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Sherlock Holmes is one of the most enigmatic characters in literature and we should be grateful to the BBC (and the copyright laws) which gives us a contemporary version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's greatest character. But none of it would've been possible without birthday boy Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of the detective. His character is the closest reference modern readers will have to the world's greatest detective. His version is very different from Robert Downey Jr's masculine portrayal in the Guy Ritchie movies where Holmes is more likely to solve a case with a punch than a punch line. Here are five reasons we absolutely love the Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes:
His intelligence
Femme fatale and dominatrix Irene Adler comments in the episode A Scandal in Belgravia that 'brainy is the new sexy' and nothing captures Sherlock more than that comment. There's something very intriguing about a man who can solve a puzzle based on the tiniest of clues. The 21st Century version of Sherlock shows hints of Asperger's Syndrome while he identifies as a 'high-functioning sociopath'. Whatever the genetic reasoning, this version of Sherlock as intelligent as any older portrayals though he does get on people's nerves including Scotland Yard's with his dismissal of their skills.
His relationship with his brother
In this version, Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older brother, holds an important position in the British government, in fact, as Sherlock says: 'He *is* the British government when he's not too busy being the British Secret Service or the CIA on a free-lance basis.' With a mind that's even sharper than his younger brother's; the two share a very interesting relationship, where Sherlock is often castigated for being slow.
His indifference to social niceties
While he has no trouble solving the most complex of crimes, he does have trouble navigating everyday social relationships. He is petrified when he has to give John's best man speech and often rubs everyone around the wrong way with his deductions. One particular target is forensic expert, Philip Anderson, to whom Sherlock says: 'Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.' He also dismisses gifts he's given and has trouble explaining sarcasm. But he definitely has his softer side if his affection for his landlady Mrs Hudson, John or Inspector Lestrade is anything to go by. In fact, he half kills a man who had hurt Mrs Hudson.
The Science of Deduction
For reasons best known to him, Sherlock runs a website called the Signs of Deduction which among other things documents the 243 different types of tobacco ash! And he doesn't like the fact that John Watson's blog gets more hits than his website.
His bromance with John Watson
And the heart of it all is the bond shared between Holmes and Watson. And while he dismisses him from time to time for being not as intelligent as him, he loves John deeply. He decides to be the Best Man at the wedding, kills media tycoon Charles Magnussen for threatening John's wife Mary and will do absolutely anything to protect him. And that's what makes this version of Sherlock so delightfully human.
Picture Source: Getty Images
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