One of the most beloved British characters of all time has come to New York. In Elementary, a contemporary update of Sherlock Holmes, Holmes, a tattooed, drug addicted consulting detective, has been in rehab in New York after leaving London for a yet unknown reason.
In a twist from the original canon, Sherlock’s sidekick is Joan Watson, a gender-flipped version of the original John Watson. Watson is a disgraced surgeon who lost a patient and her medical license years before and became a sober companion to recently released rehab patients. She was assigned to Holmes by his father, and while the two originally have a rocky relationship, they soon learn to work well together. Holmes works with the New York Police Department to help solve homicides, and Watson’s medical expertise often comes in handy.
Holmes is rude while brilliant – he notices the littlest things about people and is not afraid to point them out as fact. Watson is much more human, being kind to those who Holmes upsets but still learning how to deduce.
The show is already hinting at a relationship between Holmes and Watson; though, this is still unconfirmed. The show, produced by CBS, is also a source of controversy because of the recent success of the BBC’s show, Sherlock, another contemporary version of Sherlock Holmes. It was originally thought that CBS had stolen the idea, but despite the similarities, the shows are two very different adaptations.
Elementary has earned its place among the multitude of Sherlock Holmes classics.