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What did you think of the BBC show Sherlock?
- Thread starter Dalek
- Start date
I enjoyed the first season, was indifferent to the second season, thought the third season was just plain bad and didn't even bother with the fourth.
It + the Moffat era of Doctor Who kinda put me off British genre TV for a while. Nowadays I basically wait for a show's run to be done before even bothering with it.
It + the Moffat era of Doctor Who kinda put me off British genre TV for a while. Nowadays I basically wait for a show's run to be done before even bothering with it.
First episode of the show was awesome, but even with the second one there was a stark decline. It never felt as coherent or grounded again and just went of the deep end when it came to mystery and playing with the viewers expectations.
Dropped it somewhat around the second season, so no idea how it is these days.
Dropped it somewhat around the second season, so no idea how it is these days.
The first couple of series were genuinely very good, and the third was just OK. As someone who can't stand Doctor Who, it was basically the show I always wanted it to be, with its more serious tone and Cumberbatch/Freeman having an excellent curmudgeonly Doctor/audience surrogate companion dynamic respectively.
I'm British, and it became actively annoying how long it took to produce new episodes. 13 episodes in 7 years, and after the second season the quality deteriorated sharply. Ridiculously low rate of output when compared with how quickly teams of American writers can put out an entire season of a show with more total episodes than that in a year. I know the UK has a different TV auteur writing tradition, and Gatiss/Moffat had to work around the busy Hollywood schedules of Sherlock's stars, but the quality eventually wasn't there to justify the short seasons and long gaps. Not to mention the show was largely based on existing stories.
I'm British, and it became actively annoying how long it took to produce new episodes. 13 episodes in 7 years, and after the second season the quality deteriorated sharply. Ridiculously low rate of output when compared with how quickly teams of American writers can put out an entire season of a show with more total episodes than that in a year. I know the UK has a different TV auteur writing tradition, and Gatiss/Moffat had to work around the busy Hollywood schedules of Sherlock's stars, but the quality eventually wasn't there to justify the short seasons and long gaps. Not to mention the show was largely based on existing stories.
Literally, the only episode I look back fondly at is the wedding episode. The actress playing the maid of honor is amazing, and she made a thankless role shine.
But other than that, I found it to be a detective show bizarrely uninterested in actually constructing good mysteries. Also, felt like they substituted camera trickery and effects for actual good writing and storytelling.
But other than that, I found it to be a detective show bizarrely uninterested in actually constructing good mysteries. Also, felt like they substituted camera trickery and effects for actual good writing and storytelling.
A scandal in Belgravia is still one of my favourite single episodes of TV ever. But they really drank too much of their own kool-aid after season 2.
I think it coincided with the time when Benedict Cumberbatch suddenly had to be in every movie under the sun. Led to a bit of overexposure of him.
I think it coincided with the time when Benedict Cumberbatch suddenly had to be in every movie under the sun. Led to a bit of overexposure of him.
Great show. Definitely the highs are the earlier episodes but I loved the characters and enjoyed the latter episodes for what they were.
Moriarty was unbelievably bad. Just goddawful shit. Moriarty is one of the worst things I've ever seen on television.
I hated the show.
This show was f'n amazing. I enjoyed every single episode so much.
Season 1 is mind-blowing good even, but in general, I thought the quality was pretty even with the first 3 seasons with one very strong first episode and one even better final episode and a decent one in the middle.
4 wasn't that breathtaking anymore but still strong in my opinion.
Season 1 is mind-blowing good even, but in general, I thought the quality was pretty even with the first 3 seasons with one very strong first episode and one even better final episode and a decent one in the middle.
4 wasn't that breathtaking anymore but still strong in my opinion.
Some of the worst story telling ever in a TV series.
even worse than GOT season 08. Moffat is a wanker.
even worse than GOT season 08. Moffat is a wanker.
It's weird because I loved him.
Andrew Scott would make a great Joker.
I enjoyed the first three series as a fresh take on Watson and Sherlock, with interesting presentation and typography on screen showing the puzzles etc, but after that it just became self-referential fantasy, particularly the end of season 3 that just disappeared up it's own arse and never came back.
Mary taking a bullet for sherlock when she's got a baby daughter to look after makes absolutely zero sense unless the male writers are thinking every character should love Sherlock just as much as John does, even more than a woman being there for her own daughter. She had no reason to care for him to that extent, nobody does outside of Watson's insane level of loyalty which is the entire point of the series, so it came across as an deliberate choice to sacrifice a female character to let the boys walk away together and move on as team dads.
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I really liked the first episode, thought I would be hooked.
Didn't like the second episode much.
Thought the third episode was really fun with them just throwing a bunch of puzzles at the characters rapid fire.
First episode of the second season was too long, and I thought the bookend mystery in the field was obnoxious. Took me two seatings to get through that Hounds of Baskerville episode and just dropped the series entirely.
Heard all the stuff about how the following seasons were even worse and counted myself lucky for dropping it when I did.
Didn't like the second episode much.
Thought the third episode was really fun with them just throwing a bunch of puzzles at the characters rapid fire.
First episode of the second season was too long, and I thought the bookend mystery in the field was obnoxious. Took me two seatings to get through that Hounds of Baskerville episode and just dropped the series entirely.
Heard all the stuff about how the following seasons were even worse and counted myself lucky for dropping it when I did.
sherlock and luther confirmed my long-held view on british tv: they're great at comedy and generally more lighthearted stuff, but absolute shit at drama. any moment that tries to be serious in any way is just laughable.
I own the complete series on Blu-ray. Six Episodes. Sherlock Jumps to save his friend. Good Times and that's a wrap. No more episodes were ever made.
I don't even blame Andrew Scott. I think he's a good actor. I think he was just horribly miscast. His sing songy whiny I'm crazy voice, his look I'm cold and crazy eyes; I found none of it believable in the least, and dumb at the worst, a knockoff joker.
it was cliche, none of it convincing.
It's basically Andrew Scott as the joker in Joel Schumacher's Batman films. Super campy, over the top, exaggerated.
I accept I'm in the minority here.
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I'm just surprised that people think the first seasons are good. I think really early on, the inconsistent tone of the series just turned me off to it. I think maybe the issue is that I started watching it after Luther; where the mysteries were great, but the characters were especially great.
I thought the first series was decent but Cumberbatch constantly hamming it up really started to wear thin. Was a Sherlock Holmes show in name only by the end. Final series was awful. Thankfully, the BBC have made a lot of better shows over the years.
Really liked season 1, it was a very fresh take on a much-taken concept. But season 2 & 3 seemed to go off the rails for me. It's really corny in retrospect but I liked the first season when it came out.
Season 1 and that Christmas special in Victorian England were great. Season 2 & 3 were too crazy for me. Although they were ok to watch.
The first two seasons were good, Season 3 was awful, Season 4 is the worst series of TV I've ever watched. And I watched Moffat's whole Doctor Who run.
Moffat is just a creator who is only good at initial setup and can never stick the landing. Every one of his shows is like that, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Jeckyll.
In fact, that Dracula series he did a last year is the perfect encapsulation of it as he does the whole "Moffat cycle" that usually takes a series or two in three episodes.
Moffat is just a creator who is only good at initial setup and can never stick the landing. Every one of his shows is like that, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Jeckyll.
In fact, that Dracula series he did a last year is the perfect encapsulation of it as he does the whole "Moffat cycle" that usually takes a series or two in three episodes.
A decent start to a series that got too far up its own ass by season 3. The finale of 2 could have been something but the Moffat had to spend the first episode back or season 3 basically play fan service to all the insane internet theories going on. Season 3 was off the rails and a felt like a show that was trying too hard to be like Season 1
Started off really strong, then rapidly descended into a pile of self-indulgent "Look how cleverly I'm writing!" wank.
So....Moffat.
So....Moffat.
I enjoyed it right up until Scott actually got to show up as Moriarty, at which point I went "Wait why is Moriarty literally just the joker, wait this plot makes no sense, wait is all of this just so I can gasp when a good music sting plays?"
Once I realized that all of the plotting was nonsense because Moffat thinks you can substitute in cool cinematography and intense line delivery to try and hide that the actual script is dramatic garbage I lost interest
Once I realized that all of the plotting was nonsense because Moffat thinks you can substitute in cool cinematography and intense line delivery to try and hide that the actual script is dramatic garbage I lost interest