Alsaedi 1 Mossab Alsaedi Professor Lynda Haas Writing 37 20 February, 2014 Modern-Day Sherlock Holmes The mystery genre

is that which involves mysteries and crimes and the quest for a solution. There are several mystery genre conventions and ways that the mysteries or the crimes occur, such as crime, criminals, detective, sidekick, police, etc. But one of the most common mystery genre conventions that is found is most of the mystery genre writings is the convention of clues and evidence. Clues and evidence is what every detective and police officer seeks, although detectives do a better job at looking for clues and evidence than police officers. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series, one could see that seeking clues and evidence is an important step that Holmes and Watson take in order to solve a mystery. In one of the modern-day interpretations of the Conan Doyle's Holmes stories, Sherlock, the mystery genre convention of seeking for clues and evidence takes a modern twist that relates to the 21st century audience. Sherlock first aired in 2010, meaning that it's been developed to cope with the audience of the year 2012. The episode "The Hounds of Baskerville" demonstrates how this specific mystery genre convention developed throughout the years comparing it the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), which the episode was based on. The episode "The Hounds of Baskerville" is the second episode in the second season of Sherlock. The episode is based on the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. Both the episode and the novel talk about how Holmes and Watson go to the moor in Devonshire

Alsaedi 2 on a quest to know more about the hound. In the episode, Holmes and Watson go to Baskerville, which is a gated area in which experiments are conducted on animals for genetic alteration and enhancement, to investigate the existence of the thought-to-be ferocious hound. On their way to Baskerville, Holmes drives a car with Watson sitting in the passenger seat. The fact that Holmes is driving a car is one of the ways in which one could see how the mystery genre convention was developed. Back when The Hound of the Baskerville was written, people used to go around in carriages using horses. Then, a view of Baskerville is shown from a distance. Baskerville is shown as a vast area with factory smoke pipes and barbwire fences, for this is what the audience would expect such place to look like. When Holmes and Watson approach the gate, clips of guards with hounds, which is also a modern way used for protection. Upon reaching the gate, a guard is shown and then the screen zooms in on him to show a high-tech machine gun that he is holding. The guard later on asks Holmes for his pass and takes an identification card from Holmes. Watson then says: "You've got an ID for Baskerville. How?" The guard's machine gun, which is zoomed in on for emphasis, and the concept of the access to a private laboratory with an ID were definitely not found in the late 1800s and the early 1900s, which also shows the development. While Holmes explains how he is using his brother's ID card and why, clips of a guard going around Holmes's car with a dog sniffing it. Then later on, a clip of the guard's hand swiping Holmes's ID card on a reader is shown, which allows them access and opens the gate. When Holmes's stops the car and walks with his companion, shots of steel and metal pipes are shown from Holmes's point of view. The pad, which Holmes swipes his card on and the words Access Granted are shown, is shown in several shots of Holmess using his ID card for access through closed doors. Holmes and

Alsaedi 3 Watson later make their way through the hallways of Baskerville and go down an elevator down to a lower level. They reach a laboratory that is well lit with several animals in cages. Clips of doctors and scientists walking around with fancy laboratory equipment and exiting cleanrooms are shown, which implies how highly technological Baskerville is. Because Holmes uses his brothers ID card, a text message is sent to Mycroft Holmes as a confirmation that he had entered Baskerville. Comparing the novel to the episode, it could be inferred that there were several changes that occurred in the ways that Holmes and Watson looked for clues and evidence to make the story the episode is based on up to date. In the episode, Holmes and Watson use a car to drive to Baskerville. Whereas, in the novel, Watson goes to Devonshire by train, which would probably be a coal train due to the year the novel was written in. Holmes and Watson are confronted by guards with hounds and machine guns and are asked for the pass, which turns out to be an ID card. This shows different modern technologies and means of protection and safety. Instead of Watson living in Baskerville Hall and Holmes investigating from a hut on the tor, they both go looking for clues and evidence by driving in a high-tech genetic alteration laboratory and using and an ID card to get access after going through intensive security. Another thing that would show the difference is the automated text message that was sent to Mycroft. Text messages are modern ways of communication. In the novel, the only way for long distance communication is communicating using the telegraph. In summation, due to the popularity of the mystery genre throughout the years, the mystery genre conventions had to be updated to match the expectations of its audience. In "The Hounds of Baskerville", the mystery genre convention of looking for clues and

Alsaedi 4 evidence takes a modern twist to cope with the 21st century audience. Holmes and Watson have to investigate Baskerville, which is a high-tech laboratory facility, by using an ID card to get access. On the other hand, Holmes investigates the hound from a hut on a tor away from Baskerville Hall in The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Alsaedi 5 Works Cited The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902). Arthur Conan Doyle. "The Hounds of Baskerville" from Sherlock (BBC). http://bakerstreet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Hounds_of_Baskerville http://hannahlovescomedy.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/conventions-offantasymystery-films/ http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/packages/us/yreaders/camjansen/CamDownl oadables/FiveEssentialElementsofaMystery.pdf