and friendship is deftly executed.<br />
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Martin Freeman's John Watson strikes a phenomenal balance between loyalty and an unwillingness to deal with weapons-grade Sherlock snark.  "Oh, please," he sighs after a Holmesian deduction, "can we not do this, this time?  You being all mysterious with your...cheekbones, and turning your coat collar up so you look cool?" His grounded, wry John is a phenomenal counterpart to our hero, and in some ways this episode is laying the groundwork for the next installment; with a title like "The Reichenbach Fall," Sherlockian hearts will doubtless crack worldwide come this time next Sunday.<br />
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There is a<a href="http://cumberbatchweb.tumblr.com/post/15530338644/the-hounds-of-baskerville-bafta-screening-q-a"> transcript of the thoughtful Q&A</a> on the episode with Gatiss, Cumberbatch, and Sue Vertue, though spoiler warnings do apply here.<br />
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For Europeans, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005UL537Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakstrblo-21&linkCode=as2&camp=211189&creative=374929&creativeASIN=B005UL537Y">pre-ordering season two</a> is as simple as the click of a button.  As for season one, if you <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-One-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132HZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326141468&sr=8-1">haven't yet obtained it</a>, then what are you doing here?  <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33753530@N00/5794322886/">andiezoe (Flickr)</a></span><br />
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