Dad Spends a Night in the Mancave: Sherlock is top notch

I love my Roku.  We disconnected cable many months ago, purchased one and live off NetFlix, the occasional Hulu and sometimes live TV.  The benefit of this is that we’ve discovered dozens of new shows.  I finally get Doctor Who now, which in turn led me to Torchwood (even better) and the new Star Trek movie led me to Sherlock.

Sherlock has been on the air for a couple of years.  I blame children and my lack of streaming television for not loving it sooner.  Benedict Cumberpatch plays the villain in the new Star Trek movie and is Sherlock in the TV series.  In both, his presence is magnetic, due to his voice and acting.

It’s a modern telling of the crime solving character.  The thing that makes Sherlock so brilliant is the writing and casting.  Granted, that’s what makes any television show outstanding.  What’s special about Sherlock is that it’s perfectly cast, written sharply and has spot on music that hits the right note at the right time.

Not the mention that Sherlock is 90 minutes.  90 minutes is a huge time investment for one show, it had better be superb if I’m going to lock down that much time for it.    Oh, it is.  The writing crackles faster and more entertaining than Downton Abbey.  And the writing in Downton Abbey is great, some of the best I’ve heard in ages, but Sherlock is so much better.

There is some action in each episode, but it’s the mental chess that is much more thrilling than watching a car chase or gun battle.  The interplay between Sherlock and John Watson is funny, curt, honest and fast.

This scene is great, not because of the naked woman, but for the dialogue and nuances that Cumberbatch puts into his character.

I saw the first episode as part of a mancave night, but knew that my wife would love it also.  I insisted that she watch it with me and I was correct.  It’s a tossup now as to if which show she enjoys more now, Sherlock or Downton Abbey.  My mancave nights will now be filled with Chinese martial arts as Sherlock has been promoted to date-night TV.

Dad Spends a Night in the Mancave is a semi regular series about what guys watch on television when woman aren’t around to judge.  Most of the time the show or movie will be something with Bruce Willis or Bruce Campbell.  In this case it stars neither of them but is hugely entertaining.