Katia Lopez Dr.

Haas Writing 37 18 February 2014

The Mystery Genre always has a detective who is trying to solve a mystery. The detective in the novel is always the smartest person in the room and 99.9 percent of the time solves the case alone. The very eccentric detective must always have a foil character that contrasts his personality in order to highlight the qualities of the detective; in the Sherlock Holmes novels, Dr. John Watson is that character (Foil 3). A convention that has been used in Arthur Conan Doyles novels that is still interpreted in the 21st century versions of the novel is the use of drugs. In three modern day interpretations of the Sherlock Holmes novels (Elementary, House M.D, Sherlock) drugs are a major part of the detectives life. In Elementary, Sherlock is a recovering addict; in House M.D, Dr. House is addicted to vicodin; and BBCs Sherlock was once addicted to cocaine/morphine (he prefers cigarettes and nicotine patches now). Drugs play a massive role in both the original Sherlock Holmes novels and modern interpretations. These updated shows have plenty of scenes that exhibit the relationship between the modern Holmes and drugs; this relationship is completely different than Conan Doyles Holmes and his drug of choice. CBSs Elementary is based on the life of a modern day Holmes who has moved from London to New York to escape his past drug issues he had in London. While in New York, Sherlock Holmes is assigned by his father a sober companion, Dr. Joan Watson in order to help him stay off the drugs. The two develop a friendship quickly that resembles the original Sherlock Holmes relationship with Dr. John Watson. Robert Doherty modern take on Conan Doyles Sherlock

Holmes novels, Elementary portrays Sherlock Holmes relationship with drugs in a negative manner in order to maintain the views audience today have in mind about drugs; the views people have on drugs now are completely different from the views the people in Conan Doyles time had. In an episode of Elementary, season one, episode 15 "A Giant Gun, Filled with Drugs" audiences are able to understand and see for themselves why and how the use of drugs have changed in this version of Sherlock Holmes. The episode is about Sherlock Holmess ex-drug dealer Rhys going to Holmes and asking him for help in finding his kidnaped daughter. The scene from A Giant Gun, Filled with Drugs that I will be examining takes place in Holmes apartment in New York City. In this scene, Holmes is sitting in his study room when Rhys approaches him. Rhys has begun to lose patients and needs Holmes to locate his daughter as soon as possible (Rhys only has less than 24 hours to pay the ransom his daughters kidnappers asked for). Rhys believes Holmes was a better detective when he was still using drugs therefore when he goes to speak to Holmes he offers him assistance (drugs). Holmes angrily pushes Rhys down and asks him to leave his home immediately. This scene occurs in the middle of the episode. By the end of the episode, Holmes has had enough of Rhys presences that Holmes ultimately asks his own father for the money to pay the ransom. In this particular scene we have Holmes sitting in his dull living room. The lighting is dim and Holmes is sitting in the center of his living room reviewing the ransom video the kidnappers sent to Rhys. The camera is only on Sherlock when suddenly, Rhys enters the room. The camera angel then shifts and is on Rhys. Rhys begins to talk to Holmes and reminds Holmes about the old days when he used to consume drugs and how he was able to solve a case in no time. Rhys then takes out a small bag of cocaine and waves it at Holmes. Holmes is outraged

when Rhys offers him the drug and pushes him down. Holmes is very angry with Rhys because Rhys knows Holmes is done with that chapter in his life. Holmes is a recovering addict and recovering addicts are prone to have relapses. Dr. Watson then enters the room asking what the commotion was about and Holmes very calmly says, I need some time Watson, I will be in touch. Holmes needed to remove himself from that stressful situation because stress is not good for a recovering addict (The Steps to Complete Drug and Alcohol Recovery 4). In Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes novels, he displays Holmes as someone who needs drugs to stimulate their mind. Using drugs does not make Holmes (Conan Doyle version) an addict because he knew how much he could handle. In The Sign of the Four, Dr. Watson describes Holmes daily routine of cocaine injections, Finally he thrust the sharp point home, pressed down the tiny piston, and sank back into the velvet-lined arm-chair with a long sigh of satisfaction. Three times a day for many months I had witnessed this performance (TSOTF 1). Dr. John Watson is not frightened for Holmes life the way Dr. Joan Watson is in the 21st century. He does not act the way Dr. Joan Watson acts because of the time period Sherlock Holmes and he live in. The drugs a modern day audience would consider illegal and harmful, audiences in the late 1800s would not. Victorian Era doctors prescribed substances such as cocaine, morphine, and alcohol because they believed they helped cure different illnesses. Cocaine was used for toothaches and morphine was used to help childrens cough (Vintage advertisements show just how far medicine and advertising have come 5). During the Victorian Era there were no regulations on foods or drugs therefore no one ever thought to themselves that maybe these forms of medications were not harmful. I believe Robert Doherty designed the show exactly the way he did in order to fit a very precise audience. He set it in New York because anyone living in the 21st century is aware of

where New York is. He made Dr. Joan Watson a female because in today's day and age a woman is capable of doing anything a man can do. Doherty also made Holmes a recovering addict because in the 21st century addicts are considered junkies and are frown upon by society. If Doherty had made the Holmes character a current addict in his modern day interpretation, the Police Department would not have taken him serious. They would not had taken him seriously because in our day and age, individuals who are addicts are frown upon by society and are not to be trusted. Work Cited: 1. Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. The Sign of the Four. United Kingdom: The Strand Magazine, 1890. Print. 2. A Giant Gun, Filled with Drugs. Elementary. CBS. 7. Feb. 2013. Television. 3. Foil. Dictionary. N.p. n.d. 4. The Steps to Complete Drug and Alcohol Recovery. 5. McQueeny, Kerry. Vintage advertisements show just how far medicine and advertising have come since the introduction of regulation. Mail Online. 2012. Print.