Russian Sherlock Review: Rock, Paper, Scissors
This post may contain mild spoilers for the second episode of the Russian Holmes series, but should keep most of the surprises intact.
The second episode of the new Russian Sherlock Holmes series starring Igor Petrenko and Andrey Panin (Watch here. Don’t forget to turn on the English subtitles.) begins in a reliable way for a mystery of any kind–with a corpse. From there, “Rock, Paper, Scissors” is a well-paced, well-written mystery that builds on the relationships established in its predecessor and uncovers layers of character previously unknown.
This character dimensionality is shown in many different ways. Lestrade is still a blustering autocrat, but he’s shown to have a reasonable side. Holmes is socially awkward, but his capacity for genuine affection and grief is highlighted. Mrs. Hudson is a frustrated landlady, but her loyalty is unbreakable. Watson is still the tired, wounded veteran we met at the beginning, but he’s also shown to be extremely brave and confident in his abilities.
It is Watson whose life takes center stage in this episode, as a mostly canonical depiction of his military past is married to the plot of The Sign of Four. Some significant things have been changed from that story, particularly the Mary Morstan character, but a great deal remains and is made relevant to the viewer by the connection to Watson.
The plot also borrows significantly from both ”A Study in Scarlet” and “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton” and manages to pull off the connection fairly seamlessly. Many canonical characters receive brief mentions, including Watson’s brother and Mycroft Holmes.
I didn’t necessarily expect this episode to contain a visit from Irene Adler, played by the luminous Lyanka Gryu, but I liked it, because it gave a fleshed-out feel to the world the show is creating and gave us a glimpse of Holmes’s past life. At first, I thought the interaction was straying far afield from the canonical interpretation of the relationship, but it ended up being much closer and cleverer than I expected.
Andrey Panin really shines in “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” His acting, much of it nonverbal, is understated, touching, and, at times, even mesmerizing in its simple poignancy. Petrenko continues to walk the line between genius and awkwardness, giving Holmes an emotional side we rarely see in most other adaptations.
Overall, even though I enjoyed Episode 1 immensely, I thought Episode 2 far outdid it. Without a doubt, it left me wanting more.
____________________________________________________
The Detective, The Woman and The Winking Tree: A Novel of Sherlock Holmes is available from all good bookstores and e-bookstores worldwide including in the USA Amazon,Barnes and Noble and Classic Specialities - and in all electronic formats including Amazon Kindle , iTunes(iPad/iPhone) and Kobo.
The Detective and the Woman: A Novel of Sherlock Holmes is available from all good bookstores and e-bookstores worldwide including in the USA Amazon,Barnes and Noble and Classic Specialities - and in all electronic formats including Amazon Kindle , iTunes(iPad/iPhone) and Kobo.
