Sherlock (Spoilers)

At a young age, I became fascinated with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. I would stay up all night engrossed in the stories of the detective who solved cases that confounded me. The adventure of the mysteries brought an excitement that I had never before experienced in novels. Sherlock Holmes has been brought to life in many movie and TV shows, and although I have watched several of the depictions, the one that has left an impression on me is the portrayal of the character in the TV show Sherlock. I am drawn in by the character’s emotional development. Although there is plenty of action and adrenaline driven appeal, this portrayal stands out as one that also explores his emotional path.

When we are first introduced to Sherlock Holmes, he lives on his own in modern day London. He is a consulting detective who helps the police with cases that prove to be too difficult for them. In the first episode, we are also introduced to John Watson, an army veteran who becomes Sherlock’s roommate and assistant on cases throughout the series. Sherlock is a man of sharpened intellect. He uses his heightened observational skills to find clues overlooked by the police. In the show, he is able to track people down in obscure ways. For example, he is able to locate missing children by the materials left behind from their kidnapper’s shoes. Sherlock’s fight against the antagonists of the show is for one to outsmart the other to always think one step ahead.

John Watson is important to the show because he brings out an otherwise neglected side to Sherlock Holmes’ personality. Due to a trauma in Sherlock’s childhood, he struggles to understand emotions and customs in a normal way which in turn disturbs his ability to form meaningful connections with others. Despite Sherlock’s observation skills, he has trouble interpreting people’s reactions on multiple occasions. At Watson’s wedding, he delivers a touching speech but is then worried he may have done something wrong when it moves the attendees to tears.

Sherlock Holmes describes himself as a “high functioning sociopath”. His lack of emotions helps him make logical decisions which are for the greater good, but also blur the lines of morality. At one point he murders the antagonist in order to save the lives of those he put at risk without feeling remorse. Although Sherlock’s decision is logical, it is uncomfortable to dismiss his murder. Such an occurrence makes the viewer reconsider their views on strict distinctions of good and evil.

As Sherlock and Watson’s friendship progresses, Sherlock begins to regain his emotional capacity. Although he still functions differently than a typical person, his connection with Watson is one that would not be possible with the earlier Sherlock. Instead of as an acquaintance, Sherlock begins to view Watson as family. In a quite recent episode, Sherlock and Watson have been estranged. In order to reach Watson, Sherlock is forced to drive himself almost to death. Sherlock is willing to sacrifice his life for the chance to regain Watson’s friendship. Sherlock also confronts his emotions towards other characters in the show. As his brother and friend’s lives are put in danger, it unlocks emotions he had sheltered in the past, and he is forced to accept that he cares for these individuals.

The action packed show is entertaining, but Sherlock Holmes is compelling due to his emotional journey. At the beginning of the show he is reluctant to show emotion and views it as a sign of weakness, but as the show progresses, he realizes it is a necessity to his humanity.