The Sword and Laser discussion

Any watch "Elementary"? Its a tv show based on Sherlock Holmes. I thought it was very good. Especially episode 3.

Before I add spoilers I want to see if anyone has seen it.

I've been watching it. Still haven't decided if I like it or not. Episode 3 was better because it wasn't directly about murder. I really hope it's a mystery of the week show and not simply a body of the week show. Already too many others like that.

I am liking it quite a bit. Love Lucy Liu.

I watched the first three episodes of "Elementary" as well and thought they were okay.
Then I watched "Sherlock" (BBC) and was blown away. There is no comparison! I can't wait for season 3 to come out while I've abandoned "Elementary" without so much as a "meh".

I watched the pilot and wasn't particularly impressed. It didn't feel like a Sherlock Holmes story to me, more like any of the other "mystery dramas" on TV. If later in the season, people say it's worth catching up on, I'll watch it on demand or something.

I too love BBC's Sherlock.

I enjoy it! The pilot wasn't bad, but it was a little too CSI. The episodes since then have gotten better.

Comparing it to the BBC show isn't fair. It's its own thing, and I enjoy it on those grounds.

I've only seen the pilot so far, and I really wanted to like it. I thought the acting was terrific. But I did not care for the "kindler, gentler" Sherlock. One of the things that makes Holmes such an interesting character is his detachment.

I tend to avoid procedurals but I tuned in to the pilot because a)I like Sherlock Holmes stories and b)Lucy Liu.

The pilot was interesting enough to get me to add the show to my DVR and I've yet to be dissapointed by the series.

My problem is that they advertise Elementary as Sherlock Holmes. But I find it's more like The Mentalist than Sherlock Holmes. I thought I was going to have more of an issue with Lucy Liu as Watson, but I find her to be the only palatable part of the show. If they were going for police procedural it would be great, but they promised me Sherlock Holmes and it's not. I'll wait for BBC to make the next 3 episodes, thank you.

Although I LOVE BBC's Sherlock I do enjoy Elementary a great Deal. Sherlock is Better yes but I see them differently so it doesnt effect my enjoyment. Both Are good but are in different worlds, different takes on Holmes.

I watched the pilot and it was "ok". Just not enough to make me want to watch any more.

I enjoyed Lucy Liu as Watson. The Sherlock guy not so much.

My wife has been siting at her computer and writing a lot of posts over on tumblr teaching the Sherlock fan kids about how they are wrong a lot when it comes to Elementary. The kids are bitching about things they think were "ripped off" of Sherlock that are actually part of the original books. Internalized misogyny (where women act misogynistic to other women) about the fact that there have been at least six other female Watsons on film. They get all upset about Tobias Griegson (a name of the cop in NY, but lovingly lifted from A Study in Scarlet).

My wife does think the show has too predictable mysteries, but she is editing two books about Holmes which will be announced soon.

I think it's fun to troll children who never actually read Doyle and complain that both shows steal from House MD. I also am trying to get Elementary fans to call themselves ELEMENTALS so I can use Battletech clan speak again, quiaff?

Edit: Also, Elementary is better because it gets a full season. That's like Nine seasons of Sherlock in one year. Do the math.

My only quibble with this show is that it had the misfortune or bad planning to come out whole the BBC's Sherlock is fresh is everyone's minds.

I quite like Johnny Lee Miller in the role.

EPISODE 3 SPOILER!

(view spoiler)[
This episode shocked me. I knew they would get the guy who kidnapped the kids. But what I didn't know is that the boy helped him. And that the boy did a killing al by himself.
Can you blame the boy for killing is thats all he sees. Finally I think he should be sent to a mental institution not a jail.

Your thoughts

(hide spoiler)]

Missed the first two - too busy writing, but I've got them on catchup now, and I've set the Sky box to record the rest

I am enjoying this show, as I do Sherlock. They are both modern day takes that go in opposite directions. There is plenty of room for both of them in my life :)

This week's episode was another murder. I may give it one more week. It's just not interesting enough for me if they make it another body a week show.

There are so many other types of crime he could be solving. I'm not saying they shouldn't EVER use murder as the crime..but it's been every week but 1..and that was a kidnapper/serial killer where the current victim was still alive/savable so pretty close.

Seen the pilot now. Enjoyed it. I thought the two leads were very good (plus I like New York :))

Darren wrote: "Yeah. Sherlock is awesome. Moriarty is great. Unfortunately, three episodes is a whole series, which is short even for the BBC. "

I know. I could have cried when I found out.
But at least they're long episodes. 90 minutes of pure Sherlock joy!

This is OK, but why take out everything that made it identifiably Sherlock Holmes and then keep the name? It could be any moderately quirky investigator in any detective show.

I've been listening my ways through the Holmes stories. I watched the Jeremy Britt Holmes when they first ran. I love Sherlock and I like Elementary.

Elementary is definitely Holmes light but a recovering Sherlock is an interesting idea. I think that the show is a reaction to Elementary- CBS asked the British production company to create an american version of Sherlock but they passed. It's not like Holmes hasn't been modernized before so that isn't new. There certainly is plenty of room for a different take on that idea.

The second batch of Sherlock hit Netflix recently so there are now six there.

I can't help wondering why they bothered casting Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes. There is nothing English about him whatsoever (Holmes I mean, not JLM, who of course is English) beyond the accent. There is nothing in the words he says or the way he says them that is remotely 'English'. He's just playing an American with an english accent. Which is a shame really. Just imagine how good it would have been if they'd had Joss Whedon writing it. Now there's a man who *can* write a convincing English character.

Oh, and the last episode I saw, the one with the light aircraft crash on the beach... Finally a topic I actually know something about! What a crock of shite it was! To misquote a movie I saw recently (title anyone? ;)), It had more inaccurate things than accurate things. If that's the standard of research they did for something that is supposed to be all about deductive and logical reasoning, finding the *facts* Well, let's just say that given how sloppily written the main character is, I'm not that surprised about how sloppy their "facts" are.

(btw, the basic premise was sound - stuff a body in the back of a light aircraft, and the CofG could be so far aft that the plane crashes on takeoff. but the execution was terrible... there is no black box in that kind of plane, and even if there was it would be nothing like that monstrosity they waved around. And there is no "cargo hold" either, any more than there' a cargo hold in the average family hatchback. Just two of many...)

I've fallen behind on the series. Like 2 or 3 episodes now. It's increasing likely I won't bother catching up.

Sherlock is staying true to the orginal story and elementary is going the opposite direction and it makes it interesting. If you know the orginal stories you can enjoy Sherlock and Elementary you never know whats going to happen.

I'm just bored because every week is a murder.

Apparently I must be the only American whose interested in a crime show about something OTHER than murder considering how many Body a week shows there are these days.

Or at least such a small demographic that TV studios don't feel they can do a crime show that doesn't involve murder (or sexual assault if you want to throw L&O:SVU in the mix) anymore.

I don't want it to try to mimic Sherlock, but they could try mixing things up with a robbery or con or something. How about he uncovers a nice conspiracy or something?

The books involves a variety of crimes. I had hoped at least that would be the case in the show. Ah well.

Ok, you have a point. But I still love the show because of the character, But yeah something different would be good.

Mostly, but there is blackmail and a lot more plotting/intrigue in Sherlock.

The wife and I are catching up on Elementary. I'm enjoying it; I'm not crazy about it like Sherlock, but I'm enjoying it.

The "I'm your rehab companion, you had a drug problem" thing is kind of tired already. I like the three main players.

I, too, grow tired of murder shows/"Police Procedurals."

There was a scene in one of the more recent episodes that I got a kick out of: Holmes was in the police station and went to get some chips from the vending machine. The Captain came and got him before he had a chance to get the chips, and as they walked away, Holmes tossed a very slight glance of longing over his shoulder at the vending machine, and then kind of fumbled with the dollar bill for a bit before tucking it in his pocket. It was very ...natural, and subtle.

Sherlock may only have 3 'episodes' per season, but each is the length of a feature film. Really, they can't be compared and wouldn't be except they both happen to be on the air at the same time.

On Elementary, I enjoy the more personalized back story and odd ball antics. I like how Lucy Lui's character keeps digging at his past, even though she's been warned. I wish that it had more subtle clues along the way that the audience might pick up on, rather than just Sherlock picking it out straight away and revealing it to all and sundry.

Regardless of the particular take, any Sherlock Holmes show/film is going to come off as a "police procedural" as that's basically what Doyle wrote for his day and age. Doyle, himself, grew tired of Sherlock and tried to kill him off, but not even destiny's designer could keep the Inspector from returning.