221B Baker Street
Ling-Li (Lily) Yen
Writing 39B/ Final Draft
Professor Harrison
August 29, 2014
Adaptation of Dr. Watson in Moral Standard
In the classical detective convention initiated by Conan Doyle, the creation of Dr. Watson is a brilliant design to compensate for the extraordinary detective, Sherlock Holmes. The literature critics Binyon mentions in Murder Will Out, “The creation of Watson was, in fact, a stroke of genius. However outré the events he describes, the fact that they are mediated through his prosaic, stolid personality gives them a reality and a plausibility which they would otherwise lack” (9-10). According to Binyon, the reason Holmes is able to become a successfully heroic character is the existence of the boring and tedious role, Dr. John Watson. Conan Doyle, the creator of detective genre, gives the tedious Dr. Watson the significant role of the narrator and the representation of middle class men in the Victorian era. According to “Doyle” by the literature critics, Panek argues that, “Holmes takes a high hand with the nabobs and robber barons who come to him and, in general, concentrates on the problems of the modest middle-class” (76). Since the targeted audience is middle class gentlemen, Doyle purposely creates a role model, Dr. Watson, for the audience. Dr. Watson not only serves as the symbol of Victorian middle class gentlemen but also reflects the social and moral standards during the era. In the TV series Sherlock directed by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and Elementary created by Robert Doherty, Dr. Watson provides the significant role as the partner of Sherlock Holmes in both TV series, yet his moral standards have been adapted to the 21st century. As a result, the characteristics and mentality of Dr. Watson have changed in order to properly reflect the society in the 21st century both in Sherlock and Elementary.
In episode 1 of TV Series Sherlock, “Study in Pink,” the criminal taunts Sherlock Holmes to swallow the pill that is poisoned while Holmes confronts the criminal with his deduction. At the same time, Dr. Watson finds the location of Holmes and the criminal, shooting the criminal. When they leave the crime scene, Holmes and Dr. Watson burst into laughter. Although John just killed a guilty man; surprisingly, he feels relieved. In contrast, Doyle’s Dr. Watson has higher moral standards, which means he would not feel comfortable after killing a man without being given the judicial authority. Furthermore, he walks normally in this scene without using a cane indicating his injury is mainly psychological. Instead of having psychosomatic disorder, Dr. Watson purely suffers from physical wound in Doyle’s novel.
After Holmes learns that Dr. Watson shot the criminal, he reminds him to wipe off the gun powder residue on Doctor’s hand. In this scene, the proximity of the camera is a medium shot which clearly displays the facial expression of the two characters, omitting the information from the background. While the camera gives a medium shot to John Watson, he pretends that he does not know the shooter who kills the criminal. The camera shot emphasizes the emotions of Watson. In other words, John lies to Holmes, showing his morality allows him to hide the fact. In the next few scenes, by changing the camera back and forth between close-up of John and Holmes, the scene shows intense interaction and conversation between John and Holmes. In this situation, shots focus even more on the facial expression, especially John’s reaction when he lies. While they are about to leave the crime scene, the proximity of camera changes to a full shot, which intentionally shows John walking without using a cane. As previously mentioned, the leg injury is both psychological and physical in the TV series. According to “The Watson Effect” by April Toadvine, she states,“ Given 21st century concerns of a difficult economy and returning from war zone, John represents economic and emotional instability familiar to many in the audience... John’s mediocrity allows him to be representation in the same way as Conan Doyle’s Watson represented his time“ (55). In order to illustrate the social background and norm as Doyle did in his classical detective genre, show directors of Sherlock apply the social background of the 21st century. The purpose is not only to imitate the essence of the detective convention but also attract audiences in modern era. Last, while Holmes and John are leaving the crime scene, lighting of the full shot comes from their back. It causes their shadow to darken their facial expression, which delivers the meaning of facing the dark side for these short moments. In other words, they are not sorry for killing a man, showing their rebellion to morality and law.
Holmes and Dr. John are the examples that reflect the popularity of vigilantes in the 21st century. Although laws and orders exist both in the Victorian era and in modern time, people believe more in justice than in law in today’s society due to the corruption of the judicial system. In modern days, wealthy people are easier to get away with crimes; therefore, majority seeks justice for himself or herself instead of legal pathways. In contrast, honor and integrity are more important than wealth in the Victorian era. Murders or crimes are strictly prohibited, and justice only counts under laws and orders in the era. People believe laws are just, trusting the judicial process at the time. Nowadays, people seek justice and vengeance on their own instead of purely relying on the judicial and legal system power because people increasingly lack more honor and respect in the modern era.
The American TV series Elementary shows that its audiences in the 21st century have a different moral standard toward marriage and relationships in America. According to visual media reviewer Zack Handlen, writer for the A.V. Club website, states that, "As Joan Watson, on the other hand, Lucy Liu gives life to one of the stronger female roles on network television, a former surgeon turned sober companion who first meets Sherlock when his father hires her to help him go (and stay) drug-free.” The classical role of Dr. Watson transforms a Victorian era gentleman into a modern strong female who has a sexual relationship with Mycroft Holmes, brother of Sherlock. While Mycroft attempts to restore the broken relationship with Sherlock Holmes in season 2 episodes 7, Sherlock senses the unusual atmosphere between Mycroft and Dr. Joan Watson when Mycroft comes to their apartment for dinner. After Sherlock’s observation, he questions Dr. Watson that if she sleeps with his brother. Dr. Watson admits that she sleeps with Mycroft while they are in London. In this episode, the story shows that audiences in America can accept the idea of a woman sleeping with a man without having a relationship or marriage with the man. In contrast, society viewed marriage is a sacred and holy relationship between a man and a woman during Victorian era, considering family and marriage the best position in life for women. The change in the interpretation of sexual activities and marriage becomes a social norm in the 21st century in America: a majority of Americans allows the concept of having an intimate relationship before getting married.
During the scene, Mycroft and Joan Watson sit at the dining table, inviting Sherlock Holmes to join the dinner with them. The composition of the scene intentionally puts Dr. Watson and Mycroft together, and let Sherlock appears on the other side of the room. This design delivers a hidden message to audiences, indicating Dr. Watson is with Mycroft instead of with Sherlock at this moment although Dr.Watson is supposed to be on the same side with Sherlock. Although audiences have no clue about the real relationship between Mycroft and Watson, audiences would speculate about them. The view of shots changes from Sherlock looking at Mycroft and Dr. Watson to they looking back at Sherlock. This scene clearly shows the hidden connection between Mycroft and Dr. Joan Watson. In the next scene, Dr. Watson admits that she sleeps with Mycroft, which is a climax of the episode. Later, Sherlock sits on his seat while Dr. Watson stands by the table. The distance of the camera shows a medium shot instead of a close-up shot to emphasize both gesture and facial expression of Dr. Watson. In these few snapshots, she appears to be emotionally uncomfortable by doing a lot of gesturing and frowning while she argues with Sherlock. By showing her body language and her expression, audiences would be able to notice the anxiety of Dr. Watson. Using the cinematic techniques of composition and shooting proximity, show director delivers the plot by presenting designate visual image to create different feelings for audiences in Elementary.
Dr. Watson is the representation of moral standard and background in the classical detective genre that created by Conan Doyle. In order to adapt and fit into the background in the 21st century, both TV series Sherlock and Elementary reestablish the image of Dr. Watson to illustrate the moral standards in recent time. In the Victorian era, society has strict and high moral standards which they have no tolerance for any criminal activity. They believe a person who commits crime lacks morality instead of a person who breaks the law. As a result, they condense criminals’ moral deficiency, and they established harsh punishment to warn people who would commit crimes. Today, people believe in the concept of “an eye for an eye,” and they seek justice by themselves rather than going through the judicial process. In Sherlock, Dr. Watson killed a man and feel relieved, which reflects the different understanding toward punishing criminals in the 21st century and the Victorian era. Furthermore, marriage is a sacred ceremony in the Victorian era. Society honors and respects the relationship of marriage and family, especially for women. They are expected to keep their chastity before getting married. Yet, in the TV series Elementary, Dr. Joan Watson sleeps with Mycroft without knowing each other. Through these two examples of adaptation in Dr. Watson in the 21st century, it is obvious that the adaptations promisingly showcase the differences between two generations of audience and their beliefs.
Works Cited
“A Study in Pink.” Sherlock. BBC. United Kingdom. 25 July, 2010. Television.
Binyon, T.J. "Murder Will Out": The Detective in Fiction. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1989. 9-12. Print.
Douglas, Edward. Comingsoon.net. CraveOnline, Evolve Media, 2014. Web. 3 August 2014.
Panek, Leroy. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State
University Popular Press, 1987. Print.
Toadvine, April. "The Watson Effect: Civilizing the Sociopath." Sherlock Holmes for the 21st
Century. ed. Lynette Porter. Jefferson, NC: Macfarlane & Company, 2012, 47-62. Print.