Blog Post 2

Sherlock has become one of my all-time favorite shows. The very first scene involves john Watson, a soldier who appears to have serious PTSD. His therapist recommends that he begins to write a blog to help him transition into civilian lifestyle but Watson seems reluctant, he claims that “nothing ever happens to him”. Soon after we are introduced to the drama of the show, multiple deaths that appear to be suicides have become to appear. The police, including the character Lestrad, who has a connection to Sherlock Homes, so far has found no leads to the murders. Finally, we are introduced to Mr. Holmes himself. An eccentric man whose first introduction as a character is him beating up a corpse with a whip. While to most people Sherlock comes off as rude, he really means well he just happens to be a high functioning sociopath. Most trivial social formalities escape him due to his curiosity and high deducting skills. Sherlock’s methods are a lesson in semiotics, by findings signifiers in people’s behaviors, simple details as well as items that belong to that person help him deduce what kind of person they are. The problem with Sherlock is that he must find ways to occupy himself, otherwise he has the kind of personality to do drugs to occupy his mind. Watson, after being in the military has also developed an addictive personality. It turns out Watson does not have PTSD but instead likes to be in the action, just like Sherlock he has to find a way to occupy his bored mind. Their personality types complement each other in ways that help them be constructive members of society instead of being ostracized.     

Blog Post 2

     

      It's quite interesting how this modern day Sherlock pays homage to the late 18th century character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. When the audience is first introduced to Sherlock, the camera angel is facing upward, so that it looks like he’s looking down at the audience. In contrast, when the audience is introduced to Watson, the camera angle is looking down on him. These specific angles are able to demonstrate to the audience the kind of personality Sherlock has. He believes he’s better than his counterparts, so he’s always looking down on them. A major signifier presented in this modern Sherlock is his overcoat. Most detectives are known for wearing their overcoats and smoking a pipe. When the audience first witnesses Sherlock's incredible deductive skills, he is seen putting on his overcoat. It's as if this symbolizes him putting on his detective persona. As for the pipe, this modern Sherlock is seen wearing a nicotine patch. The intertextuality of the nicotine patch pays homage to the smoking habits of the 18th century Sherlock.  During the first episode, the audience is also introduced to Sherlock's house. In contrast to Watson's house, Sherlock's is a mess. It's as if a tornado ran through his house, and the audience is left looking at the aftermath. But while it looks like a mess, for Sherlock, everything has its place. This same principle applies to Sherlock’s mind. He always seems to have a lot going on in his mind, but Sherlock is able to sift through all the information quickly, allowing him to make connections and come to conclusions much faster than his counterparts. The mess in Sherlock’s house works as a metaphor and visual representation of what the inside of his mind probably looks like.

            In conclusion, the creators of this modern day Sherlock have carefully crafted a character that well represents the one created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. From his addictions to his house, the audience can easily recognize the 18^th century Sherlock in a modern world.