"A Study in Pink" is the opening episode in the mystery thriller series Sherlock. As a series based on the search for clues and meaning, it is very easy to see how the authors worked hard to make sure every prop placement and every facial expression would have an important meaning in the episode. The first notable analysis is the paradigmatic differences between John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. Watson a post-war veteran resides in a gloomy, prison-like apartment that is tidy but lacks personality. The cane Watson relies on to move around is symbolic and shows how he is forced to remember his past. A clever symbol is his snake crest coffee mug that he places an apple next to. It is an example of intertextuality to the biblical story of Adam and Eve and their curiosity. Watson is very structured and reserved but his curiosity is how he relates to Sherlock. Sherlock's flat is completely opposite to Watson's and shows his unconventional lifestyle and crime solving tactics. His home is perpetually cluttered with papers, random body parts, skulls and a broad range of patterns. One major way the two relate is the metaphoric representation of danger as 'the game'. A mysterious character points out that Watson seems to miss the battlefield and refers to Sherlock's adventures as a battlefield as well.
Throughout the episode there are numerous signifiers that imply different things about the duo and their interaction with London. The police who reluctantly use Sherlock's help symbolize bureaucracy and their lack of creative thinking. Mrs. Hudson acts as a mother-like figure to Sherlock and keeps him grounded. The Speedy Café outside Sherlock's flat represents his quick-thinking and very impulsive nature. And the use of floating traffic lights during a foot chase allow the viewer to see that Watson is leaving his past behind and moving on. Codes used in the episode include taxis and how they typically go unseen. This is how the killer is able to conduct his business right on the streets of London. Toward the end of the episode, Sherlock's curiosity leads him to a Russian Roulette situation with the serial killer and cannot seem to ease his wonder of the killer. Sherlock almost plays the game with the killer but is cut off when Watson shoots and kills the taxi driver. In the end, the mystery is solved and the two become partners in (solving) crime.
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The biblical reference is very interesting. I remember seeing that scene and wondering if there was more going on but forgot to go back and analyze it further! So I'm glad you picked up on it!
ReplyDeleteSherlock and Watson really do have an interesting dynamic, two very different people who work so well together. Love it.
When writing your paper, don't just throw in terms, clarify what they mean within the piece.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, even though at first Watson does not seem to be a perfect fit with Sherlock at the end they are. Something tells me that Sherlock knew this since the beginning. Good observations, didn't really get the biblical connection, sorry.
ReplyDeleteAh, looks like I could learn a thing or two from Sherlock. I did not catch the biblical reference in there, so good eye! Interesting connection with the curiosity too, because personally I could not see how that fit. I feel like you really picked up on a lot of the surrounding symbols that really do have some hidden meaning to them such as the diner, so good job!
ReplyDeleteI didn't catch the biblical reference to Adam and Eve! I think it could also symbolize living on the edge, and like you said, curiosity. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI love that you mentioned the biblical reference, I did not catch the reference although I was left wondering why they showed the cup with the snakes, which I thought was in reference to the color of the apple being so plain, just like the rest of his room and life.
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