Blog Post 2: Sherlock Semiotic Analysis

This week's blog post will be analyzing the first episode of the show Sherlock, A Study in Pink. Sherlock is a BBC adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There are a number of semiotic concepts that can be applied to the show. Signifiers are Watson's war flashback, cane, and gun which signify his PTSD and previous military experience. Others are Sherlock's upturned collar and scarf, as well as his nicotine patches that signify him as the traditional addict Sherlock Holmes of the novels. The Sherlock Homes of the novels being reinterpreted in the Sherlock series exemplifies intertextuality. Icons of both media are the skull that sits on Sherlock’s mantel and the building number 221B as well as the placard it is on. There were parts of the episode that made it clear what time and environment it is set in such as text on the screen to display text messages. There are a few cultural codes throughout this episode that exemplify its setting of London, England. One such code is taxi cabs that are small and black colored. Another would be the CCTV or closed-circuit television cameras that are spread throughout the United Kingdom and employed when Mycroft is trying to show off his power to Dr. Watson. Dr. John Watson is the first main character introduced and he is signified as the war doctor through flashbacks at the very beginning of the episode. Dr. Watson’s first conversation is with his therapist and the angles with which they are filmed break film codes of 180 degrees. Synecdoche in this episode would be Mycroft as the British Government and Lestrade as the police force. Mycroft states a metaphor that applies to this entire episode; “London is a battlefield.”