THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 5 out of 5

Originally created for the BBC by Granada, this disk contains four of the popular series adaptations of the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Although not an original fan of Jeremy Brett's version of the infamous Baker Street detective, this series won me over entirely. There's very little content (individual issues have been addressed in the episode summaries) and the stories are surprisingly true to the original text. Lovers of good mysteries in general will appreciate these noteworthy attempts at recreating Holmes as much as the die-hard fans.

Episode One: The Greek Interpreter

As a non-English-speaking traveler disembarks the train, a shadow melts forward to meet him, escorting him off the platform. Once out of sight of passerby, the young man is clubbed over the head and dragged into the coach. Demurely lighting a cigarette, the mastermind smiles and follows. Nothing is published of the incident by local accounts and Holmes is completely unaware of its existence, instead attempting to sort through his case files. Watson has never heard him speak at length of his family and certainly had no prior knowledge that Sherlock has an older, larger, and more keener brother by the name of Mycroft, who works for the treasury department but is unambitious and thus has never attempted to use his incredible mental powers for anything aside from armchair detective cases.

Whenever Mycroft comes across a problem singular enough to be of interest, but too demanding on his lack of enthusiasm for physical exertion, he passes it on to his younger brother. This is just such an occasion, as they've been asked to visit his local club (where members are not allowed to converse with one another, but endure complete silence and anonymity) to hear the peculiar tale of Mr. Melas. A known interpreter of the Greek language, Melas has recently had the most extraordinary and troubling adventure. He was sought out and asked to interpret for an unknown individual, then bundled into a cab with the blinds drawn, and driven for more than two hours over uncharted roads. On reaching a sinister house, he was then told to interrogate and attempt to persuade a young man with sticking-plaster over half his face to sign some papers.

Without success, Melas did as he was told and after being paid a handsome price, was sent away again -- another two hours, and dumped into a London alleyway with the warning to tell no one of this affair, should he wish to remain healthy. Unable to live with the knowledge that someone from his homeland was being badly ill-treated and kept against his will, Melas sought his dear friend Mycroft for advice. Unwilling to leave the case entirely to Holmes' good nature, the armchair detective teams up in order to discern the history behind this curious affair, as well as the whereabouts of the foreign captive. It will lead them to a hair-raising hunt through London, and the fast-churning wheels of a train departing for the coast. But it's rare to see Mycroft and Sherlock on the same trail, and audiences will find them fascinating.

What our usual sleuth posses in large quantities, Mycroft surpasses. Their initial meeting is compiled of eager banter, both attempting to point out to the other the working condition, martial situation, and nature of a random passerby on the street below. Watson is astonished, as are we, as Mycroft exerts himself. I also found the climax likable... the speeding railway, the clicking of the tracks, the swaying of the train, and the cool resolve with which the infamous brothers tackle a singular and deadly opponent. The story also ends somewhat differently than those before it; a decisive choice on the part of filmmakers that works to continue the mood. There is some violence... a man is perceived dead when he is caught between moving trains; guns are wielded against good and evil alike; a room is filled with poisonous gas.

Complex and enthralling, The Greek Interpreter proves one sleuth remains dangerous for the criminal classes; when two are involved, there's no question good will triumph in the end.

Episode Two: The Norwood Builder

Little knowing a fire and murder have been committed in the country, Holmes is complaining of the lack of interesting cases in London. The criminals have all been caught, he bitterly remarks; there is nothing left to him save missing kittens. While Watson protests his morbid nature, the great detective is offered a singular opportunity to solve a most peculiar crime. A thunderous sound on the stairs, as well as the vocal protests of their housekeeper Mrs. Hudson, bring a young man into the room, winded from his climb and with fear flushing his pale features. The fellow is the unhappy John Hector McFarlane, recent accused of a terrible crime. He's a lawyer by trade, not long in the business pursuit, and begs Holmes hear out his story fully. He fears the police will demand his arrest and all will be lost, for he has no part in the crime!

Eager for the details, Holmes encourages him to be seated and tell his strange story. McFarlane had been sought out by Mr. Oldacre, a well-known builder in Norwood with a large estate he wished to settle on a recipient through his will. The lawyer was much shocked to discover it was to him which this great sum of money was to be left. Oldacre explained that in his youth, he'd known Mrs. McFarlane and even sought to marry her, but she'd chosen another more worthy man. Now desiring to do something for her son, who has been left impoverished through his own father's passing, he wishes to leave the entirety of his estate to the lawyer. Entreating McFarlane to have the papers drawn up and pay him a call in the country, the older man departed. The deeds were signed and all made proper before McFarlane left the house in good spirits... and never laid eyes on the old man again.

That night the garden shed was set afire, a blood-stained walking stick belonging to the lawyer was found among Oldacre's belongings, and the Norwood builder disappeared entirely. Combing through the wreckage, the police were able to discover the remains of a body. Believing he'd been murdered and then burned, they naturally hold the lawyer, the last to see him alive, as the primary suspect. He's rapidly bundled off to Scotland Yard by the interminable Inspector Lestrade, and Holmes sets off for Norwood, determined to find some clue as to his innocence. But the case is complex and evidence against his client seems insurmountable. This may be one instance where the great detective has been hired to free a guilty man... or perhaps there's something more sinister at work in the old house.

Most of the cases of the infamous Baker Street detective are of a singular nature, but this is one of Doyle's most brilliant stories. The Norwood Builder carries you along and then throws the truth on you like a bucket of icy water... which also, by the way, plays a significant role in the solution. Involving arson, supposed murder, forgery, and a number of red herrings, the viewer is left astonished at the conclusion. The acting here is particularly good, and the pacing is excellent. It moves rapidly but never overshadows itself with a lack of clues. If you're keen, you may be able to pick up the evidence Holmes himself gathers and foresee the ending. But only if you're quick of mind and have some prior suspicion of how the story turns out. There's virtually no violence or profanity, and only mild thematic elements. It's a splendid adaptation of an excellent mystery, and my personal favorite of the canon episodes.