Summary
- Elementary has made Sherlock Holmes a relatable and human character, allowing viewers to understand his emotions and reactions.
- Lucy Liu's portrayal of Joan Watson brings a fresh perspective to the character, seamlessly blending into Conan Doyle's novels.
- Unlike Sherlock, Elementary maintains a consistent level of quality throughout its run, with no decline in the later seasons, giving viewers a satisfying conclusion.
The 2010s were a wonderful time when audiences could enjoy not one, but two successful adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous work, and yet CBS' Elementary show that should be the proud wearer of this title. It may be an American procedural drama that has twisted the story to the core, but it has done so brilliantly.
While Sherlock offers beautiful flashback sequences, visually showcases the detective's genius, and has a one-of-a-kind, deeply British atmosphere, Elementary has done the impossible — it has made Sherlock Holmes human in the eyes of other characters and viewers alike. The latter show lasted for seven entire seasons for a reason, or rather a multitude of them, setting a professional record for Miller, as he became the actor who had played the legendary role in the most episodes in television and cinematic history combined.
Every Actor Who Played Sherlock Holmes (In Movies & TV)
Sherlock Holmes is a classic character in TV and movies. Here are all of the actors who have played Sherlock Holmes, both in movies and on TV.
10 Elementary's Sherlock Has More Depth
Sherlock Holmes' deductive skills are the stuff of legends, and they are also the reason why many adaptations focus on the character's incredible mind without exploring other sides of his complex personality. That is not the case with Elementary, as Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock is extremely layered. In addition to his jaw-dropping detective abilities, he is also just a human being with emotions and feelings that he can't always control. Unlike Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock, his character responds to trauma and heartache in a relatable way that is easy to understand because it falls within the usual specter of people's reactions.
9 Joan Watson Is A More Interesting Take On The Character
Dr. Watson is an important person in Sherlock Holmes' life in any adaptation, and Martin Freeman's character in Sherlock is truly a great take on the legendary detective's sidekick. However, Elementary's Lucy Liu made Watson her own, and this fresh female perspective is exactly what the character needed. The way that Joan is assigned to Sherlock by his father and how she continues to be by his side has changed the relationship between the characters from the very beginning. Although Liu's Watson is intended to be very different from the canonical character, she seems as if she walked right out of the pages of Conan Doyle's novels.
Sherlock Holmes: 10 Differences Between Sherlock & Elementary
The Elementary and Sherlock series may draw from the same source material, but here's how these Sherlock Holmes adaptations differ.
8 Elementary Doesn't Decline In Quality Like Sherlock
The BBC's Sherlock only had four seasons, and yet its quality significantly dropped during the last two seasons, perhaps due to huge gaps in filming the episodes. In stark contrast, Elementary is going strong for the entirety of its run, finishing on a high note in season 7 that doesn't feel forced. There weren't any gaps in the production of the series, which meant that the viewers' expectations didn't go through the roof to the point when people would be disappointed with any outcome, as it happened with Sherlock's final outings.
7 Elementary Is More Realistic
Sherlock's stunning visuals of the detective's deductive skills and the grand scale of events are to die for, but Elementary makes viewers fall in love with itself through its realistic approach to storytelling. Unlike Cumberbatch's Sherlock, Miller's counterpart really does struggle with addiction — it is not a tool that he can use to enhance his mind, but a health problem that needs addressing. In Elementary, Sherlock makes mistakes and later blasts himself for them, and he struggles with personal problems and trauma that aren't played for laughs. Sherlock is just a person who tries - but not always succeeds - in doing the right thing.
6 Irene Adler Being Moriarty Is A Genius Move
While Andrew Scott's Jim Moriarty is an absolute legend, Natalie Dormer's Jamie Moriarty a.k.a Irene Adler has managed to upstage him. Combining these two characters into one complex villain and Sherlock's great love deserves a round of applause. While this was a risky move, on Elementary's part, it paid off thanks to brilliant writing and breathtaking acting from Dormer. Irene, aka Jamie, provides the show with a twist of all twists, and it makes the character richer and more unpredictable. When the two wildcards become one, it's hard to predict where her storyline will go.
5 Sherlock's Father Adds Layers To The Detective
In the original works by Conan Doyle and the BBC's Sherlock, audiences don't learn much about Holmes' parents beyond what slips through his conversations with Mycroft. Elementary takes family drama up a notch and introduces Sherlock's father, Morland Holmes, into the picture, and it is the best decision the series could have made. Even though John Noble's Morland only appears in the flesh in season 4, he is an essential character from the beginning, having shaped Sherlock's personality. Over the course of the series, Holmes' relationship with his father has evolved, and so has Sherlock himself. Through Elementary's parental lens, viewers can understand the character's motivations a lot better.
4 Elementary Treats Sherlock Just Like Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle famously wasn't the biggest fan of Sherlock Holmes, despite the fact that it was his own creation. Judging by his novels, he never wanted Sherlock to be treated as some god or superhero, but instead preferred to ground him through other, more "normal" characters. Numerous adaptations, including Sherlock, tend to make him out to be a superhuman who is allowed to play by different rules — Elementary takes the opposite approach by making him fallible and ridiculous to the point of other characters losing their patience and becoming unimpressed with his antics. Holmes can be a show-off and should be treated as such.
3 Elementary Is More Diverse
Conan Doyle's stories, while great, are dated, so it is not surprising that they are lacking diversity. The same can't be said about the BBC's Sherlock, which graced the screens just last decade, and yet it is, too, problematic in of representation. Mrs. Hudson and Molly Hooper are hardly main characters, and they are rather stereotypically traditional, and it is not until Mary Watson appears that the series gains a strong female lead. However, Elementary has a range of complex female characters, including Joan and Jamie, from the very beginning, giving the show a racially diverse main cast.
Elementary: 10 Times The Show Differed From the Books
The show Elementary took huge leaps when re-imagining Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes characters, albeit most of them in a good way.
2 In Elementary, The Police Aren't Dumb
The BBC's Sherlock is notorious for its dismissal of law enforcement — Holmes' cruel jokes and the overall dumbed-down portrayal of the police officers are there from beginning to end, and only Greg Lestrade is sometimes spared. In Elementary, things are much different, as the police officers are depicted as intelligent and highly competent representatives of the law. In addition, Sherlock himself is more respectful toward the police, and they return the favor by treating the consulting detective with dignity and taking his suggestions into . Elementary is far from perfect in that regard, but the series has made strides.
1 The Drama Doesn't Get Tiresome In Elementary
One of the biggest problems in Sherlock's narrative is that it takes the drama too far right away and doesn't leave itself room to build it up later, resulting in the feeling of frustration because apocalypse after apocalypse just doesn't seem realistic. Elementary attempts to approach its storytelling differently. Instead of doubling down on the drama and action, the show takes things slow and gradually pushes the story to its climax, which allows viewers to feel shocked time and time again without getting exhausted. Elementary remains more casual in a way throughout while also generating the suspense that every good Holmes story needs.
