Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss was so put out by a critic’s take on the Season 4 premiere that he responded to it in lyrical verse.
The Sherlock Season 4 premiere wasn’t exactly a massive critical hit. To be fair, it wasn’t a total flop or anything, either. Critics had fairly mixed opinions about it, generally. (See our Culturess recap for our take.)
But The Guardian really didn’t like it. The British newspaper took issue with the increase of action sequences and fight scenes in the episode. Specifically, it complained that creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss were turning the famous detective into too much of an action figure. The Guardian’s piece pleaded with the series’ writers to stop trying to make Sherlock Holmes into a James Bond.
Gatiss, it would seem, found this criticism particularly irritating. And he decided to clap back in a particularly entertaining way. The Sherlock star – who also plays elder Holmes brother Mycroft in addition to writing the show – composed a five-verse lyrical poem in response. Yes, really. Five. Verses.
The poem faces on the Guardian’s Bond criticism straight on, citing multiple Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories as evidence that the great detective had always been a skilled fighter and man of action.
"“Here is a critic who says with low blowSherlock’s no brain-box but become double-O.Says the Baker St boy is no man of action –whilst ignoring the stories that could have put him in traction.”"
The bit at the end where he name checks other Holmes actors who portrayed the iconic character and also got in fistfights is especially great.
"“There’s no need to invoke in yarns that still thrill,Her Majesty’s Secret Servant with licence to killFrom Rathbone through Brett to Cumberbatch dandyWith his fists Mr Holmes has always been handy.”"
You can read the full poem over at the Guardian’s website.
By anyone’s standards, this is a sick burn. And it’s pretty darn creative to boot. But is it a fair response to the Guardian’s complaints? Or is Gatiss being overly sensitive to the fact that a critic just didn’t care for the series’ direction? After all, the original piece also criticized the “implausible” Season 3 decision to make Mary Morstan a secret ex-assassin as well.
Next: Sherlock: Three Questions for Season 4’s Second Episode
Will the new season of Sherlock remain this action packed in its second episode? Will Gatiss have to write a continuation of this poem next week? We’ll have to wait and see.
Sherlock Season 4 continues January 8 on PBS.