Review:
Sherlock: A Study In Pink

101 – A Study in Pink

‘My name is Sherlock Holmes and the address is 221b Baker Street.’ – Sherlock

Hold the presses – the BBC have got a lavish new three-part drama based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s immortal detective Sherlock Holmes! Not only that, but it’s visually impressive, well acted, marvellously written, intriguingly plotted and downright gripping to boot! No, you are not dreaming, there really is a quality TV show airing on British television.

John Watson (Martin Freeman) is an ex-army doctor recovering from an injury sustained in Afghanistan. Unable to move on with his life and equally unable to trust anyone, his psychologist suggests that he keep a blog about his life and record his days online. A chance encounter with an old friend brings him to the doorstep of Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), a brilliant ‘consulting detective’ who specialises in cases that baffle the police.

A series of suicides rocks London to its core. Four people have been found dead from poisoning in strange locations. Police are convinced the cases are linked, but it’s impossible for suicides to be related – isn’t it? Sherlock believes the deaths are the work of a serial killer and he ropes in his new companion Watson in to try and solve the mystery before it’s too late. The only clues are the word ‘RACHE’ carved on the floor by the latest victim and the colour pink. The game is afoot.

Where to begin with a show this good? The acting here is phenomenal. If you’ve been unable to see Martin Freeman as anything other than ‘Tim from The Office’, then this is the role that will change your mind. Freeman’s understated, subtle, defensive portrayal of Watson is earnest and remarkable, one that ensures his journey is a heart-warming and gripping event to follow. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock is also a joy to behold. At once arrogant, brash, rude and yet charming and disarming, this Sherlock is a masterpiece of writing and casting.