‘Holmesing’ in on a supernatural twist
New case not one for traditionalists
Netflix has already turned its hand to a different slant on the Sherlock Holmes tales with last year’s Enola Holmes movie.
But the streaming giants’ TV show The Irregulars takes things in an even stranger direction.
Holmes’ helpers in this adaptation are four former workhouse street dwellers and a prince in hiding, mixing things up from the books’ traditional urchins and unusual experts who take on the irregulars characters.
Bea (Thaddea Graham) and younger sister Jessie (Darci Shaw) are the heart of the show, with Spike (McKell David), Billy (Jojo Macari) and Leopold (Harrison Osterfield) offering comic relief.
The series’ eight-episode arc follows our young heroes as they help Dr Watson (Royce Pierreson) solve very unusual crimes, while he tries to keep drug and drink-addled Sherlock (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) away from them.
A supernatural rift to Purgatory has opened in the streets of London, giving normal people monstrous powers and Watson needs help from the teenage friends to track the criminals and ultimately close the rift.
Show creator Tom Bidwell has a background in writing for British television (My Mad Fat Diary, a couple of episodes of Casualty) and he captures the Victorian London era well, also giving it a modern twist.
The characters are great, especially the younger cast. However, troubled detective Holmes, who we see more of as the series goes on, lacks the development the other characters mastered, despite us eventually learning why he turned away from his calling.
Leopold’s true upbringing was a wonderful twist and when it is discovered, his acceptance into the group is a rollercoaster journey of emotions for love interest Bea and rival Billy, in particular.
The true cost of closing the rift was a personal one to Holmes, Watson and the young heroes but, sadly, the show builds up to an ending that lacks true fireworks.
It’s not hard to deduce fans of traditional Sherlock may be better served giving this a miss.
●What are your thoughts on The Irregulars and different takes on the world of Sherlock Holmes in general?
Pop me an email at ian.bunting@ reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.