Some spoilers sweetie, if you'd call them that!
All the rigmarole of the Sherlock Special and all the hype, yes I use hype even if I am a fan myself, cos at the end of the day and the year, I was saying that it wouldn't really be set in the Victorian era, per se. Sherlock and this version of Sherlock at any rate is firmly set in the modern age. Thus it would be hard pressed for it to be transported back to a bygone age. Bygone since other versions were set in the past but not this one. This Sherlock is definitively and decisively set in today's world. Thus as soon as we got the Previously it was evident (can I say elementary) that the Special would contain references to everything that had gone before. Back taken to the past.
With Watson (Martin Freeman) serving in the military, the Second Afghan War and having a narrative now to explain how he got to where he is and to meeting Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch). Again through a mutual friend, used loosely. Sherlock beating up a corpse just like he did earlier in the opener A Study in Pink ep. To test how long bruising takes before it appears on a DB (dead body,) To having Watson (I've taken to calling John 'Watson' now) as a house mate and having to give out his address of 221B Baker Street. All points were leading to the Moriarty (Andrew Scott) question and 'Miss Me.' Offset from 3.3 His Last Vow. Even having Lastrade(Rupert Graves) around and (can I say arriving back at Baker Street to be greeted by Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs) cos she doesn't do that by the front door and of course the stories Watson used to write as they appeared in The Strand magazine. With reference to The Blue Carbuncle in this one.
So on with the case, The Abominable Bride here, which Watson doesn't name until the end of the episode for his story. A bride, Emelia Ricoletti (Natasha O'Keefee) who apparently committed suicide by shooting herself on her balcony for a crowd to witness. Then mysteriously turning up to kill her husband, Ricoletti (Gerald Kyd) after her DB having been identified by both her husband and a cabbie. Lastrade says Scotland Yard's put it down to suicide, but then there were reports of the bride turning up, as a ghost, or spectre as Homes preferred, though "there's no such thing as ghosts;" in other murders. Sherlock putting that down to people needing to describe something like her in their own cases and crimes, cos she's in the papers. Kind of like a suggestion, a thought implanted that this ghost of the this bride is real. But then why would she be murdering complete strangers and turning up in their homes or wherever the 'events' took place.
Sherlock asks who will be working at the morgue and if that idiot is there and sure enough it's Anderson, or who we know to be Anderson (Jonathan Aris) in modern era. However he's not the coroner, which is Molly Hooper (Louise Brealey) disguised as a man. Here was an amusing part where Watson knows she's a woman, but Sherlock hasn't figured that out, so much for being more intelligent than everyone in that room. Okay let's not say Watson knew cos he's a doctor. It was evident as Watson tells her near the end, she had to disguise herself to get ahead in a man's world. Much like Mary (Amanda Abbington) had to disguise herself as a woman who wants to hire Sherlock just to see h r husband. Apparently Watson has/had moved into the flat with Sherlock. She also seems to be away a lot, as he says. She tells Lastrade she's part of the campaign for women's votes.
They pay a visit to Mycroft (Mark Gatiss) who tells them about a woman who will be needing his help on a case. Sure enough Lady Carmichael turns up, who says her husband will be murdered as he has received five orange pipes in an unmarked envelope. Sherlock keen to know if he's been to America cos that's where the idea of the pips emerges from and Eustace (Tim McInnerny) must've been there without her knowing. He must prevent his murder and promises to do so. Later explaining he hoped he could do this cos he didn't think there'd be a murder to solve anyway. Still at least we did get a conclusion to this case, of sorts. The spouse did it, always suspect the spouse first, as we know, helped by a bunch of females! Should I say 'klan' of women in purple!
Sherlock and Watson together waiting for the bride to appear at Eustace's house and having their little tete a tete, or as Watson referred to it, their talk on a man to man basis. Where he quizzes him on why Sherlock isn't married and why he hasn't found a wife. Especially since well, in the Victorian era, it was the 'done' thing. Even questioning him on his needs of the flesh and implying that Sherlock is still a virgin. How did he manage to keep a straight face there? That he saw Irene Adler's photo in his pocketwatch. There would be reference to her, short of her actually appearing in the show. It was Sherlock's mind palace we were were dealing with after all. Sherlock thoroughly "bored" with Watson's conversation and implications, asking for the gun now to put himself out of his misery of having to listen to him. Then Watson spots the bride. Who in mordern parlance would be nothing more than a hologram, if the technology was there. But as it isn't we'll call it smoke and mirrors. Seeing as how Sherlock deduces it was a piece of glass that was involved in the deception, but all that's later.
As they run toward the house, they hear a window smashing and that's odd since the doors are locked as are the windows and there's no way for them to get in either, without breaking a window themselves. Sherlock leaves Watson on guard and heads upstairs where he meets Lady Carmichael who raves on about how he was meant to protect Eustace. Sherlock follows the blood trail and finds him in the attic, stabbed with a rather female looking dagger. Watson sees the bride behind him and runs away. Letting the bride get away. Otherwise the case would've been solved then ad there cos she wasn't a ghost. Would've thought it more conducive for them to be hiding inside the house, instead of outside, but there you go.
Strange that in this episode Sherlock was surrounded by women; when they get to the church and the mention of the campaign for votes by Mary was a huge piece of foreshadowing. Since the figures in the hooded robes were women. Not only Watson's maid, Jane (Stephanie Hyam, Lily from Jekyll and Hyde) but also Janine (Yasmine Akram) as we get a flashback to Sherlock kissing her in 3.3. But also Molly as herself and a conversation again about how Watson knew that she was a woman and Sherlock didn't. As the bride creeps up behind him, revealing herself to be Moriarty. All the while Sherlock trying to deduce how he died and could've come back. Of course what started this conversation and plot going was Sherlock telling Eustace that he found his wife to be rather intelligent for a woman and far superior to her husband in his thinking. A subtle reference to Irene. Sherlock wouldn't really say that about any woman, except Irene.
So Sherlock got on that plane and was high in four minutes or less, for him to 'dream' about this entire case in an effort to figure out Moriarty's game. I didn't know whether to call that a cop out, or just something to be expected from Moffat and Gattis by mow. Something that we're meant to get ourselves involved in completely and unconditionally, surrendering ourselves to the storylines and the directions they want to take fans in, since by now we know not to get too immersed or to expect any answers. Again shown by reference to how Sherlock possibly survived the fall from St Bart's in The Empty Hearse. Again demonstrated here by the need for Sherlock to dig up the grave of Emelia and see what they did with the 'other' body they used.
It was a reflection of how he jumped and how he got Molly to substitute the DB for his own. But here when they dug up the grave, there was no other body in the coffin and nothing in the grave itself. So if we didn't get an explanation of how Sherlock survived his fall, how would we get one about Moriarty, he shot himself, lost half his head and yet Sherlock et al were expected to believe he was alive. This episode seeking to reaffirm he was and remains dead.
Some clever tactics involved here once again with a repeat of Moriarty turning up at his flat over six times, as Sherlock tells him and he knew he'd turn up. As well as the references to his flat having a smell of being so "manly." Obviously with Watson there, or he used to live there, but that once again reminding us Sherlock has no woman in his life, nor will he. This time Sherlock, in the past had taken a 7% solution of cocaine. Oh and he has a list which is what Mycroft provides him with. As you notice he was quick to pick up the pieces when Sherlock tore it up and threw it down. As Mycroft says he was always there to help him. Flashback to Sherlock passed out from his addiction and taking his list. Hmm, had a silly thought here, thinking out loud, what if Mycroft 'feeds' Sherlock's 'habit'? It's helpful to him on occasions. Guilt for leaving him in that prison for over a year, or cos of Redbeard??
From having a rather overweight Mycroft and having a bet with Sherlock as to how long he has to live until his eating gets the better of him, and Mycroft asking for his list, to Mary working for Mycroft as she receives a note in the beginning from 'M', that was Mycroft naturally, not Moriarty as some thought. So it wasn't any surprise she was sent to keep an eye on Sherlock. Since Watson wouldn't be doing that. But it was the 'other' Watson who did.
Then there was the two references to Redbeard (possibly a foreshadowing for the next series, when it comes about.) But Redbeard was also written in the notebook next to some calculations and Vermeer. (from The Reichenbach Fall ep) As well as Moriarty coining the phrase, "dead is the new sexy." Oh but is it? Sherlock was meant to be dead, he survived, Irene was meant to be dead, she was still alive and what of Moriarty? Sorry this must sound like some rantings instead of a review. Then again it was that sort of an episode, leaving more questions again than providing answers. Or conversely just a fun ep in getting away from all the thinking and questioning and just seeing it as a piece of entertainment. I know that's what it is at the end of the day, but I can't help thinking about it in greater detail.
Interspersed with scenes on the plane, showing us that clearly Sherlock was not 'set' in the Victorian era, except in the mind and eyes of Sherlock himself. As well as the end scene with Moriarty where he's 'thrown' off the Reichenbach Falls, not by Sherlock and their fight, but Watson! As if it's a final good riddance to Moriarty, is it, we can't really tell with the deviousness of Moffat and Gatiss as I said. Perhaps my note to self or New Year's resolution should be 'don't overthink Sherlock. Easier said than done! Also you somehow knew you weren't in Victorian times with overweight Mycroft's reference to "the virus in the data." Really who would have spoken like that back then and Moriarty's reference to data gain. As he said, Moriarty will always live on in Sherlock's mind.
Forget about The Abominable Bride, did you think this was an abominable episode. Sure I thought, the Abominable Snowman somewhere whilst watching. Ha. On the existent scenes in places that were all in Sherlock's mind palace and nothing more. So did we get anything new in this episode? I'd say not. Besides Moriarty licking the dust from Sherlock's mantelpiece and telling Sherlock and Watson to 'elope' A shoutout no doubt to all the John/Sherlock shippers out there, of which I am not! Speedy being re-named 'Speedwell's.'
Guess the suffragette's could be summed by:
John: "I'm taking Mary Home."
Mary: "What?"
John: "Mary's taking me home!"
Oh and the five orange pips, don't forget the pips, like the leftovers of a Christmas tangerine!! ha.
The title being from a line, "Ricoletti of the club foot and his abominable wife..." in The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual, mentioned by Sherlock in one of the original stories, but isn't an actual case that was written about, casting a more mysterious picture to this episode. Maybe also a red herring in that this episode wasn't really about the bride at all.
So it was a mixed bag of reviews, some liked, some didn't, some were on the 221B door knocker! Acting and cast: superb as always. The story: could've done it a bit better! (My opinion and I care not if you disagree! ha.)
For Benedict fans, check this out:
http://www.amazon.com/Continuing-Letter-Benedict-Cumberbatch-Author/dp/B00Y34Q918/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1451754519&sr=8-8&keywords=mila+hasan
No comments:
Post a Comment