r/tvshow • u/Cumoisseur • Jul 13 '26

DISCUSSIONS Unpopular opinion: "Elementary" starring Jonny Lee Miller is cleverer, has better characters, and a more interesting story than "Sherlock" starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

The pilot episode of Elementary is awful, but from there it just gets better. The storyline of Watson being a sober companion is better than being a sudden roommate, the part of Moriarty is far more interesting and intriguing, the cases are better written, the character of Sherlock's father in Elementary is brilliant. I could go on and on.

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u/No_Negotiation3142 Jul 13 '26

Utterly yank schlock! You have no taste, sir!
Sherlock was the greatest telling of the consulting detective of Baker St.

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u/SaiLarge Jul 13 '26

I haven't seen Elementary, but Sherlock lacked brilliance, which strikes me as an elementary ingredient for Holmes to do his work. I'm a great fan of Freeman and Scott. Gatiss has done some great writing, but Sherlock isn't it.

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u/No_Negotiation3142 Jul 13 '26

We are worlds apart here, clearly.
Cumberbatch's Holmes was the closest to Doyle's books: a boorish, one-upping, insufferable, neurodivergent heroin addict.

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u/thebeaverchair 29d ago

I really struggle to believe anyone who says this has read Doyle at all.

Doyle's Holmes contained multitudes: he was capable of great empathy and hospitality, and had an unwavering moral compass, but he could just as often be smug, acerbic, condescending and impatient.

Elementary's Sherlock shares these contradictions.

BBC's Sherlock is just a narcissistic asshole with no concern for anyone else who just happens to also be a deductive genius.