I am so perplexed by this announcement. Trying to figure out the logic behind it just ties up my brain in knots. Did the studio execs go:
You know what I hate? Bromance! Friendship should only be between a man and a woman.
Or did they go:
You know what that Sherlock thing needs? MORE ROMANCE. AND SEX. But none of the gay stuff, ew.
As much as I like seeing studios cast lady main characters and non-white main characters, I just don’t see this sudden gender swap going anywhere good. It would have been interesting if they’d gender-swapped Sherlock to go with this, so you’d still have the ‘bromance’ in a different form. Or if they keep Lucy Lui as a trained and battle-hardened army medic, I’ll probably watch it — women in the military are fascinating and brilliant. But going by this article, I’m not going to have any such luck:
Set in New York, it stars Jonny Lee Miller as the great detective – a former consultant to Scotland Yard whose addiction problems have resulted in a spell in rehab in the States – while Liu will play “Joan” Watson, a former doctor who has lost her license.
josh says
taking away the war vet thing is a mistake I think. Also, the image you attached to this article looks like British Watsons genuine reaction face to this news.
E.Maree says
Haha, it really does, and I love it.
Kate Coursey says
Oh man. This is just bizarre. Much as I love strong female characters, the bromance in Sherlock Holmes is pretty much the best part of the entire thing. I really don’t understand why they’re changing it.
E.Maree says
Me neither. :( But then again, I don’t understand the need for the US remake at all — the BBC remake has got the ‘excellent Sherlock Holmes adaption’ field covered.
Kate says
Having just fallen in love with the current Sherlock, I’m really not a fan of this news. I love the dynamic of their bromantic relationship: I don’t know who decided that Americans can’t handle/don’t want to see that kind of male friendship in action. And let’s be honest: I love you, Johnny Lee Miller, but I just don’t if I can dig you in this role as much as the fabulous B. Cumberpatch. Just saying.
E.Maree says
Agreed, the bromance is wonderful and they’re going to have a hard time pulling that off in a male/female friendship without it swinging straight into romance.
One bizarre thing about them casting Johnny Lee Miller is that he’s just finished acting alongside Benedict in a broadway version of Frankenstein.