“That was the curious incident..”
This episode, and the short story upon which it is based, is in fact quite atypical, yet paradoxically very much the popular impression of a typical Sherlock Holmes story. There is a purity in how what we get is a pure murder mystery, told methodically with no cheating, with all the clues laid before us.
It is an excellent whodunit, of course- the short story is a standout classic- but difficult to adapt well for a series that depends far more on Victorian colour and idiosyncratic acting for its success. Indeed, while Jeremy Brett is superlative as ever, there is little here in the way of windows into Holmes’ soul for him to latch on to.
Nevertheless, the tale is told well, with gorgeous Devon location filming and a nicely nuanced guest performance from Peter Barkworth. There’s nothing really to fault the episode. It’s simply a very straight whodunit with very little else happening.
It must be said, though, that this is a fine whodunit, and the final summing up is most satisfying. That this episode does not really stand out is simply a matter of the story not translating well to the visual medium.
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