Sherlock

I watched the conclusion of season four of "Sherlock". By that, I mean the British version that was aired there on BBC One is airing in the U.S. on PBS.

To say that I was disappointed in it would be an understatement. I don't know what the writers are doing, but "what the fuck are they thinking" would be one way to put it.

Their biggest mistake is veering far, far away from the template set by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, himself. The series in The Strand was a very long series of stories, they didn't rely on each other for enjoyment. You didn't have to have read "A Study in Scarlet" or "An Affair in Bohemia" to enjoy "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton". The episode aired last night, "The Final Problem", has as much to do with the original concept as does a ponderous supertanker with an airliner-- which is to say, nothing at all.

The American version, "Elementary", which is in its fifth season, is far closer to the theme of the original. Yes, there is an underlying story going on in most seasons. But the episode each week centers on a different crime to solve. It is, simply, at this point, a better show.

I'm not going to discuss the story. Watch it for yourself.

"Sherlock" has been airing three episodes every two years. At this point, I'll be halfway surprised if it returns at all.