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storytellingdreamer · 2 years ago

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Watching Granada Holmes: The Six Napoleons

Image description: Holmes and Lestrade shake hands at the inner door of 221b. / end image description.

A bit late with the recap this week - I think my recap days will most likely move to weekends from now until the finish. My schedule has become fuller, and I’m also writing more for Seize the Light (Star Wars Episode VIII rewrite, for those unaware).

This one was a fun case in some aspects, though the xenophobic treatment of Italians (apparently, according to PlaidAdder, it’s worse in some ways than the original canon!) was a bit much.

I’m filing this under “Case for Someone Holmes Knows”, given that Lestrade is the one coming to tell Holmes and Watson about it. Let’s begin.

The very first scene is... cringey, and irritating, and demeaning because it plays on stereotypes. The rest of the intro is interesting mostly because the dialogue is all in Italian without subtitles; you have to rely on the intrigue of the acting. Given it’s a long intro, I think this choice worked. Though it’s still cringey. That pattern continues for the rest of the episode whenever the Italians appear by themselves, so I’m skipping those scenes.

After the title credits, we open at the lounge room of 221b.

A lovely cozy scene, with the gentle music from the episode soundtrack, the fire crackling, Holmes reading the paper, and Watson with drink and cigar in hand.

But what’s this? They have a guest - Lestrade!

This scene sets the tone for the episode. Lestrade looks as if he’s come over for a relaxing evening, not case talk (cigar in hand, relaxed sprawl against the couch). He even tries to say he has “nothing... in particular” on (no cases) - only for Holmes to say, with a knowing smile, “tell us about it”. As Watson chuckles, Lestrade then admits (with a smile of his own), “Well, now you mention it...”

The atmosphere is very congenial, as if they’re all old friends - though it switches to “old colleagues” once Lestrade begins his tale of course. This is interesting given Lestrade’s previous appearances.

In Norwood Builder, he was an Antagonist of sorts. In Empty House, he was Watson’s Colleague and awkward acquaintance. In Second Stain, he was both hindrance and help.

In this episode, he’s the Apprentice - following along in Holmes and Watson’s heels. Sometimes he and Watson get to have a Moment, and other times Watson is shown to be ahead of him - or helped to be ahead by Holmes.

There are some delightful Holmes/ Watson scenes in this episode, too. For example, the scene after the opening, when a young, uniformed (and very eager) note-runner rushes to deliver a note from Lestrade to 221b.

It is Watson who receives the note, so it is Watson who tells Holmes who the note is from, and deduces why it was written.

And for once, it’s Watson who tells Holmes arrangements are already made and they’re leaving shortly: “Finish your coffee, there’s a cab at the door. Two minutes!”

Watson is quite pleased that he has the opportunity for this bit of role reversal, and Holmes seems amused by it also. Another “known each other forever” moment.

Other scenes include:

Holmes’s little smug moment to Watson about his gambit with the press having paid off - note Watson’s look of rueful tolerance as he says, “Very cunning, Holmes”.

That much gif’d scene of Holmes spying Lestrade peering at his papers and calling Watson over silently to show him.

Finally, a bit near the end of the episode where Holmes is explaining himself, and Watson begins to ask a question. Holmes gives him an answer of only two words - a name - and Watson instantly understands.

Now, onto Lestrade’s Apprenticeship. Prominent scenes include visiting the scene where the latest bust was smashed, visiting the morgue, the stakeout scene, and several scenes in 221b. Culminating, of course, in the best one of the lot.

Let’s start with the visit to the bust-smashing spot.

Lestrade, the junior apprentice, asks questions.

Holmes answers the first (which was a direct query for his opinion on matters) then walks ahead, leaving Watson to field the rest.

Watson does so quite well - and then gets stuck.

He glances at Holmes, who - rather than taking over - gives him a hint by gesturing with his walking stick out of Lestrade’s direct sight.

Watson is then able to answer, though is completely stumped again shortly and must verbally ask Holmes for help.

To which Holmes only says, “Remember it for later” (paraphrased).

I.e. “not enough evidence to answer it yet.” A neat insight into Holmes’s thought processes.

Then Holmes can’t help but be dramatic a moment later, when he announces their next destination: the morgue.

(Here, Holmes takes a moment to ponder “the one mystery not even [he] can solve: death itself” - which... is this a story quote or what???)

Anyway. The other pattern continues after that.

Lestrade and Watson talk between themselves again, before Watson notices a potential clue (photograph isn’t whole) and passes it to Holmes.

Holmes then examines the body closely - perhaps comparing it to the photograph?

Lestrade thinks aloud about the next steps and is disappointed when Holmes at first does not react - he has to prod him with a direct question. A sign in itself that Holmes is concentrating on other lines of thought.

This part of the scene gives off Autistic Holmes vibes to me.

They prepare to split off for a while, with Holmes and Watson following one line of inquiry while Lestrade follows another.

Holmes encourages Lestrade on this - after all, if they each follow separate avenues, they can “return and compare notes”.

Another apprentice moment for Lestrade, or so it seems to me. Though Holmes is not so accommodating as to share the photograph.

Note Watson’s little commiserating head tilt and smile before they head off!

And when they’ve gone, Lestrade leans over to study the body, trying to see what Holmes did.

They reconvene in 221b.

Everyone is playing the information game.

Holmes pretends not to care too much about his day’s work, summarising it vaguely.

Lestrade feels smug about his day’s work, and gets to glow in Watson’s encouragement for a moment, before Holmes becomes impatient.

For it’s going to be a long evening - so, Holmes suggests, how about a nap, once we’ve arranged the particulars?

Lestrade is Unamused, at first, with another perplexed glance at Watson, who only nods (it amuses me we can’t see Watson’s expression here).

Our next Team Scene starts with Holmes in his shirtsleeves, flinging papers around.

At least he’s only confining it to one of the smaller rooms, I guess - less work for Mrs Hudson!

The reason for that, of course, is that Lestrade and Watson are napping in the main room.

Until Holmes wakes them up, coats and hats in hand.

Lestrade is particularly tired, it seems, causing Holmes to tease: “Watson, I think you’ve been over-generous with the port!”

Lestrade grumbles: “You’ve been frugal enough with your information...”

You’d think Lestrade would be used to stakeouts, being a police detective - but he seems rather a novice.

Fortunately, their man soon arrives, running across the lawn. The three follow discreetly, leading to several lovely images.

One is the shot of them all peering cautiously over the hedge - Holmes, Lestrade, Watson, in a row.

The other is the one of them peering around a corner together.

But, though they apprehend their man, and Holmes has a delightful exchange with the owner of the house (that finger to the hat brim in acknowledgement!) it’s not over yet.

It’s back to 221b the next morning for the final denouement, leading to the scene that tops them all.

It begins with Lestrade explaining his own theories, rather smugly... only to find that Holmes is Not Listening so intently that Watson must resort to calling for Holmes’s attention on Lestrade’s behalf.

again... Autistic Holmes vibes.

And then the knock at the door, with Holmes adopting a pose - leaning against the mantel - so he can swirl around with quite the dramatic flair when their guest asks if he’s here.

The final bust is delivered and paid for handsomely, the guest ushered to the door, and Holmes turns around with a particular look towards Watson and Lestrade. They just blink back at him because they haven’t caught on yet.

So Holmes of course shows them, in quite the dramatic fashion.

He sweeps the tablecloth off one table (while not disturbing the tea things!), places it on another, and sets everything else up with plenty of flair. All the while with Watson and Lestrade looking on in befuddlement, and sharing confused looks.

Holmes: “Now gentlemen if you would give me your undivided attention...” *brings his walking stick down on the bust with a satisfying thwack-smash.* Then digs through the pieces of the bust to find... “the famous black pearl of the Borgias.”

This dramatic bit of theatre causes Watson and Lestrade to gasp and then clap - Watson even says, “Bravo!”

They pass the pearl from hand to hand in excitement, with Lestrade filling us in on why it’s just so important.

Then Holmes takes the pearl back so he can hide it reveal how he knew it would be in the bust.

(This is another “precious stone” story, so of course Holmes is the one who apparently keeps the thing.)

It’s quite an excellent tale this time, and puts together all the separate parts of the mystery - including bits we didn’t know were connected - together.

Watson is naturally impressed... and so is Lestrade.

“I’ve seen you handle many cases in my time, but I don’t know if I knew of a more workmanlike one than this.”

Holmes is abashed but pleased - offering a little smile with quick glance, then looking away again.

But Lestrade isn’t finished.

“We’re not jealous of you, you know, at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we’re proud of you.”

And Holmes freezes.

Stunned, and - as Lestrade continues speaking - overcome. You can see the emotion on his face, especially his eyes.

Once Lestrade has finished, Holmes says, “Thank you,” twice.

The first is loud, and trying to cover up just how touched he is.

The second, only said after he’s taken the briefest pause to swallow back tears, is much softer, rougher, and very heartfelt.

Oh my god. Just - Jeremy Brett, you marvel! All of that emotion conveyed so thoroughly in just a few microexpressions and tone of voice! Making me feel things, how dare.

After that display, with Lestrade still watching him, Holmes abruptly asks Watson to fetch another case’s files (for an excuse), and shows Lestrade the door. Hurrying him out before Lestrade could continue looking (too) closely and perhaps see more than Holmes intended.

At the door, however, Holmes stops Lestrade and, after saying a little something that basically amounts to the sentiment of, “um, thanks, if you have any more problems, I’m always happy to help”. And then he holds out his hand for Lestrade to shake.

Holmes does not shake hands with just anyone. He’s usually happy with a nod. We’ve had several instances with other characters where they’ve offered a handshake and Holmes has refused it. Now, after Lestrade’s appreciative words (which included mention of the Yarders shaking his hand in praise), he offers Lestrade his hand.

Idk if I’m making too much of this, I can’t check the earlier Lestrade episodes atm to see if it’s the first handshake they’ve had... but the fact that Holmes offered it seems significant, especially coming after the moment just before.

We leave them there, with Holmes releasing his feelings by playing the violin (Granada theme tune <3) and giving Watson his own private concert.

Image description: Watson sits in a lounge chair in 221b, his back to the audience as he watches Holmes, who is in front of the window playing violin, facing the street below. / end image description.

#granada holmes #watching granada holmes #the six napoleons #jeremy brett is the perfect sherlock holmes #sherlock holmes #john watson #inspector lestrade #jeremy brett #edward hardwicke #colin jeavons

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storytellingdreamer · 2 years ago

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Watching Granada Holmes: The Devil’s Foot

Image description: Watson and Holmes in the Cornwall cottage. Watson is at the back on the window seat, looking irritated. Holmes is sitting at the table, holding a cup of tea, with a blanket around his shoulders. He has a half-focused but slightly absent expression on his face. / end image description.

I was excited for this one and it did not disappoint. A humorous note: by pure chance, due to an overlap of our usual Granada Holmes Watch day and a particular February date, my partner and I watched this episode on Valentine’s Day. Appropriate? Perhaps. ;)

Read my other recaps here. Also see Plaid Adder’s review - our thoughts overlap a decent amount for this episode, and she also gives additional context to some scenes.

I’m categorising this episode as High Stakes Deductions and Holmes/ Watson Feels. Due to the way each of those parts play out, I’ve split this recap along those lines rather than going through linearly – which has led to a rather long recap!

Let’s get to it. First up: The Case.

The opening is suitably spooky, though, as my partner later reflected, it does spoil certain later details (if you pay attention).

That may be why it’s so short - any longer, and it would have potentially spoiled the whole conclusion.

Not a fan of the African drumming music that occurs as a motif throughout the episode, though.

Like, Granada, I can see the owner of this house has a fascination with Africa thanks to the statues, you don’t need to add the music on top of it. Anyway.

The first client interview is sweet, amusing, and unnerving by turns.

Sweet because of Watson’s obvious care as he tries to encourage Holmes away from the case (then is reluctantly drawn into it himself).

Note Holmes’s little smile when Watson finally asks Tregennis a question - he knows the matter has captured Watson’s attention as it has captured his.

Amusing because Holmes has evidently not been using his macassar hair oil with his muffler on, so his new shorter hair sticks up like a bird’s nest when he takes the muffler off!

Unnerving because of the subject matter - one person dead and two people insensible from something unknown.

That thread of unease will persist throughout the rest of the case, especially during the visit to the house.

Holmes uses his walk over to quiz Tregennis, who is very eager to gloss over his past family feud, in a “all water under the bridge” way.

“Nevertheless,” as Holmes says. (Brett <3)

Note the trick Holmes does to check Tregennis’s feet before they enter the house. ;) Watson notices.

Also, the scene of Holmes entering the room of the crime was another, “Oh, so that’s where that gif/ clip comes from!” moment.

You could probably pull some more ASMR-like stuff from that scene and the bits around it.

I like Holmes letting Tregennis ramble on until he says something potentially interesting. If Holmes already had a theory (and I’d say he did), then it’s a good strategy.

The housekeeper arrives, and Holmes gives her the reassurance he sees she needs.

As with previous episodes involving female clients, he uses a small touch with his hand, leading her to a seat, then implores her to leave nothing out.

Soon, Holmes finds out things weren’t as easy-going as Tregennis portrayed. Confirming some suspicions, perhaps.

I love Watson’s little aside when he and Holmes are viewing Brenda Tregennis’s body: “Tregennis is lying about a mild blood disorder, I’ll stake my reputation on that.”

I love this next scene rather a lot.

Holmes is incredibly frustrated with the case as it stands, and vents at Watson (he’s such a verbal processor sometimes, I relate!).

Watson provides a sounding board, asking his own questions for Holmes to answer.

It’s all going swimmingly - note the background urgent-but-jaunty music. And then Sterndale shows up. The music abruptly stops.

Notice how Holmes commands the scene despite remaining on the ground.

Sterndale is a towering man - and Watson is unsettled enough that he gets up, to resolve the height difference (and possibly put acceptable distance between himself and Holmes).

Holmes doesn’t bother - and therefore retains all the power, despite Sterndale’s attempt at using his presence to intimidate.

“You are very inquisitive, Mr Holmes!” “It is my business.”

And then, once Sterndale stomps off in a huff, Holmes begs leave of Watson, telling him to wait at the cottage, and fobs him off by reciting some of Watson’s earlier holiday encouragements about “sea air” and things.

The next morning brings more bad news. Note how Holmes calls for Watson’s help in managing the distraught vicar.

They continue to tag team at the house, Watson in examining the body and reassuring the vicar, while Holmes examines the surroundings.

Just as Holmes is putting the clues together, the local detectives arrive, and are none too pleased to find Holmes has beat them to it.

So Holmes turns immediately to the vicar and gives him explicit instructions about what the detectives should pay attention to, while Watson before he departs tells the vicar: “Good luck.”

Holmes and Watson head back to the cottage, but the rest of their afternoon falls solidly in the Holmes/ Watson Feels part of this episode recap, so I’m skipping ahead to the case’s conclusion for a moment.

Memo to last week’s team: this is how you do a wrap-up scene. The tension is thoroughly maintained throughout, and it’s not boring at all.

Notice again that Holmes is commanding the room from a seated position, refusing to let Sterndale use his height to dictate matters.

He pushes and pushes until Sterndale cracks – and then stops Sterndale cold by revealing the ring.

The tale that results is a tragic one.

It is also another story obviously influenced by Doyle’s personal circumstances in the mid-1890s to early 1900s. But anyway.

I find Sterndale a difficult character, in many respects.

We are obviously meant to sympathise with him, and his story of thwarted love, now lost.

And it’s not as if him killing Mortimer Tregennis instead of pointing the detectives at him made much of a difference overall. According to the laws of the time, Tregennis would probably have been convicted of murder and been put to death anyway.

Sterndale will have to live with what happened and what he did in response for the rest of his life, and for all his bluster and anger, it’s clear his actions left a mark on him. (“He died. Oh, how he died…”)

Yet I must say I fall in line with Watson. I couldn’t take the law onto myself like Sterndale did as executioner. Or like Holmes frequently does as judge.

However. As Holmes puts it – who’s to know what any of us would do, if faced with a similar outcome?

Onto the Holmes/ Watson Feels part of this recap, as this episode is fairly saturated with them. We get a good dose of it in the first few minutes, and then they crop up again throughout.

After the title credits, we see Holmes and Watson for the first time. They are on holiday - and Holmes is Grumpy about it. I am Amused by this sequence.

Partly because in Letters from Watson we’ve just finished reading Reigate Squire(s), which starts with Holmes and Watson off on a holiday after Holmes has had a nervous breakdown.

What they’re trying to avoid here. (In both stories, the holiday part doesn’t last for long before a case interrupts of course.)

The next scene is of Watson taking in the invigorating (terrifying) clifftop views and sea air, before returning to the house in good cheer... to find Holmes has just injected himself with cocaine. There are several interesting points about the short scene that follows.

For one, Holmes appears embarrassed about having shot up.

He hides his arm when he hears Watson return, and then guiltily sticks his foot up to cover the needle and case.

The second interesting point is Watson’s reaction.

Recall that our first introduction to Granada’s Holmes and Watson consisted, in part, of a fiery (angry) exchange in which Watson snapped at Holmes, “Which was it this time - morphine, or cocaine?”

Here, Watson’s reaction is much more subdued, though somewhat reminiscent of his initial reaction to Holmes’s drug use at Musgrave, some episodes back. Both post-Return in the Granada timeline.

Watson merely looks at the evidence, pauses in disappointment, then crosses the room to leave. Pausing again only to say (very quietly) where he’ll be - seeing to the luggage. Holmes quietly says, “Thank you,” as he leaves.

Unfortunately, Watson isn’t given much time at all to collect himself, as they’re interrupted by the vicar.

This means that poor Watson must negotiate another “be sociable while Holmes is high” conversation, right when he’s already upset about it all.

(Holmes’s damn weird laugh deserves a mention - Brett makes my skin crawl every time he does it, because that particular chortle only occurs when Holmes is high).

The next major point in the H/W episode arc occurs when Watson and Holmes are walking along the cliffs together.

There, Holmes draws Watson’s attention to the granite slabs he’s inspecting - ancient tombs.

Watson, with a very solemn, weighted expression, gives this interesting remark in response: “I suppose death is always with us.”

Holmes turns sharply to him, and they look at each other a moment before Holmes says, “Quite so.”

This conversation starts a delightful atmospheric set of scenes. Holmes strides about the clifftops, examining small artefacts and other things, while Watson’s narration provides context.

(Hardwicke’s voice has really grown on me btw, I love his delivery of these lines.)

It’s not until the very end of this set of scenes that we get to the heart of the matter. Holmes disposes of his cocaine and syringe with a determined finality.

And final it is. We won’t see the cocaine and syringe even discussed for the remainder of the episode. On the surface it seems a small moment because of that. However, it’s a huge moment overall. It’s also set up for the emotional climax of the episode, so let’s dwell on it a bit.

Recall that the last time Holmes and Watson went on a convalescent holiday (Granada’s Musgrave Ritual, again)?

Holmes injected himself the first night he was there (again, out of Watson’s sight, though he left the syringe in plain view).

Also remember that one of Holmes’s stated reasons for using drugs is to cope with boredom.

(Though during the MUSG episode recap, I noted my headcanon that it helps him deal with anxiety/ depression and a too-busy-at-times brain.)

In this episode, Holmes brought the cocaine with him so he wouldn’t feel bored, just like last time - remember, he didn’t want to come on this holiday at first.

At least, that’s what he would have told himself. But given the drug is addictive, you have to wonder if he (subconsciously) just didn’t want to do without it.

Fortunately, in the time between Musgrave Ritual and now, Holmes has become more uncertain about his use of the drug as a coping tool – and given his guilty actions, more aware of the hold it might have on him.

Perhaps in part because Watson no longer gets mad at him, just gives him silent disappointment instead. Harder to ignore the doubts when the justifications aren’t being voiced anymore.

Yet - as we will see later - Holmes’s mind hasn’t become easier to manage just because he’s grown wary of his usual solution (pun intended).

We’re only eight episodes post-Return, after all. There’s still plenty to process from his time away.

As the reason for the Cornwall trip shows, however, Holmes can’t just push through it by working himself to the ground, either.

So, during the atmospheric montage, he begins to explore other ways of coping. Long walks, meditation, and so on.

And eventually, he decides to get rid of his old vice - and start afresh.

Unfortunately, before Holmes can tell Watson the new path he’s decided upon (gah I wish we’d seen that - thank goodness for fanfic), A Case arrives. One that will test Holmes’s new resolution in unexpected ways.

Holmes knew there was a substance involved from fairly early on. Something that caused the doctor, the Tregennis’s housekeeper, and the vicar’s housekeeper, in three separate incidents, to feel faint, have a turn, and get a headache respectively. It also caused the Tregennis’s housekeeper to think the room needed airing.

As early as Holmes and Watson’s first clifftop discussion of the case, Holmes had an inkling of what the cause would be – he was about to say it when Sterndale interrupted. Perhaps, too, he already knew what he might eventually need to do.

First, though, Holmes talks it over with Watson, who gets to voice the start of the conclusion as to what killed Brenda and Mortimer Tregennis. (Love how Granada do that!)

Holmes then reveals he intends to test the theory – by drugging himself. Watson protests, then agrees to stay also, visibly unhappy about the whole idea.

Plaid Adder’s review above explains why Holmes’s idea wasn’t as farfetched an idea in canon times as it might seem to us.

She also explains what the Granada production team have done to refresh it - subtly indicating the links between this experiment and Holmes’s earlier drug-seeking behaviour, while making Watson less gung-ho than canon about the whole thing due to those links.

Right. The next bit can be mostly summarised by the exchange my partner and I had while watching it.

Me: “It’s very trippy.” Him: “Not trippy enough.”

Look, they… tried? But sort of half-arsed it. I would have preferred more colour-saturated moments and less fake blood, though I suppose the overall effect was unnerving.

We see from Holmes’s perspective that his greatest fear ties back to being alone, to his childhood, and to Moriarty (and I’ve just read that the weird painting may be some sort of allegory to Holmes’s (homo)sexual desires).

Though it’s all a bit confusing about the specifics... until Watson’s voice comes through, steadily louder, and the best bits of the scene occur.

My visceral reaction during the bit from red screen to Holmes waking up went something like this:

“Oh, phew. Wait. Holmes. Oh my god, he really looks like he’s gone mad… Holmes, WAKE UP!”

Then, as his eyes finally focus: “Oh thank goodness!”

And then of course: “JOHN!” Holmes practically shouts in relief. The nightmare’s specifics are suddenly much more real – and the relief all the sweeter.

(And the entire fandom screeches due to the meaning behind Holmes using Watson’s first name in that context…)

There’s another thing about this scene that Plaid Adder addresses better than I could: the mirroring of the revival scene with a certain revival scene in Empty House - and what that means. Lemme show you.

Here is the one from Devil’s Foot…

And here is the one from Empty House.

You see?

I can’t say much more about this scene really because Plaid Adder has said it all in her review, please read it.

All I’ll say is that it’s a big moment. The mirroring indicating that Holmes has at last understood what Watson meant when he said earlier that “death is all around us”. Something that Watson has been aware of on a personal sense since FINA.

Holmes has finally caught up to him. So, just as he buried his syringe and cocaine, Holmes tosses the lamp from the pseudo-Reichenbach clifftop into the raging waters, and his decision to start afresh truly begins.

… just as soon as he’s cleared up the last couple of points in the case, of course.

Note Sterndale’s words, during his confession: “the one person on this earth who was dear to me.”

Holmes’s handling of Sterndale makes Watson a trifle vexed at him. Holmes’s reply is a coda to the emotional arc he’s been on this episode.

Though his starting line about never having loved rings hollow after all of what we’ve seen so far. Almost as if it was covering for something else.

It’s up to the viewer/ reader as to whether the bit omitted was “never loved a woman” or something about Watson in particular that was too obvious to print… ;)

For there’s really no “if I did” about it. This episode is one of many that show that whatever form the love actually takes (i.e. platonic, romantic, sexual or something else), in the end there’s only one person for Holmes, and that is his Watson.

#granada holmes #watching granada holmes #the devil's foot #sherlock holmes #john watson #sherlock holmes loves john watson #jeremy brett #jeremy brett is the perfect sherlock holmes #edward hardwicke

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