Action and Adventure Television
| Godless | Sherlock |
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The words “sleepy” and “slow” might be used to describe Netflix’s 7-part western series, Godless, but those adjectives seem to do a remarkable disservice to what is actually a pretty intriguing show. Perhaps a better way to describe it would be to say that Godless takes its time. It allows itself to marinate over the course of roughly 8 ½ hours, which seems to be the perfect length of time in which to tell its tale.
The story begins as a band of outlaws lead by Frank Griffin (played by Jeff Daniels in an award winning performance, if I do say so, myself) attempt to track down one of their former members, Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), who has just swindled them out of a heap load of money. Goode seeks refuge in the home of Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery), a horse rancher living on the outskirts of a mining town named La Belle. The town itself is inhabited almost exclusively by women as several of the men have died in a mining accident prior to the start of the show. La Belle is being courted by an eastern mining outfit, much to the chagrin Mary Agnes (Merritt Weaver), who has become the town’s de facto leader after the accident. Some of the only men that remain in town are a cowardly sheriff (Scoot McNairy) and his loveable, more-cocky-than-his-experience-would-seem-to-justify deputy, Whitey Winn (Thomas Brodie-Sangster).
The strength of the show lies in the strength of the individual performances. All of the actors I’ve mentioned above give outstanding performances in their respective roles, especially Jeff Daniels, who is reason enough to tune in. Jeff Daniels is so incredibly good in this role that I find it difficult to believe he hasn’t played more villains. He plays Frank Griffin with a cold ruthlessness that I’ve never seen from the actor before and yet, at the same time, he is able to imbue the character with a strange, fatherly warmth that makes him even more sinister. It’s a juxtaposition that is incredible to watch.
While the show, itself, is an homage to (arguably) better westerns that have come before it, Godless still feels remarkably fresh. It also, I believe intentionally, attempts to reclaim the Western from its gorier, action-sex-and-profanity-fueled step siblings with a more grounded, heartfelt, drama-heavy story. It’s definitely more Lonesome Dove than Deadwood, though unlike either of those shows, I don’t believe it will have the same revitalizing impact on the genre. Still, it’s definitely worth watching.
-Michael Trainor
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Sherlock is a British television crime drama depicting the eponymous character, Sherlock Holmes, in modern-day London. The series was created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, both writers for the Dr. Who television series. It stars oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, The Imitation Game) as Holmes and Martin Freeman (the Hobbit trilogy, The World's End) as his companion Dr. John Watson.
The series has been presented in a somewhat unusual way. Only three 90-minute episodes are produced per season and the seasons have been staggered at two-year intervals - the first in 2010, the second in 2012, and the third in 2014. A fourth season is in production for release in 2016.
In this imagining of Sherlock Holmes, Holmes is a "consulting detective" for the London police and in the first episode we see how he and war veteran Dr. Watson meet and become flatmates. Holmes is depicted as brilliant, but arrogant and ill-mannered in the extreme. Watson is intelligent, brave, resourceful, and loyal. He possesses common sense, manners and sensitivity. He is essentially the stand-in for the viewer in Holmes' adventures and also provides the detective the humanity that he lacks.
The relationship between Holmes and Watson is interesting to observe. As the series goes on, John's humanity begins to rub off on Sherlock. As Detective Inspector Lestrade, played by Rupert Graves, states in the first episode, ". . . Sherlock Holmes is a great man, and I think one day - if we are very lucky - he might even be a good one."
A self-proclaimed high-functioning sociopath, this incarnation of Holmes is in keeping with more modern renditions. The portrayls of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the tradition of old were ones where Holmes was a highly intelligent man of action and Watson was a bit slow and a conventional man of his day. Holmes was the competent one and Watson was the simple one. But with more modern stories, such as Nicholas Meyer's The Seven-Per-Cent Solution and the recent films starring Robert Downey Jr., Holmes is portrayed as a man set apart from most others due to his own intellect and idiosyncracies and Watson serves as his bridge to humanity. Watson, himself, is no longer portrayed as a bumbler, but a man of learning, a retired military officer, a man of principles, and a good man in a fight.
Each episode in the Sherlock series, at 90 minutes, is a short movie of its own. The writers do a good job of establishing a plot contained within each episode, but also creating story lines that persist through the series.
Sherlock is blessed with some excellent supporting characters. The aforementioned Rupert Graves as Lestrade, is quite credible as Holmes and Watson's liaison with the police. The scenes with Holmes' older brother Mycroft, played by series co-creator Gatiss, are among the most amusing of the series. Una Stubbs is wonderful as the gentlemen's land-lady with a colorful past. And Louise Brealey is charming as Molly Hooper, the pathologist who helps Holmes on numerous occasions and has a heartbreaking crush on the emotionally unavailable detective.
All in all, the series is comprised of intelligent stories, great performances, and witty dialog. There is much to appreciate. I hope for more of the same in the future.
-Swift