Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House
4.5 out of 5 stars
The Plot: Upon returning from school, 16 year-old Sherlock Holmes finds his family absent and himself chased away from his own home, the Manor House. He soon learns that the Turnbulls, a middle-aged couple, now live there; but they aren't who they seem to be. Bored by his life at Aunt Rachel's, Sherlock sets about investigating a strange series of incidents, somehow connected to the Turnbulls; and he begins to uncover a very clever but desperate plot.
Thoughts: This series is definitely underrated. Granted, the cinematography is dated, the pace is a tad slow, and the plot isn't exactly action-packed; but if you're a "die-hard" Holmesian, it's well worth watching. I really enjoyed it and was actually sad to see it end.
I was curious about the script and characters, since Holmes's youth is subject to interpretation; and I thought the story was entertaining, if very unlikely. The other characters were interesting, too: Aunt Rachel, flip-flopping between good intentions and selfishness; her Dickensian brother, Gideon; Charity, Sherlock's smug cousin; and the eccentric local doctor, who wears an Amadeus wig. :P And while there's no 221b Baker Street, you can tell where Sherlock fits in and where he doesn't. The kitchen and the doctor's office--which seems to be in a constant state of uproar--are where he's really at home; and he's obviously a bit hurt at being exiled from the Manor House, sinister though it's become.
But in this series, Sherlock isn't very angsty, romantic, or rude. He's mostly just awkward, eccentric, and self-confident (which is a more preferable portrayal, in my opinion). Guy Henry is very well-cast in the role; he's tall (probably taller than anybody else) and plays the part quite charismatically.
There are nine 30-minute episodes total. My sister and I agreed that the first half was a trifle boring--mostly introducing characters and suspense--but the second half was very good. The episodes where Sherlock and John (the doctor's son) break into the Manor House were especially hilarious and suspenseful. There's even an impromptu swordfight, which was way cool and not too stagey. The conclusion of the mystery was extremely far-fetched, but certainly interesting.
Content-wise, it was pretty clean (probably PG rated)...some creepy stuff and a little bad language, but not a ton. One person dies from an overdose of anesthetic, but it is unintentional. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this series for kids, because it's slow and can be tricky to understand, in a "blink and you miss it" kind of way. But I recommend it if you don't mind the slower pace and are looking for a fun and unique Holmesian series. :)
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