A dry start for Sherlock

There is a new Sherlock Holmes in town, or rather in New York City, who has really weird fetishes and, yes I am referring to sex. 

CBS’s new show, “Elementary,” is a modern twist on the Sherlock Holmes tale where Lucy Liu plays Dr. Joan Watson. However the former Doctor Watson, who used to be a surgeon and a recovered addict, is hired to make sure Sherlock, played by Johnny Lee Miller, stays off drugs since he was an addict.  

Within their first encounter things start off bizarre since Sherlock repeats movie lines to Watson curious to see her reaction. She quickly learns his odd sex fetish of S&M and has no problem being open about it. The scenes move quickly along as the viewers learn that he is a consultant for the New York police department and continues where he left off after being in rehab for the drug addiction. 

If you have ever seen USA’s show “Monk” you can compare Sherlock’s and Monk’s investigating styles since they both really analyze the crime scene. It’s a downer that Sherlock doesn’t have his own unique style of investigating since Monk has made famous the way he looks at a crime scene and envisions what the scenario must have looked like. He shares the same techniques as the great OCD detective Monk however not as squirmy at germs. Luckily the show does have bits of humor as we still see the typical quirkiness of the great detective. 

Since Watson must keep a watchful eye on Sherlock, she has moved into his odd apartment that is in serious need of renovations and furniture. At one point as she is setting up her room there is honey leaking through the ceiling. We learn that Sherlock likes to keep bees as one of his many hobbies. Despite the touches of humor the show still has a gloomy feeling. Perhaps it was the New York City cold weather but there is a constant feeling of gloom as many of the characters are very dry, cliché and softly spoken.  

Perhaps my expectations were set too high since many other Sherlock Holmes shows or movies always portray the detective and his sidekick as a humorous and curious pair. However “Elementary” has made this Sherlock tale darker and more serious with hints of humor. In the end we learn that both Watson and Sherlock do manage to play off each other well as a team despite the rough start. They also do add small touches of the typical Sherlock that we know from the novels such as his love for the opera and the various odd hobbies he keeps. The one thing this show needs to be wary of is pacing since it’s a little slow and dry. 

It was only the pilot episode, however hopefully the pacing picks up. This show has the possibility of being lost in the TV world as another investigative drama.