I’ve noticed there has been lots of performative anger. I think this series has enough of its own voice that you couldnt give negative reviews before it was released.
And yet…
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Not groundbreaking, and they both has a forest gump style of Enola being present at actual historic events for no reason, but the first 2 are throwaway fun.
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RIP David Burke; a most engaging Watson who did a lot to reset the character away from being a buffoon.
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Well, that’s a shame, though I guess he had a good run at 92. I’m currently working my way through Season 1 of the Grenada series again and very much enjoying Burke, who’s probably my all-time favorite Watson. There’s just a hint of the “lovable but slow” Nigel Bruce-model Watson to him, but with Burke it’s not so much a case of eternal obtuseness as it is just being on a learning curve; as a mere mortal Watson is naturally always a few steps behind Holmes but he’s working on it. In “The Solitary Cyclist” Holmes is uncharitably blunt when he tells Watson his efforts at intelligence gathering were a complete failure and waste of time, and Watson is visibly crushed. But once we get to The Norwood Builder, Watson unearths and follows his own line of inquiry and contributes an important piece of the puzzle. He’s a partner and not just a sidekick.
With Burke, Watson’s function is not to prove to the audience how smart Holmes is by looking stupid in comparison, but instead to serve as his “human familiar,” conveying how singular and often odd Holmes can be, and softening the rough edges that might threaten to make him unlovable. When Holmes pulls off a miraculous display of reason, Watson beams with pride in his friend, and when Holmes displays an utter lack of concern with social niceties, Watson winces with mortification for…well, everyone in the room. I know that’s all there, or hinted at, in the original texts – the beauty of the series is its faithfulness to the source – but Burke brings it to life on screen wonderfully. What Jeremy Brett does in the role is beyond compare, in my estimation, but to the extent it works as well as it does, it’s because Burke’s honorable, chivalrous, patient Watson is there to bounce off. And you can sense Watson’s influence on Holmes, who sometimes makes an effort at good manners or offers up a kind word solely because of what it will mean to his friend.
I also like that Burke’s Watson seems so young compared to Bruce’s, or for my money even Hardwicke’s. And he’s quite handsome. It was a gutsy move to cast someone who didn’t just naturally fade into the background next to the lead actor. You can believe these two as contemporaries, and as friends.
It’s been a long time since I watched the later seasons so once I get there I may find I like Hardwicke better than I remembered, but I vividly remember the disappointment I felt when Burke left the show.
Glad we’ll always have these episodes to revisit. May he rest in peace.
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Interesting?
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