Blog Post 2: Sherlock

The first episode of Sherlock (2010), “A Study in Pink”, is centered around a serial killer who manages to convince their victims to take a pill that makes their death seem as a suicide. The theme of death is signified by various elements in the episode, such as the intense music to the lighting in some of the scenes. For example, at the beginning of the episode, when the younger male is walking on the street looking for a taxi, the scene happens to take place at night and during a thunderstorm while dramatic music is playing. Without having a script read to us, we can infer that the scene will not end well. Another scene that implies death and darkness, is when Holmes is about to get into the cab, the entire screen is dark except for the light that hits the cab driver’s face. The darkness in the scene and the tension between the cab driver and Holmes is meaningful to determine that this scene is the start of the climax of the plot. We can also tell it is a detective series because of the several scenes with the crime scene tape and flashing police lights, which are a staple characteristic in a mystery film.

Watson’s cane plays a large role in the characterization of Martin Freeman’s character because it signifies the way that he feels unstable both physically and mentally without the action that comes with war. Throughout the episode, Watson struggles while he walks due to the fact that he was shot while abroad in the afghanistan war, but as he tags along with Holmes around the city, he finds himself needing the cane less to the point where he starts running without it. This is important because one of the topics of the show is to see how Watson feels complete when he finds himself in dangerous situations. When Mycroft first meets with Watson and tells him that he “he is not hunted by the war… he misses it” because of the way that he is stressed but is completely calm and collected.

Holmes and Watson have their similar traits but keep different profiles between their characters; both are unattached people who prosper in complicated situations but they are different in their personalities. In the beginning of the episode, the gentlemen sitting in that park bench tells Watson while they are having coffee that hearing “Who would want to be flat mate with me” is the second time he has heard that, is the first similarity we hear about Sherlock and Holmes. One of their major differences is the way that Sherlock sees things in ways that Holmes doesn’t and vice versa. Sherlock can tell many things, such as the fact that the lady in pink was carrying a suitcase when walking, but cannot tell the social cues around him like Watson. For example when Watson knew that Sherlock was in danger when he saw him holding the pill, Watson quickly decided to shoot the taxi driver.

Sherlock manages to impose different themes in several different ways effectively by signifying the mystery theme throughout the episode, making a synecdoche out of Watson’s cane and creating a compelling relationship between Holmes and Watson.