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Melody Wang
Professor Haas
Writing 39B
May 21, 2014
Relationships around Sherlock Holmes
Nobody is perfect, neither in reality nor in literature. Especially in most of detective
stories in the late Victorian Era, the main characters are extremely intelligent but also have some
peculiarities that others are hardly able to understand. People love them and hate them at the
same time. In Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes series, which are the most well-known detective
stories from that period till know, the imperfection just made this genre much more popular
during the Victorian Era since it mirrored the basic situation of the whole society and all the
defects attracted more British people from the middle class. In chapter seven of Paneks An
Introduction to the Detective Story, Panek mentioned that Holmes attracts readers because of
the dualism Doyle consciously manufactured for his character (93). Sherlock Holmes is an
extremely talented detective with a whole lot of knowledge that an excellent crime solver is
supposed to have; however, he is also a drug addict, a lazy athlete. Besides, Holmes is an expert
boxer, marksman, and a good violin player even though he is lazy and he doesnt really practice
those. All those characteristics of Sherlock Holmes make him more interesting and charming;
even those bad habits of his just let him more like a normal human being in order to let the
audience feel closer to him and easier to approach. Also Panek states in the first chapter of the
book, An Introduction to the Detective Story, Victorian writers like Doyle soon shaped the
genius to their own down-to-earth values (10). As time passed by, this special convention still
exists in the modern-day detective text, such as fictions, television series, and films. Sherlock
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Holmes is still sweeping the entire world with his sexy intelligence as well as his charming
defects. In the BBC series Sherlock, a crime drama run by Steven Moffat, Sherlock Holmes
played by Benedict Cumberbatch, with Dr. Watson by Martin Freeman, solved all kinds of
bizarre cases together. Compared to the classic Sherlock Holmes created by Conan Doyle, this
series made plenty of changes, developments, or preservations in different ways to draw
attention from contemporary audience. One of the most interesting aspects from the classic
detective stories, which was invented by Conan Doyle and was popularized by his Sherlock
Holmes series, is that geniuses are usually challenged in most social situations. It has been not
only remained but also changed somehow in the modern day text.
Sherlock Holmes always does not have a friendly relationship with most of policemen. In
the first episode of BBC Sherlock, there is a scene that Sherlock Holmes and John Watson go to
a crime scene to help with the investigation with an invitation from Detective Inspector Lestrade.
However, when Sergeant Sally Donovan sees Sherlock Holmes, she just says to Holmes, hello,
freak. It is quite rude for people to send a greeting to others like that. Then she also asks
Sherlock Holmes two times why with a dissatisfied look and a grouchy tone, even though after
Holmes tells her that he is invited. And she is quite surprised that Holmes has a colleague. There
is not a whole load of light in that scene, probably as a result of happening at night; but the
lighting sets up a whole serious and somewhat intense atmosphere. Not only doesnt Donovan
like Holmes, Anderson is also obviously showing his discontent and aversion as soon as he
shows up. However, Holmes seems that he is not angry at all. Instead, he uses his extraordinary
intelligence to fight them back by observing them and saying something aloud, which would
embarrass them a lot. During their conversation, reverse shot is used in order to make the
conversation clearer and also shows that their relationships are somehow intense. Besides, there
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are some close-ups included since they are able to clearly show the characters look on his or her
face to the audience. Those big faces also bring up some sort of intension. Nonetheless, in Conan
Doyles stories, there are not as many as conflicts happened between Sherlock Holmes and
police detectives in modern day television show. Their relationships were much milder in the
past. What is remained in the BBC series from classic Sherlock Holmes stories is that the
relationship between Inspector Lestrade and Sherlock Holmes is more alike how Sherlock
Holmes gets along with policemen in Conan Doyles book. In Conan Doyles first fiction, Sign
of the Four, Sherlock says to Watson, [w]hen Gregson, or Lestrade, or Athelney Jones are out
of their depths which, by the way, is their normal state the matter is laid before me (4).
This obviously shows that Sherlock just considers all policemen as useless and incompetent
detectives who have little knowledge to solve criminal cases. In the BBC Sherlock, when
Lestrade first meets Watson, he asks Sherlock who he is. Sherlock just answers Lestrade
perfunctorily, hes with me. And Sherlock even gets a little bit annoyed when Lestrade asks
the same question twice. Besides, at the crime scene, Sherlock Holmes says to Lestrade suddenly,
shut up! even though he is not even saying a word. Sherlock says, You were thinking. Its
annoying. Clearly, Sherlock is somehow pretty mean to Lestrade but Lestrade doesnt seem to
be too offended by Sherlock probably because he is expecting something out of Sherlock.
Nowadays, people are less conservative than they were in the late Victorian Era. Therefore, in
the BBC series of Sherlock, the show runner Steven Moffat puts more conflicts between
Sherlock Holmes and some policemen into the show in order to make Sherlock Holmes a lot
more special and attractive by his sarcastic ridicule to those stupid policemen. The audience
would feel good when they see a scene that Sherlock keeps talking and mocking at an annoying
police detective who is always arrogant and doesnt like Sherlock. The comparison between
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Sherlocks extremely amazing genius and other self-righteous police detectives incompetence
would quite appeal to todays audience.
In addition, Sherlock Holmes is challenged in romantic relationships. In Conan Doyles
stories, there are only a few lines about women related to Sherlock Holmes. At the beginning of
the short story by Conan Doyle, A Scandal in Bohemia, Dr. Watson says, [a]ll emotions, and
that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. He was, I
take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover
he would have placed himself in a false position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save
with a gibe and a sneer (Doyle). It directly shows that Holmes totally contribute himself into
science, crime, and deduction. All the words involved in romantic relationship seemingly does
not relate to Holmes at all. Nowadays, trouble in dealing with relationship with women is still a
representative part of geniuses like Sherlock Holmes. In the fourth episode of BBC Sherlock, A
Scandal in Belgravia, there is a scene that Molly, who has a crush on Sherlock Holmes, shows
up in a beautiful bare-shoulder dress with a well-wrapped Christmas gift. After she takes off her
jacket, everyones attention is on Molly but not Holmes. At this point, the camera is shooting
against Mollys eyes so that it is pretty obvious for the audience to know that she, as a middle
ground on the left of the screen, is staring at Holmes and is eager to get his attention. On the right
half of the scene, it is Holmess careless face as a hazy foreground. Molly dresses up fairly
different from what she usually looks like for the sake of Holmess attention. However, Holmes
doesnt care about this at all. He doesnt even think of it. Additionally, Sherlock just said
everything straight out about what he sees and deduces from Molly, like congratulations on
getting a new boyfriend and something that you seem to be very serious about him. In that
scene, there is not a whole load of lights, which build up a dim room and a gloomy atmosphere.
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While Holmes is showing off, there is light background music by piano to build up an unnormal
atmosphere which warns the audience that something is going to happen. One close shot scene of
Molly apparently shows the audience that she is already embarrassed by what he says so far.
After he found out that the gift is for him, Sherlock just suddenly stops talking, and after a bit
while of silence, he gives a single-sentence apology, I am sorry. Apparently, what he said
accidentally hurt Molly deeply on that Christmas night, but he doesnt know how to apologize or
what to say to make her feel better. Then a little blue soothing music gives audiences a sense of
sadness from Molly. In Conan Doyles stories, Sherlock Holmes doesnt even have a pursuer.
However, in the modern day, romantic relationship around the main character has already
become an indispensable element of a story or a show. In BBC Sherlock, some romantic factors
will bring Sherlock Holmes more sense of ordinary human and make him more approachable.
Both in the late Victorian Era and in the modern days, Sherlock Holmes, originally
created by Conan Doyle, is challenged in different kinds of social situation, such as relationships
with police and with women. However, in order to make the show more appealing and suitable
for the contemporary audience, the show BBC Sherlock has been changed and updated in most
aspects of classic conventions from mystery genre. Ever though Sherlock Holmes in the show
still has some problem with social skills, he gets involved romantically with women; and also he
has some friends including Watson, Mrs. Hudson, and police Inspector Lestrade. All those
changes create a brand-new and familiar Sherlock Holmes who deeply impresses and attracts
contemporary audience.



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Work Cited
Doyle, Arthur Conan. "Adventure 1: A Scandal in Bohemia." The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes. Lit2Go Edition. 1892. Web. May 21, 2014.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Sign of the Four. Seattle: Amazon Digital Services, 2013. Kindle
eBook. Online.
Panek, Leroy. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State
University Popular Press, 1987. Print.