In Review: Young Sherlock Pilot Introduces the Legendary Detective’s Early Years

Synopsis: A disgraced, young Sherlock Holmes finds himself wrapped up in a murder case that threatens his liberty. His first-ever case unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy, culminating in an explosive showdown that changes his life forever.

The Story

Young Sherlock kicks off with Holmes being bailed out of Newgate Prison by his older brother Mycroft, who is less than impressed with his younger sibling’s latest antics. It turns out that Holmes had been experimenting with the art of pickpocketing. Having read Oliver Twist, he decided to try it out for himself, going on a small spree of lifting people’s belongings before cleverly returning them by implying the items had simply fallen from their pockets. Unfortunately for Holmes, his luck runs out and he ends up being arrested just as he is about to return a gentleman’s belongings.

Holmes is sentenced to six months, though by the time Mycroft arrives to bail him out he has already served enough time to have formed a few relationships with some of the prison’s inmates. Hoping to straighten his troublesome younger brother out, Mycroft sends Sherlock to Oxford University. However, there’s a twist. Holmes is not there as a student, but rather in the capacity of a scout, essentially a servant whose duties include waiting on staff and faculty, as well as carrying out various menial tasks around the university.

Holmes is far from impressed with the arrangement but gets on with the job regardless, slowly beginning to form loose relationships with several members of the faculty. Things take a more interesting turn when Princess Gulun Shou’an visits Oxford, bringing with her an ancient scroll from her father’s archives. The artifact is highly prized, not least because of its connection to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.

Meanwhile Holmes, who has already made an impression on the head of the school, Bucephalus Hodge, after exposing how Mycroft manoeuvred him into the university, has a chance meeting with an Irish student named James Moriarty. The two young men quickly hit it off and prove themselves equally brilliant, forming what appears to be the perfect investigative partnership when the scroll is supposedly stolen from the university library, a building that once served as a banquet hall.

Working together, Holmes and Moriarty eventually deduce that the theft of the scroll was merely a diversionary tactic designed to allow someone to plant a bomb set to detonate during Bucephalus Hodge’s upcoming speech. With only moments to spare, the pair manage to locate the device but quickly realise there is no time to safely defuse it. Instead, they break through the wall of the hall and warn everyone to evacuate just before the bomb explodes. Their quick thinking helps limit the damage and saves numerous lives, earning the gratitude of Princess Gulun Shou’an, who seems particularly impressed with Holmes.

The episode closes with a dramatic twist as Holmes is arrested for the murder of one of the university professors, setting the stage for a mystery that will unfold across the remaining seven episodes, all of which are now available to binge on Prime Video.

The Acting

Hero Fiennes Tiffin makes a pretty good fist of embodying the role of this younger Sherlock Holmes, who from a tonal viewpoint feels somewhat similar to the version of Holmes portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. in the 2009 film. However, it remains unclear whether this series is intended to exist within the same story universe as the two films directed by Guy Ritchie, a point I will return to later.

Dónal Finn does a brilliant job capturing both the charisma and intellect of Moriarty, who initially appears to take Holmes under his wing. It does not take long, however, before Moriarty begins pushing Holmes’ limits and subtly challenging his sense of morality. The banter between the two characters is particularly fun to watch, as it highlights both their similarities and the philosophical differences that may ultimately set them on opposing paths.

Zine Tseng also makes a strong first impression in the role of Princess Gulun Shou’an. Her introductory scene immediately establishes the character as someone capable of handling herself, as she takes down three men who shoot her aide while attempting to steal the scroll she is transporting. Suffice to say, this is a princess who clearly knows how to defend herself.

Overall

Overall, Young Sherlock gets off to a solid start, and I will certainly be watching the remaining seven episodes when I get the chance. The decision to portray Holmes and Moriarty as acquaintances during their younger years creates an interesting dynamic and may well appeal to a segment of Sherlock Holmes fandom that has long speculated about whether the two rivals might have known each other before eventually becoming enemies.

Interestingly, in the film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, the encounter between Holmes and Moriarty is presented in a way that suggests it is their first meeting. This would imply that Young Sherlock, which explores Holmes’ earlier years, is most likely set within a different continuity rather than directly tying into the universe of the Guy Ritchie films. Stylistically, however, the series shares a similar pace and sense of adventure to the two Guy Ritchie films, so fans of those movies will likely find plenty to enjoy here.