Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An excess of sentiment was the problem with last night's episode of Elementary, in which Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) seemed to spend more time advising the NYPD police captain on his love life than exercising those famous powers of deduction. Needless to say, Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch would never bother himself with marriage counselling, but with months still to go till series three, we must make do.
Any opportunity to crow over a US show that's inferior to its UK equivalent is not to be missed – it's so often the other way round, after all – but as an American-made show with a British expat protagonist, Elementary is also an interesting take on cultural difference. If Dr Watson were writing up his case notes he'd call it "A Study in Yank".
While the UK Sherlock is still a self-described sociopath who performs devastating character demolitions as soon as shake hands, the US Sherlock shows worrying sings of "character growth". In this episode, when Dr Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) became frustrated by her slow sleuthing progress, Sherlock was not only sensitive enough to notice, but humble enough to make her a gift of his unsolved cases, saying she might succeed where he has failed. True, US Sherlock buttons his shirt all the way up to the top, mumbles to himself occasionally and drinks Tibetan tea instead of cop-favourite coffee, but in Britain that would hardly qualify as eccentric, would it?
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments