Sherlock

[Lee Bates]

I started watching this out of boredom, expecting to hate it. "Here we go," I thought, "unnecessary updating of a classic, needless removal or tweaking of established lore". But I really, really enjoyed it. Thought the acting was great, the dialogue snappy and funny and the plotting and pacing taut and exciting. I wasn't even annoyed by the on-screen text and 'GPS' scene.

Fantastic, can't wait for the next episode.

[Minkyboy]

I was playing Counter-Strike upstairs (first time for years but wanted to check out the steam update) and my wife came up saying,
"I've found something decent to watch!" She was genuinely excited.

We thought it was great telly.
Martin Freeman was in fine fettle.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

I think, uh, sheepishly I may reassess it. Funny old mood last night, I guess it was that same "I was ready to hate it" scenario only I followed through. I will try again with a "well everyone on the boards, facebook and twitter seems to think it's acceptable, don't be such a stubborn arse" scenario.

[Albion]

I'm a big fan of the original books too and was concerned by modern Holmes but I also really enjoyed. Looking forward to the next one.

How long does it take to get to Brixton from Baker Street in a cab? It seemed to get very dark very quickly during that journey.

[SmallBlueThing]

Well, if you'd've asked me to predict my response to a moffat/ gatiss holmes, id've just laughed and said that i wouldn't watch.

As it went, i did watch, and it was exactly as i thought it would be.

The usual moffat dialogue, the usual moffat 'characterisation', the usual crap gatiss pastiche and performance. I don't know what was worse, 'im in shock. Look, i have a blanket', or gatiss's toe-curlingly annoying nose-wrinkling. Or martin freeman doing his schtick.

Benedict Cumberbatch makes a decent Holmes though, when he's not being a mouthpiece for Moffat's middle-aged idea of what 'smart young things' speak like. See also tennant and smith.

SBT

[Batman's Superior Cousin]

Missed it!!! When's the repeat, pray tell?

[uncle fester]

I had an advantage watching this - I didn't know who Mark Gatiss was (don't shoot me) so I was free to be submersed in the plot. Absolutely loved it. Yes there were elements in it you could say were borrowed from other films/programs/books but I try not to over analyse such things as it usually spoils it for me. The pace and the modern setting really worked - looking forward to the next one!

[johnnystress]

I agree with a lot of what has been said- expected to hate it- but enjoyed it, quite a bit

Could've used more drugs and fine cakes though

[bluemeanie]

I fucking loved it.

Not usually a fan of Freeman but thought he was very good in this, especially in scenes where he showed he'd been through some shit and wasnt a man to rattle easily.
The guy playing Holmes was just the right side of eccentric and had a good level of contempt for everyone else.
The visuals showing his thought process were also pretty cool and not something we've seen before apart from in the recent movie's fight scene.
Also liked they went everywhere in black cabs which was a nice little visual nod to the hansom cabs of old Holmes.

My only gripe would be that while Gatiss worked very well in the last scene, he was a bit too "League of Gentlemen" in the middle one. Pulled me out of it a little bit.

I did initially have a bit of a stick up my arse about them moving it to the present day but then 2 things hit me

1 - Thats exactly what they did with the Rathbone stuff... well, most of them anyway. And I love those so I should shut up.
2 - No need to film them classically, Brett stuff already done that as well as is possible.

And for the record:
Read most of the books as a kid
Listened to all the Rathbone radio plays (dig them out, they rock)
Have the Rathbone and Brett dvd box sets.
FINISHED THE ZX SPECTRUM GAME!! (with a few hints from Crash magazine)

"That's brilliant"
"That's not what people usually say"
"What do people usually say?"
"Piss off"

[pauljholden]

Really enjoyed this, Gatiss performance yanked me out of it a bit (a lot more than displaying then text messaging / deduction on screen did). And it seemed like while everything else was going for realism (ish) he was in a Roger moore era bond flick.

[The Legendary Shark]

Yep, quite liked this. The "three patch problem" was a little bit lame, imho, and the music didn't quite sit right with me but that's all I've really got to complain about. On the whole, a well executed hour and a half of entertainment which has me looking forward to next week's episode.

[Dark Jimbo]

Really enjoyed it, although gnashing of teeth ensued several times as it impinged dangerously closely on a novel I've been working on - not so much the Sherlock stuff as all the new stuff they'd added. Bah!

[Minkyboy]

The "three patch problem" was a little bit lame, imho,

I wondered if the patches were to cover injection sites?

I also figured out on my cycle home that Sherlock could have got the police to analyse the two drug vials and therefore discover if had been about to poison himself or not.

And could any of our ex-forces brethren tell me if that was a realistic pistol shot at that distance through glass?
And how much combat do army medics see?

Still thinking about it.
Must have enjoyed it!

[Wils]

Enjoyed this a lot and really looking forward to next week's. Generally didn't think Martin Freeman was much cop before Micro Men, but glad it wasn't a fluke and to see he's not just limited to his 'sigh face'. Benny Cummerbund made a great Holmes; nicely arrogant and displaying hints of both Rathbone and Brett.

Speaking of which, here's a snippet that keeps our household laughing whenever we remember it.

Sherlock Holmes vs Ted Maul
"Ooooh!"

[The Legendary Shark]

I wondered if the patches were to cover injection sites?

Hmmm, maybe - but surely Sherlock would be able to devise a rather more cunning way to disguise track marks than sticking big plasters over them? Unless, of course, the patches themselves were cunningly infused with something naughty. I did feel that the nicotine patches were a cop out, though, as 'Olmes was fond of 'is opium, guv.