Marguerite Alberts, Staff Writer
On Sunday May 6, BBC’s “Sherlock” started off its second season with a bang. Each season contains three episodes that are an hour and a half each. With this season comes new cases, new characters, and new keys to the mystery that is Sherlock Holmes himself.
Unlike the recent Sherlock Holmes movies, this television edition outs Sir Conan Arthur Doyle’s characters in modern day London, facing modern technology, which both helps the dynamic duo of Holmes and his loyal colleague and friend, Dr. Watson, as well as makes the cases harder.
In contrast to the Sherlock Holmes played by Robert Downey Jr. in the Sherlock Holmes movie from 2009, Benedict Cumberbatch gives the age-old character a harder edge and makes him harder to read, making the character even more curious. Holmes’ brother, Mycroft is played Mark Gratiss. Whereas the Mycroft played by Stephen Fry in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” is jovial and easily-liked, Gratiss makes Mycroft much more domineering, as if anyone could domineer Sherlock Holmes, and much more serious. However, in both cases, it is clear, despite their hard exteriors and serious tones, that Mycroft and Holmes care about each other and holds the other in high regard.
Sunday’s episode premiered the character of Irene Adler, played by Lara Pulver. In the case of the week, Adler holds enough information to break down the entire British government within her phone and it is Holmes’s job to get it. However, Adler doesn’t make it easy as the phone is her entire life. Sherlock’s brother Mycroft is the one who brings Sherlock together with Ms. Adler as he is the one who recommends Sherlock for the case.
Adler is the only woman to ever pique the romantic interest of Holmes and henceforth gives a little inside look on his normally calm exposure. In this version of Sherlock Holmes, Adler is a dominatrix who is holding important information that is wanted by the British Ministry. Ms. Adler brings out a whole new side of Holmes in this series. We can now observe him in a romantic situation where he has to deal with feelings that he is not comfortable.
This season has begun with a great episode and expectations for more brilliant episodes are high. Hopefully this season will continue to break down the character of Sherlock Holmes, develop his relationship with Watson, and look more into his liaison with Irene Adler. The next two episodes are bound to be noteworthy.
Be warned that some material might not be appropriate for all ages. “Sherlock” is on PBS at 9 p.m. on Sundays.