Sherlock was a worldwide sensation when it premiered in 2010, with its last season airing in 2017. At the time, many of the things the showrunners tried to do in Sherlock seemed revolutionary. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman were notoriously famous for their take on the classic characters.
With the fanfare slightly reduced and 10 years after the original season aired, a rewatching of the series will feel like a whole different show for its viewers. There are some details that the viewers will only notice on a rewatch after a long period of time, and here are some of them.
Moriarty Is Too Joker-esque?
Andrew Scott played Moriarty which appealed to audiences and critics alike. However, many of the dialogues of Andrew Scott's Moriarty seem to closely resemble another pop culture icon, the Joker, from Christopher Nolan's adaption.
The relationship between Sherlock and Moriarty and how it is described by Moriarty himself in the show seems very reminiscent of the Joker's relationship with Batman. While Andrew Scott played the chaotically evil character to much praise, it will seem clearer to the viewer on a second watch that it may just be too similar to the Joker.
Sherlock's Hand Waving Is Hilarious
Sherlock's showrunners had a particular style in which they showed text messages, as well as his deductions on-screen as texts. While the first season may have made popular the way in which texts appeared on the screen, a rewatch will show the viewers how absurd Sherlock's hand movements actually are.
It sometimes seems as though he is swatting away the words and at other times, the hand movements seem excessive. Through the later seasons, he does this less but in the first season especially, the absurdity and excessiveness may just make the viewers laugh.
The Drug Problem
The original character of Sherlock is addicted to tobacco and cocaine. While these things may be true, the modern adaptation doesn't necessarily stick to every fact of the original. The showrunners, however, decided to keep his drug problem in the show but it is done in a humorous way which makes light of a serious problem like drug abuse.
This is true of the show from the very first season and considering the very young audiences that were drawn to the show, this may just have been a problematic way to approach the drug habit.
Molly Is Treated Very Badly
Molly is one of the few female characters on the show. The way that Sherlock treats her, especially in the first few seasons, is not very tasteful. A second viewing of the show, wherein the viewers would not be too enamored by the central two characters, will make them realize that most of the side characters are not treated too well.
And Molly seems to bear the brunt of it. If this is deliberate or not maybe questionable but the fact remains that the really talented Molly doesn't get the respect she deserves.
The Killing Off Of Mary
The writers of the show have been criticized for the way in which they write female characters. Mary was an amazing addition to the show but she is so quickly killed off in a manner that is reminiscent of lazy writing that doesn't know how to develop character arcs for female characters.
The show is very unwilling to allow Molly or Mary to have increased participation in the show and rehashes some very stereotypical tropes of "unrequited love" and "the wife" for the time they are on the show.
Faking His Death And Not Keeping John In The Loop
The viewers will come to realize later in the show that many people including Molly, his family, and many of Sherlock's Homeless Network were aware that he had faked his death. Sherlock however, chooses to not keep John informed of the same, and John has to witness the death of his best friend, throw a funeral and live with the death of his best friend for two years.
He even has to go back to therapy for the grief that he has to go through. A rewatch of the show will probably make the viewers really upset about how Sherlock handles this situation.
The Test Of Their Loyalty Towards Each Other
A rewatch of the show will make the viewers realize that there are too many occasions and events that seem to only exist for John (or sometimes Sherlock) to prove their loyalty, love, as well as dedication towards the other.
It is understandable that is happens once or twice but the show does this too many times for it to be reasonable. They are forced to say they are each other's "best friends" way too many times, even though the audience needs no more convincing.
They All Look So Young
Most of the actors from the show have gone on to do extremely popular shows and movies. This includes Andrew Scott, Martin Freeman, and Benedict Cumberbatch especially, those who are now more known from the roles in their more recent shows or movies, than from Sherlock.
When viewers go back to the first couple of seasons of Sherlock, they will be astonished to see how young these extremely popular actors appear when they were on Sherlock. It will be a pleasant surprise for the fans of these actors.
Too Melodramatic?
For a show about a detective who prides himself on being logical and straightforward, the show has too many melodramatic moments. There is an excessive amount of melodramatic monologues that precede what is supposedly a life-threatening situation. The problem is a classic case of the boy who cries wolf. After the first couple of seasons, it becomes impossible to take the monologues or the situations too seriously.
Sherlock tries to toe the fine line but the show inadvertently falls into the melodramatic zone, especially in the monologues that Sherlock or John have where they declare their love and loyalty for each other.
Sherlock's Behavior
As the episodes and seasons progress, his behavior does become better but it still doesn't erase the fact that he treats some characters with no respect. Sherlock behaves in a manner that is rude, dismissive, and indifferent even though we know that he actually cares about the people around him.
However, by letting this behavior slide, there is a sort of glorification of Sherlock's behavior and it makes this harsh and rude behavior seem appealing. A rewatch might make viewers realize the character is sometimes too rude and indifferent.