More Elementary

[kerravonsen]

It's interesting to compare Elementary and Sherlock; they are both good, but both quite different. Sherlock is basically AU fanfic set in the modern day; that is, it takes the characters and the plots and translates them into a universe where they take place in the modern day; some of the plots closer than others, but the characters very close to the spirit of the original; not just Holmes and Watson, but Le Strade, Mrs Hudson, Mycroft, Moriarty, Irene Adler...
Elementary, by contrast, is much more of an "inspired by"; it takes the original concept of a brilliant observant detective and his doctor sidekick, and runs with it into uncharted territory. In that way, it's much more of its own show, and needs to be judged on its own merits, not on its merits as Sherlock Holmes fanfic. That makes the two shows quite different beasties.

I've now seen six episodes of Elementary, and am still enjoying it: intriguing mysteries mixed well with good characterisation; I love how both Watson and Holmes make insightful observations about the other, observations that can be painful in their accuracy. As I said, good characterisation.
Alas (alas?) now that I've seen six episodes and sat back and thought a little, it has happened: I have discerned patterns in the plots, and thus they may well end up becoming more predictable.

1. It is never the obvious suspect. (Of course, that's common in many mysteries)
2. Two cases of murder-by-manipulating-a-serial killer.
3. Multiple cases of running out of suspects because one is not looking at the correct set of people. (Doctors and not ex-doctors, executives and not secretaries etc.)
4. Three cases of murder being made to look like an accident (or "natural causes").

Still, I don't think that will prevent me from enjoying it.

Comments

[kalypso]

Yes, I remember someone saying that Elementary is more of a police procedural that happens to have Holmes and Watson in it... I did watch it for a few weeks, but then skipped one and found I didn't miss it, as I had a lot on at the time, so I never got back into it. But various friends tell me it's much better than Sherlock because the characters and relationships are more subtle, and it's more moral, and so on, whereas I'm with Sherlock for the sheer fun of the ride - I always think of that moment in the first episode, which is still the best, where John is riding with Sherlock in a taxi for the first time and being blinded by Sherlock's deductions, and he turns away and laughs because he's probably a bit embarrassed that he's having so much fun.

It must be difficult to keep away from formulae in a format demanding so many episodes, but they may manage it; I remember that House initially seemed to follow a very rigid formula (down to House always getting the final insight that enabled him to crack the case from something that happened in the clinic thing Cuddy made him do), but eventually it built a world where it could break away from the formula and do its own unexpected thing.

[kerravonsen]

Elementary is more of a police procedural that happens to have Holmes and Watson in it
That's a good way of putting it. It falls into the category of "Private Investigator Helps the Cops"; a format for TV shows that has worked for a long time and will probably continue to do so.

I'm with Sherlock for the sheer fun of the ride
(nods) Yes, Sherlock is fun, isn't it?
I won't comment on whether the characterisation is "less subtle" or not, because I like the characters in Sherlock. Actually, I like Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock a bit better than Sherlock Holmes in Elementary, because Elementary's Sherlock is a jerk on top of being thoughtless, while Sherlock's Sherlock is just thoughtless. Or maybe I just loathe practical jokes...

I remember that House initially seemed to follow a very rigid formula (down to House always getting the final insight that enabled him to crack the case from something that happened in the clinic thing Cuddy made him do)

Yeah, I was thinking of House in particular when I was considering plot-formulas.