I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

A Requiem for Sherlock Holmes

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"Very interesting reading it might be" [STUD]</h4>
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If you happen to be in New York City on the evening of January 6, 2016, there's a unique opportunity attend a reading of a Sherlock Holmes play.<br />
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"A Requiem for Sherlock Holmes" is a new play by Greg Oliver Bodine that will be read at The Players on Sherlock Holmes's birthday. If The Players sounds familiar, that's because it is one of New York's oldest and most unique clubs — one that has been the setting for BSI dinners and the Baker Street Babes' charity balls during the <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://theplayersnyc.org/" target="_blank">The Players</a> is a private social club founded in 1888 when Edwin Booth, the greatest American actor of his time, purchased a Gothic Revival-style mansion facing Gramercy Park and commissioned architect Stanford White to transform it into a certain club  "for the promotion of social intercourse between the representative members of the dramatic profession and the kindred professions of literature, painting, sculpture and music, and the patrons of the arts." Members have included <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose26" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fritz Weaver</a> (Sherlock Holmes in the musical <i>Baker Street</i>) as well as Frederic Dorr Steele.<br />
This makes it the perfect place for a reading of a play about Sherlock Holmes, set in the very era in which the club was founded. We hope you'll be able to attend this special performance.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">THE PLAYERS PRESENTS</span></h4>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A special ensemble reading of</span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A REQUIEM FOR SHERLOCK HOLMES</b></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A new play by Greg Oliver Bodine</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Directed by Leslie Kincaid Burby †</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Stage Directions read by Alyssa Van Gorder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Introductory Remarks by Burt Wolder, BSI ("The Third Pillar from the Left")</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Talkback moderated by James Lawson</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Sherlock Holmes meets his match -- the criminal mastermind, Prof. Moriarty -- in a deadly struggle above the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, leaving a grief-stricken Dr. Watson to pick up the pieces and help solve a brutal murder nearly three years later in this new play based on "The Final Problem" and "The Adventure of the Empty House," by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Cast:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Andrew Sellon*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Michael Selkirk*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Annalisa Loeffler*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Joseph Thompson^</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Jeffrey Hardy</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Robert Blumenfeld*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Laura Darrell*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Robert Meksin*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Jonathan Hicks*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Michael Frederic*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Joseph McGranaghan*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Greg Oliver Bodine*</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">(* member AEA / ^ member UK Equity / † member SDC)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Please join us in The Dining Room for a special reading of this new play, marking the 161st birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most enduring fictional character </span>— Sherlock Holmes. With introductory remarks about the club's storied connection to the canon, and followed by a short talk-back and festive, post-reading reception downstairs in the Grill! <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Dress: Business casual</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This event is FREE to all Players, BSI, ASH members and their guests.</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">PLEASE NOTE:</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> All non-members of the club MUST sign in at the front desk. Food, beer, wine, liquor and non-alcoholic beverages are available for purchase by CREDIT CARD ONLY. That said, please also bring CASH and TIP your servers and bartender generously!</span><br />
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A Requiem for Sherlock Holmes

"Very interesting reading it might be" [STUD] If you happen to be in New York City on the evening of January 6, 2016, there...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Help Sherlock Holmes Celebrate His 162nd Birthday

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"your celebrated friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes" [NAVA] </h4>
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January 6th is here and that marks the date on which we traditionally celebrate Sherlock Holmes's birthday.<br />
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We say "traditionally," because there is no definitive statement of his actual date of birth in the Canon, but beginning with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Morley" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;">Christopher Morley</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">, the date of January 6th has become the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px;">de facto</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> accepted date for Holmes' birthday. Why? Well, there are a couple of reasons.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Of all of the quotes in the Canon, William Shakespeare was the most oft-quoted author. There is but one Shakespearean play that Holmes quotes twice: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743482778?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0743482778" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twelfth Night</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0743482778" style="border: medium none !important; height: auto; margin: 0px !important; max-width: 100%;" width="1" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">. In </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px;">The Sign of the Four</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">, Holmes concludes, "All is well that ends well." This is from from Act IV, Scene 4. And in "The Empty House," Holmes states "'Journeys end in lovers meetings,' as the old play says," from Act II, Scene 3.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">The reason the date was chosen is that in Christianity, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;">January 6th</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> is the Feast of the Epiphany, or officially the twelfth day of Christmas. I suppose if we were being truly technical about it, the twelfth night of Christmas would fall on January 5th...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">In addition, William S. Baring-Gould in his </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><a href="http://amzn.to/14hLF8i" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Annotated Sherlock Holmes</a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">, posited that because Holmes was a little cranky on the morning of January 7th - the date on which <i>The Valley of Fear</i> began - he had a hangover, induced by birthday celebrations the evening prior.</span><br />
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Opportunity</h3>
If you happen to be in New York City this evening, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/01/a-requiem-for-sherlock-holmes.html#.Vo1MiRUrLb0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">there's a reading of the play "A Requiem for Sherlock Holmes" at The Players</a> which you might be interested in. Although celebrating his death on his birthday is a bit...macabre. Our own Burt Wolder will be giving remarks.<br />
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">So, by all means, share the news that today is Sherlock Holmes's birthday. </span></span>But whatever you do, don't try to throw him a surprise party. It's an exercise in futility.<br />
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Of course, next week Sherlockians from around the world will be gathering to celebrate his birthday in style during the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend</a>. Check the official site for details and feel free to follow the activities of various attendees online via the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BSIWeekend&src=typd" target="_blank">#BSIWeekend</a> hashtag.<br />
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We hope you'll take a moment and wish Sherlock Holmes a happy birthday in your own way. If you'd like to join in here, please feel free to leave a birthday comment below.<br />
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Help Sherlock Holmes Celebrate His 162nd Birthday

"your celebrated friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes" [NAVA] January 6th is here and that marks the date on which we traditionally c...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Everything You Need to Know — A Roundup of Abominable Bride Reviews

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"I am now about to summarize" [ENGR] </h4>
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Just as Friday, January 1 was a day like no other for <i>Sherlock</i> fans, today was a day like no other for I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere readers. With no fewer than five reviews from <a href="http://ihose.co/ihoseteam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our team</a>, our "correspondence certainly has the charm of variety," [NOBL] and was fairly balanced in its take on ABOM. But the thing that struck us about our reviewers is that, love it or hate it, they all found something positive about the episode or about what transpired afterward.<br />
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And for our money, that means that the program was successful.<br />
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<h3>
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Reviews of <i>The Abominable Bride</i></h3>
Gordon Dymowski fired the first warning shot across the bow with a scathing review, wondering "can it be that bad?" Find out just how bad in <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/01/sherlock-abominable-bride-lived-up-to.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Abominable Bride Lived Up to Its Name</a>.<br />
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But first-time contributor Rachel Grosch took a different tone, as she found some <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/01/fun-in-challenging-past-abominable.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fun in Challenging the Past</a>, looking at the friendship of Holmes and Watson and how it was portrayed in the alternative setting.<br />
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Then Derrick Belanger's personality split in two and managed to come down on both sides of the argument as Purist Derrick faced off against Fan Derrick in <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/01/the-abominable-bride-review-of-two-minds.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Review of Two Minds</a>. Both are formidable opponents. Who will win?<br />
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And Margaret McMahon looked at the what worked well and what failed miserably, coming up with a mixed bag. The flashbacks (and flashfowards) threw her off a bit, almost like <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>, but she definitely knew <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/01/the-abominable-bride-were-not-in-baker.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">We Weren't in Baker Street Any More</a>.<br />
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Finally, Anastasia Klimchynskaya made a very deep dive into the intertwining aspects of the Victorian and modern story lines, concluding that the self-referential aspects of ABOM were not only intentional, but were required in <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/01/meta-meta-meta-abominable-bride-review.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Meta, Meta, Meta</a>.<br />
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Opinions Across the Web</h3>
We'll weigh in with our own editorial opinion below, but first we wanted to bring you some nuggets of what's been happening around the Web. As you can imagine (or perhaps as you've seen yourself), emotions have been running high following this particular episode. Opinions came down strongly on one side or the other, with very few expressing no feeling at all. As with any strong design or work of art, it is meant to evoke emotion. Some may love it, others may hate it, but few express apathy.<br />
<br />
<b>The Verge</b> took issue with Sherlock's brain, claiming that <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/4/10704192/sherlock-the-abominable-bride-review" target="_blank">he is the worst kind of superhero</a>, giving us the view of everything through his eyes, "and the result is a warped  world that’s more frustrating in its unlikelihood than usual." They even went so far as to say that the "present-day Sherlock is an anti-hero...the dream Victorian Sherlock is just obnoxious." With regard to the suffragette movement, they claim that it "feels more like bait for Tumblr fans than the seeds of a lasting change," although we'd have a hard time seeing Mrs. Hudson playing a more significant role in the series, quite frankly.<br />
<br />
<b>Den of Geek</b> thought the story "<a href="http://www.denofgeek.us/tv/sherlock/251667/sherlock-the-abominable-bride-review" target="_blank">detonated itself </a>" so that "[b]its of story went everywhere, timelines were blown apart and the resulting smoking crater was filled with shards of meta-commentary," leading the reviewer to understand why no press previews were issued for this episode. But they concluded that "divisive does not equal failure" and that the result was grand adventure, shock, storytelling, friendship and ultimately an ambitious risk that paid off.<br />
<br />
<b>BuzzFeed </b>capitalized on how sections of the Internet got their knickers in a twist <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/laurasilver/people-are-pissed-off-that-sherlock-mansplained-feminism#.skblR0wRn" target="_blank">over the perceived "mansplaining" of feminism</a> in the episode. There's always a good controversy to be had with this series, and the arbiter of viral was there to capture it all.<br />
<br />
And yet, <b>The Telegraph</b> didn't think mansplaining was the worst part of ABOM. The great sin, according to them, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/12080545/Sherlocks-mansplaining-wasnt-the-worst-thing-about-The-Abominable-Bride.html" target="_blank">was that the show thinks it is too clever</a>, but that its dream sequence is a cop-out.<br />
<br />
<b>Girl Meets Sherlock</b> reminds us that the episode really wasn't about plot, <a href="https://girlmeetssherlock.wordpress.com/2016/01/02/review-the-abominable-bride/" target="_blank">but about advancing the series</a>. She makes a most excellent observation: "Much as "The Sign of Three" explored the relationship between Holmes and Watson, <i>The Abominable Bride</i> explores Sherlock’s relationship to himself." Despite what we were told about this being a standalone episode, it is very much a part of the overall story arc being formed by the creative team.<br />
<br />
<b>Lyndsay Faye</b> never disappoints with her insights and her delightfully descriptive writing. In this case, it is no exception, as she ensures we know who the two main actors are: "Benedict 'High-Octane Hamlet' Cumberbatch and Martin 'My Face Does Pony Tricks Ponies Never Dreamed Of' Freeman." But she also reminds us of how we've been consistently plot-duped by Mofftiss, yet we keep coming back for more. More importantly, Faye makes sure that Sir Arthur gets credit for creating strong women as she rattles off a number of Canonical examples that would be fine modern-day heroines, before reminding us that this episode is about one thing that no one else touched on: Sherlockians. Yes, that's right — it's a tribute to the audience. We can't do justice to her entire argument; <a href="http://www.lyndsayfaye.com/blog/2016/1/3/no-ghosts-need-apply-bbc-sherlocks-the-abominable-bride" target="_blank">go and read the entire thing yourself</a>. It's okay, we'll wait.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Facebook Posts — "the endless procession of faces" [SIGN]</h3>
We thought it might be useful to catch a glimpse of some of the things being said on Facebook that passed our way.<br />
<br />
<b>David Marcum</b> had a rather <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/sherlockstreet/permalink/1030480073675275/" target="_blank">long post the Sherlock Street Irregulars</a> group (why it's Sherlock Street, we have no idea), in which he called the production "an abomination" and "a mess" written by "liars" who ended up "messing up original material that has millions of loyal followers for a reason." It may sound harsh, but David has plenty of valid points in his essay.<br />
<br />
<b>Sherlock Holmes for Dummies</b> also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=951648828204024&id=129581877077394" target="_blank">wrote of the mess</a>: "So much potential, so much pandering, a few moments of brilliance, so many more moments of self-conscious B.S. I was really rooting for this trainwreck." What's interesting here is the discussion that ensued in the comments to this short post.<br />
<br />
<b>Andy Solberg</b> acknowledged the disparity of opinion among the community, noting the entertainment value and helpfully reminding everyone that it's more than just this episode — "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/asolberg/posts/10100922563921355" target="_blank">the whole series is a fantasy</a>."<br />
<br />
<b>Bonnie MacBird</b> wrote that Gatiss and Moffat <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bmacbird/posts/10153345263207914" target="_blank">never said they were going for Canonical</a>, nor should we have expected it. The link to her Facebook post isn't public, so here it is in its entirety:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Here's what I wonder. Moffatt and Gatiss have never professed to be doing Doylean Holmes. That wasn't their promise, was never their art form, and people who have liked their show (myself included) like it for various ways that it did....and did not... match the originals which inspired it. I'm not sure why so many people are rabidly angry at not getting what was never promised. Like many of you, I would love to see these two fine actors, and excellent writers attempt a Doylean Sherlock. That's not what they did with the Christmas episode, but I for one wasn't expecting it. The humor of the trailers was a big clue, come on folks. Didn't this tip you off? This is a jazz riff on Sherlock. Don't like the sevenths and ninths in your harmonies? Then don't listen to jazz. I for one love baroque music, opera, jazz, musicals, blues, dixieland, Beatles and many more types. I also love Shakespearean sonnets and TS Eliot. But I don't confuse one form for another and hate the Beatles because there is no fugue part. Movies are an art form, BBC Sherlock never promised you a Doylean ride, not even for a second, and pouting about it not matching what YOU would have done isn't a review, it's a rant. I understand disllke. I understand preferences. I understand longing for writers and actors you like to do stuff you kind of have in your head. But... I don't understand,,, petulance. No, it wouldn't have been what I would have written, either. But I enjoyed it. It's what they did. They gave me a very fun ride.</blockquote>
<br />
This is probably the most apt analogy and succinct review we've yet read.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
What's Left For Us to Add?</h3>
After everything you've read above (assuming you got this far), you might think there's nothing left to be said about ABOM. Don't be silly. People are still writing about Sherlock Holmes nearly 130 years after his first appearance in print; what makes you think we'd refrain from offering a bit more about a show from Friday evening?<br />
<br />
Our experience live-tweeting the event was like none we've had before. As you'll recall, Series 3 ended two years ago (!) and the online space, although it was active then, is even more crazy now. Keeping up with tweets and the show simultaneously — without a press preview — was quite a challenge.<br />
<br />
We kept most of our observations to what we could tie in Canonically, from quotes to references and more. But we also noted a few things that we'd like to share here:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>You probably already figured out that Sir Eustace Carmichael was played by Tim McInnerny, who also played John Clay in the Granada production of "The Red-Headed League."</li>
<li>But Granada tie-ins didn't end there; Tim Barlow played the Diogenes Club attendant "Wilder," who communicated via sign language in the public area. Barlow played the Russian Count in the Granada version of "The Resident Patient."</li>
</ul>
<br />
In mid-December, the official Twitter handle of the show, @Sherlock221B, ran a promotion in which a tweet to them with the hashtag #Telegram221B would result in the text of your tweet being overlaid onto a video of Dr. Watson opening a telegram and subsequently getting up to rush off. Knowing the Canon as we do, we suggested the following:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en" tw-align-center="">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/IHearofSherlock">@IHearofSherlock</a> Greetings. We can confirm that your telegram has arrived... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Telegram221B?src=hash">#Telegram221B</a> <a href="https://t.co/fjT8tZUJNA">pic.twitter.com/fjT8tZUJNA</a></div>
— Sherlock (@Sherlock221B) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sherlock221B/status/677137663372169218">December 16, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Imagine our satisfaction when the episode aired and that's exactly what appeared on the screen.<br />
<br />
<br />
But something else appeared on the screen — something that others have mentioned in passing — that we'd like to address. Yes, the view of everything Victorian is the view in Sherlock's mind; but the morbidly obese Mycroft went a bit too far. It was distracting, comical and, as some have said, even fat-shaming. We were hoping for an authentic Mycroft more akin to Paget's original:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhMsPcPH712RBxzMxh9lqrKxkZ3whfOo9jzS0m4-Wx3KGe2XxTNk76e_Bz73C55ANaQHpj4rSqh3c9KeaTfDcLT8a_R2M8uC2ZwRXnJcBw3FzrnSfZFfgoSLT9XX_HHgjYtYJ278EXnfn/s1600/IHOSE_caption8+-GREE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhMsPcPH712RBxzMxh9lqrKxkZ3whfOo9jzS0m4-Wx3KGe2XxTNk76e_Bz73C55ANaQHpj4rSqh3c9KeaTfDcLT8a_R2M8uC2ZwRXnJcBw3FzrnSfZFfgoSLT9XX_HHgjYtYJ278EXnfn/s640/IHOSE_caption8+-GREE.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And yet, Mycroft of ABOM was given to us as this caricature:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNi-eM_redlWNrInrHWUtrOyfxmBL4U8KsOTvhe2u1milljeyc68d3VdGvWPsMNGcTHpTISx9i9RIwp5sSUHEsF0qFF5-D-3NMJZoyqHoA9EvNXdu6uRkAWU9ycjdPjBGLrO0cLhJClGSA/s1600/ABOM+-+fat+Mycroft.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNi-eM_redlWNrInrHWUtrOyfxmBL4U8KsOTvhe2u1milljeyc68d3VdGvWPsMNGcTHpTISx9i9RIwp5sSUHEsF0qFF5-D-3NMJZoyqHoA9EvNXdu6uRkAWU9ycjdPjBGLrO0cLhJClGSA/s640/ABOM+-+fat+Mycroft.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The "broad, fat hand, like the flipper of a seal was certainly in evidence, but surrounding Gatiss-in-a-fat-suit with carts and trays of food was a bit over the top. In fact, it reminded us of another similar parody:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2mU6USTBRE" target="_blank"><img alt=" 'Weird Al' - Fat" border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPInBF7ZHs4vCio4C4r0rt49gPvqTs28b_tXfyx_1bC5JtqHzfp_T5YnREV38K4skG7X7igNXBqnCrXgLW1CfjtUv-VVyn_-eHaA_R-_NPZdZwm3g-xtesrKo9U4I6iiHJkyFwVNP06Fw/s640/ABOM+-+Weird+Al.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
While we're on the subject of visuals, we did want to share something that we weren't able to comment on during the flurry of tweets. Again, this is acknowledging Lyndsay's point that the show was really about the fans. After Series 1, the Internet (particularly Tumblr) blew up about the "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0NgBtsoHe8" target="_blank">death frisbee</a>" (aka the deerstalker cap). The final scene in ABOM on Reichenbach Falls — the place where Sherlock Holmes traditionally was thought to have gone to his death — involves Holmes standing on the edge and basically playing frisbee with his hat, making it literally a death frisbee:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLI8kMwmfua5vjIbgN5l1Dws0y3GLnzOi2wBfrjKuxhfu_4_64j4F7F9N9sHVBXAgKKIqOEFPGh5SQnJTm0UH_N_NVapgGJmU0Kp5amMXwZ77dXLniQknioz4VoFPSf1NnaCxqukpfygFs/s1600/Death+Frisbee.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLI8kMwmfua5vjIbgN5l1Dws0y3GLnzOi2wBfrjKuxhfu_4_64j4F7F9N9sHVBXAgKKIqOEFPGh5SQnJTm0UH_N_NVapgGJmU0Kp5amMXwZ77dXLniQknioz4VoFPSf1NnaCxqukpfygFs/s320/Death+Frisbee.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And finally, we'd like to close with one final point about this episode that also includes others. Andrew Scott, while he may be a fine actor overall, tends to overdo his part when it comes to Moriarty. Yes, we get that the character is a psychopath who has no regard for humanity (especially for our sensibilities), but to us, he seems like he's trying too hard. We'd go so far as to call Andrew Scott the Jim Carrey of the <i>Sherlock</i> series.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="261" src="//giphy.com/embed/a7ZvDb2NfbQvS" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="269" src="//giphy.com/embed/P12bvrj00Hrb2" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br /></div>
<br />
What did we miss? And what did you think of the special? Feel free to let us know in a comment below.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

Everything You Need to Know — A Roundup of Abominable Bride Reviews

"I am now about to summarize" [ENGR] Just as Friday, January 1 was a day like no other for Sherlock fans, today was a day l...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Meta, Meta, Meta — An Abominable Bride Review

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"'Data! data! data!' he cried impatiently. I can't make bricks without clay." [COPP] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KS8d6_qp7E0U7SUt-Mo67PKDamo4TbHG2FrxBF0m2dUnA_pO0gIiOjg-davRzEjpIpN6bAhN6oTbdGjnUE3JQlVWlY_lXUwmWprk2SZdBn0bd7GIkqhgF3Tg95C1u_gLGbTS8wA2wLtz/s1600/ABOM+-+promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KS8d6_qp7E0U7SUt-Mo67PKDamo4TbHG2FrxBF0m2dUnA_pO0gIiOjg-davRzEjpIpN6bAhN6oTbdGjnUE3JQlVWlY_lXUwmWprk2SZdBn0bd7GIkqhgF3Tg95C1u_gLGbTS8wA2wLtz/s640/ABOM+-+promo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Perhaps that quote should be updated to read: "I can't make bricks without self-referentiality!"<br />
<br />
On Friday, the BBC’s / MASTERPIECE's <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B004132HZS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="1e039301753b84f9ca2d5c52c905f204" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-1-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132HZS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=1e039301753b84f9ca2d5c52c905f204&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3742266" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3742266" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=1e039301753b84f9ca2d5c52c905f204&_cb=1451976613995" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />
</i>brought to our screens something that it had never done before: Sherlock
Holmes set in the Victorian period. <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B013JBJ7EG" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="884b33b85179792c9e83da3e0996b7f3" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Abominable Bride" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Abominable-Bride-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B013JBJ7EG/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=884b33b85179792c9e83da3e0996b7f3&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_2975311" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Abominable Bride</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_2975311" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=884b33b85179792c9e83da3e0996b7f3&_cb=1451976606799" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>, which eschews <i>Sherlock</i>’s usual modern day setting to
create a period, produced, as far as I can tell, a spectrum of responses as
widely varied as Holmes's mood. On the one hand, it garnered praise for its
atmospheric depiction of fin-de-siecle London, its phenomenal acting and
cinematography, and its intriguing meta-commentary; on the other, it drew
criticism for its complex (or, as some claimed, convoluted) plot, its “self-indulgent”
self-referentiality, and its seeming historical inaccuracies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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On this spectrum of responses, I fall much closer to the
former than the latter. In fact, I think <i>The Abominable Bride</i> is one of the
best episodes <i>Sherlock </i>has ever
produced, and yes, I have observations, facts, and deductions to prove it. In
fact, it seems to me that much of the disappointment surrounding the episode
has to do with the fact that it is not a faithful-enough recreation of the Canon
now that the show is <i>finally </i>set in a
Canonically accurate period. To which I say: that was never the promise, the
premise, or the idea. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Abominable Bride</i> might be might be set among the fog
and gas lamps of London, but it never makes a claim to being Victorian. It is
not about the armchair detective with a curved pipe, but the man behind the
myth; it may be set in 1895, but it makes no claim to being a rendition of Doyle’s
– or, if one prefers, Watson’s – writings. Instead, it is a look at the penning
of those writings, and the assumptions that we have gathered around both the
text and its time period. <i>The Abominable Bride</i> does not claim to be Canonical, but rather a look behind the scenes at the creation of the Canon.<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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This, to me, is made obvious by the many wonderful and
giddily funny arguments between Watson and Sherlock about his real and
fictional selves – and the difference between them. “Emotion is the crack in
the lens, the grit in the instrument,” Holmes recites, alluding to the famous
opening lines of “A Scandal in Bohemia,” only to have Watson throw back at him:
“I wrote that! Don’t quote me at me!”<br />
<br />
In the beginning, Watson encounters a
newspaper vendor selling the latest issue of <i>The Strand </i>and inquires how well “The Blue Carbuncle” is doing. Allusions
are numerous to Sidney Paget’s illustrations, and the way they have created an
image of Sherlock Holmes in the public eye - much like Paget’s illustrations
have solidified the deerstalker-wearing detective in our cultural imagination (“You’re
the detective. Wear the damn hat,” Watson says). Sherlock Holmes, as we deduce, is a
clever literary construction of Watson, who loyally and patiently immortalizes
his friend. What we’re watching, therefore, is not the Canon, but the “reality”
behind it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which is not an entirely inaccurate way to approach the
Canon: how many times has John Watson stumped readers with the chronology of
the adventures? How many hours have we spent unraveling the mysteries behind
his inaccurate records? How many times has Holmes accused Watson of “romanticizing”
the science of detection? The Canon is a certain version of Sherlock Holmes,
one largely tinged with a sense of historical nostalgia, creating an
atmospheric illusion. <i>The Abominable Bride</i> does not claim to be that
illusion. It may be atmospheric in its gorgeous depictions of historical
London, but as a narrative, it draws away the veil and shows how that illusion
is constructed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Speaking of illusions, this episode is full of them. It
beings with a quick flashback over the key events of the past three seasons, after
which the date rolls back to 1895 with a tantalizing “Alternatively…” At first,
it seems like just another case, that of Emilia Ricoletti, who apparently commits
suicide by blowing her brains out, then returns from the dead to commit a
murder.<br />
<br />
About halfway through the episode, however, it becomes intriguingly
obvious that Emilia Ricoletti’s case bears a striking resemblance to that of
Moriarty, who, last we checked, was apparently back from the dead…And just as
the import of that resemblance surfaces, Sherlock wakes up on the plane on
which he’d left at the end of <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00E3UN44W" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="f12958e3ea8b38b2ca203c86198830ba" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="sherlock season 3" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-Original-UK-Version/dp/B00E3UN44W/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=f12958e3ea8b38b2ca203c86198830ba&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5928527" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Series 3</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5928527" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=f12958e3ea8b38b2ca203c86198830ba&_cb=1451976593988" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />, and it turns out that the entire
escapade into the Victorian period had been an elaborate trip into his mind
palace in order to solve the mystery of Moriarty. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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The two cases thus intertwine, as the similarity of their <i>modus operandi </i>sheds light on the
cliffhanger season three left us with: could Moriarty be alive? Mycroft seems
to think so, but Sherlock leaves us with a pretty definite “No.” But <i>Sherlock </i>is also adept at misdirection,
so that “no” could very well be a cleverly disguised “yes.” Who knows? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But what’s more interesting about the intertwining of
Victoriana with the modern day is that they’re both a reflection upon the myth
of Sherlock Holmes. Thus, the investigation of Emilia Ricoletti’s
murder-suicide slowly transforms into something more meaningful: a look at the
role of women in both the Victorian era and the Canon, and therefore the
premises upon which our illusions of Victoriana rest.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, as Holmes and
Watson discover that the murders under investigation were attempts by women to
escape from abusive husbands, all the other seemingly one-off, irreverent
interactions with women earlier in the episode fall into place as a poignant
sort of commentary. Mrs. Hudson does nothing but make tea, the giddy maid who
makes Watson breakfast is late because she was reading the latest story, and it’s
funny until you realize how true it is that their existence is reduced to a “function”
of the plot. In the meantime, Mary gets to stay at home and do nothing while
Watson and Holmes have adventures, and Molly Hooper is forced to dress as a man
in order to pursue a career, a striking contrast to the no-nonsense lives we’ve
gotten used to seeing these women lead. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It has always been the story of Holmes and Watson, but their
story could not be told without the women who surround them. And as Holmes and
Watson discover the underground hideaway of the suffragettes (though one does
wonder how exactly they’re supposed to win the vote for women by standing
around underground and chanting), Holmes makes an impassioned speech about
the invisible half of society, hiding in plain sight, one that must be made
visible. In reality, that means giving them the vote and the power of speech – and
questioning our romanticizing of 1895, that era of fog and gas lamps and no
votes for women. In fiction, that means recognizing, and including, the richly
developed female characters that have always been part of the Holmes and Watson
story.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the same time, in the midst of that impassioned speech, Moriarty
returns, disguised as the Bride. The last time Moriarty appeared in the flesh, he
was on a mission to destroy the very idea of Sherlock Holmes with a dastardly
plot to make everyone believe that Sherlock was a fake. When he returns this time,
therefore, he is once again a challenge to the myth of Sherlock Holmes that
we’ve fallen in love with, and another reminder of the nature of that myth. Thus,
the episode ends with a confrontation between Holmes and Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls that looks like it’s taken directly from a Paget
illustration. It’s a moment that made me catch my breath – this might be
Sherlock’s mind palace, but Moriarty is the “virus in the code,” the crack in
the lens, the one ultimate threat to Sherlock as a person and as a myth. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And yet, just at the moment when it appears that Holmes is about to fall into those perilous waters at Moriarty’s hand, good old Watson
uncanonically appears. But this isn’t the Canon, or “The Final Problem,” it’s <i>Sherlock. </i>If this episode has been about
the creation of the myth of Sherlock Holmes by Watson, then in this ultimate
moment – the one where Moriarty is about to destroy Holmes – it is fitting that
Watson is the one that appears to rescue his friend. Just as Watson
immortalized Holmes for posterity through his writings, including “The Final
Problem,” where he once again rescues his name from vile rumors, here he
appears to metaphorically save Holmes from his arch nemesis: not a professor of
mathematics, but madness and obscurity. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so, when Watson and Holmes work side by side to throw
Moriarty off that cliff, they are also working side by side to save the myth of
Sherlock Holmes. “I always return from the fall,” Sherlock says before jumping
off that fateful cliff – because Watson is always there to pen another from the
innumerable cases in his tin dispatch box, but also because series like <i>Sherlock </i>will always retell that myth. Holmes
and Watson work side by side to construct a legend, and they do it so aptly
that we must continually retell and ponder it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two men who never lived and so can never die, indeed. How very near they seem.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
--<br />
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</div>

Meta, Meta, Meta — An Abominable Bride Review

"'Data! data! data!' he cried impatiently. I can't make bricks without clay." [COPP] Perhaps that quote should...

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by Anastasia Klimchynskaya

The Abominable Bride — We're Not in Baker Street Any More

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"the actor in some strange drama" [YELL]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihymRKTqcaX5XzDJekz7dDhrHOM0sjGgQCLxXLeap1KVP5irbiMYyL7fsab1t3sMw59aOzHS2KCkp9ttIB9_yZ_LEQjnmTewy3QqoSLWukvErUo-aMKOWyTu8GddmWRX9u4QBglwycggeD/s1600/sherlock-holmes-and-the-scarecrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sherlock Holmes Wizard of Oz" border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihymRKTqcaX5XzDJekz7dDhrHOM0sjGgQCLxXLeap1KVP5irbiMYyL7fsab1t3sMw59aOzHS2KCkp9ttIB9_yZ_LEQjnmTewy3QqoSLWukvErUo-aMKOWyTu8GddmWRX9u4QBglwycggeD/s640/sherlock-holmes-and-the-scarecrow.jpg" title="Sherlock Holmes and the Scarecrow" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We had been promised a period piece, with Holmes and Watson in the time and place of the Canon. When I saw the photos released from the effort, the program looked like a gift. But the scenes tying into the current times made it feel like the unwrapping of a long-awaited gift that turns out to be not quite the size, color or quality for which we had hoped. <br />
<br />
I certainly appreciate aspects of the series. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson have been updated successfully to modern times, and the inclusion of so many details of the Canon are thoughtful. Their companionship and partnership have been well represented. Martin Freeman's portrayal of Dr. John Watson as a war veteran and man of action has been amazing. Benedict Cumberbatch has given a sophisticated and thoughtful portrayal of the internal Sherlock Holmes, and is able to exude the charm that we know from the Canon was able to put women at their ease. The other performers in the series have added a depth that was not always in present in the Canon. However, the stories have been odd and in some ways, unsatisfying. That said, I watch the programs religiously.  <br />
<br />
When the <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B013JBJ7EG" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="6bfe1b7082a4cc110941b14e4ecddf46" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock: The Abominable Bride" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Abominable-Bride-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B013JBJ7EG/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=6bfe1b7082a4cc110941b14e4ecddf46&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_473193" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_473193" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=6bfe1b7082a4cc110941b14e4ecddf46&_cb=1451965101112" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> was good, it was flawless. When it was not good, it was more than disappointing. <br />
<br />
The scenery and the ambiance were fabulous. The tailoring was exquisite. Seeing Holmes and Watson in their digs was a gift. The smallest details were loving created. The injection of their current humor and banter bore the characteristic enjoyable stamp of the series. When it was in context, those scenes did feel like the gift we long awaited. <br />
<br />
But, as the gift continued to be unwrapped, the story seemed so outre that it felt like a psychological drama reminiscent of the 1960's drama <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B002C68WOG" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="209857cd84c5b3a53284f48876748cd0" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Prisoner" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Prisoner-Complete-Series-Blu-ray/dp/B002C68WOG/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=209857cd84c5b3a53284f48876748cd0&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_6472087" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Prisoner</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_6472087" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=209857cd84c5b3a53284f48876748cd0&_cb=1451965163626" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> with an ending as bizarre as <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B000ERVJKO" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="826c84dede8b6895875e622641510302" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Wild Wild West" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Wild-West-Complete-Season/dp/B000ERVJKO/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=826c84dede8b6895875e622641510302&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1591083" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wild Wild West</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1591083" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=826c84dede8b6895875e622641510302&_cb=1451965145233" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>. Perhaps the juxtaposition of some characters in the past was some kind of personal joke to the producers. For example, it seems unlikely that Mycroft would have eaten himself to death; that should strike him as inefficient. There also seemed to be a race to see how many episodes could be referenced. The addition of fantasy sequences from within the fantasy broke whatever was left of the illusion. <br />
<br />
Finally, since it was all a drug-induced dream, I wondered if, in fact, I should have been returned to <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00CNW9ZI6" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="c07e9e75040312e78310787731666245" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="wizard of oz dvd" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Wizard-Oz-Anniversary-Edition/dp/B00CNW9ZI6/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=c07e9e75040312e78310787731666245&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_874996" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kansas</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_874996" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=c07e9e75040312e78310787731666245&_cb=1451965210860" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> rather than England.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LDRzqNyi8hU?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://vovatia.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/the-case-of-the-ozian-detectives/">The Case of the Ozian Detectives</a></i></div>
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--</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>

The Abominable Bride — We're Not in Baker Street Any More

"the actor in some strange drama" [YELL] We had been promised a period piece, with Holmes and Watson in the time and place of...

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by M. M. M.

The Abominable Bride — A Review of Two Minds

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"the dual nature alternatively asserted itself" [REDH]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkv3ItF_f7rQ9FlfuY7yFOs-BHkFy1zwvnywbu7E2TOzhtmnxQJlGvqmTjrfV79EqJCosaedW6yEp5WTf9F-6VD4DM7iE2R9g692sqfpx-A5Lm8TgGptCAeXxn2VvKkPAW5SYRJModwKL/s1600/ABOM+-+of+two+minds.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkv3ItF_f7rQ9FlfuY7yFOs-BHkFy1zwvnywbu7E2TOzhtmnxQJlGvqmTjrfV79EqJCosaedW6yEp5WTf9F-6VD4DM7iE2R9g692sqfpx-A5Lm8TgGptCAeXxn2VvKkPAW5SYRJModwKL/s640/ABOM+-+of+two+minds.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The episode has aired but the dust has far from settled.  The <i>Sherlock</i> special titled <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B013JBJ7EG" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="0b022f481fb6be2c17fd794c27276d28" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Abominable Bride" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Abominable-Bride-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B013JBJ7EG/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=0b022f481fb6be2c17fd794c27276d28&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5699732" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Abominable Bride</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5699732" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=0b022f481fb6be2c17fd794c27276d28&_cb=1451972546885" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> left many fans of the show elated and just as many deflated. As an author of traditional Sherlock Holmes pastiches myself, I found myself torn in two after watching the episode, and it is the both versions of myself which I believe need to write this review. <br />
<br />
So, if you'll allow me to enter my own mind palace for a minute, I will write this review from two perspectives of my personality.  On one side of my palace is the <b><i>Sherlock</i> Fan</b>, the lover of the new series and an advocate for Benedict Cumberbatch representing this generation's Sherlock Holmes. on the other side is the stalwart <b>Holmes Purist</b>, the believer in upholding the Canon and the traditional Holmes.  I asked both versions of myself for their opinions on the episode.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Holmes Purist:</b> The keyword for <i>The Abominable Bride</i> was <u>abominable</u>. What fans were led to believe they were getting was a self contained Victorian episode of the show <i>Sherlock </i>taking place in 1895 yet connecting to the ending of <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00E3UN44W" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="e4a2149844b714c1571dd21203e87128" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="sherlock series 3" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-Original-UK-Version/dp/B00E3UN44W/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=e4a2149844b714c1571dd21203e87128&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5675084" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Series 3</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5675084" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=e4a2149844b714c1571dd21203e87128&_cb=1451972756426" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />. At first, I thought that they were going to pull this off.  They had the wonderful introduction with Holmes meeting Watson which was straight from <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>, the exceptional Victorian London set full of horse-drawn carriages and cobblestone streets, and the case of the bride which appeared to mirror the death of Moriarty at the end of <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B004QOB8SO" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="e90f2e1175220d4ef4b8b93fb9c64618" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="sherlock series 2" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-2-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004QOB8SO/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=e90f2e1175220d4ef4b8b93fb9c64618&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_2698499" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Series 2</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_2698499" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=e90f2e1175220d4ef4b8b93fb9c64618&_cb=1451972779024" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />.  what a wonderful set up! I believed we would learn from the case of ABOM how Moriarty was able to fake his own death even though he blew a hole in the back of his head. But then Victorian Holmes references modern day Moriarty and it is all downhill from there.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Sherlock </i>Fan:</b> Nonsense! You can't judge the episode on your expectations for what it was supposed to be, only for what it is, and this was an excellent episode of the show <i>Sherlock</i> with the added bonus of the Victorian segments. The episode finally put Moriarty to rest. He is dead and there will be a new villain challenging Holmes in Series 4. It also had some of the wittiest dialogue yet for the show.  As you said HP, the opening scene of Holmes meeting Watson was perfectly executed and the air date of January 1st, 135 years after the duo met was spot on brilliant. The complaining of Mrs. Hudson that she's not in the Canon enough and Watson's maid that she's not even mentioned in the Canon was hilarious, as was the banter between Holmes and the corpulent Mycroft over the elder's life expectancy. The case itself was a well written Holmesian case with Holmes acting as Holmes and Watson acting as Watson.  What is there to complain about?<br />
<br />
<b>HP:</b> Plenty! First off, Holmes and Watson were not Holmes and Watson. Watson would never talk with Holmes about his romantic aspirations while on a stake out. Second, the obese Mycroft was just a poor special effect which was so distracting as to make it hard to pay attention to the character's dialogue. Third, and most offensive, was the case. It was far too easy to solve. After Mycroft explained that their side had to lose this one, it was fairly obvious that since he was talking to men, he was referencing women, and not just any women, but the suffragists mentioned by Mary Watson earlier in the episode. After that, the story pretty much wrote itself and there were no more surprises in the Victorian parts of the episode.  Let's not even get into the rip off of <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B0047WJ12K" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="234aa4a24cb9903aa2c501e89eecdc42" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Inception" href="http://www.amazon.com/Inception-Leonardo-DiCaprio/dp/B0047WJ12K/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=234aa4a24cb9903aa2c501e89eecdc42&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3068900" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Inception</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3068900" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=234aa4a24cb9903aa2c501e89eecdc42&_cb=1451973042480" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> which was the concluding third in the present.<br />
<br />
<b>SF:</b> So what if the mystery was obvious? We don't read Holmes stories and watch <i>Sherlock</i> for the mystery, but rather for the characters. As I said earlier, Holmes and Watson were wonderful in this and the humor was perfect. Watson's 'potato' line in the Diogenes Club was classic. And I found the suffragists in this episode refreshing. One of the largest complaints about the show <i>Sherlock</i> is its sexism particularly in their depiction of Irene Adler in "<a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B008133DO8" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="f2fac2e60a03de40420de11d8e98fa77" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Scandal in Belgravia" href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Scandal-in-Belgravia/dp/B008133DO8/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=f2fac2e60a03de40420de11d8e98fa77&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_2065720" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Scandal in Belgravia</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_2065720" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=f2fac2e60a03de40420de11d8e98fa77&_cb=1451973111389" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />." I think this was their way of making up for that one and having the women win one.<br />
<br />
<b>HP:</b> I don't think making the suffragists into purple klansmen does anything to help with the sexism complaints. Come now, does this really make up for Irene Adler not only losing to Holmes because he feels her pulse (Can we get anymore sexist than that?), but also that he has to save her life?<br />
<br />
<b>SF:</b> Okay, I concede that you are correct about Adler, but that is a different story line. This one was an excellent addition to the show <i>Sherlock</i>. I enjoyed the conclusion, and I like how Watson kicks Moriarty over the falls and out of Holmes's mind.  I don't think this could have been any better.  I give the episode five stars.<br />
<br />
<b>HP:</b> This was a travesty, an affront to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and it does nothing to keep the spirit of Holmes alive. I give the episode one star only.<br />
<br />
<br />
I think both of my personalities have valid points.  To be fair, I added the two reviews together and divided by two giving my final opinion of three stars, not a glowing review, but enough to say at least a part of me enjoyed it.<br />
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Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3292728" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3292728" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />,</i> which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B017862MVS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur" href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B017862MVS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7842789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7842789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00P4E8AVI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Revolutionary-Stories-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B00P4E8AVI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5010397" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5010397" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>. Mr. Belanger also is a frequent contributor to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.<br />
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The Abominable Bride — A Review of Two Minds

"the dual nature alternatively asserted itself" [REDH] The episode has aired but the dust has far from settled. The Sherlock...

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by Belanger Books

Fun in Challenging the Past — An Abominable Bride Review

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<span style="text-align: start;">"The two friends chatted...recalling once again the days of the past" [LAST]</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo4VbDdRdKjzX3O6MPoKURCHG1X98_1vk3hOLjd2D8FQjtM71e6M-XHvYiUz1RdbIy86w_J2fsjRpzNWJ-9IO-qawtImSK4PFxmJT4quQ-1XYRD27cr66qfYgvxwtr1_XYCIP8p_nCvYk/s1600/ABOM+-+Holmes+and+Watson+inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo4VbDdRdKjzX3O6MPoKURCHG1X98_1vk3hOLjd2D8FQjtM71e6M-XHvYiUz1RdbIy86w_J2fsjRpzNWJ-9IO-qawtImSK4PFxmJT4quQ-1XYRD27cr66qfYgvxwtr1_XYCIP8p_nCvYk/s640/ABOM+-+Holmes+and+Watson+inside.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />[<i><b>Editor's note:</b> This is the first in a series of reviews we're publishing about ABOM today. Please be forewarned: there may be spoilers in each. And this entry marks the first contribution of Rachel Gosch, who joins <a href="http://ihose.co/ihoseteam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our team</a>.</i>]<i> </i><br /><br />For readers of <i>The Strand Magazine</i> in the Victorian era, the ever-growing wave of unstoppable social, economic, and technological change made the prospect of returning to a world perpetually basking in the familiar trappings of 1895 a comforting release. In the many years since, it is ironic to note that modernization remains at the core of the BBC’s <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B004132HZS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="652684aa8f2525a0c9d15ede805b17a6" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-1-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132HZS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=652684aa8f2525a0c9d15ede805b17a6&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_8662974" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8662974" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=652684aa8f2525a0c9d15ede805b17a6&_cb=1451968274736" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>, now arguably the most popular interpretation of Holmes in the twenty-first century so far. <br /><br />One of the most consistently amusing aspects of the show is watching writers and series creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss alter the elements of the stories for modern times. By entering the new period, storytelling is both facilitated and challenged: Moriarty becomes an even more implacable threat with the assistance of anonymous texts and suicide bombs, but his nemesis has the Internet to back up his vast deductive skill. <br /><br />For three seasons, viewers have ensconced themselves in this new reality, which made the possibility of returning to the old world in the lead-up to January’s Victorian-set <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B018WIDIWI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="2c48caa418107be39b2ae23f632ad59a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Abominable Bride" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Abominable-Bride-Feature-Only/dp/B018WIDIWI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=2c48caa418107be39b2ae23f632ad59a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_8593054" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Abominable Bride</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8593054" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=2c48caa418107be39b2ae23f632ad59a&_cb=1451971673091" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> seem more daunting than previously imagined. How would the writers react to the removal of today’s crime-solving technology? How would Sherlock and John sound calling each other Holmes and Watson? Could Sherlock adapt to the past as well as it had done to the future?<br /><br />In this critic’s opinion, the answer to that last question is a resounding yes.<br /><br /><br />Watching this special is to witness the cast, crew, and especially the writers making merry with their original source material; you get the sense they’ve been aching to do this for years. With its ghostly titular antagonist and creepy, fog-filled sets, the show indulges its Gothic roots, a display which is welcomed after the somewhat lackluster attempt at horror in “The Hounds of Baskerville.” References both subtle and obvious are sprinkled throughout, and time-bound elements of canon get their chance to shine. Terrifically delivered performances bolster the sense of authenticity, especially in the case of Benedict Cumberbatch; toning down his Sherlock’s acerbic tendencies, he instead captures the twinkling eyes and calculated ego of Conan Doyle’s Holmes.<br /><br />Yet <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B013JBJ7EG" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="62e2747e6de4ce8bbcd57102bf62e6cb" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Abominable Bride" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Abominable-Bride-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B013JBJ7EG/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=62e2747e6de4ce8bbcd57102bf62e6cb&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3843492" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Abominable Bride</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3843492" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=62e2747e6de4ce8bbcd57102bf62e6cb&_cb=1451971656164" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> is anything but a straight Victorian adaptation. Moffat and Gatiss’ story starts out as a typical Sherlockian whodunnit, but soon becomes a complex psychological battle, the details of which I won’t spoil here. The plot’s organization is the most difficult part of the experience; I didn’t have trouble understanding it on my first viewing, but I can definitely see how other viewers might become confused by the episode’s structure. But the idea itself is a compelling twist on the cliche that could’ve served as the impetus for the narrative’s setting. <br /><br />The creators’ love and respect for the time period is evident, but the challenging of nineteenth-century stereotypes becomes the dominating motif of the episode, particularly in its characterization of our time-traveling cast. Mycroft’s girth is no longer an amusing character tidbit; it’s a genuine threat to his health. When Watson is asked to abandon his domestic breakfast table for Baker Street, he doesn’t just leave—he bolts. In the most welcome change from canon, the women and their personal struggles are a central focus. Amanda Abbington, Una Stubbs, and especially Louise Brealey all deliver series-best performances; as a female viewer, it was a joy to see Mary questioning John’s absences (about time, after 126 years!) and Molly strutting through her mortuary with a steely glint in her eyes. <br /><br />And it is this willingness towards subversion in the midst of glorification which elevates ABOM beyond a fun one-off and transforms it into a unique statement on the benefits of adaptation. The Canon is unquestionably a landmark work, bringing the literary world wonderful characters and exciting stories as well as serving as an inspiration for a whole genre of writing. Yet there wouldn’t be hundreds of books, movies, and TV shows about Holmes if readers hadn’t thought there was more to know about their hero than what they were told by Conan Doyle. Yes, there was The Great Detective—but who was Sherlock Holmes? Why did he choose to devote himself to catching criminals? Why did he choose Watson as a companion? Can anyone answer these questions? Should anyone answer these questions?<br /><br />One of the best scenes in the special has a setup familiar to readers of the stories. As nighttime falls upon an abandoned greenhouse on a country estate, Holmes and Watson lie in hiding, peering through the thick mist towards the quiet house and waiting for a mysterious specter to reveal itself. We expect that Holmes will be brimming with anticipation, ready to spring into action at the slightest disturbance. We expect that Watson is cautious yet determined, his trusty revolver in hand. We expect Holmes to whisper some small warning alongside a witticism. There’s suddenly a shadow, a movement, a scream. And the game is afoot.<br /><br />But as the detective and the doctor anticipate the arrival of the bride, we are treated to another version of this scenario. Watson strikes up an unusual conversation. He interrogates Holmes about his past with women, bringing up the lingering effect of the woman on his friend. Holmes become visibly irritated, even mortified. They devolve into argument; as they question the influence Watson has on Holmes, the necessity of emotion, the existence of ghosts, and so on, they roll their eyes and grit their teeth. The duo is clearly frustrated by each other’s responses.<br /><br />Of course, they’re eventually interrupted by the ghostly lady’s appearance; the spat is quickly left behind as they pursue her. But for one modern moment in the Victorian era, we finally hear one full, intimate conversation between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.<div>
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Fun in Challenging the Past — An Abominable Bride Review

"The two friends chatted...recalling once again the days of the past" [LAST] [ Editor's note: This is the first in a seri...

+ Read more »

by Unknown

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride Lived Up to Its Name

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<span style="text-align: start;">"there could not be a greater mess" [STUD]</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3z6D3x8_mg9V7zppmWl0pnw8sr-WveucOFVsIoUdCp2hqKYR_9bOyUqi61gpxD75_YFMRRMoq736whwR6HBEm9UDCTPW18khqTOQWOXk3lce6sH7sJtunXHgWHzuKdaRhJohWpkB3EZW/s1600/ABOM+-+chair.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3z6D3x8_mg9V7zppmWl0pnw8sr-WveucOFVsIoUdCp2hqKYR_9bOyUqi61gpxD75_YFMRRMoq736whwR6HBEm9UDCTPW18khqTOQWOXk3lce6sH7sJtunXHgWHzuKdaRhJohWpkB3EZW/s640/ABOM+-+chair.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
[Caution: spoilers abound]<br />
<br />
Many Sherlockians like me had high expectations for the recent 2016 special <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B013JBJ7EG" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="9433cbde02c773df5e526d3aba8c9a51" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock: The Abominable Bride" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Abominable-Bride-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B013JBJ7EG/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9433cbde02c773df5e526d3aba8c9a51&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_8226365" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8226365" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9433cbde02c773df5e526d3aba8c9a51&_cb=1451965664205" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>. Wondering how Steven Moffatt and Mark Gatiss would apply modern-day Sherlock's storytelling methods and tropes into a classic Victorian milieu, many Holmes fans like me wondered how the special might fare....and whether it would provide an easier transition for next year's fourth series.<br />
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To put it bluntly, <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B018WICR0W" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="53405f7924f13a89e62e57cf9e175208" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock: The Abominable Bride" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Abominable-Bride-Bonus-Features/dp/B018WICR0W/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=53405f7924f13a89e62e57cf9e175208&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1556086" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1556086" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=53405f7924f13a89e62e57cf9e175208&_cb=1451965675325" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> is one of the more disappointing entries into the modern-day Sherlock canon.<br />
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One of the story's main weaknesses is its script, which throws a wide variety of approaches and elements that frustrate the viewer. Its initial take — that somehow, the 1895 Sherlock cast reflects the attitudes and insights into their modern-day counterparts — feels like a half-measured wink to Sherlock fandom. (It also doesn't help that many of the canonical references — such as Mycroft's girth and seeming death wish — feel played more for comedy than insight). The actual case itself — a bride coming back as a seeming "ghost" — is the only aspect of the episode worth viewing.<br />
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However, even the straightforward nature of <i>The Abominable Bride</i> feels compromised by the episode's tricky back-and-forth between 1895 and modern times. As a result, we learn that 1895 is in Sherlock's "mind palace," and that he's reviewing a century-old case in order to gain insight into Moriarty's death and subsequent reappearance. (We also learn that modern-day Sherlock Holmes — much like the traditional Canonical Holmes — has his own issues with addiction to both substances and "brain work.") Soon, both worlds collide, and we receive a very interesting coda to Series Three's "The Sign of Three," as well as another 1895-themed coda.<br />
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In short, <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B018WIDKJO" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="630d9ed67d6a2d2ecf9a9f746ceb5c87" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock: The Abominable Bride" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Abominable-Bride-Feature-Only/dp/B018WIDKJO/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=630d9ed67d6a2d2ecf9a9f746ceb5c87&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5838419" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5838419" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=630d9ed67d6a2d2ecf9a9f746ceb5c87&_cb=1451965934500" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> feels like fan-fiction geared towards both the younger Sherlock fandom who have never read the Canon, as well as toward those hard-liners who believe that Sherlock is "not their Holmes," and prefer a more traditional take on Holmes and Watson. The end result is something that disappoints on both ends — it never coalesces in the way that Series One and Two entries did, nor does it feel like its own separate entity. <i>Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</i> feels more like random Holmes references strung together in search of a story than a story with several random Holmes references.<br />
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Even Andrew Scott's appearances as Moriarty in the 1895 sequences feel a bit forced — yes, he does a lot with some very weak material, but it only reflects the disjointed nature of the script. Most Holmesian tales are rather straightforward, even if the solutions take multiple levels of logic to understand — <i>Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</i> suffers from having one mystery complicated by another mystery with multiple references. Towards the end, when 1895 Holmes reveals the end of that mystery, there are several callbacks to past Sherlock episodes that feel incredibly obligatory, as if Gatiss and Moffatt were demonstrating the "cleverness" of their script.<br />
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There is one really good thing about <i>Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</i>: it encouraged me to take positive action and download a copy of <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1937994309" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="5b1fefe510c3805479911033849dbff7" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Complete Sherlock Holmes" href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Sherlock-Holmes-Knickerbocker-Classics/dp/1937994309/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5b1fefe510c3805479911033849dbff7&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5299337" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Complete Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5299337" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5b1fefe510c3805479911033849dbff7&_cb=1451966335818" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> </i>— for the sole reason of revisiting the Canon. Even mishandled, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson provide excellent opportunities for Sherlockians to revisit their original adventures.<br />
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In short, <i>Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</i> had an over complicated, fragmented script driving a relatively weak narrative, and is worth a casual view at best.<br />
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Sherlock: The Abominable Bride Lived Up to Its Name

"there could not be a greater mess" [STUD] [Caution: spoilers abound] Many Sherlockians like me had high expectations for t...

+ Read more »

by Gordon D

Brace Yourself — Abominable Bride Reviews Ahead

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"I braced myself to meet his spring" [ENGR] </h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWDWqwVzrNrFjmub5iKZm3DbcsMVAklCLiGwdId8KjmvQhN72iKCC1yxVSiFQAK5sPFrIQd9lFwtYVhlCWDKbKDhf6UrcxHgRvRS8p1FnGCzLW8MQ_fsWo2CFzesaYa0ZV3RRECCTDIM_/s1600/IHOSE_caption+17+-+ENGR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A glass of warm water, Watson's hand, and by morning it will be 'The Mystery of the Wet Trousers.'" border="0" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWDWqwVzrNrFjmub5iKZm3DbcsMVAklCLiGwdId8KjmvQhN72iKCC1yxVSiFQAK5sPFrIQd9lFwtYVhlCWDKbKDhf6UrcxHgRvRS8p1FnGCzLW8MQ_fsWo2CFzesaYa0ZV3RRECCTDIM_/s640/IHOSE_caption+17+-+ENGR.jpg" title=""He settled our new acquaintance on the sofa." [ENGR]" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Normally we post a maximum of one article a day here on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. But when we alerted <a href="http://ihose.co/ihoseteam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our vigilant team</a> that we'd like a review of <i>Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</i>, the outpouring was impressive.<br />
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Rather than stifle the creativity and insights that our entertainment beat reporters manage to display with regularity, we thought we'd expand upon it. What had initially been intended as a single round-up article with multiple mini-reviews has turned into five separate posts from our contributors, plus a round-up post with other material from your humble editor.<br />
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We hope this won't overburden you too much, but rather add to your enjoyment of the Game. The airing of ABOM was something of a global event, and the fever pitch of the fans was palpable these last few months.<br />
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Enjoy what's ahead. We'd be delighted to hear what you think.<br />
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Brace Yourself — Abominable Bride Reviews Ahead

"I braced myself to meet his spring" [ENGR] Normally we post a maximum of one article a day here on I Hear of Sherlock Every...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlockian New Year's Resolutions

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"fearless in carrying out her resolutions" [NOBL]</h4>
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[<i><b>Editor's note:</b> This is one Sherlockian's list of resolutions for the new year. You can add yours below.</i>]<br />
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It is the beginning of a new year, and with it comes the time-honored tradition of making New Year’s resolutions, but instead of talking about our weight loss plans or the gym we probably won’t go to, what can we resolve to do as Sherlockians in 2016?<br />
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<br />
<h4>
The Canon</h4>
No matter what avenue our interest in the great detective takes us, it all stems from the original 60 stories of the canon.  Revisit the original stories, read them in a different order, read an annotated version, or try to take a look at the ones you don’t care so much for with an open mind.<br />
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<h4>
Scholarly Writings</h4>
The Christopher Morley quote, “Never before has so much been written by so many for so few,” still holds true today.  <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">The Baker Street Journal</a> and <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/">The Wessex Press</a> alone can keep any Sherlockian stocked up on their analyses and think pieces.  Blogs and Twitter discussions are another great way to look at these stories in a new light.<br />
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<h4>
Pastiches</h4>
There are pastiches and fan fiction out there for any type of Sherlock Holmes fan.  From authors who nail the Watsonian voice perfectly, to others who throw caution to the wind and put Holmes in some of the most outlandish situations possible, there is something to suit your style.  This can truly be an overwhelming undertaking, so check out <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose82" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 82 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a> to get some insight into the world of Sherlock Holmes pastiches.<br />
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<h4>
Movies and DVDs</h4>
Is there a movie or television version of Holmes you haven’t seen yet? Maybe this is the year to give it a try.  Much like pastiches, this area offers many varieties.  Whether you’re a <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00XOAPFH6" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="689d303912f3a1873bc5635e6b7c244c" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="William Gillette" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Blu-ray-Dual-Format-Edition/dp/B00XOAPFH6/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=689d303912f3a1873bc5635e6b7c244c&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_4630446" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">William Gillette</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_4630446" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=689d303912f3a1873bc5635e6b7c244c&_cb=1451718174652" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> fan or <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B0038P59A0" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="3f1f3304565965d22e342532a4b5518a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Robert Downey Jr." href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Robert-Downey-Jr/dp/B0038P59A0/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=3f1f3304565965d22e342532a4b5518a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_6721098" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Robert Downey Jr.</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_6721098" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=3f1f3304565965d22e342532a4b5518a&_cb=1451718192535" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> fan (or both!), there are bound to be films or DVDs that you haven’t had time to sit down and watch.<br />
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<h4>
YouTube Series</h4>
Not every Sherlockian film project can have a budget to get it to a network or the big screen.  We are in the age of user created content on the internet, and people can put out a product that shows their true passion for a source material.  Many YouTubers have <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/02/new-web-series-baker-street-finds-its.html#.Vod29BUrLb0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">created their own Sherlock Holmes series</a> to high acclaim.  For those of us who are used to only watching things on TV or in a movie theater, 2016 might be the year we branch out and see what other Sherlock Holmes fans can create.<br />
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<h4>
Writing</h4>
But the world of Sherlock Holmes isn’t just about consuming what others have made.  Get out there and create something of your own!  Contributing to a scion society newsletter or journal, or larger publications is one way to share your thoughts on Holmes and Watson with others.  Want to be more digital? Create a blog or offer to write for one of the many great Sherlockian blogs already out there (I hear the guys at I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/aboutcontribute.html#.Vod3LxUrLb0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">will let just about anybody write for them</a>…).<br />
<br />
Or maybe you’re a more creative type.  We’ve all had the germ of our own Sherlock Holmes story rattle around in our head from time to time.  Make this the year that you put it down on paper.  Create a new story and share it with the world.  You don’t have to be a published author to come up with a case.  Let your creative juices flow!<br />
<br />
<h4>
Join the Community</h4>
The Sherlockian community is built on relationships.  Get out there and find others who are just as interested in Holmes and his world as you are.  If you are looking for people to sit down and talk about stories with, <a href="http://www.sherlockian.net/societies/" target="_blank">find a scion society near you</a>.  If you are more comfortable behind a keyboard, look to the digital world.  Facebook groups, message boards and Twitter conversations are out there waiting for you.<br />
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<br />
It might not be 1895, but you can still revel in the Sherlockian world this year.  Tell us in the comments below what are your Sherlockian resolutions for this year and let us know if we missed any.  Happy New Year!<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/b5bNqv" target="_blank">Keith Williamson (Flickr)</a></i><br />
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<br />

Sherlockian New Year's Resolutions

"fearless in carrying out her resolutions" [NOBL] [ Editor's note: This is one Sherlockian's list of resolutions for...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

The Unpublished Cases of Sherlock Holmes

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"As I turn over the pages I see my notes" [GOLD] </h4>
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<div>
The pages of the original 60 Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are filled with brief references to cases that Watson never managed to bring before the public eye. </div>
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<div>
They represent a tantalizing glimpse of more aspects of an already legendary career, providing additional details that not only give us a better sense of Sherlock Holmes the detective, but of Sherlock Holmes the character as well. It's part of what led many to think of Sherlock Holmes as a real person, alive and practicing his career in late Victorian / early Edwardian London.</div>
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<div>
Dr. Watson himself wrote:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Somewhere in the vaults of the bank of Cox and Co., at Charing Cross, there is a travel-worn and battered tin despatch-box with my name, John H. Watson, M.D., Late Indian Army, painted upon the lid. It is crammed with papers, nearly all of which are records of cases to illustrate the curious problems which Mr. Sherlock Holmes had at various times to examine." [SUSS]</blockquote>
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<div>
The January 1st special on BBC One and MASTERPIECE, <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B013JBJ7EG" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="f72a69b19d563ed8e9c2859cf024104c" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock: The Abominable Bride" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Abominable-Bride-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B013JBJ7EG/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=f72a69b19d563ed8e9c2859cf024104c&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3158878" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3158878" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=f72a69b19d563ed8e9c2859cf024104c&_cb=1451680870515" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> (which we're referring to as ABOM, in the style of Sherlockian scholar <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/02/canonical-abbreviations-no-short.html#.VobkIxUrLb0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jay Finley Christ</a>), was inspired by one of the untold tales, as mentioned in MUSG, when Holmes had pulled his own tin box into the sitting-room and rifled through old notes to find "a full account of Ricoletti of the club foot and his abominable wife."</div>
<div>
<br />
But there have been over 100 cases that Watson or Holmes mentioned in passing, some of which have been dramatized for radio in <a href="http://amzn.to/1R2kF2F" rel="nofollow">the 1940s with Basil Rathbone</a> as "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," and more recently <a href="http://amzn.to/1R2kAME" rel="nofollow">by BBC Radio</a> as "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." [<b><i>Related:</i></b> our interview with BBC Radio head writer Bert Coules, <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose68" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose69" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Part 2</a>.]<br />
<br />
Even Arthur Conan Doyle's son Adrian got into the action together with John Dickson Carr when the two collaborated to write <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0671806041" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="03bcd55ec8798cc0ecdbdf9ae7a043dc" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes" href="http://www.amazon.com/Exploits-Sherlock-Holmes-Adrian-Conan/dp/0671806041/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=03bcd55ec8798cc0ecdbdf9ae7a043dc&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7091953" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7091953" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=03bcd55ec8798cc0ecdbdf9ae7a043dc&_cb=1451681977506" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> as an extension to the Canon.<br />
<br />
As an homage to Watson's Tin Box, more than one Sherlockian has attempted to capture the wonders in verse, which we previously chronicled in <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/08/in-vaults-thor_21.html#.Vobd8RUrLb0" target="_blank">The Great Unrecorded Cases in Watson's Tin Box</a>.<br />
<br />
We once tried to make a list of the cases as we read the Canon the second time, but it seemed like an arduous task. Thankfully, there are other <strike>crazy</strike> dedicated Sherlockians who have done the same. Most notably, Stephen Clarkson, BSI ("Morse Hudson") in <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1899562753" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="3cd0be1d8bb0eed481ee32133e50e9de" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Canonical Compendium" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Canonical-Compendium-Stephen-Clarkson/dp/1899562753/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=3cd0be1d8bb0eed481ee32133e50e9de&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1229318" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Canonical Compendium</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1229318" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=3cd0be1d8bb0eed481ee32133e50e9de&_cb=1451685643945" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> and William Goodrich, BSI ("Alexander Holder") in <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0938501208" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="4941c8d01b604d535ea004272766de60" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="new Good Old Index" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Good-Old-Index/dp/0938501208/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=4941c8d01b604d535ea004272766de60&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_6516914" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The New Good Old Index</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_6516914" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=4941c8d01b604d535ea004272766de60&_cb=1451685627649" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />. Online, Randall Stock, BSI ("South African Securities") created an entry on his site for the <a href="http://www.bestofsherlock.com/ref/untold.htm" target="_blank">Best Untold Tales of the Canon</a>, which show survey results from among Sherlockians.<br />
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Now we'll attempt to list all of the unrecorded tales mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes stories, which includes some that don't involve Holmes or that were mentioned in passing that may lack a proper name. All tales include <a href="http://ihose.co/ABREV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the four-letter abbreviation</a> (click the link to see the key to the code) of the stories in which they were mentioned. If you think we've missed any, please let us know.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Sherlock Holmes: The Unpublished Cases</h3>
The Abbey School [BLAN]<br />
The Abergavenny Murder [PRIO]<br />
The Abernetty family (depth which the parsley had sunk into the butter) [SIXN]<br />
The mortal terror of old Abrahams [LADY]<br />
The dramatic introduction of Dr. Moore Agar [DEVI]</div>
<div>
The singular affair of the aluminum crutch [MUSG]<br />
The Amateur Mendicant Society [FIVE]<br />
The ancient British barrow (the Addleton tragedy) [GOLD]</div>
<div>
The Arsworth Castle business [SCAN]<br />
The tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee [SCAN]</div>
<div>
Lord Backwater [NOBL]<br />
The Bishopgate jewel case [SIGN]<br />
Blackmailing one of the most revered names in England [HOUN]<br />
The bogus laundry affair [CARD]<br />
The Camberwell poisoning case (Holmes winding a dead man's watch) [FIVE]</div>
<div>
Colonel Carruthers [WIST]</div>
<div>
Run-ins with John Clay [REDH]</div>
<div>
Coiner [SHOS]<br />
The Conk-Singleton forgery case [SIXN]<br />
The two Coptic Patriarchs [RETI]</div>
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Saving of Count Von und Zu Grafenstein [LAST]</div>
<div>
The death of Crosby the banker [GOLD]</div>
<div>
The cutter Alicia (never emerged from a small patch of mist) [THOR]<br />
The Darlington substitution scandal [SCAN]<br />
The Dundas separation case (hurling false teeth at wife) [IDEN]<br />
The Dutch steamship <i>Friesland</i> [NORW]</div>
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Etherege [IDEN]</div>
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Mrs. Farintosh's opal tiara [SPEC]</div>
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The Ferrers documents [PRIO]</div>
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Fishmonger (letter from) [NOBL]</div>
<div>
Mrs. Cecil Forrester [SIGN]<br />
The French Government matter of supreme importance [FINA]<br />
The giant rat of Sumatra (<i>Matilda Briggs</i>) [SUSS]<br />
The Grice Patersons in the island of Uffa [FIVE]<br />
The Grosvenor Square furniture van [NOBL]</div>
<div>
Mr. Fairdale Hobbs [REDC]<br />
Huret, the Boulevard assassin [GOLD]<br />
The peculiar persecution of John Vincent Harden</div>
<div>
Jew peddlar [STUD]<br />
The King of Scandinavia ("My last client of the sort was a king.") [NOBL, SCAN]<br />
The loss of the British bark <i>Sophy Anderson</i> [FIVE]<br />
The Manor House case (Adams) [GREE]<br />
The woman at Margate with no powder on her nose [SECO]</div>
<div>
The matter of Marseilles [IDEN]<br />
The colossal schemes of Baron Maupertuis (Netherland-Sumatra Company) [REIG]</div>
<div>
Merridew of abominable memory [EMPT]</div>
<div>
The Molesley mystery [EMPT]<br />
The unfortunate Mme. Montpensier [HOUN]<br />
Morgan the poisoner [EMPT]<br />
The most repellent man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist [SIGN]<br />
The most winning woman (poisoned three little children)<br />
The papers of Ex-President Murillo [NORW]</div>
<div>
The Nonpareil Club card scandal (Colonel Upwood) [HOUN]</div>
<div>
Old man [STUD]<br />
The Paradol Chamber [FIVE]</div>
<div>
The killing of Perkins [3GAB]</div>
<div>
The madness of Isadora Persano (remarkable worm unknown to science) [THOR]</div>
<div>
The disappearance of Mr. James Phillimore (umbrella) [THOR]<br />
The politician, the lighthouse, and the trained cormorant [VEIL]</div>
<div>
Railway porter [STUD]</div>
<div>
The red litmus paper [NAVA]<br />
The repulsive story of the red leech [GOLD]<br />
The reigning family of Holland [IDEN, SCAN]</div>
<div>
Reigning houses of Europe [NAVA]<br />
Ricoletti of the club foot and his abominable wife [MUSG]</div>
<div>
The Riviera robbery [MAZA]</div>
<div>
Royal Family of Scandinavia [FINA]<br />
The old Russian woman [MUSG]</div>
<div>
The St. Pancras case (cap found beside dead policeman) [SHOS]<br />
The Second Stain and Monsieur Dubuque, of the Paris Police [NOBL]<br />
Services to the Crown for which Holmes refused a knighthood [3GAR]<br />
The Smith-Mortimer succession case [GOLD]</div>
<div>
The Spencer John gang [3GAR]</div>
<div>
Archie Stamford [SOLI]</div>
<div>
Henry Staunton [MISS]</div>
<div>
Bert Stevens, the mild-mannered murderer [NORW]<br />
The Sultan of Turkey [BLAN]</div>
<div>
The Tarleton murders [MUSG]<br />
The Tankerville Club scandal [FIVE]</div>
<div>
Tidewaiter (letter from) [NOBL]<br />
The Tired Captain [NAVA]</div>
<div>
The sudden death of Cardinal Tosca [BLAC]</div>
<div>
The Trepoff murder in Odessa [SCAN]</div>
<div>
Two cases [VALL]<br />
Vamberry, the wine merchant [MUSG]<br />
Vanderbilt and the Yeggman [SUSS]<br />
The Vatican cameos [HOUN]<br />
Venomous lizard or gila (Remarkable case, that!) [SUSS]<br />
Vigor, the Hammersmith wonder [SUSS]<br />
Vittoria, the circus belle [SUSS]</div>
<div>
Colonel Warburton's madness [ENGR]</div>
<div>
Wilson, district messenger [HOUN]<br />
Wilson, the notorious canary-trainer [BLAC]</div>
<div>
Young girl [STUD]<br />
<br />
<br />
That's quite an impressive list! But did we miss anything? Do let us know below.<br />
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