So far this season, I’ve only gotten around to
watching two new dramas—ELEMENTARY and CHICAGO FIRE. Expectations for both were
high, for different reasons, and I have to say that I was far from disappointed
by either. Here’s why…
ELEMENTARY
One doesn’t necessarily have to read Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle’s stories, or be an ardent fan to know about Sherlock Holmes. Everyone, who’s
aware of popular culture, is familiar with the world’s most famous detective. Many
have read the books and have followed the phenomenon through various interpretations
over the years, in film and television. I am not among them. The only
significant association I have with Sherlock Holmes is that with the latest movie
interpretations, starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, and the BBC series SHERLOCK. I wasn’t
particularly excited when I read about ELEMENTARY months ago, because the idea
of yet another interpretation didn’t sound like a great idea. What did catch my
attention was the fact that Dr Watson would be a woman in this one, and that it
would be set in New York City.
If there was a time to change things around while interpreting
the character and the phenomenon, it was now. SHERLOCK did bring Holmes into
modern times, which was refreshing, but barring the infusion of modern
technology into the plots, it wasn’t very different from what Sherlock Holmes
was about. Some might prefer that, but given that I’m not an ardent fan, I am
happy with the complete spin that ELEMENTARY has given to Sherlock Holmes. For
one, I very much like the idea of a female Watson. It introduces a different
dynamic into the Holmes-Watson relationship. And one has to admit that the
chemistry between a man and woman, romantic or not, is different and I find it
interestingly refreshing for Sherlock Holmes. The banter between the two, the
unspoken mutual admiration and respect is at a new level, I feel. Moreover, the
focus on the premise of their association—him as a recovering substance abuser
and her being his companion as he recovers—has added a whole different sense of
understanding and sensitivity between the two. And the writers have achieved
that without making their relationship overtly expressive or mushy by any
standard. Holmes is still arrogant and childish, but I think ELEMENTARY’s Watson
is a little more aggressive than we’ve seen before, and I like it. She doesn’t
fear being firm with Holmes when he’s out of line, and when she can, and I
think ELEMENTARY’s Holmes respects that more than previous interpretations have
him do so.
When it comes to the mysteries, the show isn’t exceptional
as compared to other crime dramas on TV. It’s clearly a regular crime
procedural in a lot of ways, but all the above advantages make it more interesting
and unique. I like how they bring about a twist towards the end of every
episode, where Holmes discovers that the solved crime is still a bit of a
mystery, and uncovers the real truth. However, the writers will have to play
around with that and have different ways to present such twists, lest it becomes
too predictable. I also like the new level of friction between Holmes and the
NYPD—definitely a notch above Holmes’ working relationship with Scotland Yard,
as we’ve seen before. The minor levels of conflict between the characters thereof
only add value to the show. Of course, the performances also make a big
difference. I thought I’d be comparing Johnny Lee Miller’s Holmes to Benedict
Cumberbatch’s, but I found that Lee Miller is quite exceptional in his own way.
He portrays the arrogance and annoying childishness of Holmes extremely well
and yet his interpretation is endearing. Lucy Liu does a fine job. Her subtlety
works perfectly in bringing to life this all new interpretation of Dr J Watson.
CHICAGO FIRE
Let me start by saying that I love disaster episodes
in TV shows. Whether it’s a tornado ravaging a suburban cul-de-sac, a crazy
gunman shooting people in a hospital, a car crash on the streets that changes
people’s lives, a terrorist on a suicide bombing mission… It gives us the peak
of action and conflict in a TV series, it throws us into intense, high-voltage
drama, it makes for excitement and complete involvement, and it shows us how
characters behave in the face of adversity. Witnessing the disasters and how
thoroughly they’re executed by TV crews—creative people and technicians—behind
the scenes is thrilling to say the least. And then, to explore the emotional
impact of the disasters on the people involved, and to see how they contribute
to characters’ evolutions, definitely makes for compelling and engaging
storytelling. And here, it’s a story about the people in a fire department that
we’re talking about. There was no way I was going to skip this show. I had high
expectations from it, with the trailer making it look like one of the more
promising shows of this season, and I was very impressed with what I eventually
saw.
CHICAGO FIRE is a procedural, but it’s not like any
other on the air right now. A fire department might seem like an obvious choice
for basing a procedural on, but I can’t recall any other shows that shared the
premise. And I think that in itself makes it unique. The intensity of firemen going
about their jobs is quite unlike anything else one could watch on TV. However,
beyond that, there’s a lot more to CHICAGO FIRE.
The cases that the firemen and paramedics deal with
are varied, from car crashes and construction site accidents to massive fires
and evacuation operations. The production value is high as they seem to leave
no stone unturned to portray even large-scale disasters, which make for gripping
sequences. After the rescuing, when the paramedics administer emergency medical
treatment on the victims, it always reminds me of the medical dramas I have
watched, getting a view of how patients in the hospitals in those shows end up
in there to begin with. So there’s a bit of medical drama also in the show,
which makes it even better for me.
The characters are intriguing and the subtle messages that
we get from their interaction about their back stories and underlying tension gives
us insight into how their characters will evolve. Having the two lieutenants of
the department as the protagonists works well for the show. Both have very
significant storylines and in complete isolation from each other. And then there
are the supporting characters, who are bound to grow on you even if you can’t
relate to them initially. The storytelling itself is quite effective. The usual
aspects—the firemen and paramedic’s personal lives, the general working of the
fire department—are also interesting to watch. What seems to be contributing
significantly to the longer story arcs is how the characters deal with matters
that go wrong for them. A storyline like the ongoing issue that Casey has with
the police detective is one that can go on to become a major part of the
season. I think that if the writers keep up with such stories, it would have
viewers coming back to watch the show every week. For instance, I really want
to know what Severide will do about his injury and how long he’ll try to bear
the pain before it causes him long-term damage. To take forward these stories, the
actors are doing quite a good job, especially Jesse Spencer, who does the American
accent rather well.
Besides all of the above, what really appeals to me is
the portrayal of the characters as a team—how they work together as colleagues,
companions and friends who’ll stick up for each other, show their loyalty and
have a sense of mutual respect. Aspects like the integrity with which Casey and
the Chief dealt with the situations that they were presented with in the latest
episode was really impressive. And of course, firemen are considered to be the
quintessential American heroes. Now who doesn’t like a story about heroes!
What's your take on Holmes in New York and a female Watson? And how do you feel the firemen are doing? Do share your views below...
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