Two figures running in the cold streets of London during the night, trying to solve an impossible crime, is a recurrent image in detective stories, which owes quite a bit to Sherlock. One of the most beloved characters in literature of all time, Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant detective, and his assistant, John Watson, have surpassed the four novels and 56 short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The detective’s first literary appearance happened in 1887, and he remains present in numerous adaptations to the big screen and television.
Steven Moffat is not a stranger to the BBC. He was the showrunner and writer for one of the longest-running TV series of all time, Doctor Who. The filmmaker didn’t stop himself with the blue telephone cabin and time traveling. Moffat and Mark Gatiss (who appears later in the series as Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft) collaborated once again and created one of the best adaptations of the brilliant detective, Sherlock. In a narrative as fast-paced as Sherlock’s mind, the audience follows the iconic duo in various incredible situations: shooting at a swimming pool, surviving a certain death by falling from a building, etc.
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The BBC series had four seasons, and it is still not confirmed if there is going to be a fifth, nor has the series been officially canceled. In the final episode aired, a lot of the plot lines created had an ending, but some have yet to be closed. Finishing a popular series is extremely hard (Game of Thrones fans know that very well), and unfortunately, Sherlock didn’t please the fans with the way it left its characters. Here are a few reasons why Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes character deserves a movie.
Sherlock Adaptation History
Warner Bros. Pictures
The first time Sherlock Holmes appeared on a screen was in 1900. The 30-second silent film was called Sherlock Holmes Baffled and was played by an anonymous actor. The first feature film adaptation happened in 1916; the movie was called Sherlock Holmes, and it was a black and white silent film based on three Conan Doyle short stories. Basil Rathbone starred in the movie as the detective, and between 1939 and 1946, he starred in 14 movies as the character.
Due to the popularity of the novels, and its main character, there is an impressive amount of over 250 adaptations of London’s most famous crime detective. Because he is such a well-known character, and his adventures are eagerly followed around the world, there have been numerous takes on his stories; from Watson being a woman, like in the TV show Elementary, or narratives that focus on Holmes’ little sister (who wasn’t present in the books), in the movie Enola Holmes.
There have been action-packed adaptations with a more Hollywood version of Holmes played by Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as his trustworthy companion Watson in the movie duology Sherlock Holmes, with a third film coming. Nevertheless, there has been one adaptation that encapsulated the core of whom the detective is: Sherlock, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
The Best Sherlock Yet
BBC
The BBC adaptation aired in 2010. There was some uneasiness due to a major change the series has from the beloved books: the story is set in modern times. Because of that, the way Sherlock deals with a crime is different from how the original character did. Sherlock has a vast knowledge of modern equipment that can help him solve the crimes. This change became more frequent later on in other TV shows like Elementary.
However, the core elements that made Sherlock and Watson, played by Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, and their adventures so beloved remained the same, regardless of the period. That is why, for many people, Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Sherlock is the best one yet. His arrogance about his intellect and antisocial detachment from the other characters brings back elements from the novels. Cumberbatch’s polished version of the detective was well-rounded and particular to such a degree that would only make sense for Holmes. The fast way he talked (matching the velocity of his mind) incremented an extra layer to the character. He made the audience, as well as the characters in the show, struggle to follow his train of thought.
Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ collaboration brought to television mind-blowing episodes, over and over again. They subverted well-known plot points by the fans, like who Jim Moriarty was, while not missing the beat of why they worked so well.
Sherlock Needs an Ending
The series is not officially over yet, and the fans are claiming for a continuation. Why? Because even though the series was one of BBC’s finest shows, the final episode (and season as a whole) lacked a lot of elements that made the show so popular. The finale was extremely confusing, and most plot twists didn’t make sense. The ending felt rushed and set apart from the intricate and elaborated stories from the previous seasons. The reveal of an unknown sister, who is a psychopathic criminal mastermind, combined with experiments that looks like the inside of Holmes’ brain when he uses drugs, was a lot to take in.
Cumberbatch has already said that he is not opposed to stepping into the character’s shoes again, but that maybe it is not the time yet for the audience to see him as Sherlock. Nevertheless, he is now, just like his co-star Freeman, in various projects that could be a possible delay to scheduling a new season, if there is even a real chance of having one.
There is also the fact that the BBC, unlike streaming services, has to plan and schedule the new releases based on the year’s broadcast plan. In a way, a Sherlock movie would make more sense, perhaps from BBC Films, the filmmaking arm of the BBC. This could create a satisfying conclusion to the series, while also avoiding scheduling problems and difficulties surrounding a roughly 5-hour season for the BBC.
Sherlock was a superb show with lots of clever stories and characters. The ending audiences received did not translate the excellency present in the rest of the show. A movie could give the audience, and the series, the closure it deserves.
