“Boring!”
Recognize that? Is that how your day is going? Fear not, because I’ve got news for you, THE ABOMINABLE BRIDE, Sherlock Season 4 Episode 1, is OUT! And I’ve got a review for you!!
NOTE: This review contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t watched the episode yet, ABORT! RETREAT! Go back to your “ordinary and mundane routine, HUMAN!” Watch the episode and then come back. If it so happens that you choose to ignore my warning, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Starting the year with the new episode of our all-time favourite, hat-wearing detective, Sherlock Holmes – The Abominable Bride turned out to be more than just a holiday gift for all its viewers!
The episode is set in 19th century England in the Victorian Era, with all its smoking pipes and horse-driven carriages, where women still have to fight for voting rights. Our dear old Sherlock remains brilliant yet sociopathic. Cute Dr Watson always being the voice of reason, Mary in all her feminist glory and Mycroft Holmes, ever the smart older brother.
It was quite frankly, a goosebump-raising episode, with its horror elements (the ghost bride and her bloody lips) along with the socialist and science factors of the time containing certain references to the modern era that confuse you, only to make sense later (A classic Sherlock move). The story, however, is a little vague.
IBN says, “The turns and twist of the episode make the audience anticipate a thrilling climax, only to be let down later. It looks like the makers were keener on bridging the season and Sherlock’s mind castle more than the case of the Abominable Bride herself.”
Although the plot is a little disappointing and confusing, the episode’s pace is a good one. There are instances where you will be curious, confused, and in awe of Sherlock. His mental prowess is evident and keeps you engaged for a good part of the episode.
“The one saving grace of Sherlock: The Abominable Bride is that the downright awful bits of the episode are sectioned off pretty neatly, so we can look forward to an hour-long fan edit that cuts out all of the terrible nonsense and only keeps in the good bits,” Screenrant has said.
Even though it looks convincing, my readers, don’t be fooled! There was more than a hint of ‘Victorian Air’. Still, as we find out later(As you would have already found out if you’ve seen the episode. If not, I repeat, DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER!), the makers of this episode just weren’t satisfied with giving us the moustaches and the smoking pipes. What had started as a Gothic Ghost Story turned out to be an “Inception meets Adaptation,” in denofgeeks’ words as the entire chapter takes place in Sherlock’s “mind palace”.
It wasn’t very reassuring to some, entertaining to others. The first episode of the new season of Sherlock was a perfect, nourishing recipe of Gothic mystery and recollections, along with a few nutty bits.
Until next time! For now, the “improbable one” is busy measuring the coagulation of saliva after death.