Apologies for taking so long to come back on this. I have no idea where this week went!
I have to say that I enjoyed it with a couple of exceptions.
The things I loved are easiest: Mycroft telling Sherlock that the holiday was over and expounding about learning Serbian Sherlock not being able to conceive that John could have a life without him John’s face/reaction when he first sees Sherlock – amazing acting Mary – I liked Mary, although the number of times ‘Liar’ came up in the captions is ominous John being in peril – nothing brings the good out in Sherlock like John in jeopardy Using Guy Fawkes Night and both the history and the popular culture around it as part of the plot – it was a nice acknowledgement of the inherent Britishness of Sherlock Lestrade saying ‘you bastard’ – perfect reaction Sherlock’s parents – I really enjoyed their ‘apparent’ ordinariness, and I loved that they were played by Benedict Cumberbatch’s real parents Sherlock seconding Molly and then referring to her unconsciously as John – sigh Sherlock and Mycroft’s conversation about the hat while playing Operation – brilliant scene The mysterious person at the end watching the scene of Sherlock dragging John from the bonfire on a continuous loop – I like the idea that there is a greater game afoot.
Things I was okay about: The fake outs of what happened when Sherlock fell/jumped/didn’t jump...whatever off St Barts. My first reaction as oh hell, they’re taking the piss out of the fans, in the same way as I started to get grumpy with SPN for doing with the whole fanfiction meta storyline. However, the more I thought about it, the more I think that it’s exactly what half of London would be doing as soon as they knew Sherlock was alive, so why not have some of the people who would want Sherlock’s death not to be true – like Anderson – come up with a series of outlandish scenarios. The production team know that the viewers all know Sherlock isn’t dead, so I saw it more as a gentle tease rather than fan mocking – and also an acknowledgement that it’s exactly that kind of speculation that has kept the series in people’s minds for the two years it has been off the air.
I should also say that I knew before starting that the answer to the riddle of how Sherlock survived wouldn’t be answered in that episode, so perhaps that’s another reason I didn’t mind the fake outs.
Things I felt short changed over… Really just the one – the pay off in the Tube carriage with the bomb. It was a nice touch to use something as British as the Tube and a station that had never been put into service, but I agree that really didn’t like the way Sherlock seemed so cavalier with John’s feelings. And I didn’t like the white out cut, straight to Sherlock spinning Anderson another ‘how I did it’ tale. (Although I did like Anderson’s little meltdown) But yeah, that scene in the Tube carriage was the one that bugged me – if I’d read it in a fanfic, I’d have thought it was a first draft that still needed a lot of thinking through and polishing to get the scene that the story deserved.
So yeah, lots I loved, stuff I was fine about, and one thing that really jarred for me. But as I think we both agree, still hands down, so much more than most of the stuff that’s on TV. And to be honest, after waiting two years, I don’t think anything was ever going to live up to everyone’s expectations.
However, we have episode two tomorrow, which a friend of mine here who is obsessed with British TV and has already seen it (bad girl…) says is the best written piece of TV drama she’s seen in years – so that’s quite the recommendation. I can’t wait to see if she’s right.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2014-01-25 08:20 pm (UTC)I have to say that I enjoyed it with a couple of exceptions.
The things I loved are easiest:
Mycroft telling Sherlock that the holiday was over and expounding about learning Serbian
Sherlock not being able to conceive that John could have a life without him
John’s face/reaction when he first sees Sherlock – amazing acting
Mary – I liked Mary, although the number of times ‘Liar’ came up in the captions is ominous
John being in peril – nothing brings the good out in Sherlock like John in jeopardy
Using Guy Fawkes Night and both the history and the popular culture around it as part of the plot – it was a nice acknowledgement of the inherent Britishness of Sherlock
Lestrade saying ‘you bastard’ – perfect reaction
Sherlock’s parents – I really enjoyed their ‘apparent’ ordinariness, and I loved that they were played by Benedict Cumberbatch’s real parents
Sherlock seconding Molly and then referring to her unconsciously as John – sigh
Sherlock and Mycroft’s conversation about the hat while playing Operation – brilliant scene
The mysterious person at the end watching the scene of Sherlock dragging John from the bonfire on a continuous loop – I like the idea that there is a greater game afoot.
Things I was okay about:
The fake outs of what happened when Sherlock fell/jumped/didn’t jump...whatever off St Barts. My first reaction as oh hell, they’re taking the piss out of the fans, in the same way as I started to get grumpy with SPN for doing with the whole fanfiction meta storyline. However, the more I thought about it, the more I think that it’s exactly what half of London would be doing as soon as they knew Sherlock was alive, so why not have some of the people who would want Sherlock’s death not to be true – like Anderson – come up with a series of outlandish scenarios. The production team know that the viewers all know Sherlock isn’t dead, so I saw it more as a gentle tease rather than fan mocking – and also an acknowledgement that it’s exactly that kind of speculation that has kept the series in people’s minds for the two years it has been off the air.
I should also say that I knew before starting that the answer to the riddle of how Sherlock survived wouldn’t be answered in that episode, so perhaps that’s another reason I didn’t mind the fake outs.
Things I felt short changed over…
Really just the one – the pay off in the Tube carriage with the bomb. It was a nice touch to use something as British as the Tube and a station that had never been put into service, but I agree that really didn’t like the way Sherlock seemed so cavalier with John’s feelings. And I didn’t like the white out cut, straight to Sherlock spinning Anderson another ‘how I did it’ tale. (Although I did like Anderson’s little meltdown) But yeah, that scene in the Tube carriage was the one that bugged me – if I’d read it in a fanfic, I’d have thought it was a first draft that still needed a lot of thinking through and polishing to get the scene that the story deserved.
So yeah, lots I loved, stuff I was fine about, and one thing that really jarred for me. But as I think we both agree, still hands down, so much more than most of the stuff that’s on TV. And to be honest, after waiting two years, I don’t think anything was ever going to live up to everyone’s expectations.
However, we have episode two tomorrow, which a friend of mine here who is obsessed with British TV and has already seen it (bad girl…) says is the best written piece of TV drama she’s seen in years – so that’s quite the recommendation. I can’t wait to see if she’s right.
Sorry, hon, I told you I was long winded! *g*