A Scandal in Belgravia (Sherlock BBC)

[keep_counting]

And that was... dissapointing


The episode went sort of like a curve for me: it started out REALLY great, then it got annoying, then I got bored, then a leeeetle bit of drama, then I was completely unempressed with the over-all plot, then Sherlock cracked the phone-code and I was all 'Wooohooo' and then that ending was about the lamest thing in ever.

Moffat, it's alright for characters to die and stay dead. It happens. Also, he can't write romance to save his life. I would say more about that, but just go read kilodalton's review of this. To quote on Moffat-romance: 'they're too rushed, too vapid, too based on sex as opposed to emotion, and fall flat.'

I got a kick out of Mrs. Hudson's scenes. Sherlock and John's relationship seems to have reverted to a former status however: oh, and the Molly scene was greatly executed as well. But overall? Not at all living up to the pure quality that was the first season. Instead of a plot-driven episode with amazing interaction, we have an episode that is mainly about a sexy-sexy lady (who is played beautifully by Laura Pulver I must admit) who double-hands Sherlock, and the secret, somewhat-eeeevil (only not really) government project. Oh, and Mycroft told Mrs. Hudson to shut up. Mycroft, that is so not on. You have been relocated on my favorites-list, and am now just above Anderson. Shame on you!!

In the canon story, Irene Adler is an opera-singer who, yes, cons people and yes, tricks and outsmarts Sherlock, but her story is a small one and in the end she runs away with this guy that she wants to marry - this guy who isn't Sherlock. At all. And this woman - written by a dude who lived in a society where women were not equal to men - managed to write her as strong and brilliant, without the bloody sex jokes.

Sorry, but its starting to become a pattern that a woman is strong if she's comfortable with being naked: she's strong if she's all about her sexuality. These don't have to be connected, at all.

Moriarty's ringtone almost saved this whole episode, though. That was so fucking amazing, I cried from laughter!!!

Comments

[sensiblecat.livejournal.com]

It had a surprising number of similarities with the DW ep, Girl in the Fireplace. Mr Enigmatic falls for Ms Mysterious, Filthy Privileged and Unattainable. She is his intellectual equal, she strings him along but is in fact unavailable, already involved with royalty. They never quite get the timing right. He loses her and broods. Dear old Moff, he does so love these enigmatic ladies. And that final scene was sillier than anything in Doctor Who, which is quite saying something. I eagerly await the fic where fellow-romantic Ten gives Sherlock a lift in the TARDIS to get to that appointment, and Sherlock responds by being rudely and monumentally bored.

I'm also not sure I like the bromance to be quite so explicit. I'd rather we didn't have any refs to Watson's sexuality, not because I'm a prude but because I think an air of mystery is more enticing. There was a bit too much of Sexy Naked Cumberpatch in this, and it turned him into a product. Not that I have any problem with BC's lovely body, but it's Sherlock's mind I'm really interested in.

[keep-counting.livejournal.com]

Oh god, that is so true! I'd compared Irene a bit more to River, but that so fits as well :) and someone needs to write that fic.

The ending made me cringe so much, I thought it was absolutely horrible.

While I do ship John/Sherlock, when I say 'bromance' I do mean more moments like the joke about the ashtray at the start, and the interactions about the blog: just general things, when you can see that they do care about each other. I didn't feel like there was a lot of that here, it was rushed through to get to the Irene/Sherlock-things. In the first season, the Holmes/Watson friendship was really at the heart of the show - as it is in the books - and this episode sorely lacked it, while also having a bit of a - dare I say - stupid plot to back it up, which didn't help at all.