Yichu Wang

Writing 39B
Professor Lynda Haas
RA Essay

An Upgraded John Watson Throughout

John Watson, the irreplaceable character in the whole seriesnarrator of Sir
Arthur Conan Doyles of Sherlock Holmes storiesseries, plays an extremely important
role throughout, . and his role also got upgraded from paper to screen. Watson shows
up as a narrator in Conan Doyles texts. His existence in the textsHe successfully
reduces the distance between the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and the readers,
and also . He makes the story more lively, and attractive to the readers. As the narrator
of the story, . Conan Doyle invented John Watson by following the classic convention.
Watson always reacts slower than Holmes, he can see obvious clues but never finds the
real answer before Holmes; therefore,, as the narrator, he can delivery the mystery
objectively to the audiences and suspense within the story.. However, it is obvious that
Watsons role isgot upgraded in the current-modern-day adaption of Conan Doyle,
BBCs TV series Sherlock. BBC Sherlock TV shows. In Sherlock, Watson is more
intelligent, energetic, He as the best partner and closest friend of Holmes participated
more in the cases and even Sherlocks life. Hes role got upgraded from a narrator to a
colleague, a friend, and even a lifelong participant in Holmes life. In BBC TV series,
Watson became more intelligent, more active, and always ready to fight. He provides
helps for Sherlock Holmes to finish the detective process, and looks for the next clients
storyinteresting Holmescase Holmes may be interested in solving, he is Sherlock one
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and only loyal support from the beginning till the end. From texts to TV shows, Watson
is changing to fit 21
st
century audiences tastes. Additionally, Watsons role got
different from the classic conventions because he had several romantic relationship
happened to him in the BBC Sherlock TV series. It is undoubted that Watsons role got
upgraded from texts to TV shows on plenty different aspects.
First of all, Watson in Conan Doyle texts is based on classic conventionsConan
Doyle invented classic detective conventions, and Watson as the narrator , in Conan
Doyle texts is one important part of classic conventions. Hishis slow reaction and lack
of deduction power can abstract how the high level of Holmes ability is, and his job as
narrator makes the story clearer to the audiences. A literary scholar Leroy Lad more
brilliant. Panek who wrote the book An Introduction to Detective Stories, describes
Conan Doyles design for Watson as Doyle, of course, realized the uses for plot and
characterization of the detectives assistant as the narrator: the writer can use the
narrators ignorance to hide important facts and through him can praise the detective
and keep him civilly reticent at the same time (80). (Panek 80). This quote shows how
Watson meets the classicworks in Conan Doyles convention in Conan Doyles texts,
his ignorance can lead the audiences to the direction Doyle wants them to think, and can
also praise Holmes. However, in BBC TV seriesSherlock, Watson shows his intelligence
and braveness instead of ignorance that is mention above. Even though Watsons
deduction is still lower than Holmes overall, his roles improvement from texts is
obvious in Sherlock. For example, in Season 2 Episode 1 A Scandal in Belgravia,
Watson smartly ran the fire alarm in order to help Sherlock found where the safe is, and
defeat the Americans with Holmes. For another instance, in Season 1 Episode 1 A
Study In Pink, when Holmes got in extreme danger by playing the poison game with
the murderer a taxi driver, Watson found Holmess disappearance and used
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technology to track down the phone immediately in order to find Holmes. He was in a
rush, and was pretty nervous. Even though he didnt figure out the entire clue about
what the murderer is doing like Holmes, he still had a rough idea about what is going to
happen if Holmes meet the murderer by himself. Watsons intelligence has been showed
completely in this part. He knew that he had to find Holmes as soon as possible, and he
found Holmes and the taxi driver duly, and when he figures out the situation, he shot the
murderer in the head without any hesitation. His fast reaction saved Holmess life, and
also provided helps for Holmes to solve this case of Study in Pink. In this scene,
Watson is upgraded from a slow narrator who is lack of deduction power to a helpful
assistant with immediate reaction showed up duly and shot the taxi driver in head.
Watsons brave decision and fast reaction saved Holmes life. Fromfrom the two
examples from BBC Sherlock series, we can notice Watsons apparent changes. He
gotis braver, more decisive, more supportive, and react much faster than he did in the
texts. His power of deductions improvement can also be shown from this example.
Additionally, Watsons power of deduction got upgraded in BBC TV series and the
Sherlock film. He provides much more help for Holmes in Sherlock. Generally, Watson
as the narrator in the classic convention is upgraded from texts to TV shows.

Second of all, in Conan Doyles texts, In BBC TV series, Watson has provided
Holmes much help. His medical knowledge helps Holmes to exam the body in order to
find little clues and details about the case. He helps Holmes to research any information
that is needed to provide Holmes clear ideas and also save his time. SherlockHolmes is
more like a teacher to Watson, and Watson is apparently a cheering student, he learns
and lot from Holmes, and uses this knowledge to help Holmes. Like Panek wrote
Watson in Abbey Grange listens to Holmes like an interested student who observes
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the demonstration of his professor .(85) the relationship between Watson and Holmes
in the book is more like a teacher and a student. They cooperate well, but they dont
seem have any personal emotion or close relationship with each other in Conan Doyles
texts. Fortunately, Watson found himself more and more important while time passing
by. As Roger Ebert wrote in A Game of Shadows Movie Review, Dr. Watson has a
more proactive role this time... He's not just a confidante and chronicler but a hero, too,
involved in fights and shootouts. (5) (Ebert 5). It states that Watson and Holmes
relationship is upgraded in Sherlock; they are not longer teacher and students, but
precious partners and royal friends. Knnoikova wrote in How To Think Like Sherlock
Holmes that not noticing or understanding the small things that occur in their
surrounding (Konnikova 4).These two quotes represents Watsons improvement in the
film, his power of deduction has been upgraded a lot, and he even can be regard as a
hero after upgraded.
Second, Watson takes more important role in Holmes life as time passing by. In
Conan Doyles texts, John Watson is a narrator, an assistant, and a supporting role. Like
Panek wrote Watson in Abbey Grange listens to Holmes like an interested student
who observes the demonstration of his professor (Panke 85). the relationship between
Watson and Holmes in the book is more like a teacher and a student. They cooperate
well, but they dont seem have any personal emotion or close relationship with each
other in Conan Doyles texts. Fortunately, Watson found himself more and more
important while time passing by. In BBC TV series, Watson only got more chances to
participate in the process of solving all mysteries; he also became a part of Sherlocks
life. They live together, they work together, and they meet each other everyday.
Because Watsons power of deduction got upgraded in the TV series, Sherlock listened
to Watsons advices more than he did in the texts. Also, BBC TV seriesSherlock Formatted: Font: Italic
emphasized more about Sherlocks Holmess personal life including living environment
and people around him. We have an idea that people around Sherlock dont think he is a
normal person, even though the police admit that Sherlock has higher ability of
deduction than them, and the police always ask Sherlock for help, they think Sherlock is
crazy. All these information that BBC TV seriesSherlock provide us highlights more
about Watson than the text does. Because people around Sherlock dont understand him,
Watson became especially precious. For example, in Season 3 Episode 1 The Empty
Hearse, when Sherlock and Watson found the bomb in the train underground, and
Watson said he couldnt stop the bomb and asked Watson to forgive him. Watson said,
I wanted you not to be dead! he shares. You are the best and the wisest man I have
ever known. And yes, of course I forgive you. This quote can totally show how
Watson and Sherlock are important in each others mind. Watson can die with Sherlock
together, even it is such a hard thing, he accepts it very quickly. For another example, in
Season 3 Episode 1, when Sherlock came back to Watson. Watson could not handle his
emotion, he was surprised, mad, happy yet sad. Because Sherlock and Watson were the
best partners, the close relationship and irreplaceable emotion toward each other can be
shown on their face when they finally meet each other after two years separation. In
Watsons mind, losing Holmes is the most miserable thing he could every experience.
The past two years for him is such a horrible nightmare. He dreams that Holmes is not
dead and come back to his life, but when he suddenly sees Holmes again, he still thinks
it was a dream. He couldnt believe that Holmes didnt tell him the truth, and left him
alone for two years. So does Holmes, Watson is the most important person in his life. It
was a hard decision to leave him without telling him the truth. However, Holmes
decision was made based upon protecting Watson. This scene definitely shows how
Holmes and Watson are now best friends, precious partners and important individuals in
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each others life. Generally, Watsons role is got upgraded from the text to the TV
shows because he turns to the most important person of Sherlocks life from a little
student or a narrator. He is no longer a supporting role; he Sherlock Holmes story will
not be the same if there is no John Watson.
Third, according to the classic convention, there werent much romantic
relationship happened on Watson in Conan Doyle texts. However, there are different
period of time that Watsons relationship are directly showed in front of the audience
through BBC Sherlock TV series. In Season 1 Episode 2, John had a romantic
relationship with his colleague at the hospital Sarah. They went to a Chinese circus, but
the date finally ruined by Sherlock, because the circus was actually related to a crime,
and Watson and Sarah got kidnap by the criminal. Also, in Season 3 Episode 3, Watson
married to Mary. It was a complicated but romantic relationship happened between
them. Watsons role got upgraded on romantic basis. BBC TV series broke the classical
conventions that detective stories dont have much romantic elements involved.
Watsons changing in the TV shows represents his role got upgraded.
In conclusion, Conan Doyle mainly created three classical conventions in his
Sherlock Holmes series. First, Watson as a narrator is ignorant about deduction; he is
old, slow and helpless.He wasnt very intelligent about many things. Second, Watson is
just an assistant of Sherlock Holmes; he doesnt play any important roles on any other
aspects. His relationship with Sherlock Holmes is just like a student with a teacher, they
dont have any further emotional relationships with each other. Third, the detective
stories can barely have romantic relationship involved. However, BBC TV
seriesSherlock and the film broke those classic conventions and got Watsons role
upgraded throughout. On the screen, Watsons power of deduction got improved a
lot,lot; he could be very helpful for Sherlock Holmes during the detective process. He
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reacts fast, behave bravely, and always put his knowledge into use in order to find more
clues to help Sherlock. He is not just a narrator or a partner,partner; he became is the
best friend, the closest individual, and the most important person in Sherlock Holmes
life. Also, as an important role in the story, Watson had several romantic relationship
happened to him in the TV series. In general, Watsons role got upgrade throughout the
whole Sherlock Holmes series.


Works Cited:
Konnikova, Maria. Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes. New York:
Viking, 2013. Print.
Panek, Leroy. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Chapter 1 Beginnings. Bowling
Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1987. Print.
Panek, Leroy. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Chapter 7 Doyle. Bowling Green,
OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1987. Print.
"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Movie Review (2011) | Roger Ebert." All
Content. Web. 18 May 2014.


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