Elementary was introduced to audiences worldwide when Sherlock Fever had taken over the globe like a storm. The audiences had been touched by the witty Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law’s chemistry before Benedict Cumberbatch totally mind-boggled the masses.
Though these were the two top-rated Sherlock’s at that point fighting for supremacy, in stepped a rather unconventional yet slow one somewhere in the corner. This Sherlock did not have the overzealous wit or an unimaginable personality but was rather prone and simpler.
No, they did not compromise in any way with the expressions of their characters’ unavoidable charisma. The only difference was that they let them grow into something beautiful with time.
There was no rush or uncalled editing and the growth was phenomenal with time, resulting in a show that is now into its seventh season. However realistic or cold it may have seemed at the start, it always takes time for the coal to evolve into a diamond.
Another huge plus point was the twisted characterization from John Watson to Joan, though no one can really complain that Lucy Liu hasn’t done justice to her part. As a unit, Jonny Lee Miller has done wonders with his character and the picturization is just perfect.
With that being said, here are three reasons why Elementary has taken televised Sherlock to a whole new level-
3. Better character development and storylines in Elementary
What happens when you make too many edits and cut short most of your show and the best scenes are just popped up randomly, with no proper build-up? Well, ask the Game Of Thrones fans. The season 8 disappointment continues to hover on our minds, as we look for alternatives to watch now with the show drawing to a close.
Elementary has been rather the opposite. The writers took a lot of initial time to build up the characters and their connection with the fans. Once the hard part was done, they started to make use of their qualities and bonding together. This, along with some brilliant storylines that could really get the crowds intrigued. The impact was just instant and the characters set the screen on fire. A slow fire that grew with every drop of fuel added to it by the passing episodes.
That has been the reason for the long-term success of the show, not just a temporary one. It may even continue to bring him more viewership in the seasons to follow (if there are more). The crowds would love to see such tempting chemistry of passionate crime-solving continue for the years to come. Whether Elementary delivers that or not, is another thing. Yet, it is the need of the hour for mystery lovers as it has already proven that.
2. Incredible chemistry and high quality, precise detailing
If you have to use fancy subtitles to decipher what is going on in a mystery looking to be solved and explain word-by-word people’s thought processes rather than just pure dialogue delivery, it means that the writers are probably missing out on some of the creative parts of picturization (though it was unique).
Or, maybe the main parts of the conversation between two individuals was rather so fast, that the other person and the audience were totally played to be idiots. Whichever is the case, it was over-exaggerated to a major extent. This did not always go down well with the audience, who failed to understand such mysteries at times. Sherlock was a creation of fantasy but a more realistic one, as one would have hoped.
It further means that there is still hope of adding more sequences that can make sense. Episodes that can actually matter to the audience, in ways that only a writer and possibly an actor can imagine.
With that being said, the relationship between Sherlock and Joan, along with Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn) and Detective Marcus Bell (Jon Michael Hill) has been great. Over the years, a really strong partnership has been formed, showcasing the trust that they have in each other.
It is not as if Sherlock is the only force on the show. There is more of a balance in the crime-solving abilities of other characters too and they are not made to look like total idiots, though Miller obviously is the smartest of them all.
1. The push and pull theory- A realistic Sherlock
If you take the example of BBC’s Sherlock, it was quite clear that Sherlock Homes was this genius. A brilliant mind, who could work faster than a “super-computer” and the entire case would open up to him. That is, rather than he actually doing any work and earning it. Such was the stature of brilliance that was associated with him. It was as if the clues would keep flying to him and he just had to stand still and do nothing.
This might have seemed really attractive at the start, but it is not how cases work. Even CID (Sony Television) did a more realistic job than this with regards to their cases.
However, Elementary is a more genuine version of a crime-solving storyline, through the eyes of a detective. Though Sherlock is smart here, he is not always right. There are times when he makes judgemental errors and is vulnerable too. He is shown as an addict who also relapses a few times in his biblical journey. So, this is a more believable Sherlock and not some Demigod, who can’t be beaten.
When you pull an over-enthusiastic fan-base to such a show initially (the BBC version), there is an eventual expiry date of your product and with time it gets boring. However, with a rather complete show in terms of Elementary, that is not the case and thus the reason for its long-term success.
