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sherlock60Let's talk telly in the discussion post for Granada's adaptation of The Noble Bachelor, called The Eligible Bachelor. If you haven't seen this movie-length episode yet, you can find it at YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Video, and DVD. Follow me behind the jump for some of my random thoughts and impressions. Please add your own in the comments!
Note: Canon discussion is available in the canon discussion post. Thanks!
- My very first note for this episode was "So... crazy lady. Alrighty then." I may just as well have written "So... crazy episode. Alrighty then," and been done with the whole thing. Quite bizarre in all regards. In my notes, again and again I wrote something along the lines of "What is happening?" or "What the hell is going on?". At least I read the story first so I wasn't completely lost. But that didn't help me with Holmes' insane drawings of succubi and spiderwebs, or the street lunatic epidemic, or the cavewoman who pulls down a building with a rope... Wow. It was out there. Did anyone watch this before reading? I'm very curious how that experience was.
- I'm not sure why they picked this story to lengthen. We as viewers would probably have been much better served with two stories instead of the one in this time, but this was much easier for shooting. That was good for poor Jeremy Brett, who was obviously ailing here. Maybe that's why they picked this story -- Holmes is resting at home for most of it.
- So did Holmes see the future? If so, why? Perhaps he can only foresee tales of a brilliant mind finally conquering an "opponent of some worth". Not exactly the most commonly needed of psychic powers.
- Frustratingly, Hardwicke!Watson is completely useless here until the very end (when he does spectacularly save the day). He's away at his seminar for much of Holmes' breakdown, the entire first half-hour of the film. When he does return, he is utterly useless as Holmes' doctor, advising a man clearly in the midst of an emotional/psychological crisis (admittedly, a situation not too uncommon for Holmes), giving his pointless prescription multiple times: "eat better". Would that help? Sure, probably, a bit. But that's not even close to helping the real problem. And that disappointed me, because we know from canon that Watson is interested in brain and mental health issues, reading monographs on "obscure nervous lesions" in The Resident Patient. Besides all that though, Watson is Holmes' friend. Clearly Holmes was hurting and upset -- the first thing he does when the doctor arrives is describe his dream in exact, agonizing detail and look to his companion for help. And Watson's response? "Hm. Are you eating?" Ouch.
- That's a lot of negative, so here are a few things I liked about The Eligible Bachelor:
- Rosalie Williams' Mrs. Hudson is terrific. She's as integral here as Watson is, and I love that.
- Brett does some serious ACTING! in many parts this one, but I thought his description of the dream was brilliant. Effective and believable; I especially loved the sad half laugh half cough of recognition at "the Grimpen mire".
- Adored this bit between H&W:
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You said you wanted to sleep!"
"Well, I'm wide awake now."
- Finally, I was struck by the Pietà formed by Holmes and the long-captive wife (as well as her dead ex-husband) near the end:
Note: Canon discussion is available in the canon discussion post. Thanks!
- My very first note for this episode was "So... crazy lady. Alrighty then." I may just as well have written "So... crazy episode. Alrighty then," and been done with the whole thing. Quite bizarre in all regards. In my notes, again and again I wrote something along the lines of "What is happening?" or "What the hell is going on?". At least I read the story first so I wasn't completely lost. But that didn't help me with Holmes' insane drawings of succubi and spiderwebs, or the street lunatic epidemic, or the cavewoman who pulls down a building with a rope... Wow. It was out there. Did anyone watch this before reading? I'm very curious how that experience was.
- I'm not sure why they picked this story to lengthen. We as viewers would probably have been much better served with two stories instead of the one in this time, but this was much easier for shooting. That was good for poor Jeremy Brett, who was obviously ailing here. Maybe that's why they picked this story -- Holmes is resting at home for most of it.
- So did Holmes see the future? If so, why? Perhaps he can only foresee tales of a brilliant mind finally conquering an "opponent of some worth". Not exactly the most commonly needed of psychic powers.
- Frustratingly, Hardwicke!Watson is completely useless here until the very end (when he does spectacularly save the day). He's away at his seminar for much of Holmes' breakdown, the entire first half-hour of the film. When he does return, he is utterly useless as Holmes' doctor, advising a man clearly in the midst of an emotional/psychological crisis (admittedly, a situation not too uncommon for Holmes), giving his pointless prescription multiple times: "eat better". Would that help? Sure, probably, a bit. But that's not even close to helping the real problem. And that disappointed me, because we know from canon that Watson is interested in brain and mental health issues, reading monographs on "obscure nervous lesions" in The Resident Patient. Besides all that though, Watson is Holmes' friend. Clearly Holmes was hurting and upset -- the first thing he does when the doctor arrives is describe his dream in exact, agonizing detail and look to his companion for help. And Watson's response? "Hm. Are you eating?" Ouch.
- That's a lot of negative, so here are a few things I liked about The Eligible Bachelor:
- Rosalie Williams' Mrs. Hudson is terrific. She's as integral here as Watson is, and I love that.
- Brett does some serious ACTING! in many parts this one, but I thought his description of the dream was brilliant. Effective and believable; I especially loved the sad half laugh half cough of recognition at "the Grimpen mire".
- Adored this bit between H&W:
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You said you wanted to sleep!"
"Well, I'm wide awake now."
- Finally, I was struck by the Pietà formed by Holmes and the long-captive wife (as well as her dead ex-husband) near the end:
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no subject
Date: 2012-09-23 09:42 am (UTC)To me it felt like it was another story written using Holmes and Watson as the characters, rather than a proper adaption of the ACD story. So much was added or altered that it lost connection with the original story. In the same way that the Sherlock BBC stories take ideas from different ACD Holmes stories, that was what happened here - which to me seemed pointless.
I didn't like Holmes' dreams: it seemed to be adding a different dimension unnecessarily. And why, for an early story, was Holmes dreaming of Reichenbach? I realise that this is now supposed to be a late story, but again it doesn't make sense.
I did enjoy the story, it just didn't fulfil what I expect from Granada Holmes.
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Date: 2012-09-24 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-24 02:43 am (UTC)There was so much wrong with it that I can't even begin to start and frankly, the more I think about it, the angrier I get, so I'm just going to try and forget the whole awful mess of pointless bullshit exists in the world.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-25 03:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-30 05:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-06 11:21 pm (UTC)