SPOILERS FOR SHERLOCK SEASON 3:
I was so excited last night. I planned my whole evening around the PBS premiere of Sherlock Season 3. Go ahead and call me “lame.” I don’t care. If loving Sherlock makes me wrong, I don’t want to be right. I should admit that I was a very good girl and I didn’t watch the episodes online, nor did I delve too deeply into the Tumblrs, Buzzfeed posts and spoiler-tastic UK blogs about this season. I knew the basic stuff going in: that John had a mustache and a serious girlfriend, that Sherlock had been out of England for the past two years, and that in his absence, a Sherlock Cult had risen up, developing conspiracy theories about how he had faked his death. I also knew that many of the Sherlock-loonies were sort of disappointed with this season.
So, I watched “The Empty Hearse” last night and… I don’t get why people were disappointed at all. It was extremely satisfying. Was everything explained to perfection? Of course not. Are there still huge questions and gaps? Yes. But what were you expecting, a documentary about how he faked his death? I sincerely did not hate any part of “The Empty Hearse”. So here were some of my favorite parts – BIG SPOILERS!
*I loved that even at the beginning, when Sherlock is talking to Mycroft, you can see how much he’s matured. He’s still somewhat bratty, but he’s softened a bit and more prone to show human emotion.
*I loved the addition of Amanda Abbington, Martin Freeman’s real-life partner. She was wonderful and it was such a pleasant surprise to see that she liked Sherlock immediately.
*Sherlock’s parents!!!!!! Played by Benedict Cumberbatch’s parents, Timothy Carlton and Ventham. Every single thing about their cameo was genius.
*Molly! She’s changed a lot too. And she got an imaginary snog off Sherlock. I need to ask: why was everyone looking at her boyfriend like he was an alien? Is it because he’s supposed to look sort of Sherlock-y and she obviously has a type? Because I didn’t think the guy looked like Sherlock at all. He looked like Michael Shannon (so much so that I really thought it was Michael Shannon).
*I didn’t cry at any of the John parts, although I did feel all the feels. But the part that got me choked up was Lastrade’s reaction when he heard Sherlock’s voice. SO MANY FEELS.
*Everything about John and Sherlock’s reunion. Every single part.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
It was a little self indulgent. They sacrificed narrative consistency for the Cumby one-man show.
It was fine, just not Sherlock.
On the upside, Cumby looked FIIIIIIINE.
yes almost like slap stick
@ T fanty did you not think BC looked a bit tired in segments?
There was no real detective story at the heart of it. I fell in love with Sherlock for the stories (and bc I’ve read the complete works of Conan Doyle like 4 times backwards and forwards). Also, a subway train bomb that blows up the parliament on the Guy Fawkes day? I’m sorry, Natalia Portman had already shaved her head for that one.
ETA – Oh, and the ‘I’m a bit disappointed’/ ‘everyone’s a critic’ exchange? A cheap cop-out. Real Sherlock wouldnt hedge like that.
To not be a total grouch (and bc I liked Eps 2 and 3 well enough, esp 2), I LOOOOOOOVED the kiss with Molly. So hot!
that hair ruffle was EVERYTHING
@Anna,
Also my 13 y/o train fanatic, Oh that’s not right train thats the wrong rolling stock, the seats don’t look like that. Oh you can’t go 2 stops it’s the wrong tube line… as he shook his head. I too like the story that ws the interesting part.
YESSSSS!
@Anna
See this comment surprises me. I have always just assumed that Sherlock fans dont like Conan Doyles work or atleast think it needs a modern take for whatever reason (like maybe they find the period inaccessible). So I’m genuinely surprised and that isnt meant as shade at all.
I havent seen the new episode but it doesnt take a genius to see that they wrote themselves into a corner with season 2 finale. I’m done with the show anyway,
JojoAnn –
What was the most surprising thing about my comment? (sorry, it’s 10pm, 12-hr workday and I am fried).
I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fanatic. To me, there’s no better version than the Russian 1979 version (it wasnt the first Russian version either), but I love all well-executed Sherlock works, updated or not, incl the Cumby one, and Elementary too, because they maintain the tone of the original works. I do think that the RDJ version is cr@p – it’s campy and the chemistry is off.
Re: this particular series: I was hooked from S1E1, not at all bc of Cumby but bc it was the best showcase of his method of deduction, and the suspense was real. Then, Moriarty was truly terrifying, a Sherlock-worthy villain, like in the books. Season two maintained the intensity, even when the deduction bit weakened. And then in S3E1 we get a second-rate villain who doesnt say a word and is barely present, a plot recycled from a 2005 action movie, and a whole lot of meta commentary on the fandom. Bust.
Anna,
That was exactly my problem. No real plot to speak of, and so much inconsistency. Sherlock was both rusty and on top of his game. Lonely, and exactly the social outcast he liked to be. Plus, he wasn’t even technically home for John – just for a job.
In terms of ACD and the stories, it also took the narrative control from John and reduced him to a damsel in distress, which is pretty much what he was throughout the episode.
@ Anna
I don’t think CAM is ‘the’ villain, but a side-plot.
Interestingly, gossip mags are saying Sherlock will get a Christmas special this year and then start series 4 in Jan. If that’s the case–who knows–past experience with other shows indicates that’s the episode that will be the actual S3 conclusion in terms of storylines.
I enjoyed this season quite a bit. Didn’t mind the narration shifting from John’s POV to Sherlock’s, but I’d imagine we’re going back to the former and seeing Sherlock come to some sort of level in S4.
“Also, a subway train bomb that blows up the parliament on the Guy Fawkes day? I’m sorry, Natalia Portman had already shaved her head for that one.”
Yes, because if one project has already done a story then no one else can ever do that story ever again. It’s not like Hollywood, or writers in general, rehashes stories all time or anything. And if that’s so then you better tell Hollywood to stop making WWII dramas, and slavery dramas, and superhero movies, and any other historical movie ever because that’s already been done.
And by the way, Guy Fawkes did it first, so there.
Too much time spent on an icky cross between fan service and outright mocking of fans, some of which was cringingly sexist (sad lonely not pretty girl whose fanfic was homoerotic). I actually wondered whethef the Caitlin Moran debacle was pre-arranged. I did not like.
It does get better in two and three. Although I thought the denouement was a mess.
The writers have gone out of their way to make this show deliberately homoerotic. In a way, those fangirls who are into that are actually carrying the torch of the show’s true intent. There was never a need to fill the show with so many references to homosexuality (especially considering there are no actual gay characters on the show) — the fact that the writers did so is clearly deliberate. I can’t blame the fangirls for perpetuating that. It’s not like they created this — they’ve only built a fan base around what was already there.
“sad lonely not pretty girl”
Now that’s interesting. Where was it implied she was “sad and loney”? (“Pretty” is in the eye of the beholder). Are they stereotyping or are we?
That’s how a lot of the more rabid stans come across to me so so be it if they’re mocked. These creeps were threatening Freeman’s wife for getting in the way of johnlock for chrissake.
Mia -I think the show used a deliberate stereotype which I was offended by, rather than my labelling something by own prejudice, honest.
Maureen – I say yay to gay and homoerotic elements. Only nay when they are used to mock a subset of fan.
Side Eye – fans are people too. Even rabid ones. Way to be cruel, Gatiss and Moffat. I know I’m being sanctimonious but I maintain that’s better than cruel.
Maureen,
I would argue that it’s homophobia masquerading as homoeroticism. The implicit joke is that these are MEN and to interpret their relationship as anything other than MEN being MEN is a comedic insult to them.
@TFanty
You have nailed it (though I would likely not have used the word “homophobia” — maybe “idiotic” would be as fitting!). I find it consistently frustrating the way their closeness as friends is made sport of, sexualized, and the “gay jokes” are stale and unfunny (how many times does Watson and Mrs. Hudson have to play that ridiculous game of Watston’s “I’M NOT GAY!!” to Mrs. Hudson’s “it’s okay if you’re one of them, we’ve got married ones next door” and so on.) Even after he’s engaged to Mary the jokes continue.
I think Mark Gatiss actually thinks it’s hilarious. I think everyone involved who is actually gay thinks it’s hilarious and cute and forward-thinking, and using comedy to make a statement about society. I think everyone involved in writing and production thinks they are all very clever. And then the actors have to live with the burden of being the center of fan fiction that embarrasses them and which has nothing to do with their work and which detracts from the integrity of their work as serious actors. And frankly, it detracts from the integrity of the show as well.
That’s a more efficient reading than my general point. And, as Sixer points out, it both panders to and baits the fangirls.
I sound horribly curmudgeonly, don’t I?
It’s difficult to comment when so many of you guys have only seen episode 1! I will say that there were many things I liked, the most shallow of which was the alien hotness of Benny the Bitch, something to which I am usually immune. He looked, well, hot! And I liked all sorts of other stuff. Also, episode 3 does help with the narrative issues mentioned here.
And I think my dislike of the fan w4nk is sharpened by a peculiarly British perspective, which is difficult to explain. Shows that eat themselves in this way have a good home on BBC3. They are not appropriate for BBC1, which is for a mainstream audience. My parents, for example, are big fans of the show but didn’t understand half of this season. All that stuff just went over their heads.
It’s bad form for a BBC1 show to become that self-indulgent that it can only be fully understood by a certain section of the audience. This becomes more significant when you consider that anyone with a working TV in the UK has to pay a licence fee to fund the BBC that currently costs almost three times the price of a monthly Netflix subscription.
I saw The Empty Hearse a couple of weeks ago but haven’t seen the rest yet. I loved all of John’s reactions, they were so real and so enjoyable, especially after how cocky and callous Sherlock is about revealing himself.
It was great to see Mycroft and Sherlock interacting with no one else around to impress, the hints to their early lives are some of my favorite bits, along with the brotherly mateship between Sherlock and John.
Yes it was self indulgent, but if they’d played it the other way and only revealed one possibility of his surviving the fall, then wouldn’t there be skepticism like what Anderson feels at the end? This is a show set in the modern day, a world of Internet blogs and conspiracy theories and fanfiction. Gatiss acknowledged that, although I agree that a bit too much time was spent on it.
Also, I’m very much over the need for John’s protestations to Mrs Hudson, she’s seen him with two seasons worth of girlfriends and she still thinks he’s gay? Get past the joke already.
They need to give Molly a bit more of a life rather than just a Sherlock coat-tail.
And didn’t Sherlock get smacked enough by John at the beginning? Why on earth would he need to do the same to him in the train at the end? John’s finally agreed to help him out and this is what he does? That was stupid.
But on the whole, it was fun.
“sad lonely not pretty girl” — Well that’s rude.
How do you know she was supposed to be sad and lonely? Maybe she’s hitting it with one of the other dudes in the group, you don’t know.
And calling her not pretty is just plain rude. How would you like it if you were labelled, sad, lonely, and not pretty just because you fangirl over a show?
I think so, too. I actually think they should have done a special pre-episode or something that was all about Sherlock coming back to London. Tacking on the mystery was kind of weird.
While I appreciated the nods and winks to the fans, it was almost too much. But I do love those first two minutes, and that kiss! I actually shrieked.
I shrieked like a little girl! Loved it!
“I actually think they should have done a special pre-episode or something that was all about Sherlock coming back to London…”
You mean this? The title is Many Happy Returns. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwntNANJCOE
I agree with you, Fanty! I had so many expectations over this episode. It was not Sherlock at all.
Both my daughter and I said the same thing. It’s not Sherlock.
I found it a bit too tongue-in-cheek and self-conscious. It lacked the gravitas of previous eps. Also, where was the story?
Did not like Sherlock doing a number on John over the bomb- thought it was sadistic. I understand that he seems autistic but I thought this was beyond the pale.
This ep seemed especially flashy and all over the place, so I am going to watch it again to see if is more cohesive and cogent than I imagined.
The fact that Sherlock never really explains how he did it is a total copout on the part of the writers, a sickness of contemporary storytelling.
I think my head is still spinning after watching it but not necessarily in a totally bad way. I do feel some disappointment though.
Sherlock sure got a ton of glam shots. Not that I’m complaining too much. I just want to go back to the quiet, detailed story-telling of yore.
Ditto Maven.
I hated that too. Pretending he couldn’t fix it just to get compliments? I was really angry. It’s a cruddy thing to do. Not impressed with the writers.
Funny bits, but overall a tacky episode that pandered to the fangirls. And the dumbest part is that Tumblr thought it was a beautiful tribute to them. PEOPLE. You’re being MOCKED. FFS. Shows shouldn’t pander to their fandoms. That’s not how they got fans in the first place. Sherlock needs to do better, because this season was the weakest narrative-wise so far. Great cinematography though, and very clever filming styles. It’s just that the mysteries were weak and not Sherlock-y enough.
“The fact that Sherlock never really explains how he did it is a total copout on the part of the writers, a sickness of contemporary storytelling.”
– He explained it to Anderson. It’s not his fault Anderson (nor the audience) fully believes him.
@Mourning
I’ve only watched it once so far, so my recollection may be a bit fuzzy. But as I remember, Sherlock himself suggested or inferred that it wasn’t the total story. I would happily stand corrected and apologise to the writers if I am wrong, but for the moment, I’m sticking by my comment.
On another note, he did say there were 13 possible scenarios, soooo……. I would just be happy with an explanation no matter how pedestrian it seems as long as it is the one and only one. I don’t appreciate my chain being yanked.
If it all comes together in the final ep of the season, I will happily make massive apologies.
@MavenTheFirst – Oh I don’t completely believe Sherlock’s spoken version, far from it! I fall into that category along with Anderson (and most others) in holding doubt.
I don’t believe Moffatt and Gatiss will ever fully confirm or completely answer the question of how. It’s far more fun for them to leave it hanging in the air very much like how Sherlock gave his answer and as you said, inferred that it may not be the full truth.
We also may never know exactly what Sherlock asked of Molly and how much her roll was in aiding him.
When I made the statement, it was not meant to sound insulting and I apologize that it may have. I was trying to paraphrase the sort of shrug attitude given – that he put it out there and it is our problem if we don’t believe him — or perhaps our mystery to solve via Anderson.
@Mourning,
Thanks! Oh no, there was no offence (I was talking about writers yanking my chain). I had to search my brain to see if I had been mistaken in what I recalled.
You are right. It is indeed, our problem. And my problem is that I don’t like my chain yanked by writers, and I don’t like story cop outs. It’s not fun to speculate 24/7 and fill in the gaps for lazy, contemptuous writers, without any satisfaction to a majorly big deal. Shame on them if this doesn’t get resolved by the end of the season, IMO.
It also makes me rethink how much I am willing to invest in future shows written by either one of them.
@ MavenTheFirst,
I had the exact same feeling in regards to LOST. By the end of the finale, I was ready to throw my television through the window. So many years wasted on an extremely lame ending. They didn’t answer half of the questions they created, the ones they did were full of plot holes, and the writers took the wimps way out with their poorly executed ending. Basically they’d written themselves in a corner and didn’t know how to get out of it.
After that, I was very hesitant to watch anything that remotely connected itself with LOST. I refused to watch The River (mostly because they frequently referenced it being from the makers of LOST) that and it looked to be made painfully much like LOST and I knew how that train wreck ended.
I did fall in love with Once Upon a Time, which has at least two writers from LOST. So I’m guessing away from J.J. Abrams, they can redeem themselves.
I love quite a lot of Mark Gatiss’s work but absolutely loathe most of Steven Moffat’s tripe.
It’s over here in the UK so I am curious to see what the US thinks. I think it is not as good as Season 2 and I also think possibly NO Mrs Watson… she is good but changes the dynamic and not sure for the better, that’s just ME 🙂
I’m in the US but I watched Season 3 online. I’m pleased. I’m always pi$$ed because I have to wait until December (at the minimum) to see what happens next.
I’ve been dying to talk about Sherlock! I live in the UK, but am originally from the US, so its been killer to not talk about it with anyone in the US so they could enjoy it like I did. Plus I’ve been wanting to know how the peeps here would receive it.
I’ve seen the whole series. I think altogether as a whole, the series does work (yes it has its flaws, but MOFFAT, of course). For those who have only seen this one episode, I can understand why the wishy washy explanation seems to be a copout. On first watch, I loved the episode (that kiss between Sherlock and Molly was EVERYTHING), but I was initially disappointed that I the episode was wishy washy on how Sherlock survived. I’d say more, but I’ll bring up what I really think about that now after you guys finish with episode 3…….lalalalalalala.
Thanks, jax! You give me hope!
YES^^^
Amanda Abbington was great, but I’m sorry, I’m not here for Mary to be the third wheel running after john who is running after sherlock. It got annoying after awhile. The dynamic has changed, and not for the better IMO. I’ve seen the whole third season, and I was SO disappointed. So much so that I’m not that excited for the next season.
It doesn’t feel like Sherlock anymore. They are trying so hard to make us like/accept mary (which I do) but this isn’t a show where you can change the dynamic between the two stars so drastically and think things are gonna be ok. I can truly say that with the exception of a few great scenes, I didn’t enjoy this new season much at all.
And considering how huge a sherlock fan I am (or was) this is hard for me to say..
Mary can be there, but keep her in the distant background, like in the books.
I love Sherlock – and I like season 3 so much.
I’m new to American netflix.
Will this be on there soon or do we need to find it somewhere else online/wait months?
It won’t be on Netflix possibly Season 1/2 but 3 is on PBS I think over there.
seasons 1 & 2 are on Netflix, premiere of season 3 was last night on PBS
I loved it! Perfect? No. But I was laughing and smiling so much I didn’t care. It was so right that Mary liked Sherlock right a away if she is John’s match. Love John, love Sherlock, that’s the deal.
Lestrade giving him a big hug and Mycroft coming off like he ever so slightly, probably, kind of, loves his little brother was amazing.
I’m glad the answer was not definitive. Fans were going to tear it apart regardless and Sherlock wouldn’t reveal such a secret to us “goldfish” anyway without a catch. 🙂
I agree with you! I thoroughly enjoyed every second. Like you pointed out, it wasn’t perfect. But what is? I loved it.
So I liked it for the most part but found parts of it a little over the top. I guess I still like Jeremy Brett better as Sherlock as it took place in the time period it was written in. It was just the first episode and they needed some way to get Sherlock back and this did that.
Brett is the quintessential Sherlock for me. I like Sherlock (the UK show) and Benedict, but I never, ever have felt like that show is REAL Sherlock Holmes. It’s too funny, too cute, too modern to be REAL Sherlock. And with season 3 the departure from REAL Sherlock Holmes was never more stark for me. I really am essentially done with this show, and I don’t mean that in a bitter way. I mean it’s just no longer entertainment for me because it’s no longer a show about Sherlock Holmes. I love crime drama/mystery/procedurals, and there are just SO many more shows along those lines for me to deal with. Like this new HBO show True Detective. I am going to be ALL OVER THAT. I know it will be a long time before there’s Sherlock season 4 but I won’t be waiting for it. Still a big BC fan — that won’t change unless he starts doing embarrassing things in his private life.
Jeremy Brett fan here too! He’s my Sherlock.
The only epp of this Sherlock I’ve watched is the ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’ one. I thought it was good.
But I just can’t with Moffatt. I admit – I’ve not seen this Sherlock to make proper judgement. I’m going entirely on my broken emotions from Doctor Who and what Moffatt and the writers did to that (made it revoltingly unwatchable, imo).
You are speaking my language concerning Doctor Who. For the most part, I’ve disliked everything Moffatt has written, with very few exceptions.
Season 3 is so bad. Sherlock is completely different. The only explanation i have is that Moffat is pandering to the Cumby fangirls by making him more lovable and human (I am a Cumby fan myself, but i’m no fangirl). I’m just so disappointed with this season 🙁
+100
@Maybenow
You just said it all for me. I now do not need to try and explain my intense displeasure at what this show has become.
Yes, I could see that half of the first two episodes was made just for the gif files.
Well said. It’s become a show about the show, down to casting Freeman’s partner as John’s partner/wife. They need to separate the characters and the drama from the offscreen lives and fame of the stars.
And the constant pandering to fanboys and girls was tiresome. The season highlight for me was Lars Mikkelson, probably because “His Final Vow” has the only genuine mystery plot of this series (yet that episode still devolves into an utter mess by the end).
Not just casting Martin’s wife. Sherlock’s parents are also played by Benedict’s real parents. Because why have auditions when you can just bring in family?
I thought it was cute to have Benedict’s parents as a one-off, but the parents reappear later.
Yes, Lou, I should have mentioned them as well. There should be a clear distinction between the series and real-life, and unfortunately, Gatiss and Moffit seem content to continually blur them in some misplaced attempt to generate buzz out of buzz.
They might not have known Cumberbatch would be seen as hot when they hired him, but they certainly do now as evidenced by this episode. Oh, and when he kissed Molly? It worked for me. I was mildly disappointed that the kiss didn’t actually happen.
Loved his parents’ cameo.
@Sullivan,
I completely agree, Sullivan. I could almost believe that the “Sexy Cumberbatch” phenomenon completely blind-sided the writing team. Didn’t someone even ask them “Why didn’t you hire someone good-looking?”
The first two seasons had character & plot, & this season has fan-targeted “Hot Sherlock.” I was wondering when someone would bring up the Sherlock-Molly kiss (which was glorious, I thought). What do we have as evidence in the first 2 seasons that Sherlock would even know how to do that, let alone want to? Hahaha!
Oh, & that hair ruffle? I loved it of course, but God! What obvious fan-pandering!
I’d also read something about Moffat saying people were suggesting they should’ve cast someone more handsome. But I thought their response was something on the lines of “just wait and see – this Sherlock will be sexy”. People fall in love with the various Doctors, and they’re usually on the odd-looking side too … I don’t think the appeal of Cumberbatch/Sherlock would’ve been THAT much of a surprise. However, I can’t find the interview I’m thinking of, so it’s possible that I’ve just imagined it >.<
In searching for it, I did find something else adorable: Moffat talking about how the original Sherlock was actually a huge hit with the Victorian ladies … the magazine that originally published the short stories got lots of fan letters from women who wanted to be Sherlock's "housekeeper". Apparently it took Moffat a while to realise the women didn't really want to do his laundry! (http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/sherlock/28516/steven-moffat-and-mark-gatiss-on-sherlock-series-3-benedict-cumberbatch-martin-freeman-secrets)
It was a little self-indulgent, but fine. I enjoyed the Sherlock-Mycroft scene (I pretty much always like Mycroft scenes), am glad they gave Molly something to do besides be pathetic (her boyfriend totally looks like Sherlock), and thought they handled the death issue as well as possible (though it sounds like Moriarty won’t be back, which is a shame). The actual mystery kind of got buried beneath all of that, but I think that’s to be expected in an episode that had a lot of other things to handle.
new scarf gif, with added sex-underbite
Links! Links!
I watched the first episode of season 3, last night, too! I loved the opening “fantasy” sequence. I thought it was beautifully shot.
I absolutely loved the reunion with Sherlock and Lestrade.
I’m not sure if I like the addition of Mary Morstan yet. It kind of gives me a “two’s company, three’s a crowd” feeling, but maybe I’ll get used to it.
It was a little self indulgent but the next 2 episodes I thought tie in when you look at them as a trio of episodes.
I thought the whole restaurant thing was fantastic. I was sitting there going “no, he’s not just going to rock up in the middle of dinner and expect him to be ok with it…no….oh god he is…”
The comments about the moustache were brilliant. I see the points about it not really being Sherlock in the typical sense anymore, I was enjoying it too much to be bothered to be honest.
I thought the moustache was a nod to the original Sherlock who was supposed to be really really good at disguising himself. It was a really pathetic impersonation, letting the TV Sherlock fans know that none of that disguise stuff would be happening in future because, well, you can’t disguise Cumberbatch very well.
I may be overthinking this…
loved his voice though
It was more John’s moustache that had me laughing.
“seriously, you’re not keeping that are you?”
” Mary likes it”
“no she doesn’t”
*blank stare from Mary*
“oh, I really missed THIS!”
Did you notice that they had to keep going to different restaurants because John kept attacking him?
Yes and they got steadily grottier, haha.
Guys, keep watching. The 3rd episode will tie everything together and there is an unbelievable twist. I screamed at my screen.
P.S. apparently people have been notified about the blind item……
People the magazine? pr people as in his PR people?
PR. I would have capitalized if it were the magazine :p
Oh crikey… how do you know?
Bet they’re not happy bunnies.
https://twitter.com/cumberbatchweb/status/425258599963586560
Who is this person on twitter called “Cumberbatchweb” and why does he/she have an “in” with BC’s people? That bit about “I’ve passed it on” smacks of .. something.
See, this annoys me. I think his PR people are savvy enough to be aware of internet gossip quite on their own (you only have to log on!) without someone on twitter purporting to have an “in” with them and “passing on” information to them.
The lady behind Cumberbatchweb is 100% legit. She’s of course a fan, but very serious and professional. She does have a real ‘in’ with his people, nothing mysterious though. Just the passing of info back and forth. Like about his appearances and such. She’s just an excellent source of info for the fanbase – she runs benedictcumberbatch.co.uk as well.
Just for the fact that the other lady responded by saying “the younger fans may get upset.” AHH, I’m so over the hand holding of the younger generation and their need to protect grown men from gossip.
What do you mean by apparently his PR people have been notified?
I don’t get why his people have to be notified in the first place! Are we really, seriously expected to believe that his people aren’t aware of every single bit of gossip that comes down the pike? Yes, they certainly are. There are Google alerts and all sorts of other ways to know what gossip is going around. And my goodness, they only need to spend literally 5 minutes a day on Tumblr to get a thorough read on everything being said about their client.
I don’t know why, but the notion that someone on Twitter is claiming to be “notifying” or “passing things on” to BC’s people really bothers me.
I do understand where you’re coming from and I’m sure his team is more than capable to find any info/gossip on Benedict would they feel the need to. I just think that this is a case of ‘give and take’ – you tip them off, they tip you off another time perhaps. And they more than likely already knew – as I understood from Twitter that she didn’t get any feedback regarding the blind item. And that’s probably because the entire thing was utter nonsense. Why spend any words on it?
I dont really see the point in letting them know, as others have said they’re probably aware already and hardly likely to comment true or not.
Much like Ibizagate, no comment and it will go away (well, as away as anything goes)
I’m with Lindy. Besides, as BC gets more publicity and coverage, he’ll likely be the subject of many false blind items and gossip stories. His PR team’s time would be better spent trying to drum up interest in him for bigger projects, not responding to every blind item posted by a gossip blog.
That’s my thought exactly. The only point seems to be that fan site giving the impression of having an in with Ben’s flack.
Hmmm, I don’t know. Quite a few assumptions are made here. Do I spy a little green eyed monster spying from behind the curtains perhaps? Why the grievances about his fansite? Annoyance about it being in touch with BC’s people? I can imagine being envious of being his PA (his own niece haha) or someone like that, but I’m just happy that there’s someone spending a lot of unpaid time on informing the fans. And maybe you guys don’t know, but she did a LOT of promo regarding BC’s work for years, all for free. And a few fundraisers with fans too. Benedict was very touched by the latter and there’s a reason his team chose to communicate with the fansite. They don’t need to, but they do. Why the sour grapes? There’s enough Benedict for everyone. (Spoiler alert: not really…) 😉
Jealous?? Oh Lord…
I never said anything about the site or the person running it. My comment was about the actual BI going around. They’re not going to comment either way and I would be shocked if his team weren’t aware even if he’s not, so why feel the need to put on twitter that they have been told. It’s just keeping the BI alive.
Maybe I’m reaching as it’s just a quote with no context but at the TCA thingy last night he made this comment, which one could stretch to think was a way of indirectly defending the Meryl stuff from earlier this week, which could be taken as proof that he/his team are well aware of stuff posted online.
“I value my privacy and quiet time. I value having space to think on my own” says Benedict Cumberbatch #TCA14
I don’t see why they need to be notified either. Surely they were already aware of that rumor back in July when it was splashed across the DM and other rags. Karon and Emily are busy bees and I doubt they care what some random Blogspot says about Benedict.
Did she really think his people weren’t already aware of these rumors? Not that anyone takes CDAN seriously anyway. The dude gets romantically linked to any woman he’s in the same building with so I can’t imagine this sort of thing is even on their radar. It’s not like major magazines are accusing him of hiring escorts.
I’ve watched the whole season already and I thought it was awesome. Already impatiently waiting for Season 4!!!
Me too. But Moffet is working on Doctor Who atm.
It was simply divine. The entire Season.
I liked it upon first viewing, but the more I think about it the more I see the issues. The ‘mystery’ was a afterthought. There were way to many moments of Moffet , giving little winks to the Sherlock fandom. The entire scene where Sherlock is coming down the escalator and the music and cut aways, felt forced and unnecessary. Sherlock in the first 2 seasons felt distant and cerebral-this episode felt like a comedy and like the character is going in a different direction. Away from what makes the show great.
I’m reserving judgement until the rest of the season, but the first episode has some issues. I did think it was cute that Cumberbatch’s parents were cast as Sherlock’s parents and that Martin’s partner was cast as Mary.
I’ve honestly never seen so much nepotism involved in casting as on this show. Ever. It’s one of the things that makes the show seem less real and less serious. In addition to the casting of Ben’s parents and Martin’s partner, there’s more to come in season 3 (I don’t want to spoil anything), and don’t forget early on Ben’s then-girlfriend Olivia was cast in a brief role. This has been going on the entire history of the show. While part of me thinks it’s cute, another part of me finds it hard to take the writers and directors seriously.
I forget who said this, but I read an article where the writer said it felt a little too “community theater” that Amanda was cast in the show. There was some reason why I didn’t exactly like the idea, and I think that hits the nail on the head. It’s a little to twee for my tastes.
@Green Girl
Yes, right. But at the same time (I’m playing Devil’s Advocate here) it is legitimate casting, since everyone involved really are actors and they really are talented. It’s not like they brought in someone with no experience and no demonstrable talent to be on a show just because their lover/friend/parent is a big wig (side eye to Camila Alves and whomever hired her to host a cooking show). But with Sherlock it’s so glaringly obvious that it’s nepotism. England has no lack of actresses would could have filled the small role that went to Olivia or even the role of Mary Morstan. It feels like everyone involved in the show — from writing to production — is just using the show as a vanity project and not as an art form. Casting your lovers, friends, parents, children … it’s just so damn lazy.
There is a gif going around on Tumblr that shows who’s family members has had/currently has roles in the show. Besides those mention, It includes an image of Moffet’s son as a young Sherlock and Gatiss’ partner as a lawyer.
Well, the second episode felt even more like comedy, but the third one somehow made up for that.
I watched the whole season online a week or so ago (sneakily, as I’m in the US) and then re-watched the PBS premier last night. While nothing will ever top the perfection that is Sherlock series 2, I continue to think that the start of series 3 is a rather charming (if slightly messy) way to rein everything back in. As a previous poster said, y’all need to wait until episode 3 to really evaluate this season. It *does* tie everything together and I was holding my breath throughout. Wowza.
I was wondering that about Molly’s fiance, too. He and Sherlock really sized each other up, and I couldn’t think of why. Does Sherlock know him from a previous case?
That is what I thought. I had seen some clips online before last night and they way those clips made it seem was as if Molly’s boyfriend was a bad guy and Sherlock knew who he was. Then after watching it in full, it seemed to be that moved on with a guy that looked like Sherlock and it threw him off.
Some folks speculated Molly’s bf was one of the shooters from S2 and did some manips and even a trailer to show that theory but he was really just a guy who looked similar to Sherlock. I think some of the speculation of his “bad guy” status came from rampant tumblr fanon.
I really hope that it was just meant to be a visual joke that he looked a lot like Sherlock. I worry about Moffat’s handling of female characters, and it would be kind of sad if another show ended up being full of women who arranged their lives around the male leads. Obviously Irene is a love interest and it makes sense for Mrs. Hudson to have a motherly relationship toward Sherlock and John, but it would be nice to see Molly allowed to go and have her own life.
@lunchcoma – It irritates the fire out of me that the recent movies as well as this series suggest that Irene is Sherlock’s love interest. In the books, Sherlock had her in high regard, but only because he respected her cleverness, her intelligence, not for sexual interest.
“…he seems to assume that women aren’t capable of the degree of rational thinking he expects from, say, himself. Adler proves him wrong on the point of women’s intelligence, but the larger issue of Holmes’s complete lack of interest in romance remains.” – (schmoop.com)
“It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler” ( The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Adventure 1. A Scandal in Bohemia)
My two-cents on Molly’s fiancé and Sherlock sizing up each other. I think it’s part initial shock over how truly similar the two look that affected both, but also, I believe Sherlock is fond of Molly (not necessarily romantic/sexual fondness, though I wish it were), her fiancé is probably well aware of who Sherlock is and could have a possibly inkling to what Sherlock means to Molly. It’s a bit of an alpha-male behavior all men have when meeting another male who is apart of the significant female’s life. Silently measuring the other man and mentally comparing with himself.
I enjoyed it. I also feel that Martin Freeman does not get enough props for what he brings to the table. Yes, he is the straight man to Sherlock’s craziness but there is so much more. I feel him and the entire supporting cast brought it last night. The big disappointment for me is how off the rails Anderson is. The writers should have done that better.
“I also feel that Martin Freeman does not get enough props for what he brings to the table.”
Yes, agreed! Freeman was absolutely wonderful this season! Loved every scene with him! So many subtle emotions and reactions, top notch.
I think Freeman is hugely over rated. His performance is the same in everything he does. Same delivery style at all times and he cant squeeze out a tear for love nor money
I agree. LOVED him in The Office, but I don’t think he has much depth or range as an actor. However, he has those “Everyman” qualities that will always be needed in a movie or a show, so I think he’ll stay gainfully employed into old age.
I thought he did a brilliant job in his reaction to the discovery that Sherlock was alive.
100% agree about Martin Freeman.
I like Martin. I think he’s a great actor, and I think he makes a good Bilbo Baggins. He was incredible in The Office — so good that I think a lot of people didn’t know he was acting for a long time. It’s just that for me he lacks a certain charisma and he has too many “Martin Freeman ways” that he brings to every single character. You see it in The Office, you see it in The Hobbit, you see it in Sherlock. He’s good … but he’s just not captivating. I think loads of other actors could have been John Watson and it wouldn’t have made a difference.
Martin doesn’t change his speech pattern. I’ve noticed it with other actors as well. The delivery is always the same.
I agree about the mannerisms. He clears his throat across characters, for example. It’s also why I can’t wholeheartedly embrace Meryl Streep either with certain speech patterns and mannerisms.
He does come across as everyman and the warm, normal, emotional centre of Sherlock. He also has fabulous chemistry with BC, so I have nothing but praise for his acting style in Sherlock. When his feelings about Sherlock are torn out of him when he thinks they are going to be blown up-that’s a highlight for me- it was brilliant, just brilliant.
Yay Kaiser, rock on, I loved this season as well, it’s so nice to hear a positive review finally.
And Molly’s boyfriend dresses like Sherlock, deliberately. That’s why people were staring. It’s like he’s his ultimate fan and has found a cheap copy of every clothing item Sherlock owns. Or Molly has and forced the poor man to wear it, lol. Plus the locks on his head, haha, which btw look made up, not natural.
But agreed, every scene was brilliant, and all the new additions to the cast are wonderful.
Nepotism aside, I liked Amanda Addington as Mary.
I was pleasantly surprised that she was close to his age and not a bimbette! She seems to take things in stride. So far, I really like her. I am just not sure why the character is needed. It’s like having Doctor Who with Amy and Rory all over again.
The character is in Conan Doyle’s canon. But the writers of Sherlock are taking her way out of bounds, as they are with many things.
Thanks, Maureen. I did not know that. I don’t know about the first 2 seasons, but this third one seems to show writers that are giddy with their own success and have lost the plot. I am really hoping it does all come together by the end of the season as others have asserted.
I’ve seen the entire season 3 and it never came together for me. On the contrary, it only got worse. But emotions are really hot and cold about this season. Aside from all that the most important thing is that if you enjoy it, then you enjoy it. No judgement! Entertainment is something personal to the individual. I think it’s great that lots of people are really happy with the new episodes.
P.S. What you’ve described about the writers is, I believe, commonly referred to as “jumping the shark”.
I’ve seen all three and rewatched one last night. I loved Episode 1. Agree, it wasn’t a detective episode, and agree, it’s not as great as the other episodes. That said, it was pure fun! I would have been kind of upset if John just took him back with open arms after being devastated and moved right into a new case like nothing had happened. So, I thought it was a creative way to bring Sherlock and John back together, introduce Mary (love her!), and show their love to the fans who waited two years and have really helped this show blow up. Highlights: Their reunion (“F”…”Cough”, and Martin getting to flip the bird with the glove!), Molly’s kiss and the stairwell quit, the Sherlock and Mycroft exchange was brilliant, the LaStrade hug, and Molly’s fiance appearing dressed exactly like Sherlock and with the same general features (thankfully it wasn’t Lars). Overall, I was very happy with Series 3 too.
Having live-streamed BBC One when the episodes originally aired, I have to say that I enjoyed ‘The Empty Hearse’ more upon my second viewing. I think that will be true about the other episodes as well.
Slightly OT – BC was at the Producers’ Guild Awards last night, lookin’ foine.
http://ladyt220.tumblr.com/post/73927564635/deareje-new-tab-for-high-res-benedict
Is he actually filming something in LA, or is he just there to attend award shows?
Looks like he’s on a break, pressing the flesh at awards shows and events. I’m sure he’s taking meetings, too.
He attended the TCA ‘Sherlock’ panel for PBS today in Pasadena, with Amanda. I guess Martin’s at home with the kids?
http://shag-a-lot-shezza.tumblr.com/post/74001350739/benedict-cumberbatch-at-the-television-critics
Random here: I really liked the mustache. It was Watsonian, and gave him gravitas.
Without it, he just looks and sounds like a whiny hobbit now.
This might be blasphemy, but I think JLM is a much better Sherlock Holmes than CB, more twitchy and unpleasant, the way Conan Doyle wrote him. I think the plotting for season 3 Sherlock was extremely lacking and the 3/3 left RIDICULOUS plot holes. I still watched it, and I laughed quite a bit during 2/3, but the writing and loose plotting got on my nerves by the end.
3.3 left me greatly irritated.
When he kissed Molly in the opening scene, I yelled out loud: “you lucky b!tch!” Swoon!!!!
Keep watching. Episodes 2 & 3 are better.
I can’t wait for Season 4!!!
Lacklustre, pandering, pretentious, empty and boring. I got annoyed with Sherlock in the middle of the 2nd season, though I’d immensely enjoyed it up til then.
I like Mary tho, what a sweetheart.
It was PERFECT. I can’t wait to watch it again tonight. It was flawless. The bits about the mustache were my favorite, along with the two of them on that tube car with the bomb.
Cumby was OK, but Martin was great as Watson. For me, the best thing about Cumby is his voice. I could listen to it all day long. I also prefer Sherlock stories to be set in it’s original time period, not modern time. Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law are my favorites and I love both movies they have been in so far. I hope they make a third soon.
Was Series 3 a little self indulgent? Yes, but this is a Holmes for the 21st century global society not Victorian England.
Brett’s Holmes was indeed the embodiment of Conan Doyle’s detective but unfortunately in being that the character is stagnant. Brett offered a technical feast to be sure but it is emotionally hollow. I loved Brett as Holmes, his interpretation was brillant but I did not care about his Holmes, I cared about his process. The “game” and how it’s executed was the fascination.
What I love about this series is that without the game, the cases to solve, the next villian defeat, the characters are themselves just as interesting. In Sherlock particularly you see fallibility, fear, arrogance, caring, you SEE emotional growth and in that growth the realization of the ties that bind. Short version: A Sherlock who is flawed is a Sherlock who is much more sympathetic and dynamic.
This series is cinematic, beautifully shot, wonderfully written (plot holes and all) has a brilliant score and is brilliantly acted. It is at times laugh out loud funny, charming, biting, brittle, intriguing, exhilarating and heartbreaking. This Sherlock is alive, it has a beating heart and that’s just fine with me.
“What I love about this series is that without the game, the cases to solve, the next villian defeat, the characters are themselves just as interesting.”
I beg to differ. With both character and cases it is a thing of complete beauty. This ep proved that without the case the characterisation runs amok, with little grounding and no raison d’être
The raison d’être are the relationships without them this series is dead in the water.
We’ll have to agree to disagree. Then it needn’t be called “Sherlock”. It could have been Coronation Street instead.
@allheavens.
Very eloquently stated, allheavens. I love Jeremy Brett’s Holmes too. But I cannot help appreciating what Cumberbatch & Freeman are doing with their characters. It’s a new show, it’s supposed to be contemporary.
Your assessment is one of the best I’ve seen, & so movingly written.
I agree with this very reasonable assessment.
Loved Jeremy Brett, too.
There is room for all.
Liked it, didn’t love it. Part of the problem was the expectation was so high because of the 2 year wait. It felt like a parody of itself.
S2E3 ended with major drama, and heartache. S3E1 answered with jokes. Sherlock’s big reveal back to the living to John was a joke, the explanation of his faked suicide was a joke and Sherlock’s apology to John was a joke. With a bunch of jokes in between, at practically every characters expense. I think I just felt like some of the resolution needed to be taken seriously. This show is a crime drama at it’s core, and we got so much comedy. It was fun (and I enjoyed seeing BC’s comedic skills), but didn’t feel like the same show I fell in love with.
Even great TV falters but I think they’ll get back to the tone of Series 1 and 2. This was just a detour which I happened to like but it’s not to everyone’s taste.
Think you’re right. I’m befuddled because I missed the former seriousness, but loved Sherlock & Watson being funny. I guess I think of it as a comedy version of Sherlock.
BTW, Cumby should do a few comedies. He’s extremely good at it. I was in stitches at the scene with his parents. His Mum is trying to kiss him goodbye & he pushes her out the door with a “GET OUT.” That’s the Sherlock we’re used to.
I hated how John was treated in 3/1. Everyone was treating him like a joke. He deserves better.
It was a lot of fun, so I’m really looking forward to the next episodes.
I thought the first episode this season was horribly pandering. It gave the fans what they wanted, at the expense of narrative or suspense. And the motorcycle ride was just … slapstick. It belonged in a Schwarzenegger movie, not in a Sherlock episode. It was ridiculous beyond words.
The third episode is actually my favorite. I understand it’s not so popular with the fans who just want their “ships” and whims pandered to, but it was truly Sherlockian. It measured up to the Conan Doyle stories. That’s the true test.
All of the promo pictures that include Molly’s Tom that have been floating around the Interwebs have commented that he looks supiciously like one of the snipers hired by Moriarty in the Reichenbach Fall.
Admittedly, though, I didn’t read all of the previous comments on here; I watched the premiere a day late because I wanted to wath it uninterrupted in its full glory.