Amazon's Young Sherlock Series Faces Scathing Criticism
In the vast landscape of Sherlock Holmes adaptations spanning 140 years, audiences have witnessed the Great Detective in countless forms. He has been portrayed as brilliant, bumbling, gay, grumpy, modern, and even animated as a mouse by Disney. Actors from Robert Downey Jr's action hero to Ian McKellen's nonagenarian have taken on the role, with some versions, like those starring Michael Caine or Peter Cook, depicting him as a complete fool.
A Presumptuous New Incarnation
Despite this crowded field, Amazon Prime has boldly launched another iteration under its 'Originals' banner, titled Young Sherlock. This concept is not novel; ITV explored it in 1982 with Guy Henry, and a film later depicted Holmes and Watson at boarding school. However, Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos has invested billions, expecting a fresh twist.
The result is a 19-year-old Sherlock, played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, who is not only young but also portrayed as a complete idiot. Critics argue that the witless script insults viewers, even those with minimal expectations, raising questions about what truly makes an 'Original' series.
Stripping Away Iconic Traits
Only substantial financial backing could produce a Sherlock adaptation as shamelessly awful as this, according to reviewers. Amazon's version discards the characteristics that define the detective. Instead of being scintillating, he is depicted as a plodder, slow on the uptake. His humor falls flat with cliched jokes like, 'Upstairs for thinking, downstairs for dancing,' delivered to his best friend James Moriarty, played by Donal Finn.
This Young Sherlock has an eye for women, indulges in heavy drinking, abstains from smoking, and sports a pin-striped blazer reminiscent of Bertie Wooster, eschewing the traditional cape or deerstalker. Worst of all, he lacks the aloof superiority of the original, instead coming across as a smarmy, shallow charmer eager for fleeting friendships—a portrayal some compare to a teenage version of former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.
Familiar Elements and Absurd Plot Twists
One element retained from Arthur Conan Doyle's stories is Sherlock's older brother, Mycroft, portrayed by Max Irons as a significant government figure. The Holmes family harbors resentment over a childhood incident where Sherlock, at age nine, refused to play with his younger sister, who subsequently drowned herself.
Mycroft attempts to support his brother by securing him a place at Oxford, hailed as arguably the world's greatest university. However, in a twist deemed unoriginal, Sherlock is assigned as a college servant, not a student. This arrangement proves embarrassing for Mycroft, especially when a high-profile figure, played by Colin Firth as 'the Man Who Invented The British Empire,' uncovers the connection.
The plot descends into absurdity as Sherlock is seduced by a Chinese Princess who has lost ancient scrolls, despite her ability to fend off robbers with slow-motion kung fu moves. Critics lament that this creative direction dishonors Conan Doyle's legacy, imagining the author spinning in his grave at such liberties taken with his beloved character.
