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ColIndyJones In reply to MidnightRosePrincess [2013-12-20 17:59:54 +0000 UTC]

Dear Princess:

This is Indy. Christmas greetings from Canada!! I hope this finds you and yours well.

Have you heard as to why we have a Holmes for the 21st Century?  If not, please let me know?


                                                               Believing in Sherlock Holmes always,

                                                               Indy.

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MidnightRosePrincess In reply to ColIndyJones [2013-12-25 21:11:27 +0000 UTC]

Yep, I believe I heard. Jeremy Brett was a friend to Benedict Cumberbatch's parents and he was the first and only pick when Gatiss & Moffat decided to bring Holmes into the 21st century. I love how they're adpating some of the stories and referencing other quirks about the Holmes canon (like the deerstalker, for example). There's a few things I don't like with it, but on the whole I enjoy it a lot.

I'm also ecstatic we're getting a new Russian Sherlock Holmes series. I adored Vasily Romanov and Vitaly Solomin as the best duo ever, but it's great to see new ones filling up their deerstalkers as well? Have you seen it yet? 

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ColIndyJones In reply to MidnightRosePrincess [2013-12-25 21:55:24 +0000 UTC]

Dear Midnight Rose:

This is Indy. Greetings for Christmas from Canada!!! I hope this finds you and yours well.

Alas, we don't get any Russian TV over here. I'm also sorry to say that I don't understand one word of the language. I've heard of the first Russian Holmes and Watson.I don't really hate to say this, but I've given my heart to a certain 6 foot one half inch ginger.

What problems do you have with BBC Sherlock? To me, it's supposed to be played with all tongues firmly in cheek. Sherlock (Cumberbatch) is a very misunderstood man which, I think, you have the insults coming from Donovan and Anderson, who aren't the brightest Crayolas in the box. I feel that Sally doesn't realize how she hurts Sherlock by calling him a "freak." Every time she said that, I had to overcome the sudden urge throttle her within an inch of her miserable life.

I suppose you've heard that Benedict doesn't like the deerstalker? Yes, he does realize it's part of the Holmes lore, but he won't wear it. I feel that since Holmes and Watson have been brought into the 21st Century, it was time to see the world's greatest detective and his doctor in a brand new light, and that meant leaving the things that are identifiable with Holmes behind. That mean the deerstalker, even though our boys have had their fun with it it, the Inverness cape and the pipe. Yes, our Holmes does carry a magnifying glass of a type, but the best I found to describe it is that it looks like a microscope slide with a magnifying lens in its middle. When Sherlock isn't using it, he just slides the two sides of the cover together and puts it in his pocket.

What does  your Russian Holmes and Watson look like? Are they true to the British Victorian Holmes and Watson? I've seen drawings of the first Russian Holmes and , in the one art piece I saw he was paired with Cumberbatch. The Russian Holmes was sitting on one side of the table, and Benedict was sitting on the other side--hands folded in front of his mouth.

Might I presume that the first Russian Holmes and Watson are no longer with us? That's a way of saying that they have died.

                                                                        Believing in Sherlock Holmes always,

                                                                        Indy.

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MidnightRosePrincess In reply to ColIndyJones [2013-12-27 01:21:52 +0000 UTC]

I found the Russian version of Sherlock Holmes back when I was in high school. I didn't grow up with it as I did Granada's series. It is also known as the Soviet series, because it was made back in the 70s and 80s in Russia. It sticks to the Victorian Age pretty well, and many people love Solomin's version of Watson. Romanov's Holmes did have a habit of sitting on tables and blowing up experiments, and at one point liked wearing glasses. He was one of the more quirky ones.

You can watch it here, subtitled in English for those os us who have trouble understanding Russian: video.kylekeeton.com/2007/03/s…

Vasily Romanov, who portrays Holmes, is still with us (at age 78), while Vitaly Solomin, sadly, passed away in 2002 at the age of 61. I like their comradarie and their version of what happened at the Reichenbach Falls is just as moving as Granada's version. 

As for the thing with the deerstalker... I wasn't aware Benedict didn't like it. However, how do I say this? I knew they wouldn't have his Holmes wear it because the original in Doyle's novels rarely ever did either. It's one of those things that the fandom made famous. In the novels Holmes didn't traverse around with a deerstalker and inverness cape. They based that off of Sidney Paget's drawings, which were done for the stories when Doyle published them in the Strand magazine way back when the stories first appeared. The fandom ran with it and made it famous, though it was not quite accurate. BBC Sherlock having to wear it in the third episode of Season 2 was like a little in-joke for the fans. 

I like Benedict's version of Sherlock, he seems to be a much more vulnerable Holmes than other ones I've seen, which makes his character very interesting to watch. Jeremy Brett will always be my favorite, however. He holds a special place in my heart and when I read the original stories, he's the Holmes I picture in my head. 

Anderson and Donovan. What can I say? They're twats. However, going from the trailers for season 3 and the 7 minute mini-episode, it looks like Anderson joined the "I-believe-in-Sherlock" groups and is excited for his return. I'm wary of this, but who knows? Maybe Anderson's learned his lesson and will be a good guy from now on. 

My problem with BBC Sherlock is mostly the way some of the writing is handled at times. My main problem with it can be summed up in the Scandal of Belgravia episode. I could rant about it forever. It felt like such a betrayal. The series was being so good at respecting Sherlock's asexuality and many of the updated characters were great. Then comes in a dominatrix Irene Adler with an episode that completely disrespects Sherlock's asexuality and just... *sigh* Then they took Irene Adler and did that too her. In the original novels she was a bit of a scandal (omg a woman in Victorian Age of propriety who can shoot guns, ride horses, sings opera and is smarter than those after her), but I can't understand why that had to translate to her being a dominatrix/spy/semi-cohort of Moriarty. Plus, while in the original she outsmarted Holmes, earned his respect, outwitted a king and only kept the photo in the first place to make sure he didn't pursue her when she married a man she truly loved, at the end of her BBC episode was outsmarted by Sherlock, disrespected him, and had to be a damsal in distress to be saved by him. 

That's as best as I can summarize it without ranting. I was just so disappointed with her characterization and at the episode for falling into predictable paths. While the other episodes and characterizations are inventive & respectful, as well as have plots that give unpredictable twists and turns of brilliance. But, wise men say, "only when you can see the flaws in the things you enjoy, can you truly appreciate what makes them great." So, some good comes from it.

Sorry for going on too long. That's why I was vague in my first reply. I hope you like the Russian series (though it's a bit more like a series of movies).

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