I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

New Sherlock Holmes Podcast: Trifles

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"It is, of course, a trifle, but there is nothing so important as trifles." [TWIS] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgMn_kkV5zs5x6yJDWbRk31ZLEEfRBrmS41-zKOfibfy6B55RgGhKKgPo4GK-aTn8XGmp9iOx0hs5V1Ve79B46X_IBKaUMUpCWDKK7WxP8DsNCymZzjW0N7Lx95PqSpKN9e1r8ZZciDi4/s1600/Trifles+-+Social+sharing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgMn_kkV5zs5x6yJDWbRk31ZLEEfRBrmS41-zKOfibfy6B55RgGhKKgPo4GK-aTn8XGmp9iOx0hs5V1Ve79B46X_IBKaUMUpCWDKK7WxP8DsNCymZzjW0N7Lx95PqSpKN9e1r8ZZciDi4/s640/Trifles+-+Social+sharing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
After a number of months in development, planning and production, our new show is finally here.<br />
<br />
IHOSE Media, LLC (aka Scott and Burt) have launched a new podcast: <a href="http://sherlockholmespodcast.com/" target="_blank">Trifles</a>. You can find it via the preceding link or by typing <a href="http://sherlockholmespodcast.com/" target="_blank">sherlockholmespodcast.com</a> into your browser — catchy URL, eh?<br />
<br />
(Bit of a backstory: you may be wondering how such a dead-on URL might still be available in 2017. Well, the truth is, we secured that URL back when we first launched I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, which itself is accessible via <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ihearofsherlock.com</a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlockeverywhere.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ihearofsherlockeverywhere.com</a>. We thought we would keep it handy for...for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9dF5xuJBbM" target="_blank">just such an emergency</a>.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
"I fancy that this ally breaks fresh ground" [STUD]</h3>
How is <b>Trifles</b> different from <b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</b>? Well, we established IHOSE on the premise of covering the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and popular culture. As such, most of our shows have been interviews with current Sherlockians, reviews of books, films, television shows, and the like. As our iconic intro promises, we've covered "goings-on in the world of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts, the Baker Street Irregulars, and popular culture related to the Great Detective," as we "talk about what's new in the world of Sherlock Holmes."<br />
<br />
We heard from some early iTunes reviewers who were disappointed that we didn't talk more about the original stories (despite what our introduction professes). But we were at our wits' ends trying to make some of the discussion points about the stories the same length as our other shows — and length was becoming an issue with those. Only the most dedicated fans would stick with us for an hour or more (thank you!). And to be clear, IHOSE will continue on its twice-a-month broadcast schedule.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
"perhaps a trifle faster" [LAST]</h3>
So, we came up with the idea that is <a href="http://sherlockholmespodcast.com/" target="_blank">Trifles</a>: a 15-minute, weekly audio program in which we discuss something related to the Canon. It could be ethical issues raised in the original works, common themes, something related to the time of year, discrepancies, or any number of other things.<br />
<br />
But the idea here is simple: create a shorter, more Canonical program that is more accessible to the general listener. We may revisit some classics of Sherlockian scholarship, or break new ground with observations of our own. But it will all be based on the Sherlock Holmes stories.<br />
<br />
Here's a sample to get you started —  our first episode:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5021288/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/d0161c/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: none;" data-dashlane-rid="b26f9ceed866db08" data-dashlane-frameid="3723" data-form-type="other"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
<h3>
"its atmosphere brings me inspiration" [VALL] </h3>
The name of the show was inspired by Bill Hyder, BSI ("A Most Valuable Institution")'s annual inserts in the BSI dinner packets. Each year, Bill includes a blue half-page titled "TRIFLES" with some thought-starter from the stories. But other inserts, such as "Compliments of the Season" from Peter Blau, BSI ("Black Peter"), "Crowborough Occasionals" from Steve Rothman ("<i>The Valley of Fear</i>") and various "Daypark Press Publications" from Leslie S. Klinger ("The Abbey Grange") also lend themselves as sources of material.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
"professional assistance" [RESI]</h3>
Works like this are a team effort, and without the advice, guidance and generosity of a few individuals, <b>Trifles</b> would not have come to fruition.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://tomrichmond.com/" target="_blank">Tom Richmond</a>, whom you may remember from <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose65" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 65 of IHOSE</a> as a talented artist with Sherlockian leanings (not to mention being one of the Usual Gang of Suspects for MAD Magazine), provided our artwork.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.scpr.org/about/people/staff/john-rabe" target="_blank">John Rabe</a>, son of the late Wilmer T. ("Bill") Rabe, BSI ("Colonel Warburton's Madness"), host of KPCC's "Off Ramp," and faithful <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">supporter</a> of IHOSE, provided direction for the intro and outro of each episode.<br />
<br />
And Ludwig van Beethoven, as expressed through the U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra, is responsible for our theme music.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
"Shall I sign here?" [BLAC] </h3>
We'd urge you to <a href="http://sherlockholmespodcast.com/" target="_blank">sign up for updates from Trifles</a>. As is our habit, we offer a number of options: you can sign up for <b>email updates</b> and subscribe via <b>iTunes </b>and <b>Google Play</b>. It works on any device, so you can listen at your desktop, or take it with you for your walk, gardening, or commute on your phone or mp3 player.<br />
<br />
The show will air every Wednesday.<br />
<br />
If you have an idea for a discussion topic, please feel free to let us know by emailing us at <a href="mailto:trifles@ihearofsherlock.com" rel="nofollow">trifles@ihearofsherlock.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
"you'll excuse my troubling you about such a trifle" [HOUN]</h3>
And if you could help us out by <a href="http://ihose.co/triflespodcast" target="_blank">leaving a rating and/or a review on iTunes</a>, we'd greatly appreciate it. Doing so will help other people discover the magical world of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
"I don't know why you should be so warm over a trifle" [BLUE]</h3>
As you can tell, we're pretty excited about this. We hope that you share our passion and demonstrate it by passing this message along. Forward it as an email, share it on Facebook, tweet it, put it on reddit, send a telegram, text or smoke signals — we know the power of the Sherlockian network is strong. Please help us reach new an interested Sherlockians-in-waiting.<br />
<br />
Thank you. And until next time... "The game's afoot!"<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Image credit: Artwork by <a href="http://tomrichmond.com/" target="_blank">Tom Richmond</a></i><br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

New Sherlock Holmes Podcast: Trifles

"It is, of course, a trifle, but there is nothing so important as trifles." [TWIS] After a number of months in development...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Hallelujah, Holmes

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"and did my best" [VALL]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHPKj97leC0Gdpp6uwZECKjTH8mTxNv4i2V1KVdK5-Remc8lv3OgBNTaRMlCimlqOaf7YJl9qDCzxjr5gfSHmr2R_Dlm6tNvCWnviANHFph_nwTN3Q6PuawMkgzEi-dpdd4Wb_i9tRbEw/s1600/Leonard_Cohen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHPKj97leC0Gdpp6uwZECKjTH8mTxNv4i2V1KVdK5-Remc8lv3OgBNTaRMlCimlqOaf7YJl9qDCzxjr5gfSHmr2R_Dlm6tNvCWnviANHFph_nwTN3Q6PuawMkgzEi-dpdd4Wb_i9tRbEw/s640/Leonard_Cohen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Love, Christmas and Sherlock Holmes have at least one thing in common: they’ve all been hugely popular subjects for songs.<br />
<br />
The multi-talented Karen Wilson joined us on <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose111" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 111: Hip Hop Holmes</a> to share her tribute to the Master patterned after Lin-Manuel Miranda’s <i>Hamilton</i>. Now comes a new, well-crafted ode in the style of another distinctive singer-composer.<br />
<br />
Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, poet, novelist, and painter who passed away in 2016. Among the hundreds of memorable songs Cohen composed and sang in a career spanning almost 50 years was 1984’s “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallelujah_(Leonard_Cohen_song)" target="_blank">Hallelujah</a>,” evoking both early rock and gospel music. A version of Cohen's classic can be seen <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20width=%22640%22%20height=%22360%22%20src=%22https://www.youtube.com/embed/YrLk4vdY28Q%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank">here</a> and below.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YrLk4vdY28Q" width="640"></iframe></center>
<br />
<br />
Karen’s latest contribution to the Sherlockian Songbook is “<a href="https://youtu.be/HN4RwlKsy7U" target="_blank">Hallelujah Holmes</a>,” encompassing Holmes as well as Christopher Morley and the BSI in its lyrics.  You can see and hear Karen’s performance of her song from the January 6, 2017 Gaslight Gala in New York City <a href="https://youtu.be/HN4RwlKsy7U">here</a> and below:<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HN4RwlKsy7U" width="640"></iframe></center>
<br />
Hallelujah, indeed.<br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonard_Cohen_2107.jpg#/media/File:Leonard_Cohen_2107.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></i><br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

Hallelujah, Holmes

"and did my best" [VALL] Love, Christmas and Sherlock Holmes have at least one thing in common: they’ve all been hugely po...

+ Read more »

by Third Pillar

Sherlock Series 4 — That's a Wrap

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain." [3GAR]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcbDNdLcJn083vMySm-ULaRJb_HmZcDVytx1h0ZNcWUBjmr_hVIKqiK9wOaWmlC52y6E9EeBRFp1p3AymekO_QCl6MGjqNTkGI7NAGxmEKfbfpbXDX5Tt5uUgrW2ZbHYpacFnxcIuDKNs/s1600/Sherlock+-+Series+4+finale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcbDNdLcJn083vMySm-ULaRJb_HmZcDVytx1h0ZNcWUBjmr_hVIKqiK9wOaWmlC52y6E9EeBRFp1p3AymekO_QCl6MGjqNTkGI7NAGxmEKfbfpbXDX5Tt5uUgrW2ZbHYpacFnxcIuDKNs/s640/Sherlock+-+Series+4+finale.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
[<b><i>Editor's Note:</i></b> this is the 14th in the series of reviews we're sharing on Sherlock Series 4. And spoilers? Yeah, we got that.]<br />
<br />
After six years, Sherlock Holmes’ journey is complete. Series 4 of the hit BBC series has come and gone amid rumors that this latest offering could be the very last we see of the detective’s famed modern incarnation. “The Six Thatchers,” “The Lying Detective,” and “The Final Problem” represent the culmination of a six-year-old story, and in a way that recalls the very best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, these tales give us a rollicking, powerful ending that still manages to toss out all of the viewer’s lingering preconceptions.<br />
<br />
<div>
If you come into this crop of episodes expecting to be entertained by intricate Holmesian plots, you may emerge from your viewing with disappointment. There is <i>a lot</i> going on in this season—along with trying to solve the overarching mystery of Moriarty’s continued appearances from the afterlife, Sherlock and John must confront the unspeakable tragedy of Mary Watson’s death and unravel the secrets of the previously unknown Holmes sister, Eurus. All of these storylines are compelling to follow, but the sheer amount of material that has to be covered sometimes reduces the impact of the individual episodes themselves.<br />
<br />
The strongest standalone tale of the bunch is certainly “The Lying Detective;” in addition to possessing the best single-episode villain in the entire series' history, Toby Jones’s chilling Culverton Smith, our main characters both have time to solve a case and cope with their traumas. In contrast, “The Six Thatchers” and “The Final Problem” race through their scenes at breakneck speeds, leaving fewer quiet moments for the audience to savor even as they create almost unbearable dramatic tension.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
While some of the plots are slightly jumbled, there are still plenty of delights to be found throughout all three episodes. As always, the performances are top-notch; Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman brilliantly infuse Holmes and Watson with believable shades of ambiguity that challenge our perceptions of the famed heroes. And, as in “The Abominable Bride,” the women of the show get another opportunity to shine. Even as a figment of John’s imagination, Amanda Abbington is a heartbreaking delight as Mary Watson. Series newcomer Sian Brooke steals every scene she’s in, making Eurus Holmes a singular creation that is equal parts terrifying and pitiable. And Una Stubbs may have just cemented herself as the definitive on-screen Mrs. Hudson, bestowing the beloved landlady with an indomitable spirit and the driving skills of James Bond.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<h3>
"with special reference" [LADY]</h3>
A furor has recently been raised about this series’ similarities to the Bond films, but I actually find the season’s referential nature to be a strong point in its favor. <i>Sherlock</i> has never been shy about drawing upon outside influences, but it’s fun to see the writers stretch beyond the Basil Rathbone canon and instead incorporate elements from Bond, <i>The Silence of the Lambs</i>, and even Batman’s Arkham Asylum. What makes them all work is that these sources once drew from Sherlock Holmes; now, the show is returning the favor while still maintaining a distinctly Holmesian twist in re-adaptation.<br />
<br />
Even after brawling over a bust of Margaret Thatcher, Sherlock still finds it necessary to dramatically announce that he’s found the Black Pearl of the Borgias with a wording that doesn’t sound too far removed from the actual canonical text. Instead of engaging in a philosophical prison debate à la Batman and the Joker in <i>The Dark Knight</i>, Eurus torments her brother by demanding a violin performance from her jail cell. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have always pushed the boundaries of how adaptations can pay tribute to and innovate their source materials, and their experiments in this respect continue to be an entertaining spectacle to witness and analyze.<br />
<h3>
<br />"pray what remains for you?"</h3>
</div>
<div>
But perhaps the largest success to come out of series four is in its resolution. I was keenly aware as I was watching “The Final Problem” that I was witnessing an ending that had been building since “A Study in Pink,” and one that has always been reflected in the title of the show. When we were first introduced to Sherlock way back in 2010, he was a high-functioning sociopath who couldn’t even understand why someone would be distraught over losing a child. He was prickly, irascible, petty, and brilliant—even Greg Lestrade couldn’t deny that he was great and terrible. But it quickly became clear that the show’s goal wasn’t to see Sherlock achieve further illustriousness; if they had wanted to associate him with greatness from the start, the title would have been <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>, which would have instantly aligned this version of the character with his iconic legacy. <i>Sherlock</i> was not fully formed—it demanded evolution.</div>
<div>
<br />
This season was not the climax of the entire series’ plot; it was its emotional apex. Sherlock’s character transformation was wrenching and revelatory in these three episodes—he finally saw the disastrous consequences of giving into his own ego. Instead of lapsing into drug use to stave off his own boredom, Sherlock went to hell and back in service of a friend. This character finally was able to be there for other people—he hugged the bereft John Watson; he was able to bring Eurus Holmes down to earth by promising to be by her side, not through a series of dazzling deductions. Greg Lestrade could smile when he realized that his hope from six years ago had been realized.<br />
<br />
Instead of being great, Sherlock Holmes finally became good this season. If it turns out there are more journeys with him ahead of us, I know I will look forward to seeing what they will be like with the good detective and his best friend.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br /></div>

Sherlock Series 4 — That's a Wrap

"a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain." [3GAR] [ Editor's Note: this is the 14th in the series of revi...

+ Read more »

by Unknown

Sherlock Series 4 — An Improbable Truth

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>"a good many of us
may wither before its blast" [LAST] </b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZT_OerjSfdVzTmcxpBqktR4vj8SGUTEQng-X0vowSJ1IHQPIH5TseJaZj8U9sDKB5lrinJfkqyYQ9Niu_eaav7pOWtuwuN2pr6h-tpz7WepJ1n28Sn_xamBvWmH4xRm5N1Vs08qSC7bEW/s1600/Sherlock+-+Series+4+explosion.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZT_OerjSfdVzTmcxpBqktR4vj8SGUTEQng-X0vowSJ1IHQPIH5TseJaZj8U9sDKB5lrinJfkqyYQ9Niu_eaav7pOWtuwuN2pr6h-tpz7WepJ1n28Sn_xamBvWmH4xRm5N1Vs08qSC7bEW/s640/Sherlock+-+Series+4+explosion.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
[<b><i>Editor's Note:</i></b> this is the 13th in our <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Series%204#.WIHVH_krLb0" target="_blank">series of reviews</a> for Series 4 of <i>Sherlock</i>.<b> </b>Yeah, yeah, spoilers.]</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
  </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So let me get this out of the way. I am a traditional Sherlockian.
If cinematic versions of Holmes and Watson never existed, my Holmesian world
would not feel one whit smaller. <i>Sherlock</i> is an incredibly well-acted and
produced show. My criteria for the cinematic Holmes must be that it tells a
good Sherlock Holmes story. I have never seen a film version of a Canon story
get it right to my liking. Sorry Granada.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
In fact, I prefer original stories about the detective or original spins on the material. As
such, "A Study in Pink" was brilliant. There were quibbles, such as
in the opening shots the bottle of pills being offered by Jeff to his victims
containing more than two pills, and it took an inordinate amount of time for
Sherlock to realize the cabbie was the killer. Those don't matter. It was a
brilliant modern-day reimagining of the character.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Now at the end of Series Four, we can clearly see that Steven Moffat and Mark
Gatiss weren't telling a unified, coherent story about a detective but a series
of interlinked stories about the many versions of the Holmes/Watson mythos with
each episode having its own emotional cohesion, but only a tenuous
relationship with preceding or upcoming episodes, and, indeed, storytelling
logic. As an example, look at "A Scandal in Belgravia" and
"Hounds of the Baskerville" (thanks to<a href="http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/"> Ariane Devere</a>)</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
SHERLOCK <i>(walking closer and looking down at her)</i>:
Oh, enjoying the thrill of the chase is fine, craving the distraction of the
game – I sympathise entirely – but sentiment? Sentiment is a chemical defect
found in the losing side. <br />
<i>(He bares his teeth slightly as he finishes the sentence.)</i> <br />
IRENE: Sentiment? What are you talking about? <br />
SHERLOCK: You. </div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
SHERLOCK: So they didn’t have it put down, then – the dog. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
JOHN <i>(tucking into his breakfast while Sherlock stands
next to him and drinks his coffee)</i>: Obviously. Suppose they just couldn’t
bring themselves to do it. <br />
SHERLOCK: I see. <br />
JOHN <i>(smiling)</i>: No you don’t. <br />
SHERLOCK: No, I don’t. Sentiment? <br />
JOHN: Sentiment! <br />
SHERLOCK <i>(rolling his eyes)</i>: Oh. </div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In "Belgravia" Sherlock knows knows all about
sentiment and uses that knowledge to break Irene's code. However, in
"Hounds," sentiment is a foreign concept, in keeping with the
episodes depiction of Sherlock as an unfeeling automation:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
SHERLOCK: Always been able to keep myself distant ... <i>(he
takes another drink from the glass)</i> ... divorce myself from ... <i>feelings</i>.
But look, you see ...<br />
<i>(He holds up the glass and glares at his shaking hand.)</i><br />
SHERLOCK: ... body’s betraying me. Interesting, yes? Emotions. <i>(He slams the
glass down onto the table.)</i> The grit on the lens, the fly in the ointment.<br />
JOHN: Yeah, all right, Spock, just ...<br />
<i>(Realising that he is starting to raise his voice, he looks around at the
other people in the restaurant behind him and then looks back to Sherlock.)</i><br />
JOHN <i>(more softly)</i>: ... take it easy.</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
When John explains to Sherlock that the owners of the Cross Keys Inn couldn't
kill their dog because of sentiment, you could practically hear Cumberbatch
recite the Spock line, "Ah yes, one of your Earth emotions." </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
By using various pop tropes (superhero, action hero, spy, horror) as applied to
Sherlock Holmes, Moffat and Gatiss are telling different stories about
different Holmeses and Watsons. This is made clear in the fourth wall-breaking
"The Abominable Bride" which opens with clips dated 2010, 2012 and
2014, years the shows aired, not internal chronology, and with the
"Alternatively" year running down not to 1881 but fading around 1884.
<i>A Study in Scarlet </i>was published at the end of 1887, but accepted for
publication by Ward, Lock Co. early in 1886. 1884 might then be Moffat and
Gatiss' guess at when Arthur Conan Doyle first thought about writing of Holmes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
If "Abominable" was its own stand-alone episode, then a modern Sherlock
imagining a Victorian, Canonical Sherlock who knows details of Doyle's Holmes
(such as the implied knowledge of Sidney Paget) and whose mind palace has all
cinematic tricks of the BBC series tucked into it, well, that would be fine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
But "Abominable" is part of the show's continuity, violating both
regular and meta-storytelling techniques. Then Series Four makes a mockery of
Sherlock's statement</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
SHERLOCK: Moriarty is dead, no question. But more
importantly ...<br />
<i>(He raises his head and looks to one side.)</i><br />
SHERLOCK: ... I know <i>exactly</i> what he’s going to do next.</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
As we soon see, Sherlock doesn't have a clue. He has suppressed all memory of
his sister, the real boogieman behind Moriarty and leaving the viewer to wonder
if Moffat and Gatiss make this stuff up all on the fly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
As Series Four keeps throwing in the viewer's faces, Sherlock (and <i>Sherlock</i>)
is all about emotion, which explains why that in a  supposed
"clever" show it rarely has Sherlock getting out of tight spots by
brain power. "The Great Game" has the Mexican stand-off with Moriarty
and his snipers end by Moriarty getting a phone call and being distracted and
leaving. The terrorist bomb in "The Empty Hearse" has an off switch.
Sherlock uses the Mike Hammer deductive technique of putting a bullet in the
bad guy's brain in "His Last Vow". He then gets out of exile-to-certain-death through the <i>deus
ex machina</i> of Moriarty hacking every screen in Britain, then having the
government, through Mycroft, altering the surveillance tapes to show a
government sniper killing Magnussen instead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
The show has, in fact, has pushed the characters past the breaking point of
being any sort of representation of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. It is the
canon of <i>this</i> show that Sherlock is, to put it nicely, a "d*ck." He
unknowingly made John an accomplice to murder:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
SHERLOCK <i>(loudly, lifting his head)</i>: Oh, <i>do</i>
your research.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>(He steps closer to John, reaches round behind him and
into John’s coat pocket, then steps away again and walks forward towards
Magnussen.)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SHERLOCK: I’m not a hero ...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>(Magnussen turns to look at him.)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SHERLOCK: ... I’m a high-functioning sociopath.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>(He widens his eyes and glares at the man.)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SHERLOCK: <i>Merry Christmas! </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>(He raises John’s pistol, aims it at Magnussen’s head and
fires. As John recoils and even before Magnussen hits the ground, Sherlock
drops the gun to the patio and turns towards the helicopter, raising his
hands.)</i></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Sherlock sees Watson less than a friend and more as a
fashion accessory:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>([Sherlock] looks at the picture of John with his new
moustache.)</i><br />
SHERLOCK: Well, we’ll have to get rid of <i>that</i>.<br />
MYCROFT: “We”?<br />
SHERLOCK: He looks ancient. I can’t be seen to be wandering around with an old
man.</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This Holmes and Watson have a dysfunctional relationship,
with John physically assaulting Sherlock and Sherlock emotionally abusing John,
such as letting John believe he and Sherlock were going to die, just so John
would forgive Sherlock for deceiving about his death in "The Empty
Hearse".  </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Watson is not the stalwart companion of the Doylean Canon, but the
damsel-in-distress, needing to be saved by Sherlock from Chinese circus spears,
dynamite vests and burning Guy Fawkes effigies. Finally, Sherlock saves John by letting John believe he's saving Sherlock from his drug use (call it the "Miss Mary Sutherland Treatment"). Mary Morstan, even in death, is
a more Canonical John Watson than what the scripts give Martin Freeman to work
with. With Sherlock making a vow to Mary, to protect her from her past, he is
in essence making John, Mary and himself a polyamorous unit and it is Sherlock
and<i> Mary</i> to the rescue in "The Empty Hearse." And while "The
Sign of Three" refers to John, Mary and unborn Rosamund, it could also
refer to John, Mary and Sherlock and their union of love and partnership. In
this triad, someone has got to be diminished, and John becomes lessened in
comparison to his ninja assassin wife.  He's someone prone to texting
flirtations with a stranger on a bus while Mary does her superspy thing <i>and</i>
being a sleep-deprived mother of a new born.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
How does the show explain how Sherlock came to be the great detective, whether
Canonical or pop cultural? Moffat and Gatiss have concluded that Sherlock
Holmes is the way he is because his psychopathic six year old non-Canonical
sister killed Sherlock's best friend; Sherlock suppressing all memory of her;
Eurus being locked away, but like
the Joker in Arkham, running the secret government asylum; controlling
Moriarty, thanks to an incredibly stupid Mycroft; Eurus responsible for who
knows how many deaths, all because she wanted Sherlock to play with her. And
we're supposed to be happy with the conclusion of Sherlock making regular visits to
play (the violin) with Eurus because, what, family is family?<br />
<br />
We've entered the
world of comic book superhero soap opera mythology where John and Sherlock jump
through second story windows microseconds ahead of a devastating bomb blast and
land in a busy metropolitan street without a scratch and left the Doylean realm
of human beings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Sherlock Holmes is widely recognized as having said <b>"When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."</b>  Well, the series was filled with improbabilities, which made it impossible to like.<br />
<br />
And that's the ugly truth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
--<br />
<br /></div>