A youthful Sherlock-Moriarity bromance, and other things we’ve been watching
It’s a clever “what if” conceit, a plot theory to upend one of the great narratives of modern fiction.
What if Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarity, deathly rivals in the work of Arthur Conan Doyle and countless adaptations, were … friends?
At least, that is, they start out as buddies. That’s the premise of Young Sherlock, a Guy Ritchie-backed series that debuted last month on Prime, and which features Sherlock Holmes coming of age and meeting a rascal student in Moriarity.
It’s also one of the things we’ve been watching lately; this post picks up from a mid-February post on series we had been taking in.
Fast-paced, filled with twists, prone to explosions and saucy quips, Young Sherlock has a lot of Ritchie’s DNA in it. Having helmed two Holmes movies with Robert Downey, Jr., Ritchie knows the lore of the detective and his world well, and is ready to subvert expectations.
The premise here is that Sherlock Holmes, at 19, is struggling to find his way, and he ends up at Oxford not to study, but to make a living. In no time, he’s hip-deep in a conspiracy involving very powerful people, while also trying to figure out a family mystery.
It might infuriate Sherlock purists, but it’s fun popcorn fare. Earlier this month, Prime announced a second season is will be made, and (without spoilers) it feels likely it will build on some tensions starting to creep in between Holmes and Moriarity.
Deadloch, season 2
Martha and I loved the sweary, hilarious Australian crime-comedy Deadloch, set in a swampy coastal town of the same name. It won an international following with great writing, terrific characters and throwing out the usual “women in peril” tropes in so many crime shows. Unabashedly queer and women-focused, Deadloch was a hoot.
Almost three years later, the second season has finally come out, and while the title is the same, the location has changed and our detectives have gone north. It’s similar narrative territory for the show, though … just with more crocodiles.
The tone is still hysterical as it is coarse (seriously, Deadloch is not for the faint of ears), and the murder mystery holds up as tight. There’s a good clue trail and it pays to keep an eye on the details.
Riot Women
This is an example where my first impression of a show’s marketing set me up with wrong expectations. Where I might have expected a middle-aged rock comedy, this drama (which does have some funny moments) is about serious themes: aging, misogny, sexual abuse, violence and more.
The creator is Sally Wainwright, who brought us stellar shows in Scott & Bailey (one of my favourite detective shows, ever), Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack and more. The setup here is how several women form a rock band, and a few episodes in, I realized the band was a narrative trick used to bring women of disparate backgrounds together. A head’s-up: this is not a light-hearted watch, as it’s unstinting with handling trauma. It’s well done and certainly worth the time. And … a second season is coming, too. (Good thing, because there are some plot lines I really want to see resolved.) Riot Women is streaming on Britbox.
The Pitt
I’ve written about The Pitt a few times since the second season started this winter, and Martha and I got obsessive as each of the 15 episodes were released. It’s very well made, and I would say it ranks up there with some of the best dramas we’ve ever seen.
We were so struck by how well some plot lines have been constructed, we’ve gone back to rewatch the first season — a valuable exercise, as major themes in the second season (Dr. Robby’s snapping at colleagues, for instance) had roots in the first.
The Traitors: Ireland
For brain candy, we’ve been grazing on the silliness that is The Traitors: Ireland. Hosted by Siobhán McSweeney (Sister Michael in Derry Girls), this Irish version has the backstabbing, gossip and team-building exercises familiar to other Traitors versions, just with a lot more tea. (Honestly, the kettles get quite the workout in the break room!)
Oh, and the three folks picked as traitors are the worst traitor team, ever! It’s worth it to see how quickly and astonishingly they turn on each other.
Bridgerton
Each season of Bridgerton is like cotton candy: it has its appeal in the moment, it’s a light way to pass an hour, but there’s not much substance, and several weeks later, I’ve likely forgotten a lot of it.