#me every time I start a new Holmes adaptation

[amberarmedheart]

In Defense of John Watson and the Importance of the Besotted Narrator

Every couple of years, the world as a collective likes to ruminate and come up with a new adaptation of the stories of Sherlock Holmes, every single new one promising to be either "The Ultimate Adaptation" or "Holmes for the New Era", there is no in-between. And it is understandable, this amazement and awe we hold for the beloved mysteries, they are classics for a reason.

And despite that, time and again I see creators of tv shows, pastiches, and movies, neglect the most important aspect in every single Sherlock Holmes' story: the immovable presence of John Watson. Some even going as far as turning Watson into a villain, a caricature of himself, or even erasing him completely from the narrative. "After all, the important one is Holmes, isn't he? He is the genius, and Watson is there just his biographer."

That is the capital omission to me when it comes to any of the adaptations, because it ignores the vital part that Watson plays in Holmes' life. Watson is the companion, he is the bridge between the "normal" world and the genius that is Holmes' deductive brain. He is, for a lack of a better descriptor, the translator between what jumps in judgement and reasoning Holmes' brilliant mind comes up with, and the layman's language.

There is a reason why we as readers come up with the idea that Holmes is smart beyond his quirks and his drug addiction, beyond his ignorance of anything and everything that in his opinion doesn't help him solve the cases that distract him from the boredom of normal life... and that reason is that John Watson is the person narrating the whole thing. We are not introduced to Holmes through an omnipresent, anonymous narrator which is the case with other books. We are thrown in the middle of a mystery from the start the same way that Watson is unexpectedly thrown in 221b.

What we think of Holmes, what we feel for him, it is all because Watson wishes us to experience. The stories themselves carry with them one of the best storytelling devices graciously blended into the narrative, which is the fact that Watson is an incredibly good writer, so much that the public gazes into the spotlight where Holmes is and in most cases ignores that the one shining it down is Watson himself.

Creators who like to ignore Watson and his function in the narrative tend to see Holmes as their own self-insert: a super smart man whose genius cannot compare with the mediocre world population and who can barely tolerate their stupidity, basically a gift to men from god and who has to be worshipped for it... When the reality is that every single thing we perceive from Holmes is because of how Watson sees him.

Watson is our unreliable narrator, his descriptions and impressions of Holmes are the ones that are weaved into the story; even goes as far as giving us a glimpse of Holmes' opinion about it through the way the consultant detective sometimes accuses Watson of adding too many embellishments to his narrations. If we see Holmes as an incredible genius, as someone whose intelligence is above the rest of the world, it is because Watson says so. With every passing story, we come across different characters that every once in a while whose first impression of Holmes has been influenced by what they themselves read in Watson's stories... All in all, the in-universe characters falling under the same influence we, as readers, are.

John Watson's love for Holmes is one of the main plot points in the story, we see its evolution the same way as one normally goes through different stages of falling in love. We see Watson's first infatuation, his interest in what makes Holmes what he is, first in a superficial way and later on with every new story. We see them have misunderstandings, which most of the time end up in a deeper appreciation of Holmes as a person.

All culminating in the incredible rendition of The Final Problem, which could easily be seen, without little effort, as Holmes' planning his own death. By what means we are never completely sure, to be honest, since we can only see it through Watson's deep grief. It is true that Arthur Conan Doyle's plans were to end Holmes' adventures with the short story, but even with the author's motivations being the main recourse behind its inception, there is no doubt when reading the story that the focus of the narrative is Holmes' spending his last moments with Watson.

The subsequent creation of The Empty House and further adventures after that, diluted partially the importance of the whole ordeal, but gave us a different insight of Holmes and Watson's relationship. Through that lens, we as readers witness the evolution of it, the toll that Holmes' fake death had in both his biographer and his own author, adding depth through the strain put by the facade.

E. W. Hornung made one of my favorite homages to Holmes and Watson through his stories of The Gentleman Thief, and put a greater emphasis on the strained relationship between the two characters after the fake death. He gave his besotted narrator another source of turmoil: the fact that while Raffles (our stand-in Holmes) was away living life and even having a romantic interest, Bunny (his Watson) ends up falling in disgrace after being sent to jail.

A.J. Raffles' stories lean on the importance of the unreliable, uselessly enamored narrator, to the point that Hornung didn't shy away from having Bunny refer to Raffles as handsome and attractive in many different instances. He understood how there is no Holmes without a Watson to appreciate him, how their dynamic is the fuel behind the success of the whole series.

And ultimately, that it is impossible to have a good story without a good storyteller.

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Boys Prelims - Propaganda Division - Group 6

Propaganda:

Kiriwo -

"Seems innocent at first and he's just a guy with a special interest in magic items, but watch out."

Arjuna -

"MASKING KING!!!!!! ok joke aside one of his biggest things is that he's super scared that if anyone gets too close to him they'll notice he's not perfect/has a 'secret darkness' (that's literally just a guy) and overall a lot of his storyline is a strong parallel for being neurodivergent and becoming more comfortable with accepting it. he's also super strict and hard on himself for any sort of failure that isn't in line with what's socially appropriate but at the same time he doesn't always have a good grasp on what that is which is how you get stuff like him blowing up a forest to try and impress someone. it also runs in his family bc his brother is autistic as hell too."

Sherlock -

"God, where do I start? I mean what Holmes adaptation, even if he's not the main character, would this be if he were not autistic coded? And our combo of autism and ADHD is absolute perfection, all tied up with a pretty, excitable face. Hit him with the crime hyperfixation and do not make him wear socks."

Apollo -

"Not canonically autistic but he has ZERO volume control plus he scripts/repeats stuff (“I’M FINE!!!”), sometimes mimics other people’s speech patterns (like replying “ja” to Klavier), sensitive to loud noises (stayed backstage at a concert cuz it was too loud) and bright lights (complained about the stage lights being too bright at the same concert + screamed when opening the hatch to the bright stage at magic show), and has been really into space since he was a kid, which could definitely be a hyperfixation (not to mention how he read every single one of Phoenix’s old case files back when he admired him). Plus he’s a little TOO normal, to the point where it circles back around to making him the odd one out, which is absolutely what masking feels like for me. Even when he tries to be fun and weird he gets strange looks/made fun of for not being weird in the right way. The list of autism symptoms is just a checklist for him at this point."

Heiji -

"90% of the cast in detective conan is autistic but heiji is the most autistic of them all."

Urara -

"Another alien who is so excited to dance with everyone that he does not understand that his intended purpose of inviting people to dance via water communication is brainwashing them into dancing and is causing extreme chaos. He nearly causes an apocalypse by being so excited about dancing but he apologizes and tries to make friends with Yuki at the end of the story. He is extremely soft spoken and try, finding it difficult to begin conversations and fidgeting."

Shu -

"speaking specifically about the first season but he was the "explains everything so the audience knows whats happening" guy. he was pretty antisocial (not sure if thats just how he was or if he lived alone [which was fucked up cause he was 11]) . im trying to think of more but my brain goes hghghhhggggh im just a big fan of him."

Vash -

"ain’t no way i’m the only one who’s submitted him. go look at the gif of him crawling in the dirt like a bug while he dodges bullets and get back to me."

Hyakkimaru -

"Due to a terrible curse he has lived his whole life without several body parts including his eyes and ears. Because of this he is often overstimulated and awkward in new situations (when he doesn't do what he does best, killing monsters and samurai with his sword arms) He can't say or express much, and often comes off as strange and creepy, but he is actually a cutie patootie full of emotions, has a big heart, a keen brain, endless inner strength and loves the people close to him! This adorable, cursed, demon slaying boy deserves everything!"

Kei -

"He has the tbh face. Also he canonically has sensory issues and gets sensory overload. He constantly wears earbuds. He has an extremely rigid sense of morality and considers himself a savior figure. He has a hard time relating to other people and is a bit awkward in his interactions."

[kajaono]

What we can learn from disputed Sherlock Holmes portrayals

After watching Asylum Sherlock Holmes (aka the one with the dinosaur) and The hound of the Baskervilles (the Christmas TV movie, 2002) recently I found out that both Sherlock Holmes portrayals get a lot of hate

And I can totally see why. Because both have a really odd take on Sherlock. Let me give you a short run through :

The hound of the Baskervilles - Richard Roxburgh as Sherlock Holmes

First - and the most obvious reason - his whole look. Blond hair?! BLOND?!

And when we see him after he is hiding in the moor for a few days to spy on Watson, he looks like this:

Unshaved, without a tie... I know what this look was supposed to be but honestly? He looks a guy i can meet in my neighboorhood... in 2024!

I know it is unfair to compare everything with Jeremy Brett but... This is how Brett!Holmes looked when Watsons finds him hiding in the moor

Also Richard Roxburghs' portrayal of Sherlock is kinda… flat. He fails to add anything new or valuable to the character. He is stiff, he is clever, he has a hard time connecting with people… but apart from that he isn’t Sherlock Holmes. He could be the leading detective in every random British afternoon tv show. As Sherlock? Hard pass. No wonder he got replaced in movie 2…

Asylum Sherlock Holmes - Ben Syder as Sherlock Holmes

Oh boy… where to start? This Sherlock is… he isn’t Sherlock. He is tiny, he is extremely affectionate, he dress casual but not in an eccentric way (like RDJ... I know they had no budget left after the CGI dinosaur... but come on! Give him a vest at least!)... and he is named Robert?! I know they had to save budget but you can not tell me there wasn’t a stiff looking tall black haired actor anywhere on London.

While both of them are absolutely mis-casted, they both had moments that stood out to me… and I think that should be featured more in other Sherlock Holmes adaptations.

Let us stay with Asylum Sherlock for a little longer.

What I really REALLY loved about this adaptation was how affectionate this Holmes is with his Watson. Yeah Holmes also plays his games with Watson, yeah he also behaves like an asshole occasionally and is the reason Watson nearly drops to death at the white cliffs of Dover. But the moment he sees that Watson is in real danger he is the first to jump to his rescue. I also like that he tiny. This is an interesting change. But to make that work his Watson has to be HUGE. Tall as a tree. Towering over his Holmes.

Like this here (second one)

art by @paperbagedhead (please tell me if i should remove it).

we can see a glimpse of it in the Sherlock Holmes adaptation "Gosick" but this the only one I can name... Give me more tiny Sherlock!

I also like the idea that Sherlock is only made-up name. I think they have that in Miss Sherlock as well... but much much better handled. Robert... honestly, who thought this was a good idea?!

And for The hound of the Baskervilles 2002 I like that Watson was allowed to set boundries and that Holmes was the one who had to be rescued at the end. (Do you know that this is the main reason people dislike his Sherlock? Because he had to be saved by Watson? People are weird... Thats such an AMAZING turn of events. More wounded Holmes who has to be rescued by his Watson... I am still thinking a lot about Asylum Holmes screaming in pain and begging Watson to not give him drugs after his leg got cut open...)

So in summary. The good input these adaptations gave us and that should be used more (imo):

Affectionate Holmes (with limitations and rules) but allow him to gently touch his Watson

Tiny Holmes

Sherlock as a made up name

Vunerable Holmes who has to be saved by his Watson

The moment Asylum Johnlock nearly kissed mhm... what?

[livvyofthelake]

bethhhhh unfortunately I have literally nothing to say about percy jackson but tell me about your new project <33 are you trying to watch literally Every sherlock adaptation because that would be insane... also only vaguely relevant but you would loveeee murder most unladylike I'm so serious....

noooo Every would be crazy i’m not doing that let’s be serious. you could hold a gun to my head and i still wouldn’t want to watch a guy ritchie movie starring robert downey jr. but there are a few older movies i’ve found in the years i’ve been pondering and researching that might be good. yes actual years. haven’t wanted to watch any sherlock holmes adaptations because i know probably 90% of them are bad. especially considering what the popular one is that does NOT bode well for anything else!! but i needed to watch something eventually before 2026. as you should well know something big is happening that year i’ve been like. doomsday prepping for since like 2018. with a big pickup in pace in 2022. i think secrets of blackthorn hall created an Urgency i maybe didn’t need thanks for ruining my life cassie 😐 anyway. yeah we’ve got some films on the docket. nothing popular. and as everyone knows i’m never going to watch the bbc show unless i’m having a serious mental health episode in which case you should get me committed to an old timey asylum where they give me a lobotomy. naturally. that’s what i think should happen to all fans of that show btw <3 no offense.

but yeah i did start with young sherlock holmes because i had a feeling it couldn’t get worse than that and i think/hope i was right because wowie that was a crap movie! nowhere to go but up! unless. 😐 yeah it was a major L for women in a way not even reading the sign of the four was. which if you’ve read the sign of the four you’ll know is saying something. sorry for hating the sign of the four. it’s entirely possible the book would have been better to me had i not listened to a bad audiobook for half of it (narrator was INSUFFERABLEEEEE).

also no enola doesn’t count to me as a sherlock holmes adaptation she’s literally built different these things are not even connected to me other than that guy is there. but it’s sort of like. when cole sprouse is an insufferable freak in something that’s not riverdale and you’re like hey that’s jughead! it’s like that. sort of. not really

also i checked and my library doesn’t even have murder most unladylike… next time i’m in a drought of books for little girls though i WILL be hitting up thriftbooks to maybe buy them…. me and books for little girls are like THIS 🤞 fr

[jaelijn]

So... the Frogwares Holmes games really are something else. I should know this by now, but honestly the only thing coming remotely close to the type of Holmesian feels they give me is actively writing Holmes myself (which I haven't done in a while now). They are *invaluable* in generating that kind of headspace.

I've talked about the Frogwares Holmes games before - for my birthday I finally permitted myself to play The Awakened (2023) - and I've barely begun to process it.

It's a too short game - but considering that it was created by an Ukrainian studio in the middle of the war, that is as forgivable as the recycling of assets and the fact that it's not a brand new storyline (Though a part of me grieves for what the next game in the series might have been if there hadn't been the war - I just hope there will be more). It's a remake of an older game in the series with the same title, which I have played more than once and which really is the beginning of the Frogware games in many ways - there're two earlier games, but the original Awakened is where the series really hits its stride as a bona fide Holmes adaptation. So anyway - I knew what to expect, but also I really didn't.

The original Awakened is set after FINA, which adds its own horror. This one is set directly after the last game, Chapter One, and thus features a very young Holmes, basically directly after he meet Watson, and on some level it's the story of them really getting to know each other, and *foreshadows* FINA. But the plot doesn't even matter - or at any rate the plot isn't the reason why I love them, much as it isn't the reason why I love the canon.

I understand the canon purist scepticism, I really do, but I feel I've done the first step of getting over that when I played my first one (the original Awakened) and got over the hesitation at it being a Cthulhu crossover (and any of the other ideas that Frogware has used and made magical even though they are things that tend to make purists instinctively cringe), and the second step when I adored Chapter One and got over the fear of their new take on young Holmes.

In a lot of ways, the games chart the development of "point and click" type games in general and in a Holmesian sense, the adaptation development of Holmes interpretation - the first game was very classic deerstalker Holmes, moving over into Brett (and an older Holmes), and the later ones show definite influence of Downey and Cumberbatch, but at the same time I feel they are truer to canon than probably any of them with only maybe the exception of Brett (and not counting Merrison, which is practically exactly like canon, and not counting Elementary, which is so bogged down by the format of an American procedural).

They are by far the most psychologically complex games I know though perhaps I lack genre awareness, but either way I feel that started with Testament and Crimes & Punishment (which drove home the concept of morality in a way that I have never seen before). There is a true love for canon in every stroke (which I think is what some adaptations lack - a love for canon rather than an attempt at being *better*) and the sheer complexity of Holmes as a human being... I don't even know where to start. It seems to get better with every game, from the Holmes-as-suspect idea in Testament over the moral dilemmas in C&F, the question of legacy in "Devil's Daughter" and backstory in "Chapter One". I just feel that these games really *understand* him - the genius, the pursuit of justice, the kindness that goes beyond societal convention.

And Watson. I missed him in Chapter One, though I know why he isn't there and it makes sense that he isn't there and he never really had big roles in the previous games either, but Awakened (2023) makes up for it. What a compelling characterisation. Watson has his own complexity, some of which Watson's narration buries because Watson himself downplays his strengths and intelligence to elevate Holmes's. But once you strip out Watson's narration, you have to make a choice. Historically, we have a horribly bumbly Watson that we can perhaps unanimously agree to disagree with. Brett's Watsons are both fairly homely, but don't get much of a chance to shine on their own. Law's portrayal of Watson got *so close* but I always felt the relationship wasn't quite right, Watson wasn't quite right in his attitude towards Holmes. Freeman could have been it - if Sherlock hadn't unravelled the way it did. But this is a Watson that has his own growth and that I truly see as an equal partner to Holmes - as the person who is that sounding board and the one person Holmes would want to have with him when things get hairy - the person Holmes can rely on not abandoning him. If nothing else, Awakened (2023) cements that *trust* and I can't wait to see where it goes.

This is turning into a ramble that really boils down to: I love these games and the way they make me experience Holmes. The voice acting is *outstanding*, too - I liked the voice acting in the earlier ones, too, but the current Holmes really sells the material and I have not a bad word to say about Watson.

[daywalkers-fic]

12. why the 1880s?

something about this decade really sings to me. I find in particular, nearing the end of the nineteenth century, so much was happening on around the world in terms of arts, politics, technology, colonization. world events and global news don’t personally reach the day-to-day lives of the everyday folk, but they are an important part in gauging what life, thought, and society was about—what things were important then and now?

basically for myself, reminding me of notable things that occured during the 1880s—some thematic, some of relevance to context and characters, and the rest just ?? interesting and/or wild?

cocaine is a hot new cure for everything and anything. perscribed, sold in foods and more. heroine introduced as a lesser-addictive substitute for morphine…

lots of developments in fields of psychology; many experiments and happenings; Freud starts his work 1886.

1880-1914 had +twenty million immigrants to the United States: Germany, Ireland, England, China had the most arrivals.

William Dorsey Swann, the first self-proclaimed drag queen, organizes a series of drag balls in Washington, D.C. 1880-1890s.

Jack the Ripper claims his “first” victim in 1888 White Chapel, London. big scare.

Sherlock Holmes first appears in Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study In Scarlet as part of the British magazine’s Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887.

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is published in 1886. Gothic fiction, drawing from emerging fields of science and psychology. & Treasure Island was published earlier in 1883 by him too!

Mark Twain drops The Prince and the Pauper (1881), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889).

Bel-Ami, Guy de Maupassant’s second novel is published in 1885. about a man who seduces and manipulates high society French women in the French colonies for power and wealth. MOVIE WAS ADAPTED IN 2012 STARTING ROBERT PATTINSON LOL

western European art movements very romantic and swirly and pretty: Monet, Debussy xoxo.

meanwhile, African American ragtime music becomes the “pop” music across the pond here.

North Dakota (1889), South Dakota (1889), Montana (1889), Washington (1889) become states.

train segregation laws flag beginning of Jim Crow; Civil Rights Movement of 1875 voided, making discrimination in private is not illegal, and prohibiting state intervention to personal or commercial segregation. l*nching continues throughout the south. slavery may be over on paper, but indentured labour is legal.

1882 infamous O.K Corral gunfight.

Gold Rush continues, all over the world—South Africa, to British Columbia, to California, to Argentina, to Russia-China borders.

centuries of American “Indian” wars continue.

American Dawes Act of 1887 granted American government authorization to regulate indigenous lands, including creating and assigning and enforcing reservations.

Sitting Bull’s 1883 speech of the atrocities experienced at the hands of white American settler colonists.

Canadian Pacific Railway 1881-1885. foreign labourers were hired to do a lot of heavy, dangerous, unwanted work. in America, more than 100,000km of tracks were laid by majority Chinese, Irish, Scandinavian workers.

America’s Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and Canada’s Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 was officiated, enforcing law of a Head Tax to be paid for every Chinese person entering North America. over the course of the next couple of decades, the fee of $1,500 was doubled to $5,000 was increased 500% to $25,000 in today’s currency—per person. this had devastating and lasting impacts on generations and societies of Chinese living both overseas and already in North America. propaganda at this time created many racist myths that persist today: there are too many Asians, they are taking our jobs, (the men) are gross and effeminate and a threat to (white) women, they shady and scheming people. these were the first and only major federal legislation to explicitly suspend immigration for a specific nationality in American and Canadian history. (I study Asian Canadian history, I can go on about this all day)

Tong Wars (1883-1913) had Chinatown gangs and factions in violent street wars across America, San Fransisco to New York.

large, targeted, and repeated anti-Jewish rioting (pogorm) and antisemitism rampant throughout Imperial Russia, 1881-1882 had more than two hundred anti-Jewish events alone. Jews continue to be racialized and othered.

fuck ton of colonization happening in Africa and the Middle East, Southeast Asia. Berlin conference 1884-1885 literally chopped up Africa to distribute to European powers.

Irish nationalist efforts to push forth Home Rule bill of sovereignty is defeated in British Parliament. Irish are not “white”, they are “othered” in Europe and in Americas.

use of photographic film pioneered by George Eastman, who started manufacturing film. his first camera (Kodak) was ready for sale in 1888.

Thomas Edison gets lit in New York 1883 with first electrical power station. next several year sees major cities being lit up with street lamps and public lighting with the science and works of a Nikolas Tesla (1886-1893).

hell of a lot more inventions in the works and patents being claimed. Hertz and radiowaves, Bell for telephone services.

“Between the years of 1850–1900, women were placed in mental institutions for behaving in ways the male society did not agree with”

way too much history to cram, obviously. here are some keywords for further research oki

prison industry / spiritualism / opium epidemic / irregular and uneven “modernizations” in rural vs. urban areas / class and poverty gaps / morality scares, checks, comparisons, gaps / new businesses and gadgets, products, tech to help with anything / fascination of the (colonial) Other; side shows, “freak shows” and other human zoos

[hergan416]

Why do I love Moriarty the Patriot?

It's not just like...compelling story. Sure it has compelling story, but ultimately it is a Sherlock Holmes adaptation. Surely I would have gotten into I dunno, Elementary when my mom was super into it when I was a teen, or the old BBC show my ex's grandparents had on at their house all the time (that more or less followed ACD canon). Maybe even ACD's books...which I like but am languishing on reading even after getting into MTP). So why this one?

Admittedly, I am the kind of person who is much more interested in animated works than live action, so I'm a little biased towards the format of an anime (and then finding the manga for more context after I love it). That's definitely a me thing.

But why did I start to hyperfixate on it? How did it become my fandom?

Gonna have some heavy topics and spoilers now.

It's relating to every single character as human. It's the way the relationships are so real and easy to imagine. It's the main character...who basically tries to commit suicide around the same age that I tried to commit suicide, failing, then having to learn to live with himself.

It's about the struggle to relate to people, to communicate, even for brilliant people who are very close (Will and Al and Louis), even for brilliant people who want to be (Sherlock and Liam), even for people who at first glance don't all seem to be neurodivergent (Sherlock and Watson). It's about how no friendship or familial relationship, no matter how deep the ties go, is perfect. It's about found family and blood ties and being true to oneself.

It's about good and evil and what those terms even mean. It's about the inherent worth of humanity. Nobles not finding all people to be people. Louis lives because William has been acknowledging his worth and thinks Holmes can provide that for William. But in the end, Louis and William both find their own worth for themselves. Louis pushes forward and really starts to shine in his new role. He's so good at what he does. He's so comfortable. He's a leader, not a servant. He is the new head of the family.

William too, learns a lot from having to live with just himself to look after (and maybe Sherlock). But he's not enmeshed with Sherlock the way he was with his brothers. He's learning to live as his own person, to become himself. Not an actor on a stage, not someone he is expected to be, to be vulnerable, to not know the answers. Because when you are smart like that...you're supposed to know all the answers. Even now.

It's beautiful. The Final Problem isn't enough. The first part ends with a brief description of how things happen after a three year time skip. Its about healing. And not healing. And struggling to move forward anyway.

How could I NOT love it?

[ashesforart]

🎞️🎙️🕰️🎨

Hello!! Once again, I am terribly sorry it took me forever to answer this ask.

🎞️ - GREAT question, oh gosh. I want to say Three Garridebs? I always did like that one, plus there's that fun little scene where Watson gets hurt and Holmes loses his shit. Given how well S&Co. handled the gunshot + general commotion scene in Noble Bachelor part 2, I think they could really knock Three Garridebs out of the park but maybe that's just me.

🎙️- HIGH BLOODY FIVE WATSON gets me every time. Honestly and truly if I'm having a bad day then all I have to do is listen to Sherlock say that in his really enthusiastic voice just like he did on the pod and I instantly get this goofy smile on my face. It's just too endearing. Although runner up is in Retired Colourman part 2 (I think?) when John breaks the fourth wall physically and metaphorically lmao-- great wordplay imo.

🕰️ - Back in January 2024! So just a few months ago. I was a BBC Sherlock fan prior to this and was honestly nervous about venturing into other Sherlock Holmes adaptions, but it was such a great decision to start listening to S&Co. But anyways I also moved back in January and now have a longer (and more frequent) bus + train route than I did before so I needed something new to listen to during!!

🎨 - Hmmm... it might be better to attempt drawing this at some point. Honestly I really love the fandom's headcanon that Sherlock is a person of colour and I totally agree with it. I know John has said on his Twitter that Sherlock doesn't have much hair, but I can't help it, I just imagine him as a fairly tall guy with a full head of dark hair-- I do think that S&Co. Sherlock has straight hair too. As for John, imagine like Fix-It Felix from Wreck-It Ralph but with a scraggly blondish beard and a *very slightly* stockier build. Interestingly enough, I don't currently really have any strong opinions on Mariana's appearance (just because I change my mind about what she looks like every episode) except for that she has these adorable freckles on her face, especially the bridge of her nose.

[sorrel-scribbles]

So since Sherlock Holmes is apparently in the public domain today (tumblr trending told me), I've got to make a post about it, and by that I mean I'm going to ramble about Enola Holmes for a hot second.

(500+ words of analysis below the break)

I am not a big Sherlock Holmes person. I don't keep up with every single adaptation. I've read a couple of the books and watched Enola Holmes, and before Enola Holmes 2, I was never a Johnlock person. Aroace Sherlock is something that's very important to me, so I don't seek out adaptations where he and Watson are implied to or do feel something for each other. It's just wasn't my cup of tea, but I didn't care if it was other people's. I just wanted a Sherlock who didn't need romance (and I still do tbh, but that's not what this post is about). That's part of the reason I watched Enola Holmes (1) and loved it. Besides Enola herself and the story (both of which I absolutely adore), we get a Sherlock who's got only his two siblings and is doing just fine (yes he needs friends, but you get the point-).

Then I watched Enola Holmes 2.

A big part of the lesson Enola learns in this movie is that she can be independent and hold her own, but it's also ok to ask for help when you need it, and to let other people in (both literally and emotionally). Some of this involves Sherlock and Edith, but mainly, it's about Tewkesbury. It's about the fact that having a person to lean on and a man who you love doesn't take away your agency or your sense of self. Enola learns this, and everything is all sparkles and sunshine for her post-case...and then they introduce Watson. The whole time I was watching the movie, I interpreted the hints being dropped about Watson to be teasers for the next movie that will hopefully be made, but then he shows up at the end of this one.

Intentionally or not, they've created a narrative parallel. There are little hints dropped throughout the movie about Enola's feelings for Tewkesbury. She's suppressing them, hard, but you can still tell. The movie also focuses on Enola and Sherlock's relationship, and how similar they actually are, to the point where Sherlock invites her to be his case-solving partner. They also tease the introduction of Watson, who anybody who knows anything about Sherlock Holmes should know is his closest ally. The movie also clearly establishes that Sherlock hasn't learned Enola's lessons yet. He still needs to find his person, and unlike the first movie, this is a role his family can't fulfill for him. Enola herself recognizes this and sets him up with Watson as a new roommate. And where does she go while all this is happening? On a date with Tewkesbury!

Call me crazy, but they're basically saying "Tewkesbury is to Enola what Watson is to Sherlock."

That sure looks to me like something romantic is being implied.

And no, this isn't me saying "Enola Holmes 3 WILL have canon Johnlock," (because, to be honest, I doubt it, and I don't want to start discourse) I'm just pointing out the narrative parallel they've established lends itself well, and that I'm not biased in pointing it out because I'm not a Johnlock shipper. I would actually like to see an "our platonic connection is just as important as your romantic one" storyline, because that's the type of Sherlock Holmes media I connect with, but they have set themselves up for a Johnlock storyline here, and I would love to see that come to pass as well.

(Enola herself should, of course, remain the main focus of the movies. Ultimately, it's about her and about women and about the Holmes family and I wouldn't want it any other way.)

[squish--squash]

Thanks for answering my ask......If you don't mind me asking (again), what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

lol hello again, ty for asking me this! I promise I'll give you more than 7 answers this time lol

Tian Guan Ci Fu/tgcf (book series, donghua) - I stumbled upon this randomly back in 2021 through its brand new donghua and I've loved it ever since. I adore the characters and the plot is both extremely complex and absolutely wild. it's roughly 750,000 words but I was able to read it in a week despite having school because I was so invested in it!

Moriarty the Patriot/mtp (manga, anime)- I think this is funny bc I tried watching bbc sherlock once and did NOT like it, so I just thought I wasn't into the sherlock holmes stuff. WRONG! I just had to discover this. I call this the "best sherlock holmes adaptation" for a reason (check my current pinned post, you'll find many reasons why I love mtp; I don't want to sound like a broken record so I don't plan to repeat them). I can't wait for when (or if) the manga comes out of its break/hiatus

Good Omens (book, show) - both the book and the miniseries/show are so near and dear to my heart. I always have a soft spot for watching supernatural entities fall in love (with each other and) the world around them. also, it's funny as hell

Promare (movie) - goooood I love Promare it's so neat; love the colors and the shapes and the plot is fun despite its simplicity. I could rewatch this movie every day for a month straight and not get tired of it

Arc of a Scythe trilogy (book series) - this is not something I've talked about a love, but this is one of my favorite book series! found it back around the same time I did tgcf; it's fucking insane I loooove the worldbuilding and the main cast, and by the second book every other page was like a plot twist gutting me in the best way possible; it's made me ponder about life and death on more than one occasion too

Matched trilogy (book series) - I started reading this in either 5th/6th grade but didn't really get it so I kinda forgot about it until around 2021-2022 (what? I actually had time to READ that year!) and managed to reread it and it was like a third eye opened. I really enjoyed the mystery unfolding in the trilogy! it's pretty cool imo, even tho I think (?) it was meant for teenagers to read

Not So Shoujo Love Story (webcomic) - this webcomic is so fucking funny AND it's wlw! I've been a fan for years it's so good

Bee and Puppycat/Bee and Puppycat: Lazy in Space (show) - a comfort show of mine (one of many); I'm in love with the atmosphere of the show and how awkwardly real the dialogue tends to be (plus I've been slowly rewatching it with my gf with is always a plus <3); I love both the og and its "reboot" equally, and would recommend people watch both

Snow White with the Red Hair (anime) - I haven't read the manga for this one, but I've seen the anime and it's another comfort show of mine. It's so sweet and cozy and the entire cast is lovable; even the "bad guy" in the first season is someone you grow to root for by the end of the second season. it's great!

Supernatural (show) - even tho I haven't finished the show and idk when/if I ever will, I still consider it a favorite media of mine. not bc I think it's great (it's good in most places, lacking in other), but bc I pretty much grew up with it. I have a core memory of watching the first handful of episodes when I was younger with my dad on the couch with the first time and being hooked on this strange show about supernatural creatures (I was that kid that enjoyed the supernatural! I read ghost story books, I binged every Goosebumps book I could get my hands on in fourth grade, I had a creepypasta phase, etc); even now in 2024 I've been sitting down with my dad to rewatch it with him before I go back to my college dorm and start back up classes. it's less so one of my favorite medias because I think it's good but because I associate it with my family <3

[quill-of-thoth]

Letters From Watson, Catching Up

The Musgrave Ritual part 3: fun bits! - I didn’t point it out in the last part, but I love how Musgrave immediately catches on to the scavenger hunt and starts helping. Especially because he knows the ins and outs of the house.

- Obviously there is immediately a corpse. And a crime scene reconstruction. I do like that Holmes admits that he has no idea whether it was an accident or on purpose that Brunton was trapped in the treasure chamber: contrary to many pastiches and modern adaptations he does not always have, or need, every single fact of the case.  - Also, the treasure. The absolute lack of fabulousness of the treasure! I admit that the first time I read this story with not a lot of historical knowledge (my known English monarchs skipped from allegedly King Arthur to Queen Elizabeth to Queen Victoria) the shabby condition of the artifacts made me think they were much more than two hundred odd years old. As an adult who has been to two archaeology digs I appreciate the realism: important things are seldom shiny! Granted, my best two finds were a left-handed pot sherd and a shred of china.  - On the subject of archaeology: every aspect of this discovery is a disaster and it makes me itch. First you remove the artifacts from their context with zero documentation, then you chuck them into a lake. Zero of ten stars all around. 

- Honestly, thousands of stolen artifacts filling the British museum and things that actually belong there thrown away in a pond. I have a grudge against Victorian era archaeologists that only starts with Heinrich Schliemann. - It’s currently VERY hard to quickly google information about Queen Elizabeth 1 or King Charles 1 and get answers, so I’m not going to do a deep dive (tonight) on whether this “ancient crown of the kings of England” (which didn’t exactly make me think that Charles 1 wasn’t some time in the 10th century) directly contradicts any knowledge of actual Elizabethan and immediately post-Elizabethan crowns. Hey British royal family, could you make it easier on historians and pick a new name, ever?

[redrobin-detective]

Got any good book recommendations? Any genre, any character, anything?

Been saving this to give it a good answer!

So my favorite author is Stephen King bc he writes the most intensely real characters I've ever seen and I always enjoy his writing style even if some of his stories are meh. I'd start with Different Seasons novella collection but ONLY read first story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (which obviously is the Shawshank movie) and third story the Body (which became the movie Stand by Me). The other two are garbage. If you like those books then please! Feel free to read his other longer stories, the og horrors (Carrie, the Shining and Salem's Lot). Other good horror is Misery, The Dead Zone and the Shining sequel Doctor Sleep. IT and the Stand are looooong stories but oh so worth it. The Mr Mercedes trilogy (but especially the first one) is a fun detective series. The Green Mile movie and book makes me cry every time. I could keep going but I've gone on enough about King.

Ken Follet originally wrote spy thrillers but found his true passion when he dropped a 1000 page mid-evil epic, Pillars of the Earth, and has been writing historical fiction ever since. Despite how lengthy all the books are, I consume them every time there's a new one. I think my fastest record was 4 days! The Pillars quadrilogy covers from the dark ages (The Evening and the Morning) to the Elizabethan era (Column of Fire) and golly its so good. If 14th century England isn't your jam try his Century trilogy covering various families around the world from WWI (Fall of Giants), WWII (Winter of the World) and Cold War/modern (Edge of Eternity).

Eric Larson also does really good nonfiction but written in a very compelling manner. Devil in the White City and Dead Wake are my favs of his!

I loooooove mysteries too! I could name dozens of classic mystery authors but I know that's not everyone's jam. Anthony Horowitz's House of Silk was a delicious Holmes adaption that felt juts like Conan Doyle. For more modern The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was a trippy Doctor who esque murder mystery. The Night Circus is not my usual jam being very magic-y but oh I love the language and get pulled in every time. What can't be said about Good Omens that hasn't been said before? I do also love the classics, King Lear, Pride and Prejudice, Gone with the Wind, As I Lay Dying.

Thats all I can think of off the top of my head but I have loads of classic murder mysteries I can also recc that I'd need to go to my bookshelf for lol.

[verifiedaccount]

Fatigued by the endless “based on a true story” movies coming out that are just half-assed dramatizations of popular non-fiction books, articles, docs. I just saw the news about Taron Egerton starring in a movie about the story of Nintendo acquiring the rights to Tetris, adapted from a chapter of some book on Nintendo, and it’s just fucking miserable. At least that book is from the 90s and not a current thing like the execrable The Dropout miniseries with Amanda Seyfried (who I generally like in things). Like, I heard the podcast The Dropout, I read the news stories about Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes of which there were approximately a billion, I skipped the book and the Alex Gibney doc but those existed before they made the miniseries, I saw those texts between her and Sunny hundreds if not thousands of times on social media, what is there to possibly gain from watching famous people recite the same lines and act out the same details I’ve already seen and read over and over, now with (from the bits I’ve seen) glib, hacky screenwriting and editing that underlines every obvious punchline and heavy-handed “emotional moment” like it’s pre-chewing my food for me? Or the upcoming series based on Tiger King, or Inventing Anna, or WeCrashed, or any of these other unimaginative recreations of something we’ve already seen and read about endlessly; at this point, the restraint showed in just making two Fyre Fest docs seems almost impressive. I get the appeal for actors and writers, because it’s a way to have a “measurable” sort of display of your talent, since people can compare your impression/script to the real people/events, and applaud your goddamn lack of imagination in “transforming” yourself and mechanically recreating moments and mannerisms, but have audiences become so incurious and literal-minded that they actually want this shit?

That shitty Franco adaptation of The Disaster Artist was a mistake (I still think the book, which is much stranger and more unsettling — The Talented Mr. Ripley is convincingly made a motif — in addition to being way funnier, especially in audiobook form with Greg doing Tommy’s voice, and more insightful about movie making, is great); it hardly started there, but acclaiming a literal-minded impersonation and recreation of moments that already existed on film was a bad idea (like giving Jessica Chastain an Oscar for impersonating Tammy Faye Bakker in a remake of a documentary). And, while The Social Network was a much better movie that avoided the simple “imitation” move, it probably is the most to blame for the current trend.

This kind of shit used to be confined to TV Movies of the Week, rightly regarded as a place for hacks, has-beens, and up-and-comers who, if they ever made it, would later be embarrassed if anyone brought their early TV work up. It’s lazy junk-food, which was fun as an occasional thing but is now being shoveled at us in the guise of stories about “real people” as opposed to superhero stuff in spite of the fact that it still tends to have as much relation to what actually happened as those TV Movies of the Week. Some of this is streaming and “Prestige TV” collapsing the distinctions, in addition to everything shooting on digital whether it’s theatrical or television; the Tetris movie is for Apple+ but it’s getting a festival premiere. SXSW, which is by this point mainly a corporate showcase, but still, it’s depressing and looks like a creatively bankrupt dead end.

[dathen]

Wow, you know Ace Attorney too? I just started playing the first trilogy this year and I really enjoy it. It's quickly becoming my new special interest!

Absolutely!! It’s a long-time love for me, one of those fixations that just tears its head every now and then without warning. It was also the first fandom I started getting aro and ace headcanons for, so it means a lot to me on that level on top of the fantastic found family and fun gameplay and batshit plots~

If you’re just starting out, make sure to check out The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, which is a bizarre but wonderful period piece crossover with Sherlock Holmes stories (one of those “not loyal but loving” adaptions)

[ytrairom]

Sherlock MBTI analysis

Disclaimer: I’m not a professional when it comes to psychology, I’m also not planning to become one. I researched a lot on MBTI types, read about other people’s thoughts and experiences with their type and also read a lot of character analysis, not only for BBC Sherlock but also for other shows. I also included the cognitive functions that are the base of the MBTI types. I respect other opinions. That being said let’s dive into this analysis :>

Sherlock Holmes – INTP the Logician

Since Sherlock is the main character of the show, we have a lot of material to analyze and giving him a MBTI type was therefore easier than for side characters.

Sherlock is clearly an introverted person; I doubt anyone would object to that. He doesn’t like interacting with people and prefers to do things alone. If he would take the personality test himself, he’d probably get a relatively high score in introversion, above 90% I’d say. He doesn’t get his energy from interacting with people.

Moving on to the next letter, the N which stands for Intuition. I’ve seen some people arguing that he is in fact a sensor (an ISTP) but I’m quite sure he’s an Intuitive. He is able to completely ignore his surroundings, he was talking to John for hours without noticing that John wasn’t even there. Typically, sensors are very aware of their surroundings and find it difficult to ignore what is happening around them. Sensors live in the present while Intuitives live more in the future. Intuitves are also people who tend to see possibilities while sensors like to rely on experience. The reason why people confuse Sherlock for a sensor is because Sherlock is very detail oriented when inspecting a crime scene and when he wants to be he is very aware of his surroundings and notices every small detail. However, Sherlock always notices the big picture. INTPs also like to think through a lot of ideas, they spend a lot of time thinking while ISTPs always start doing things. Sherlock’s mind palace and how he uses it is extremely untypical for an ISTP or a sensor in general but fits an INTP very well. Also INTPs are better at longterm planning than ISTPs and Sherlock is actually good at planning things if he wants to.

Sherlock prefers thinking over feeling, I’ve never seen anyone type him as a feeler. Sherlock makes his decisions based on logic. That doesn’t mean that he is coldhearted or devoid of emotions and empathy, he just prefers to do things based on logic not on feelings.

Sherlock is also more perceiving that judging, I don’t see why anyone would type him as a judger. In the original ACD books he may an INTJ (which I don’t know because I didn't of them, shame on me) but definitely not in the BBC adaption. He doesn’t follow any routines, is always open to new things and goes through life and his cases how it seems right in the situation. That doesn’t mean he is unable to stick to plans, we have seen him making plans and following through with them, it just doesn’t seem to be his preferred way of doing things. He can adapt to unforeseen circumstances and find a solution in the moment. He is also a risk taker. Maybe this is a bit of a stereotype, but Judgers tend to be more organized with their belongings and living space. Sherlock however can work in the greatest chaos and doesn’t even mind it, I sometimes think he works better in a little chaos.

Cognitive functions: Ti-Ne-Si-Fe (These come from the 4 letters his MBTI consists of. You possess 4 cognitive functions: 2 introverted ones and 2 extraverted ones. All of these are developed differently, your primary function is your most developed one and your inferior function your most underdeveloped one.)

Primary function: Introverted thinking. He constantly keeps is mind open to new information and concepts that help him understand the world. He uses Ti to solve problems and quickly understands complex ideas.

Auxiliary function: Extraverted Intuition. He sees possibilities everywhere. He uses Ne to experiment with what could be and find new innovative ideas. He likes to learn about multiple possibilities and gets restless when the environment doesn’t promote experimentation.

Tertiary function: Introverted Sensing. He recalls logical concepts and ideas quickly. He stores and effectively recalls past information when needed.

Inferior function (underdeveloped function): Extraverted feeling. He feels strongly for other people but is unsure how to express feelings for them. He prefers to rely on logic and facts though. He can be very emotional under stress.

When giving someone an MBTI type I always consider the cognitive functions and in this case, they made me fairly sure of my decision because to me Sherlock is an Ne-Si user not a Se-Ni user or a Te user.

[mejomonster]

Silent Reading reread, I've been highlighting areas the show almost directly adapted. The idea of Luo Wenzhou thinking he'd save the universe.... that Tao Ran and Luo Wenzhou responded to Fei Du's call of his moms death....that they felt for the kid and Tao Ran took him on holidays and the both of them kept in contact with Fei Du... and they realized Fei Du had a talent for crime. 1. All of that hits very well, this little dialogue chunk is critical to the trios history setting up their starting dynamic. 2. The show stating the "skill for crime" similar to the book gives off a similar enough effect. 3. I appreciate the shows gratuitous use of flashbacks I would've Love to read to tell Tao Rans story visually... because the shots of Luo entering from the light, covering Fei Dus eyes, and taking him from the dark mansion and dead body and into the light, is so symbolic of their relationship and view of each other! And the show full on decided their personal dynamic is so central the Show is Titled after it (光渊 light in the abyss, with Pei Su in the Abyss and Luo Weizhao his path to the light). And the light language visually communicating it constantly, nearly every shot with Pei Su uses light that way. I also just love the show visualizations of all of Pei Su's younger memories so far rather than just telling us in dialogue only or omitting the scenes. I love seeing his nightmares with cgi a action thriller probably didn't Strictly need but I appreciate deeply, the scene of Luo Weizhao giving the psp to Tao to give to Pei Su I'm so glad to see in a scene instead of just an offhand mention cause I'm a mushy sap who loves seeing flashback scenes. 4. This scene still just hits me so hard....

Quote:

Tao Ran paused, then simply said, “In a case Wenzhou and I once handled, Fei Du was…the one who reported it. This was seven years ago.”

Luo Wenzhou and Tao Ran had just graduated then. They were callow youths, unsteady in their work. Especially Luo Wenzhou. He was the child of a government official and had been very arrogant when he was young, insubordinate and displeased with everything. He thought he was overflowing with talent, Number One in the world—Number Two being an English fellow named Sherlock Holmes.

 

He didn’t think he was going to work every day, he thought he was going out to save the galaxy. His handling of affairs was highly unreliable. When he was just starting out on low-level field assignments, if he was sent out to reconcile a community dispute, he could easily reconcile it into a battle.

 That afternoon, there was a band of robbers roaming around who needed to be caught. All over, police reacted. The City Bureau, every sub-bureau, and even the local police stations sent people over. Only the youthful Luo Wenzhou and Tao Ran, who had been judged by their elders as likely to do more harm than good, were left on duty.

"110 got in contact and said a child had called in a case in their jurisdiction. He’d gone home from school for the weekend and found his mother’s corpse at home. That child was Fei Du. He was in middle school16 then.”

Lang Qiao froze.

“Later, the investigation showed that his mother had killed herself. Wenzhou went to tell him in person, but he didn’t believe it… Since then they haven’t quite gotten along.” While he spoke, Tao Ran had already reached the sub-bureau’s gate. “You must have been able to tell that his family is fairly well-off. His father was a standard businessman, away for work all the time. When his wife died, it was several days before he came back. Fei Du wasn’t very sociable when he was little. He went through several housekeepers, and none of them stayed. He was usually alone in that big house where his mother died. That was the first proper case that had passed through our hands. It had a special significance. We couldn’t let it go. I felt bad whenever I thought of that child having no one to mind him, so during the New Year and other holidays I would take him in for a few days. He had a fair amount of contact with us during that period. As time went on, we found out the child had a special talent.”

“For what?” said Lang Qiao.

Tao Ran paused, then quietly said, “Crime.”