Blog Post #2

Sherlock is an awesome modern spin on an old 18th century tale. The first episode includes many underlying signifiers that help us begin to understand the characters we are introduced to and how they relate to each other and the world around them. As the show opens on John’s flashback of his time in active duty there is dark, slow music playing and we are shown that he is still holding onto some events and emotions that occurred there. This is further signified by his shaky hands and the use of his cane throughout the episode; Sherlock points out that Watson’s struggle is not in his inability to walk, but with Watson mentally holding himself back. As the show progresses, Sherlock’s words are proven right when Watson, upon chasing a cabby to save Sherlock, dismisses his cane and runs efficiently. Another iconic signifier in this episode is Sherlock’s trench coat and scarf which he puts on when there is about to be progress in a case; this is usually paired with quicker-paced music and introduces some very clever deductions from Sherlock himself. I also found the signifiers in Watson’s and Sherlock’s individual lives interesting and contrasting. Not only is Sherlock able-bodied and seen as sure of himself to the point of cocky, but his home is eccentric, cluttered, and unkept; this cluttered world he lives in symbolizes Sherlock’s mind, or inner world, in a sense that he collects a plethora of random facts, observations, knowledge, etc… and keeps it all in places that is easily accessible to him in the future (for his cases). In contrast, Watson, although new to the area, lives in a small, cramped apartment with minimal personal artifacts; Watson obviously does not think many things are important enough to hold onto, except for old, tragic memories of his past. Also, I loved that this modern day Sherlock wears a nicotine patch as a tribute to the past versions of Sherlock that smoked out of a pipe. I think this episode gave the audience enough signifiers and symbols to piece together who the main characters are, how they play together, and how they will take on future cases.