The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/404305
The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, October 24, 2014 18 By Rory MacDonald- Gauthier TV Media I n an age of modern adapta- tions of cult classics and high-definition remakes, it's often difficult to reproduce quality entertainment while putting an alternative spin on a product. Fortunately enough, CBS has managed to do this and more with its spin on the iconic character Sher- lock Holmes, who you can catch in the season 3 premiere of "Elementary" airing Thurs- day, Oct. 30, on CBS. Sherlock Holmes is a time- less character who has been reimagined and repurposed time and time again. From the short-lived cartoon "Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd century" to the box office smash "Sher- lock Holmes" (2009), starring Hollywood mega-star Robert Downey Jr. ("Iron Man 3," 2013), we've bore witness to several adaptations and re- works of the deductive detec- tive hailing from 221B Baker Street in London, England. What "Elementary" does differently from others is that it tweaks the works of Sir Ar- thur Conan Doyle to its own tastes. In most cases, Sherlock is based in London and works as a third-party detective who operates on his own accord. In "Elementary," we learn that while Jonny Lee Miller's ("Trainspotting," 1996) Sher- lock once did work with the police force in London, he's re- located to New York City after a fall from grace and a brief stint in rehab. This is where he meets Dr. Joan Watson, anoth- er one of "Elementary's" twists on the old story. Lucy Liu ("Kill Bill: Vol. 1," 2003), stars as the female ver- sion of Dr. Watson, who is a former-surgeon-turned-sober- companion of Sherlock's after she lost the life of a patient during surgery. She's hired by Sherlock's father to keep an eye on him once he's released from rehab, which he left on his own accord as he felt he had a better type of therapy to heal him — solving mysteries. As time progresses, Joan learns the ins and outs of Sherlock and what exactly makes him tick. She adapts his deductive reasoning to- wards solving mysteries and stays with him as a confi- dante, even though Sherlock's father had ceased payment, essentially leaving her with- out a job. Sherlock eventually confesses that he knew Joan was working unpaid and of- fers her the position of being his apprentice. Sherlock and Joan are per- fectly paired with one another, seamlessly playing off each another's quirks and strengths. But what of Sher- lock's classic rival, the criminal mastermind Moriarty? Natalie Dormer ("Game of Thrones") plays Irene Adler, a former love interest of Sher- lock's during his time in Lon- don. After her tragic death that led to Sherlock's spiral into drug abuse and his visit to rehab, he and Joan discover that Adler is indeed alive, but all is not what it seems. Sher- lock is attacked by an assassin hired by Moriarty, and it's re- vealed that Adler, the love of his life, is in fact Dr. Jamie Mo- riarty — the longest known enemy in all works of Sherlock Holmes. It's these types of twists and turns that makes "Ele- mentary" different from other adaptations of Sherlock Hol- mes. In original Sherlock Hol- mes lore, Sherlock and John are two men who have a unique chemistry, subtle infat- uation and general respect for one another. Until "Elementa- ry," Watson and Moriarty have both been a male. The latter hasn't changed much in per- sonality, but the change from villain to love interest is a cool alternative to the common storyline. At the end of season 2, fans were left with a bit of a mys- tery of their own — what will happen to Sherlock and My- croft in London? Will Joan continue her investigative du- ties or buckle under pressure due to the void Sherlock left? Is Moriarty still locked away after her arrest? Season 3 looks to address these issues and more, with the introduc- tion of several new characters, including Raza Jaffrey ("Homeland," 2014) as Joan's new boyfriend and Christian Camargo ("Dexter, 2006") as her ex-lover. It's no surprise that "Ele- mentary" is back for a third season. For a show that re- volves around characters created in the late 18th cen- tury that have been adapted and repurposed countless times, CBS finds a new way to make it work. Switching the gender of a few main characters, changing the Sherlock's surroundings and mixing villains with lovers, these components make up a modern mystery. Don't miss the season 3 premiere of "El- ementary" when it Thursday, Oct. 30, on CBS. Jonny Lee Miller stars in "Elementary" The art of deduction CBS' 'Elementary' is more than meets the eye Featurestory