Elementary, Miss Watson

[eumelia]

So, I've been bitten by the bug.

I've brought myself up to date with "Elementary" and I'm enjoying it immensely!

I have many thoughts, none of which are to do with the cases, which honestly, so so easy, but the mental exercise Holmes and Watson go though are fun to watch.

I can see why the BBC "Sherlock" people took issue with it at the start, but it is so different, both in concept and characterisation (up to a point, they are clearly Holmes and Watson), but this Sherlock is so... sympathetic.

I mean, I feel compassion towards him in a way I didn't with the BBC version. And while the BBC Watson was more fleshed out, I do really enjoy how this Watson takes none of his shit.

Also, Bechdel Fucking Win in ep five! Between two women of colour! \o/ (Plus, Sherlock hinted at a "Sapphic" - really, CBS, really?! - entanglement and you know how observant he is ;)

And there are random people of colour in the show! (not enough to be sure, for a place set in New York city)

In addition, (and this when my brother should stop reading because I'm about to talk about things that will make him reach for the brain bleach - don't say I didn't warn you, hemlock_sholes) I absolutely adore how openly kinky this Holmes is. He likes bondage, he likes to be dominated, erotic asphyxiation is third date material! He has a zipper mask!

So, uh, people of my lists who are watching this, point me to the comms and kink_memes! I have gone to the AO3 page and, well, let's just say that page leaves a lot to be desires.

I'm not feeling the same degree of attachment (obsession, love, adoration?) as I do to "Hawaii Five-0", but let's see if I can juggle two fandoms, yes?

Comments

[silveradept]

We've basically decided to stop watching it for the procedural early on. The character dynamics between Holmes and Watson are far more interesting.

And yay for kinky Holmes and the possibility of Sapphic relationships! (Probably the only adjective they could use to get crap past the radar. And I liked the genius bonus you get from knowing what that means.)

[eumelia]

They keep using actors that look creepy and clichés! So yea, Holmes and Watson it is :)

So so much! (They can't say "gay" or "lesbian" without it getting flagged? I find that doubtful, but I'll buy that pinch of salt, but Sapphic is a very Holmes way of putting things?!)

[majoline]

They really can't, it's on network TV. It's probably as close as they could come without being censored.

[eumelia]

"Gay" and "lesbian" is equivalent to "fuck" and "shit"? You are kidding me. Doesn't CBS have any queer characters on the ENTIRE network?

[eumelia]

And quick check and confirmation from a friend shows me that while CBS is not liberal (as though there was doubt) they don't self-censor for so-called "decency".

"The Good Wife" has Kalina a canonically bisexual character and the show has used both "lesbian" and "bisexual".

"The Big Bang Theory" has no canonically lgbt characters, but has used the words "gay" in dialogue.

The comedy "Partners" is a CBS production and one of the main characters is gay in a relationship.

Also, Fox has "Glee" and NBC has "The New Normal" and ABC has "Modern Family" and "Grey's Anatomy".

What censoring are you talking about?

[majoline]

I stand corrected. That's a lot more representation than I was aware of :D

*shrugs* Maybe the show thought it sounded Sherlock Holmes-y?

[eumelia]

Most likely; archaic and slightly judgemental.

[silveradept]

Well, I think that our media cares who says such things. You can have gay and lesbian characters, although there's still a large continent of Camp Gay men and ravenously sexual lesbians.

Let me use of all examples, South Park. There's an episode where Mr. Garrison calls another character a slur for gay men. When someone else in the class attempts to use that same slur, it's bleeped out. To which Mr. Garrison says, "Ha! Ha! Only gay men van say that without being bleeped!" I think or television works a similar sort of way - it's okay for someone to say that they are gay/lesbian, but other people can't do that until that person comes out or says they are gay on an earlier episode. So, "Sapphic".

[eumelia]

I think Holmes was being snarky and prudish.

I tend not to trust South Park, I don't watch it as I don't enjoy that type of humour, though I catch your drift. I can't say I really agree with that reasoning, considering no one was calling anyone a name, merely Holmes drawing conjecture (or deduction) on the relationship between Watson and the other doc, which had clearly been close.

[silveradept]

Yeah, most likely, it was Holmes being Holmes.

I was using it more as an illustrative example of how some shows might police word usage, even if they don't actually stop word usage. But that does seem remarkably non-Occam on reflection.

[majoline]

That was my knee-jerk reaction too. But... with the list given (depending upon how those shows *do* representation; I haven't actually heard good things about Glee) maybe it's to show Holmes believing/acting a certain way?

[eumelia]

How those shows do representation is aside from the point in this convo, I feel. I think they wanted to show Holmes acting in a snarky sort of way, the reason I even made a point of pointing out Sapphic is because it's an archaic word and I was happy to see hints of queer on the show.

[eumelia]

See my comment to majoline: http://eumelia.dreamwidth.org/575960.html?thread=3508696#cmt3508696

[lilacsigil]

I thought it was a weird choice of words too, but Elementary is on in a late time slot, so it's allowed to say "lesbian"! Generally, I'm very much enjoying the show, especially when Sherlock behaves badly and Joan cuts him down and the show supports her viewpoint. It's so refreshing after House!

[eumelia]

Yes! She cuts him down and isn't vilified for demanding the white man behave himself! HE APOLOGISES FOR BEHAVING BADLY :D