Two Holmes's

Last week the long-awaited third season of Sherlock made its debut in Canada, the same week Elementary broadcast its first new episode since before Christmas. One obviously a bigger deal than the other. I'm going to be the minority opinion on this one but, of the two, Elementary was more entertaining to me. Here's why:

Right from the start of the new Sherlock I was struck by how much higher its production values are than any of the American versions. The opening credits are gorgeous, it has a full orchestra for its theme, it's just more compelling as a piece of television. But the episode took a full half hour to get started. The cliff-hanger of all cliff-hangers (if you haven't already read any of the Holmes books or seen the Robert Downey Jr big screen versions) had to be wrapped up in some narratively interesting way and it just wasn't. The episode dragged because the show's makers were so keen to demonstrate they knew there was no reasonable explanation for Sherlock's apparent suicide not to end the series. We knew it, they knew it, but no one wanted the show to end so the did a clever little, tongue-in-cheek explanation that wasn't really an explanation and bogged the whole episode down. In the end what we got was 85 minutes of Holmes and Watson's friendship and 5 minutes of a half-baked mystery plot. Yes, it was fun to look at and yes I'm glad the show is back - it will only get better from here. But it will have a long way to go to catch up with the great leap forward Elementary achieved with much less effort.

Elementary brought Holmes' nemesis Moriarity back. The show has done a lot of interesting things with her (first off, it made him a her, combining the nemesis and love interest). I'll try to give a sufficient recap without spoiling the episode for those of you who haven't seen it. One of Moriarity's cut-outs is behind a high-profile kidnapping and Sherlock thinks they can use her but only if they do so with the utmost care. As in the book, movie versions, and Sherlock Holmes has been carrying on a secret correspondence with the variously named but always present "Woman", only in this case she is also a heartless (but thankfully not insane) villain. Unlike the other version, when this is discovered he immediately shares both the content and the reasons for the epistolary relationship with Watson. Moriarity is a criminal mastermind and a useful case study, Holmes argues. Watson (in this version, she isn't an idiot) isn't fooled. She knows Holmes is still in love with Moriarity and Holmes (again, unlike the other versions of the story) doesn't bother to deny it. The basis for Holmes and Moriarity's relationship is both believe themselves unique, so far beyond the capacities and capabilities of "normal" people they are destined for each other - despite their past and continuing conflict. They are too different, too special. All the Holmes variations have this in common. The reason Holmes is allowed (to whatever degree he is allowed) to behave so badly is precisely this uniqueness. In last week's Sherlock Holmes luxuriated in his own mythology (which made for a very boring episode). He was an ass for the whole thing and the final bit of assholery didn't leave me saying, "Oh that Sherlock!" I was saying, "What an asshole." But in last week's Elementary, Holmes was revealed to be a (very slightly) pathetic figure who uses his mythology as a way of avoiding his own insecurities, failings, and fears. That is a bold move. The show survives because people enjoy the Holmes character, with his arrogance intact. The mythos is simple - it's a variation of the male power fantasy (tailored for nerds). To strike at the foundation of that myth and risk destroying the currency of the fantasy for the sake of a more interesting lead is a great move. And special props because it was so subtly done. You could choose to believe Holmes is wiser than Watson (who's inadequate romantic life made another brief appearance in the episode) and some people will. If you want to believe the Holmes mythology, you can. If you want to consider the character as something new, you can do that too (and I think you would be interpreting the show correctly).

Insufferable people make good television but there is a reason only Homer Simpson has lasted so long - they become either unbelievable or simply unlikable after too much exposure. After watching a very good cast of supporting characters simper about how wonderful Sherlock is for 90 minutes, I wasn't satisfied with Watson punching him in the face, I wanted him to get run over by a car. Or train. Or crushed by a falling safe. Anything to wipe that insufferable smirk off his face. Elementary took only 45 minutes to make me feel a kind of protectiveness for Holmes. He is so utterly inept with people he cares about and so obviously false in his grandiosity and arrogance. It was a completely unexpected turn for this component of the franchise to take and it promises some good television to come. Unless I read the episode wrong, in which case it still has Lucy Liu.