Granada Discussion Post: The Final Problem
Apr. 7th, 2013 12:00 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sherlock60Let's talk telly in the discussion post for Granada's TV adaptation of The Final Problem. If you haven't seen this episode yet, you can find it at YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Video, and DVD. Follow me behind the jump for my random thoughts and impressions. Please add your own in the comments!
Canon discussion for The Final Problem is available in the canon discussion post.
- Lots to love in this episode, especially between Holmes and Moriarty. Their meeting is spectacular, and Jeremy Brett is exquisitely handsome in the scene, with his collar open exposing his throat, and his eyes wide and flashing with astonishment. I adore Eric Porter's Moriarty's appropriately reptilian nature and disturbing icy glare. He makes Holmes shiver every time he looks at him, and the detective has to wrap his dressing gown tight around himself in response. Brett fleshes out the original dialogue beautifully, making Holmes hesitant and unsettled, requiring a moment before he can pull himself together enough for his trademark resolute defiance. "You... h-h-have... paid me several compliments, Mister Moriarty." Perfect.
- On the other hand, I would have liked a little more meaningful interaction between Holmes and Watson, particularly at the scene where Holmes tries to send his companion back to London for safety's sake. In the canon text, Watson describes this as a 30 minute argument. Here it's not thirty seconds, and it's not really even an argument at all. David Burke's Watson offers to leave if Holmes asks him to, but canon Watson implies he won't leave Holmes for anything, even his own request. Granada has a lot of ground to cover in this episode, so I understand the need for scene compression, but it does damage the impact of the power of their friendship and the tragedy of its end. Perhaps some of the investigation in France in this episode could have been trimmed instead.
- Having said that, explaining a bit about how Holmes lines up the investigation that finally corners Moriarty is pretty neat, something we only see the vaguest hints of in canon. So it was the theft of the Mona Lisa, huh? Nifty. The idiot American guy was going to pay "four million" for the painting, he said, but Moriarty doesn't manage to seal the deal before Holmes crushes his plans. Oops. Is Moriarty usually involved personally in fencing "stolen" goods? Seems like it would be hard to keep up his honest professor persona doing that, especially since he doesn't even bother with a pseudonym.
- I find myself getting so mad at Watson every time I read or watch the part of this story where he falls for the note ruse. Oh, you fool. How stupid can you be? "It appears she's dying." Well, no offense, and I realize this is transgressive, but if she's already dying and you can't save her, then you need to stay with the person you CAN try to save, Doctor. He even sees Moriarty on his way to kill Holmes and lets him go, not recognizing his friend's nemesis. Damn! Just kills me every time. I feel angry at him and at the same time desperately sad for him for being so gullible and suffering so much for it.
- Many great visuals in this episode. Holmes in his Italian priest costume, flashing a toothy grin at Watson from under his fake nose. The beautiful Swiss countryside, green and lush, icy and foreboding. Doctor Watson with his sleeves rolled up, cleaning and bandaging Holmes' busted knuckles (and his patient's "Ow!" reaction). And everything at the falls: the lonely bridge, the crashing water, Holmes' Alpine-stock standing alone, Watson's black glove covering his eyes and his tears, and two enemies falling forever to their ends on the rocks at the bottom of the world.
Canon discussion for The Final Problem is available in the canon discussion post.
- Lots to love in this episode, especially between Holmes and Moriarty. Their meeting is spectacular, and Jeremy Brett is exquisitely handsome in the scene, with his collar open exposing his throat, and his eyes wide and flashing with astonishment. I adore Eric Porter's Moriarty's appropriately reptilian nature and disturbing icy glare. He makes Holmes shiver every time he looks at him, and the detective has to wrap his dressing gown tight around himself in response. Brett fleshes out the original dialogue beautifully, making Holmes hesitant and unsettled, requiring a moment before he can pull himself together enough for his trademark resolute defiance. "You... h-h-have... paid me several compliments, Mister Moriarty." Perfect.
- On the other hand, I would have liked a little more meaningful interaction between Holmes and Watson, particularly at the scene where Holmes tries to send his companion back to London for safety's sake. In the canon text, Watson describes this as a 30 minute argument. Here it's not thirty seconds, and it's not really even an argument at all. David Burke's Watson offers to leave if Holmes asks him to, but canon Watson implies he won't leave Holmes for anything, even his own request. Granada has a lot of ground to cover in this episode, so I understand the need for scene compression, but it does damage the impact of the power of their friendship and the tragedy of its end. Perhaps some of the investigation in France in this episode could have been trimmed instead.
- Having said that, explaining a bit about how Holmes lines up the investigation that finally corners Moriarty is pretty neat, something we only see the vaguest hints of in canon. So it was the theft of the Mona Lisa, huh? Nifty. The idiot American guy was going to pay "four million" for the painting, he said, but Moriarty doesn't manage to seal the deal before Holmes crushes his plans. Oops. Is Moriarty usually involved personally in fencing "stolen" goods? Seems like it would be hard to keep up his honest professor persona doing that, especially since he doesn't even bother with a pseudonym.
- I find myself getting so mad at Watson every time I read or watch the part of this story where he falls for the note ruse. Oh, you fool. How stupid can you be? "It appears she's dying." Well, no offense, and I realize this is transgressive, but if she's already dying and you can't save her, then you need to stay with the person you CAN try to save, Doctor. He even sees Moriarty on his way to kill Holmes and lets him go, not recognizing his friend's nemesis. Damn! Just kills me every time. I feel angry at him and at the same time desperately sad for him for being so gullible and suffering so much for it.
- Many great visuals in this episode. Holmes in his Italian priest costume, flashing a toothy grin at Watson from under his fake nose. The beautiful Swiss countryside, green and lush, icy and foreboding. Doctor Watson with his sleeves rolled up, cleaning and bandaging Holmes' busted knuckles (and his patient's "Ow!" reaction). And everything at the falls: the lonely bridge, the crashing water, Holmes' Alpine-stock standing alone, Watson's black glove covering his eyes and his tears, and two enemies falling forever to their ends on the rocks at the bottom of the world.
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Sunday, 7 April 2013
Date: 2013-04-07 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-04-07 09:25 pm (UTC)That being said, I absolutely loved Brett and Burke in this adaptation, especially Burke. I think it's some of Burke's finest work in the series, and for all that I love Edward Hardwicke's portrayal of Watson, I'm not sure he could have pulled off the shadings and depths of emotion called for in FINA the way Burke did.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-08 12:14 am (UTC)I do think the Mona Lisa backstory went on a bit too long. I understand they filmed a whole Victorian Picnic in the Alps sequence that ended up being cut because of the time constraints. I would have loved to have seen that!
Granada spent an amazing amount of money on this episode. The Louvre scenes were shot in Manchester, but the Alps were a real location. Then there was the fall itself. Supposedly it took 5 days to set up the scaffolding from which the stuntmen were lowered at about 30 miles per hour. They said it took about 25 seconds to fall about 375 feet(!) Yikes! They were then winched back up to the top where they were treated to some well-deserved champagne. The whole thing was pretty darned impressive for a television show!
When it was filmed, no one knew whether there would be any more to the series or not, so I guess Granada really wanted to go out with a bang.
I also have a few quibbles with the episode. Watson really is a little dim sometimes. How many old guys stroll about the Alps in a top hat anyway? Gee, I wonder who that could be? Also, my reaction to being shot at would not be to stand up on a ridge with my binoculars looking about for the source of the shot as Holmes does.
All nit-picking aside, however, I think its a wonderful episode and if the Watson/Holmes interaction is a bit flat, David Burke made up for it with Watson's anguish at the end when he realises the Holmes is gone.
Oh, and the score! The violin theme is wonderful throughout. It's the familiar music that was used throughout, but very melancholy and sad; perfectly suited to the episode.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-10 08:52 pm (UTC)Wow, really? Now I feel bad for stifling a smile every time I see that scene because to me it looks like they're being lowered very slowly and just pretending to flail about (their jackets aren't even being blown up much by the wind). I mean, it's still an impressive stunt regardless, as they're definitely being dangled off the edge of a cliff. I guess just after the hokey-ness of the battle (and Holmes' delayed reaction after Moriarty rushed him before they fell) just made me smile inappropriately.
Don't get me wrong though...I do enjoy this episode quite a bit. It's one of the episodes I've watched multiple times.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-10 10:29 pm (UTC)The fight is a bit hokey, true, but the fall was pretty impressive for the day.