Sherlock: The Hounds of the Baskerville

This episode is based on "The Hound of the Baskervilles." (Notice how the 's' was moved for this updated version.)

A little boy runs out of the moors. He is traumatized as he has just seen the death of his father at the hands of a gigantic hound. We realize this is a flashback as we see the older version of Henry Knight. Henry is again in the moors and is still traumatized by the memory of what happened that night.

Russell Tovey plays Henry. I have liked Russell since I saw him in The Voyage of the Damned, a great episode of Doctor Who. He played Alonso, which led the Doctor to say one of his famous lines, "Alons-y Alonso." Russell was also in the original BBC version of Being Human. In that series he was, ironically, a werewolf. And he played John in the wonderful adaptation of Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit. His performance in that miniseries is absolutely wonderful.

Okay, so much for singing the praises of Russell Tovey. Let's get back to The Hounds of the Baskerville.

Doggy bubbleheads in the window. Great touch.

Sherlock enters his flat covered in blood, carrying a harpoon. The only exchange between him and a curious Watson is:
Sherlock: Well, that was tedious.
Watson: You went on the tube like that?
Sherlock: None of the cabs would take me.
That's all we get. No explanation. Brilliant.

Sherlock hates that iconic hat.

Sherlock is having withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawals from cigarettes and cases. Not a good combination for Sherlock.

Baskerville is a government chemical and biologicals research center.

It's hard sometimes to watch how totally unaware Sherlock is of other people's feelings. Henry is talking about his father's death, and Sherlock tells him to get on with his current problem.

Sherlock wants Henry to smoke. Not because he knows Henry wants to, but because Sherlock wants to breath in the smoke.

Beautiful shots of the moors. I want to go there. It's nice to have an episode outside of London, even thought I love London.

I love to watch how Sherlock pays attention to every small detail.

Sherlock and John get into the Baskerville compound because Sherlock uses Mycroft's credentials. He knows that they have 20 minutes before Mycroft realizes what Sherlock has done. Sherlock may have gotten them in, but Watson uses his military credentials to get a tour of the center. John is pretty proud that he can throw his weight around just like Sherlock.

Henry has a great house.

Henry remembers the words "Liberty" and "in."

Sherlock wants Henry to go out into the moors at night and see if anything attacks him. Poor Henry, Sherlock throws him right back into the nightmare.

What a great atmosphere to set a Sherlock Holmes story: on the moors at night, with torches (flashlights), looking for a gigantic hound. This episode is full of suspense, and it's scary. I love it.

Sherlock and Henry see the hound, but Sherlock denies seeing it. Henry just wants Sherlock to admit he saw it so he can prove he's not crazy. Sherlock thinks he, himself, is crazy because he saw it. He is frightened by what he saw.

Sherlock has to make deductions about people sitting by him to prove that there's nothing wrong with him. This is another great performance by Benedict Cumberbatch.

Sherlock tells John that he saw the hound. John doesn't believe there is a gigantic hound. He thinks there has to be a rational explanation.

Sherlock has a greater reason to solve the case because Sherlock is beginning to feel doubt and he wants to find out how he saw what he saw.

John is angry at how Sherlock is treating him. He's usually pretty patient with Sherlock, but Sherlock can go too far sometimes. Well, most of the time. John finally walks away from Sherlock because he wants to force him to apologize.

I love it when Sherlock goes to his "mind place." The best moment is when he gets to "Hound Dog" and Elvis's face comes up in front of Sherlock's face and he makes an Elvis pose. Brilliant.

Sherlock figures out Barrymore's password by looking around his office. Question: If Sherlock Holmes took a look around your office/desk/ bedroom, do you think he might figure out your password? If so, change it. *wink*

Why was Henry the only one in the town who went out into the moors and saw hallucinations?

The end of the episode is a lead-in to next week's episode, The Reichenbach Fall. If you haven't seen that episode yet, you're in for a big surprise. In my opinion it is the best of the series.

Quotes:

Sherlock: I need a case.
John: You've just solved one, by harpooning a dead pig apparently.
Sherlock: That was this morning. I need a new one.

Sherlock: What did you see?
Henry: I was about to say.
Sherlock: Yes, in a TV interview. I prefer to do my own editing.

Henry: Are you laughing at me?
Sherlock: Why? Are you joking?

John: You're just showing off.
Sherlock: Of course. I AM a show-off; that's what I do.

Sherlock: Boring. Goodbye, Mr. Knight. Thank you for smoking.

John: So, you're coming?
Sherlock: 20 year old disappearance, a monstrous hound? Wouldn't miss this for the world.

Sherlock: 23 minutes. Mycroft's getting slow.

Sherlock: What is it exactly that you do here, Dr. Frankland?
Dr. Frankland: Mr. Holmes, I would love to tell you, but then, of course I'd have to kill you. (laughs)
Sherlock: That would be tremendously ambitious of you.

John: Oh, please. Could we not do this this time?
Sherlock: Do what?
John: You, being all mysterious with your cheekbones and turning your coat collar up so you look cool.
Sherlock: I don't do that.
John: Yeah, you do.

Sherlock: Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true.

Sherlock: Look at me, I'm afraid John.

John: Why would you listen to me? I'm just your friend.
Sherlock: I don't have friends.
John: I wonder why.

Sherlock: Listen, what I said before, John, I meant it. I don't have friends. I've just got one. 

Sherlock: John? John! You are amazing, you are fantastic! 
John: Yes, all right. Don't overdo it. 
Sherlock : You'll never be the most luminous of people, but as a conductor of light, you're unbeatable! 
John: What? 
Sherlock: Some people who aren't geniuses have an amazing ability to stimulate it in others. 
John: Hang on, you were saying sorry a minute ago, don't spoil it.

Sherlock: One mention of Baskerville, and he sends down my handler to spy on me, incognito. Is that why you're calling yourself Greg?
John: That's his name.
Sherlock: Is it?
Lestrade: Yes. You've never bothered to find out.

Sherlock: Do you got any [aliens]. Just wondering.
Barrymore: A couple. Crash landed here in the 60s. We call them Abbott and Costello.

Sherlock: Get out. I need to go to my mind place.

Sherlock: This case. Thank you Henry. It's been brilliant.

John: You got it wrong.
Sherlock: What?
John: You got it wrong. It wasn't the sugar.
Sherlock: It won't happen again.

Sherlock: I'm going to see a man about a dog