My Sunday nights have taken on a new direction in the first three Sundays of 2012. I’ve become an avid watcher of the second series of Sherlock. These are the modern interpretations of classic Sherlock Holmes stories that I first read as a teenager, which for those asking was quite a long time ago.
In fact, the Conan Doyle books were one of the main reasons that I got into reading and still love books to this day. From being someone who found reading a chore, I quickly became anti-social by sitting in my bedroom at home and voraciously reading all the Holmes novels I could get my hands upon.
I’m now very disappointed that I totally missed the first series of Sherlock, so I’ve quickly ordered the DVD so I can get up to speed with the other interpretations. But, it looks likely that I’ll have to wait until the end of 2013 or, even 2014, for the third series! I sound quite addicted don’t I?
The programmes are very well produced, supremely well acted and have managed to remain reasonably true to the original stories, whilst making them very much set in this modern age. That’s quite a feat and the proper TV critics (ie not me!) have said pretty much the same about the series.
In these modern interpretations, Sherlock appears to be very high on the autistic scale with his ability to deduce the minutiae of information allied with his inability to express his emotional feelings. But, he is certainly on the side of the angels and, in a basic sense, it is a story of good overcoming evil.
As I watched the denouement of last night’s gripping story, it suddenly struck me. Sherlock was put in a terrible situation where he had to die so that his friends might be saved. We then watched how all his friends grieved his loss while not fully understanding what had taken place. Then right at the end as his friends moved away, he suddenly appeared alive! And then the credits began to roll.
I find it fascinating that every good story carries an echo of The Great Story.
Jeff Reynolds
