Blu-Ray/TV Movie Review: Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

 

The Abominable Bride is a single episode of Sherlock that aired in January 2016. It is, in part, a "what if" episode set primarily in the late 1890s. It shows what the series would have looked like if it had been set in the late 1800s instead of the modern day. It also serves as a bridge between the third season and fourth seasons of the show. So, it sort of jumped back and forth between time periods as each part of the story played out. I will not go into too much detail to avoid giving things away, but the writers managed to tell a good, "one-off" story, advance the modern-day story, and use Moriarty despite his death.

The Blu-Ray's A/V quality is excellent, as the show looks and sounds great in the HD format. The extras include some making-of and behind-the-scenes material, but there is no commentary track on the episode. Good for what was included, but not a ton of bonus material. Overall, if you are a fan of the show this is a must-see special event. Whether you consider it the end of season three, the beginning of season four, or just a special event, it is enjoyable, pays homage to the books while still putting its own spin on the story.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Sherlock Season 3

 

++++WARNING, this review contains spoilers about the end of Season 2, but no major Season 3 spoilers.++++

The third season of Sherlock aired in January 2014. It picks up after a time jump of approximately two years. Most everyone in England (including Watson) believes Sherlock to be dead after jumping off the building. Of course, the audience knows he survived from the season two closing shot of the third episode. We do not, however, know exactly how he survived. That question is answered in a fairly humorous form in the first episode, with the writers working in different guesses that the fans came up with in the intervening couple of years between seasons 2 and 3. We find that Watson has moved on (mostly) with his life, having entered a relationship with Mary. Lestrade is still on the force but is not as effective when not benefiting from Sherlock's help. Mycroft is keeping tabs on Sherlock until he needs his help. I will not say too much about the season to keep from spoiling it. Still, as you can imagine, John finds out Sherlock is alive, which does not go over too well, and the show still manages to make use of Moriarty, even after he shot himself on the roof at the end of season two.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The show still looks and sounds great in the HD format, but this season's Blu-Ray release is much lighter on extras than what was provided in physical media releases for the first two seasons. There are no commentary tracks in this season's release. There is just one making-of featurette on the second disc. If you only get the physical discs if there are a ton of extras, this does not fit into that category. Overall, I would say that if you liked or loved the prior seasons, you will probably like this one. On the other hand, if you were not a big fan of the prior seasons (or lukewarm to them), there is probably not anything about this season that is likely to change your mind. The acting is still top-notch, and the writing, while a bit more uneven this season, is still good on the whole.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Sherlock Season 2

 

The second season of Sherlock aired in January 2012. It follows the first season's format, with the episodes being three movie-length shows instead of six 45-minute episodes. The first episode picks up where the first season cliffhanger left off, showing the resolution of the standoff with Moriarty (who is used sparingly from that point until the third episode) which leads into that episode's story. The three episodes again have fairly independent stories with the third being the big Moriarty tie back episode. The season again ends on a cliffhanger, but it is a bit different than the kind of cliffhanger that ended the first season.

For those who get the blu-ray set, the episodes are spread across two discs, with the first two episodes on disc one and the third on the second disc. For extras, there are commentary tracks on episodes one and two and a behind-the-scenes featurette that runs approximately 20 minutes on disc two. It's not a ton of material, but what was included is good.

Overall, if you liked or loved the first season, you will likely feel the same about this one. The acting and writing continue to be top-notch, with the episodes paying homage to the books, but putting a modern spin on the stories. Cumberbatch and Freeman continue to have great chemistry and play their roles to perfection. And, the various supporting actors (both regular and the ones brought in for a particular episode) are great as well. I definitely recommend the show.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Sherlock Season 1

 

Sherlock is a series that aired on BBC for four seasons from 2010 to 2017.  It starred Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Mark Gatiss (also one of the series creators) played Mycroft Holmes, Rupert Graves played Inspector Lestrade, Una Stubbs played Mrs Hudson, and Andrew Scott played Moriarty. The twist on this version is that it is set in the modern-day as opposed to the 1800s. So, Watson is a veteran of the Afghan war, and they are using cell phones, computers, etc. Sherlock is an eccentric and borderline-crazy detective who is a master of deduction and observation. The deductions are shown through words flashed on the screen as Sherlock looks at things. If you have read all the Holmes stories, you will recognize the main plot points for each episode, but the stories are heavily adapted to add elements that work in the updated setting and remove elements that do not.

The season is set up as three TV movie-length episodes (1.5 hrs each). They are mostly independent stories selected from the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, mixed with a larger thread throughout the episodes regarding Moriarty, who is revealed in a wonderful scene. 

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The A/V quality was mixed. The visuals were great, but the audio was just okay. The audio is quiet when the episodes are playing, which requires turning the volume on the TV way up and then way back down when the menu screen is on. One thing that would make the set better is a proper play-all mode that lets you pick up where you leave off if you stop the player. Those issues aside, the show is worth getting on blu-ray if you like getting physical discs. The extras include commentary tracks on the first and third episodes, a half-hour-long making-of feature, and the original, shorter pilot episode made before the studio wanted the extra half-hour. Overall, the season was well-written and acted.