Sherlock & Daughter

Thewlis and Hunt do a wonderful job playing their parts, and the show delivers sufficient intrigue and excitement to keep the narrative moving forward at a good pace.

It may not be the boldest statement, or the most radical transformation for a character we already know so well. But it’s just disarming enough to make this latest entry in the ever-expanding Sherlock universe feel comforting in its familiarity, rather than tiresome.

Thewlis, who has the ranginess and sharp profile one associates with the character, is a fine Holmes, caustic with a comic edge, and Hunt holds her own as his problematic partner. I can’t say the plot makes perfect sense — as only half of the eight-episode season was available for review, I have no idea where it’s going — but you can say that about many if not most mysteries, and it’s enjoyable from moment to moment.

As a Holmesian, I find it offensive that Holmes, a radical human in every sense, should be cast as comically discombobulated by a young woman’s liberated behavior, however anachronistic it might be. But Mr. Thewlis provides a novel twist on an oft-visited character.

The cast gives excellent performances and elevates an otherwise passable series. Perhaps with time, the series will find its footing, and deliver something truly excellent, but from the first four episodes, Sherlock & Daughter is just simply alright.

Sherlock and Amelia are not exactly mentor and mentee, but something less interesting and indistinct. And yet the two of them working together would be a decent enough premise if we actually got to see them working together. The show prefers splitting them up, and when the focus is on Sherlock, it works.