Is it just me, or does anyone else think the new episodes of Sherlock are not up to, er, snuff? I don’t have a problem with the acting: Benedict Cumberbatch and company are as sharp as ever. I just don’t find the scripts to be as tight and devious as they were last season, leading up to Sherlock’s leap to his “death” off a building. And, no, I didn’t at all buy the explanation the scriptwriters provided in this season’s premiere for his miraculous survival. Still . . . I suppose it was better than the old “It was all a dream” explanation . . .
I watched Sherlock at 10 on PBS last night — the second episode of the new season, in which Watson ties the knot — and taped Foyle’s War, which was on at 11 on Knowledge. While watching Foyle’s War today, I found myself comparing the two detectives. I think I prefer Foyle’s War because the detective, Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle, is more realistic in his crime-solving techniques and more human than the Sherlock character, who seems to be part man, part computer (a cyborg?). Plus, Foyle’s War gives us insight into the true-life hardships — rationing and such — people in Britain faced during the Second World War, as well sharing the personal lives of the main characters. I think Honeysuckle Weeks does a great job as “Sam,” Foyle’s driver . . .
And Michael Kitchen as Christopher Foyle is such a gentleman . . . I would love to have dinner with him sometime . . .
I’ll keep watching Sherlock, of course, but if it came down to choosing one over the other — i.e. if I am out and can only tape one (yes, I still use a VCR) — my choice would be Foyle’s War . . .
Smiles . . . Just sayin’ . . .
Cheers
Jillian
Jillian Page 
I find it rather disconnected. It’s a bit of a let down after Downton Abbey.
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You won’t like the last episode of season 3… I mean, if the only solution that Sherlock “beautiful mind” Holmes can come up is resort to violence to solve a problem… I’m not impressed. 😦
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Sherlock always was supposed to be almost superhuman in his detection abilities, but I agree that this season seems to be more about the characters than the plot.
On the British detectives front do you get Death in Paradise? Real shock there to this season’s opener! (Saying nothing more – spoilers.)
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I haven’t heard of Death in Paradise — yet. We always get the British shows after you see them.
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That first episode put me off, more time for life… I was late discovering Foyle, being born into a bombed out city and living through the hardships of post war Britain I usually avoid that period but the whole series was very well done.
I think the expression is that Sherlock has jumped the shark…
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It is worth bearing in mind that Sherlock is done by Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis (who plays Mycroft Holmes) who are (or were) both heavily involved in Doctor Who, for better or worse. I think these guys are very talented and I like both Sherlock and Doctor Who, but both programmes can get a bit convoluted and lose their way at times. Personally I wish I was half as creative as one of them’s little finger.
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Loved the first season of Sherlock. Found the second season overdone. Am waiting for the third season to be on Netflix, so obviously no longer that taken with it.
Love Foyle’s War. Was rather tired of most Brit detective series (Midsomer Murders, Inspector Morse, etc). Used to enjoy them, but all too formulaic: the well-educated, irascible, detective inspector, his long-suffering proletarian sergeant, the charming villages with their eccentric characters… Very fun initially, but boring after a while. I find Foyle’s War refreshing. He’s a much more realistic character than the others, and the real-world hardships they are living through (bombings, threat of invasion, rationing, etc) are excellently displayed, giving a great view of the time and place.
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