The Right Way To Update Sherlock Holmes

I really disliked the Guy Ritchie "Sherlock Holmes" movie from last year, which was trying to turn Holmes into something more like a modern-day action hero. So when I heard about a new adaptation of the legendary character I was concerned. The plan for "Sherlock," airing on PBS' "Masterpiece Mystery!" series, was to not just make Holmes and Dr. Watson seem more modern, but to actually bring the characters into the present day. And not by being cryogenically frozen, either. I was very skeptical, but still curious.

The new Holmes and Watson

So tonight, instead of being bored and disgusted by election coverage, I fired up the old DVR and watched the first two (of three) episodes. While not everything is the same -- the deerstalker cap is long gone, as it was in the Ritchie movie, and instead of Holmes' exclamation that "the game is afoot," here he says, "The game is on!" -- the famous address of 221B Baker Street is still their residence, and Mrs. Hudson is still their landlady.

In the first episode, we learn that Watson (Martin Freeman) was wounded in Afghanistan, is shipped back home and is having trouble readjusting to civilian life. He wants to live in London but can't afford decent accomodations; an old colleague introduces him to Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), who is very much a fan of texting and has his own website, "The Science of Deduction," and he quickly gets Watson involved as he is asked by Detective Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard for assistance in investigating a series of deaths that appear to be suicides.

The chemistry between the two leads is lots of fun, with quite a few allusions to the oft-speculated idea that Holmes and Watson are lovers. And the manner in which Holmes makes his deductions is visually striking. This is the fast-paced, energetic but still incredibly brilliant Holmes that Guy Ritchie didn't quite achieve with Robert Downey, Jr.

There's one more episode on PBS this Sunday, but if you didn't see the first two you can catch up online for the next month.