Sherlock Series 2 A Scandal In Belgravia Review

Sherlock is back for a second series, but did the Series 2 premiere live up to our high expectations? We review “A Scandal In Belgravia” in Q&A format to find out.

What did you make of the overarching story?

There wasn’t as much as I’d have liked, but we did at least see the other side of the series 1 cliffhanger. Sherlock and Watson’s escape from Moriarty’s bomb wasn’t as elaborate was I expected (i.e. it didn’t require Sherlock to use his smarts), but I liked the fact that Irene Adler intervened (later repaid in full by Sherlock) which led into the “Scandal”. Of course, the mostly off-camera involvement of Moriarty throughout was also crucial as it suggests we haven’t seen the last of him.

Not much in the way of character development though?

That’s one of the problems with Sherlock in that we don’t really get to see ongoing character development to the level that we might hope. If anything it’s expressed through the Holmes/Watson relationship, in their banter, conflicts and the ongoing references to their affection for one another — which is fine. But, I would like to see more in the way of lasting, evolving developments.

My hope is that Sherlock’s involvement with “The Woman” will leave a lasting mark on his character, something to let us know that she not only mattered to him, but to the story going forward. I thought it was great to see signs of this in the episode when Sherlock checked himself by actually apologizing to Molly Parker after being rude to her, suggesting his respect for women is improving. I actually think love is an interesting tool to dig into Sherlock because it offers him some depth while helping to explain his detachment. So, we’re not devoid of ongoing character development, but it remains to be seen how much of it sticks.

Technology has been a big part of the reinvention of Sherlock Holmes, has series 2 continued in that vein?

Do ducks quack? Seriously, it was great to see the utilisation of modern technology in the episode. My favorite was probably the wi-fi crime scene investigation, with Sherlock observing from a laptop because the case wasn’t interesting enough for him to leave Baker Street. Although the circumstances are different, I guess Sherlock and Walter Bishop from Fringe are cut from similar cloth.

You mentioned off-blog that the visual elements allow us into Sherlock’s head-space. How so?

By visual elements I’m specifically referring to the onscreen cues that zap us through Sherlock’s thoughts when he’s sizing someone up. As with the first series, these moments are so much fun to watch, while also letting us into Sherlock’s thought-process. What’s interesting to remember is that Watson, Mrs Hudson, et al, aren’t privy to these insights, which places extra weight on Mrs Hudsen’s remark about no-one knowing what goes on in Sherlock’s mind — so we’re in a unique position, so to speak. Of course, there’s still a lot more that goes on between his ears, but it’s always great to see his ‘super-powers’ in action. It’s equally fun when the ‘narrator’ takes over and provides us with visual cues that don’t come from Sherlock’s mind (such as the bit where Irene is downloading Sherlock’s pictures from her phone).

What does this tell us about Sherlock?

Interesting question. Certainly it speaks to his hyper-quick mind and implies that he’s a fantastic judge of character. Whether this makes him a good judge of person, well, that remains to be seen and perhaps that’s something that can be explored further. I mean, the human brain is like a machine, Sherlock’s even more so in its depiction, so I ask you — what does this tell us about Sherlock?

That’s he’s a robot from the future?

Ha! You’ve been reading my Terra Nova reviews. Good one, but no, that’s not quite what I’m getting at, but I appreciate the effort.

OK, so it seems that Sherlock enjoys being in control, how can anyone ever really get inside that mind of his?

Control? Yes. Enjoys? Perhaps, but it’s also part of his nature, his condition. But you’ll note that Irene did manage to get inside Sherlock’s head in this episode..

When?

When she returned his coat while he was unconscious. Again this goes back to the visual power of the show — as Irene’s whispers, she generates a world inside Sherlock’s mind. She not only entered Sherlock’s ‘dream’ (so to speak), but she worked out the ‘case of the killer boomerang’ — something only his perspective had achieved up until that point.

Sherlock, not in control..

Indeed. There was also another interesting moment earlier in the episode when Irene described Sherlock’s vicar disguise as his “self portrait”, saying that he was delusional, damaged and believed in a higher power — himself. Those three statements are incredibly interesting and hold more than a portion of truth, I suspect.

Funniest moment?

There were so many, but the one that gave me the most lol-ment, partly because it caught me off guard, was Sherlock belittling the ‘boomerang witness’ and then turning round to reveal that he was actually in the room at the time. I also have to mention the equal parts funny and sweet moment when Sherlock said England would fall if not for Mrs Hudsen.

Any other highlights?

Again, difficult to choose, but I loved the “????” when Sherlock tried and failed to read Irene. I also got a kick out of Sherlock and Watson becoming ‘Internet Phenomemons’. The whole Watson’s blog thing was fantastic (and another nod to technology playing an active role in the story). If I had to pick one more highlight, it would be the reveal of Irene’s password – “I’m SHER locked”. What a fun interactive game that was, while also showing Irene up to be a real fangirl.

You seem all on-board, any criticisms of the episode?

Of course. As I’ve already mentioned, it’s disappointing that there isn’t more of an overarching story as I think the show would be even greater for it. That said, I do appreciate the Moriarty thread, which isn’t to be sniffed at.

My other main criticism stems from the fact that Sherlock’s genius is so convincing that his fallibility is not always as convincing. There were a few occasions where I expected Sherlock to put 2+2 together but he either ended up with 0 or 6. Don’t get me wrong, I simply love the concept of exploring the fallibility of Sherlock, and I think that would make for a good arc, but the episode didn’t always do enough to illustrate the reason behind Sherlock failing to the dots (for example, why didn’t he realise Molly’s present was actually for him?). Obviously the story has to pull him back at times — that’s the point of deduction, but it’s an aspect that didn’t leave me fully satisfied. That said, I can fill in the blanks and put his lapses down to his arrogance or even the unusual emotions he was experiencing.

Where do Sherlock and Watson go from here?

We’re not dealing with a fully-fledged serial so I wouldn’t expect a tight overarching journey, but, as I said, I’d like Sherls to carry some of the weight from this episode with him. The ending was too ribbon tied for my taste but I enjoyed the twist — however ridiculous — leading to Sherlock defining the context of “The Woman”. Up to that point it could have gone either way, but ultimately he regards Irene with admiration, respect and love, and it was really nicely done. Of course, I’d also like to see Sherlock and Watson’s relationship continue to grow and undergo tests, and more Moriarty would be nice as he’s clearly driving the overarching threat.

Anything else?

Lots, but I’ll end by applauding the way this episode was filmed/edited. The writing and performances make this an exceptional show, but let’s not overlook the way it’s put together. What I find intriguing is that there’s a lot of description and rhythm to almost every scene — for example, Watson vs Irene at the power station; the framing, the ‘beats’ — just wonderful.

Sweet. Finally, I hear that some cheeky soul has started a twitter account for Irene Adler — The Whip Hand — as referenced by Sherlock in the episode. It already has over 4000 followers!?

Oh Interweb.

9/10 Seriable Stars