Sherlock Holmes isn't Who You Think He is

Get Nebula using our link for 40% off an annual subscription:go.nebula.tv/talefoundry
Watch our exclusive video on where Arthur Conan Doyle found the inspiration for his famous creation, Sherlock Holmes: nebula.tv/videos/talefoundry-...
-
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most-beloved, most-adapted characters in all of fiction... but that doesn't mean people really know that much about him.
In fact, the mystery of who Sherlock Holmes really is runs SO deep... it might even change the way you think about writing your OWN characters.
▬▬▬▬ Tale Foundry Community▬▬▬▬
Support us on Patreon! / talefoundry
Come join our community! thetalefoundry.com/discord
▬▬▬▬ Tale Foundry Team ▬▬▬▬
• Talebot - The Talent
• The Taleoids - The Talent's Helpers
• Benjamin Cook - Writer, Director, & Voice Actor
• Abbie Norton - Art Director & Asset Artist (abbienortonart.com)
• Alexander Cuenin - Animator & Editor (www.alextheanimator.com/)
• Bazz Bartlett - Audio Engineer (www.bartlettaudio.com.au/)
• Momo Wang - Researcher & Writer
• Rachel Doud - Packaging & Asset Artist ( / jae.sketch )
Additional Music by Epidemic Sound: epidemicsound.com

[@TheTaleFoundry]

Watch our new series WORLDSMITHS! ➤ nebula.tv/videos/talefoundry-worldsmiths-the-experience-artist Go see the our video about the author of Sherlock Holmes himself, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle! If you think the legendary detective is interesting, you haven't seen anything yet...

[@shzarmai]

Please considering exploring "Sap/Resin, Fungus, Cheering, Viruses, Lethal Dose(s), Phoenix Summoning, Dinosaur Summoning, and Implosions" as potential magic systems

[@DiamondGamingLover]

Hope any holidays you celebrated was amazing

[@shawnperry5991]

How about H. Beam Piper, please?

[@kellwillsen]

One thing that I feel gets forgotten about Holmes is that he had a sense of humour. He is often described as laughing, and seeing the ridiculous side of things.

[@CuteDwarf11]

He's also a major deadpan snarker, with an equally snarky sense of humor.

[@abigailslade3824]

He also showed that he cared about those downtrodden on numerous occasions.

[@Ed13207]

And his jokes are good as well. When I first read the stories I was surprised I can laugh at a joke written over a hundred years ago.

[@CuteDwarf11]

@@Ed13207 I absolutely love how snarky he can get at times.

[@Ed13207]

@Cake_Made_Of_Bacon Nah I'm sorry I stopped reading them months ago due to study so I dont remember any of them. But I remember you can find one in nearly every case after the first few cases

[@belltowersubductions5104]

Holmes being asked for a search warrant, pulling out a revolver, and saying "This'll have to do for now" is just such a beautiful scene. Topped only by him being immediately accused of being a common burglar, and then just "So might you describe me." says Holmes, cheerfully. "My companion is also a dangerous Ruffian, and together we are going through your house." Magnificent

[@QueenBoadicea]

That's sort of Batman's attitude. He has no legal jurisdiction. He's not a cop nor licensed detective. Yet he commonly assaults criminals, attacks them in their homes (I mean, lairs) and tries to get them convicted. But, according to the law, criminals have a right to face their accusers...and I do mean face. In one memorable comic, one criminal had only the Batman as his accuser not a common citizen. According to the law, he demanded that Batman reveal who he was. The Batman of course refused and the criminal walked. If Sherlock Holmes was just such an armed thug, then I don't feel the admiration that you clearly do.

[@greyfox4838]

no offense, but aren't you just repeating what was already said in the video word for word? and top comment no less, that's how youtube works I guess

[@Voc_spooksauce]

Fr such a fjn little scene and conversation. I love how sassy and witty Holmes is sometimes

[@Hollylivengood]

I've read through all of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock homes works several times, and I've never seen anything like someone asking Holmes for a search warrant. He never showed up until some cop asked him to, or sometimes a private citizen, so he was always invited in. Most of what this guy is saying is kind of not accurate.

[@mjgextremegaming2942]

@@Hollylivengood It is actually in the Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

[@Logitah]

This, THIS is the Holmes I know! He is secretly kind and emotional, but likes to keep it all to himself. Only Watson is trustworthy enough to hear his laughter and see his tears!

[@saylalisalovemelalisalovem3334]

agreeeeed

[@somekindofflower2024]

I think the common image that Sherlock Holmes is a sociopath and misogynist is due to the series with Benedict Cumberbatch. But when I read the book, I didn't see that much. Doctors shouldn't bond with patients, why should he do that with his customers? Why do people expected that? But despite that he was actually very understanding with his customers and gentlemanly. There are several examples where he is actually not indifferent of people's sufferings.

[@Logitah]

@@somekindofflower2024 Nah, that image came from earlier adaptations.

[@gustaf3811]

@@somekindofflower2024 "Misogynist"? Clearly you haven't seen the series with Benedict. There is nothing misogynistic in that series, however that's not true more or less for the original Conan Doyle Books. Arthur Lived in the 1800's so it's not that strange really if there are some misogynism in it. What is Strange is that you haven't seen the series, clearly Cumberbatch version is one of the best interpretations of Sherlocks story.

[@tomdekler9280]

@@gustaf3811 it is _quite_ good, but it is impossible to transpose a character to the 21st century without having to rewrite them somewhat. Holmes in the Doyle books is somewhat eccentric and doesn't care much for high society's standards of social graces, but he's still a gentleman, someone who loathes criminals and comforts the weak and downtrodden. Cumberbatch on the other hand is just as much about the sport of the thing, the high of solving crimes, the puzzles, but for him that's written as almost his only drive. Watson is much more of a moral compass than an audience insert. Doyle's Sherlock is a showboat. As much as he talks about disliking the attention, he is very pleased with himself at almost every moment, whereas Cumberbatch's Sherlock is a bit more dour and annoyed. And, y'know, the whole show goes to shit in later seasons, with half the episodes feeling like drug trips and Benedict yelling a lot and all the side characters are Batman villains. Jim Moriarty is a joke, Mary Watson is a Charlie's Angels superspy, don't get me started on whatever the fuck "Eurus" was.

[@justinweber4977]

The best quote to refute the idea that Holmes is without a heart comes (I think) from "The Three Garridebs" “If you had killed Watson, you would not have got out of this room alive.” - Sherlock Holmes

[@robertbutchko4275]

that's from the same scene that is quoted as the proof that he has a heart in this video

[@justinweber4977]

@@robertbutchko4275 That's what I get for listening to the video while doing other things. ...Let's just claim I was reinforcing the point. Yes,that will do, nicely.

[@robertbutchko4275]

@@justinweber4977 All good! It definitely adds to it!

[@Jim-Mc]

Also in the Devil's Foot I believe when Holmes and Watson accidentally get a dose of the drug and almost die, Holmes tells Watson that he couldn't do the work they do without him and how important he is to him, or something to that effect.

[@justinweber4977]

@@Jim-Mc I forgot about that story. Also, the ever trotted out quote "I am lost without my Boswell." And calling Watsons marriage "The only selfish thing" he had ever done.

[@Fairygoblet]

I don't know a whole lot of Sherlock stories, but one of my pet peeves is how certain adaptations that shall not be named reduces personality to a gloomy, reclusive introvert. Being that is fine, and he is probably an introvert, but he is perfectly capable of going to and enjoying social events and interactions when it suits his purposes. He is expressive and flamboyant and can put up a warm, genial expression when necessary. A far cry from certain adaptations that shall not be named.

[@radioactivepower600nanaspersec]

_which ones? 👀_

[@shinobi-no-bueno]

@@radioactivepower600nanaspersec obviously BBC's Sherlock

[@farpointgamingdirect]

@@radioactivepower600nanaspersec I collect old time radio shows; the Holmes broadcasts with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce probably come closest to how the characters were written with those by Jim French Productions coming in a close second

[@angelblauvelt8418]

God this was my exact issue with That Series I'm glad im not the only one

[@radioactivepower600nanaspersec]

@@shinobi-no-bueno ah... those, forgot that even existed

[@pipj7153]

The major irony is Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Holmes as a caricature making fun of the budding movement of science and rationalism. Doyle was a true believer is the supernatural, from spiritualism to fairies. (He thought contemporaries like Houdini actually had magic powers and could talk to ghosts, and was hoodwinked by schoolgirls using new camera technology to take pictures of paper cutouts of drawings of fairies.) Doyle unintentionally created a character that would go on to represent the good values of rationalism, and he unceremoniously killed off Holmes because he grew tired of people bugging him to write more stories with him.

[@nighthiker]

Exactly. I went to watch the Wordsmiths' Artur Conan Doyle video on Nebula, as I was eager to see how they dealt with his idiosyncrasies, but was quite disapointed by the realization they chose to completely ignore his penchant for believing in the "supernatural". Maybe they thought it would taint the narrative of Doyle as a "real" Sherlock Holmes they seemed to want to so much to paint - but in my view aside from being disingenuous, the video ended up missing the opportunity to teach people a lesson: that no matter how smart and cultured we are, we'll be always subject to the same cognitive traps as the least endowed in that regard - and actually, in some sense, the more we know, the more we may find ways to rationalize fundamentaly wrong beliefs acquired from our prejudices and limited perspectives as the truth - paraphrasing the psychologist Michael Shermer. A shame, really. Cheers!

[@coolgreenbug7551]

You can’t go two chapters into a Steven King book without him bringing that up

[@Jabranalibabry]

There's another scene where Lestrade tells Holmes that the police really respects him and looks up to him. Watson describes Holmes visibly shaken by the revelation and warms up to the idea

[@cha5]

"We sat in silence for a moment. 'Well,' said Lestrade, 'I've seen you handle a good many cases, Mr Holmes, but I don't know that I ever knew a more workmanlike one than that. We're not jealous of you at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are very proud of you, and if you come down to-morrow there's not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable, who wouldn't be glad to shake you by the hand.' 'Thank you!' said Holmes. 'Thank you!' and as he turned away it seemed to me that he was more nearly moved by the softer human emotions than I have ever seen him." (The Adventure of the Six Napoleons) In the original story manuscript it had Lestrade say "We are damned proud of you," But the ridiculously prudish editors of the Strand Magazine replaced "damned" with "very."

[@Jabranalibabry]

@@cha5 exactly this was what I was trying to quote but I forgot. Thank you, bro !

[@DrFranklynAnderson]

You know a character is well written when, over a hundred years later, reading Hound of the Baskervilles still caused me to yell “Holmes you a-hole!!” out loud. 😂

[@gustavonomegrande]

“He seems a very amiable person,” said Holmes, laughing. “I am not quite so bulky, but if he had remained I might have shown him that my grip was not much more feeble than his own.” As he poke he picked up the steel poker and, with a sudden effort, straightened it out again. --"The Speckled Band" INHUMAN!

[@lazulenoc6863]

I love this channel. I also love how Moriarty isn't actually a character and his portrayal is really up to the reader to decide who he is, which tells you more about what you think of Holmes than you realise at first. Because you have to describe what you think is the perfect nemesis and probably also foil to Holmes.

[@farpointgamingdirect]

Moriarty actually is a character; he actually does appear in two stories; In the short story "The Adventure of the Final Problem", during a fight with Holmes above the Reichenbach Falls, Moriarty fell to his death. Moriarty also appears in The Valley of Fear

[@demonheart13]

@@farpointgamingdirect also recommend watching a very old movie call young Sherlock. If tell you more about where Moriarty does up but better to let you deduce it.

[@lazulenoc6863]

@@farpointgamingdirect I meant that I don't remember him actually appearing in person before Watson, the narrator. Thanks for correcting me.

[@CorbCorbin]

@@demonheart13 Young Sherlock Holmes isn’t a Doyle story. It was written for the movie. Moriarty’s origin from that film, has nothing to do with the actual character. Holmes didn’t come across him many times, and there were no stories about Holmes as a teenager, or college student.

[@aashunisar1172]

i recommend watching a series named "moriarity the patroit" in which the protagonist is Moriarity himself which helps in batter understanding the character and intentons of Moriarty....

[@olympiadeverre]

This makes me appreciate Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Holmes all the more. I always thought of Holmes as an eccentric, and not necessarily an introverted, brooding computer of a detective. Downey plays him as the quirky thespian he betrays himself as. Strange, narrow, and ever deductive, but also witty and human!

[@themastermason1]

Not to mention that Jude Law was a great fit as Watson.

[@DGolden247]

Yes absolutely!

[@worldcomicsreview354]

I wish they'd make another of those, now that he's not tin-head any more. Also he's older, so they could set it in WW1 and have the "east wind" speech. Speaking of which, anybody seen that movie where he's really old in the late 1940's? Kept having flashbacks to post-bomb Hiroshima for ome reason.

[@themastermason1]

@@worldcomicsreview354 I remember hearing that the problem is they don't have a script they're satisfied with.

[@christopherdean1326]

RDJ was an AWFUL Holmes! Jeremy Brett nailed it, and no one will ever better him.

[@dizzydial8081]

One of the coolest parts of the books I managed to read was how Watson was supposed to be writing about the deduction skills and Holmes' methods to teach people. Watson was so impressed with his skill he'd just write about the story of the mysteries he would solve and not the methods like Holmes intended. Before I read them, I knew Sherlock Holmes was a series of books and stories but it was so cool finding out it was in the point of view of Watson, which makes sense because your average reader wasn't going to be a master of deduction like Holmes.

[@lukesmith1818]

Holmes also claims to read Watsons work and says he completely misrepresented what happened almost every time. Yet he constantly tells clients how much faith he has in Watson

[@coolgreenbug7551]

@@lukesmith1818his main problem is that Watson tells the story while Holmes wants a series of textbooks

[@sinmenon4347]

Another aspect of Holmes is how at times he gets excited about a breakthrough, like how when Watson was introduced to him and Holmes went on rambling excitedly about the substance he found out, how elated he was to find a reagent to detect blood. Most of the time he is more subdued, but that one marked me for some reason

[@ColonelFredPuntridge]

I had a career as a monoclonal-antibody guy, and I loved thinking that the reagent to detect hemoglobin could have been an antibody or a mixture of antibodies, as found in the blood of an immunized or vaccinated animal. (More likely Holmes' reagent was interacting with the iron atoms in hemoglobin, but it COULD HAVE BEEN serum from an animal immunized with human hemoglobin.) One of the reasons Holmes was so popular was surely that he represented scientific optimism, the feeling of great hope that we were about to solve all of mankind's problems with new science. WW1 pretty much killed that hope, but it was great while it lasted.

[@JKPippa]

Sherlock Holmes is my favorite literary character ever. He is such a compelling creation, and visiting the Holmes Museum in London was a highlight for me.

[@louveblancheomega799]

Sherlock wouldn't be devoted to fight crimes if he didn't have a heart to begin with. Also the passages when he lays back in the dark because he can't stand how much he perceives and how he FEELS from his surrondings really hits home. The fact that he somewhat cares for people and Watson is beyond obvious. I'm pretty sure he plays the violon with both his mind and heart, and music helps clearing his thoughts. There are various moments where he does show some emotions like... sadness and melancholy.

[@eddyeldridge7427]

While he does have a heart, he started his business partly for the mental stimulation and largely for the praise of those whose intelligence he respects.

[@AE86FTS]

While it's not to say that Holmes doesn't care about justice or what's right, it's established that he primarily does it for the mental stimulation that comes with solving a case, as shown by how in The Sign a Four, he does cocaine to recapture some of that stimulation when he doesn't currently have a case.

[@isaacl.r4609]

Various times in the books Sherlock plays the violin simply for Watson

[@rociomiranda5684]

In the stories, Holmes is also compassionate, unemotional, but with a full understanding of human feelings and emotions, has a genuine affection for Watson, and is always gentlemanly, polite, never boorish. He can hold his own in any social setting, be it as a Cockney ostler or as a true Victorian gentleman. He is not shy, not gloomy, not brooding. He laughs often and sometimes expresses joy and satisfaction openly. He is a wonderfully complex character. In one story, he becomes engaged to a housemaid in order to further his investigation. He has a great sense of humor, a code of honor and justice beyond the letter of the law, and is capable of empathy and pity, not like so many adaptations.

[@somekindofflower2024]

Exactly!

[@SSchithFoo]

Yeah, and beating a dead corpse with a stick just to see what happened was probably acceptable back then when even many children lived in horrible conditions with many being child labourers with no health benefits.

[@rociomiranda5684]

@@SSchithFoo beating a living corpse would have been worse, I´m sure.

[@DavidJoh]

When Netflix decided to run an adaptation of Enola Holmes, the Arthur Conan Doyle estate filed suit because while Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain, that story in which Holmes evinces some actual care for Watson is not. Therefore, they argued, a Sherlock Holmes who is depicted as capable of caring about another human being, even his sister, was still under copyright.

[@Zephyr_Zeitgeist]

As of this January 1st, the estate will no longer have grounds to say that. The remainder of the Holmes stories enter the public domain in 2023.

[@DavidJoh]

@@Zephyr_Zeitgeist Yeah. It was the last kick at the can for the Doyle estate.

[@Zephyr_Zeitgeist]

@@DavidJoh It's so petty.

[@Matthew-kg8nl]

@@Zephyr_Zeitgeist fantastic to know this. Perhaps we’ll see some revival in interest in Holmes and his world as he fully enters PD.

[@TheMelorino]

@@Matthew-kg8nl pretty sure pd will only destroy his universe. I don't see how old does anything but make the family less money.

[@Legomicroman]

tbh. the best thing about Sherlock Holmes is the banter between him and Watson. their friendship is amazing and they´re really funny! but now that you laid it out, i would like it, if you take a closer examination to Watson, as well, his trusty friend and companion. because he´s more than just the every-man, Holmes is compared to. he learns from Holmes and sometimes comes pretty close to the solution of a case. and he even solved one case, thinking one step ahead of holmes, just one time!

[@wordforger]

Yep. I do think modern adaptations are doing better at reexamining Watson and bringing back his competence. Someone apparently read the first story and went "Wait a minute, a DOCTOR who went to live with Holmes because he just got out of the ARMY after being WOUNDED IN ACTION?" Yeah, Holmes is considered to have the bigger brain, but Watson complements him with his own skills, and learns Holmes' methods pretty quickly, even if Holmes is usually able to pick up one or two things Watson misses.

[@Jim-Mc]

The dry humor is often left out of adaptations and popular conception. But I've laughed out loud plenty of times reading Holmes.

[@jamesroop1889]

@@wordforger Oki i

[@DGolden247]

That’s so true, and I think this is what the movies with Robert Downey Jr. got right. Watson didn’t feel like an idiotic buffoon or like Sherlock’s own personal cheerleader that kisses up to him. They made sure to capture Watson’s independence/individuality, his skills as a doctor, and his ability to learn how to deduce like Holmes. He also doesn’t just put up with Sherlock’s BS, he confronts him when Sherlock has done something wrong, yet he still shows that he cares for Holmes’ well-being. Watson challenges him in the sort of brotherly “iron sharpens iron” sort of way. Meanwhile from what I recall from the BBC version, I don’t really get same vibe from their friendship. Not saying the show was all bad, it was actually really well done, but when it comes to that relationship between Sherlock and Watson, honestly it felt the actors were reverting back to their old roles as Doctor Strange and the Hobbit. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@saylalisalovemelalisalovem3334]

Oh yea I remember I heard abt this a few years ago!

[@herlocksholmes-uv5qw]

THANK YOU. I've been screaming about these points about Holmes for YEARS, and a lot of people just forget what I just said when they begin describing him again. Thank you so SO much

[@ahumanpersonpresumaly9970]

Sherlock Holmes was the first character I could truly relate to. I read every book I could get my hands on because finally, I could read about someone like me. That's part of the reason I didn't like BBC Sherlock Holmes who claimed to be a sociopath. To connect Sherlock to the pop culture idea of a sociopath felt wrong. He cared about people, and I think a lot of people forget that.

[@Seraphatum]

Same here.

[@thespanishinquisition4078]

Most Sherlock adaptations are terrible. And I believe the reason is pretty obvious: most modern whodunnits are equaly terrible. The thing with a good whodunnit is, you REALLY don't want the detectives to have much presence. Sure you need them to have personality, else they will be generic, but the more you tell us of them, the less time you have to focus on the mistery. And while some, namely Poirot, have a few more flaws and excentric bits to them, Sherlock was very much firmly the whodunnit stereotype, which should be obvious because he kinda was the character that popularized the genre to begin with. Modern writers are obsessed with having flawed characters, the dumb "believable" cliche. And don't get me wrong I enjoy characters being flawed, usually, but Sherlock didn't have any real notable flaws. He was a bit of a gary stu if you will. And that was equally good for his case, because he didn't matter to the story for the most part, he was just the vehicle for info to reach us so we could speculate and at the end of the book the arbiter that told us what our conclusions should have been. So of course we only really learned about his skills for the most part, because those are relevant to the tale, they tell us what info he can give us. I think the books go a bit too far in glorifying him at times, but that also gives us info on the cases, what other characters know about him informs us what actions they take because of that knowledge, which fuels our speculation, which is what matters in the end. But modern writers don't know how to cope with that. They want every series to be game of thrones, every character to be "deep and compelling", hell modern whodunnits often spend half their time talking about stuff outside the case itself. Sherlock is incompatible with modern writing trends. He is literally too good for their sinful worlds. So they add flaws to him based on what few stereotypes they can gather from a surface level reading. He is too perceptive? Then he has ADHD. Too good at what he does? Must be OCD. Too good at remaining impartial? Must be a sociopath. No way he's just good at his job. It's not like detectives train for that sort of thing or anything. He must have deep dark secrets. Because if not then he's boring. And god forbid our main character isn't the focus of their story.

[@edwardmoreno60]

Same, even the Dracula and lovegrove ones

[@jayt9608]

@@thespanishinquisition4078 I disagree. He has many flaws and a number of them were elaborated here. Watson is highly concerned that cochise use will eventually destroy Holmes, the police and politicians have a rocky relationship with him, his landlady has issues with him, Holmes becomes depressed if not working a case or uncovering something that catches his interest, and often his clients find him to be off putting and deeply offensive, and sometimes he actually means to be. Holmes also has some issues regarding personal space, as is displayed after Watson marries and moves out. Further, Holmes can be seen to make mistakes, offend people deeply if unintentionally, make bad decisions or become frustrated if clues are not either forthcoming or lead in too many directions. He almost always gets his man, but Watson is the one who generally has to keep Holmes' clients pacified, a trait that Holmes actually comes to appreciate and later miss. I do agree that he is different from much of our modern fiction. He is realistic and approachable in his humanity. He is exasperating, enlightening, frustrating, maddening, and amusing. He has a great intellect, but he is merciless to men who mistreat women, admires and seeks the approval of his elder brother and Watson, and occasionally become fascinated by an "extra" such as the rose. Further, he develops something of a crush on Irene Adler after she bests him in the matter of the Bohemian prince. By comparison, many of our modern authors tack interchangeable characters to replaceable backdrops without giving any care to personality, setting, or flavor. Everything is according to a plodding methodical plot that generally develops around predictable points just as a soulless automaton, and many protagonists are Marys and Garys with only eventual villains hating main character.

[@l.pricetag.5207]

Even the BBC version seemed to care about people at the end

[@boelwerkr]

When i read the stories the first time. I saw a broken man, a man who did his best to separate himself from the world. A man that wanted to be seen as just a tool, a machine without emotions. Something made him reject everything human, but on the same time craved everything human. His fixation on crime seemed his only outlet for this. I always wondered what happened in the past to make make him this way.

[@amazingfantasy7879]

I also thought like that about Holmes. Well,my theory was that he used to be a nice person in his youth,who could be regarded as too intelligent for his age and time and was bullied by his peers,who had powerful criminal connections.So,to get back at them, Holmes began to use his talents for crime fighting purposes.

[@Shasta--1]

Try reading "The 7 Percent Solution".

[@gimrongaming8496]

I have a brother with Asperger's, which some have assumed Sherlock Holmes to have in certain adaptations. It's been fun to see the parallels between the character and my brother. Both have an understanding of human emotions, but it is learned and studied, not keenly felt. They do not lack human emotion, and actually feel incredibly strongly about things or people of interest, but it's their sense of empathy that is lacking. Your pain is not their pain, and other's emotions are often taken at face value, so hidden meanings are often overlooked. The biggest thing though is how strongly they hold onto their friends. My brother, despite his sometimes cold and calculating exterior, holds onto the people he calls friends with a grip so tight it's staggering. He knows there is a disconnect between himself and others, but for those that are willing to take the time to bridge that chasm, he would move mountains. His biggest fear, is being truly alone.

[@Aqua-vf3jr]

Pls do not call it "Asperger's". Just say autism. For the love of gods, just say autism. I hate the word "Asperger's" so much. It implies that there are the "weird and unfunctional autistic people" and the "better and superior people with Asperger's" which is just wrong, false, and further deepens the hate that autism and autistic people get, stereotyping us as some sick people who can't be functional members of society. (Not to mention the doctor's, Hans Asperger's involvement with Nazi Germany....)

[@theworldstoryteller1197]

I agree completely. The best example I can think of is his dealing with "that Lady", Irene Adler. While he may not love her, he does have admiration for her. The thing that attracts people to Holmes even after more than a century, especially with all the true crime stuff today, is his eccentricities.

[@Moeller750]

One thing a lot of adaptations often leave out is holmes' capacity for empathy, which is huge. In the Copper Beeches, he spends weeks worrying about the governess Violet Hunter, muttering to himself that he would not wish any sister of his to work under such conditions.

[@Anonymous_Individual]

Wait Holmes was a cocaine addict?! I never knew that. Granted the closest I’ve gotten to watching or reading Sherlock Holmes is playing the Professor Layton games.

[@DEATH-THE-GOAT]

"The Seven-Per-Cent Solution" is about that topic

[@FrozenHawkHunter]

I think it was more opium.

[@DEATH-THE-GOAT]

About Sherlock Holmes (copy paste from the net) _"However, despite his compulsive tobacco smoking, his true nemesis was cocaine. Cocaine’s history begins centuries ago, when the Incas of Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia chewed coca leaves for their stimulating side effects as well as mystical religious, social, and medicinal purposes."_ Because Arthur Conan Doyle’s practiced ophthalmology, he might have been familiar with the medical uses of cocaine. However, there’s no specific evidence of him ever being a cocaine user. But the same cannot be said for his famous character. Conan Doyle first introduced Sherlock Holmes’ cocaine addiction in 1887 in A Study in Scarlet. In this book, Dr. Watson observes, “On these occasions, I have noticed such a dreamy, vacant expression in his eyes, that I might have suspected him of being addicted to the use of some narcotic.”1 Sherlock’s cocaine addiction is mentioned again in The Sign of Four when he injects himself with a seven percent solution of cocaine. _"As Dr. Watson watches Sherlock do this, he says, “It is cocaine, a seven-percent solution. Would you care to try it?” In subsequent Sherlock Holmes stories, Watson continues to observe the detective’s cocaine habit and even mentioned that the occasional use of cocaine was Sherlock’s only vice in The Adventure of the Yellow Face"_

[@ellugerdelacruz2555]

Opium specifically. This was pretty much the closest Doyle ever got to giving Holmes a "character flaw" and even then it never really pops up as a weakness ever again too my knowledge.

[@zachanikwano]

I remember the moment I read that in one of the original stories. I had to set the book aside and just… absorb that for a minute. lol Speaking of shocking moments, there’s this scene in one of the books, where the father of a client comes in to threaten Holmes and Watson to not interfere or whatever, and he bends a metal fire pit poker to show off how strong he is. After he leaves, Sherlock just laughs and _casually bends the metal poker back straight._ Sherlock isn’t just smart, he’s JACKED.

[@RobotacularRoBob]

I’m still amazed that the author legitimately believed in Fairies.

[@thegnarledpirate9198]

For the author of the most intelligent detective in fiction, he was sure a bit dumb

[@SalazarXenoria]

If I recall, Doyle started to actively believe in spiritual beings and afterlife after his son and his brother passwed away. He went into depression and I guess this belief helped him to cope with it.

[@redcapo011]

Well, why not? We stick a toorh under our pillows for one to this day, after all

[@ellugerdelacruz2555]

Hey, it's not the only crazy thing people believed back then...

[@ashwhiteforest9078]

They're real and will probably ruin your life and you'll go, ah, just some bad luck. Just a coincidence. Not you personally, I mean. But considering you don't believe you're likely to trip over one not looking.

[@t.r.everstone7]

Glad to hear someone else sharing with people why I loved Sherlock when I was just 10 years old, why I still love him, and why he is much more than most people realize.

[@5192aaron]

I idolize Sherlock and adore that we're covering him. Maybe a future episode about his opposite, Arsene Lupin?

[@Zephyr_Zeitgeist]

His actual opposite is the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, accompanied by Watson's opposite, Harry (Bunny) Manders, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's brother-in-law, E. W. Hornung. He based Raffles and Bunny on Holmes and Watson, and also on his friends Oscar Wilde and Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas.

[@5192aaron]

@@Zephyr_Zeitgeist Lupin, Raffles... Pick your poison. Hell, do an episode on the archetype. I'm not picky lol

[@madago4785]

I would not call Arsene Lupin the opposite of Sherlock Holmes, but his antagonist, not his enemy. Moriarty is his enemy. Several things come to mind. First, they have several things in common. Secondly, they have clashed in Arsene Lupin's stories, or rather, Lupin did against his parody "Herlock Sholmes and his sidekick Wilson". Thirdly, Detective Conan vs. Kaito Kid is an approximation of their confrontation. In fact, in one universe they are friends, along with Irene Adler. It is a series of books, the first one is called "Sherlock, Lupin and I" its author is Alessandro Gatti. I would say they would have fun in their confrontations, they would have a worthy rival to compete with. Lupin, unlike Moriarty, is someone basically decent. Lupin recounting his exploits to his biographer, a journalist, another thing he has in common with Holmes, says he believes he has done more good than harm. He cares about that, even leaving some , hidden treasure, not necessarily monetary, for his country to use when the time comes. I'll try to list everything they have in common: They are both gentlemen, each in his own way. They avoid using violence if they can avoid it. Lupin has a no-kill rule and it extends to his men, although it's harder to control them in that case. They have a sense of humor, though different, are bright, brave and loyal, resourceful and daring, though Lupin is more reckless. They don't think much of the police. Both have their own moral code to which they abide, which does not always adhere to the law. Let's not forget Sherlock Holmes threatening to murder someone if Watson died, breaking into a house, even though Irene Adler had stolen those documents, letting a murderer escape (someone who took justice into his own hands) because the ones he killed were criminals, and so on. Lupin, on the other hand, has been chief of police and reduced crime, plus he has convicted several criminals when he has crossed paths with them, and proven the innocence of people wrongly accused. He doesn't steal from poor people and when he steals from the rich he doesn't steal everything they have, just a part of it, if I'm not mistaken. He prefers to steal from those who have enriched themselves at the expense of harming others. On one occasion, already semi-retired, an apprentice tells him that he has a target, a rich house. He agrees to go, I don't remember if reluctantly or not, but mostly for fun, to remember old times. Once they get down to examining the furniture, paintings and jewelry, he realizes that most of them are imitations, that they must have sold the originals out of necessity and replaced them with copies. Lupin discovers that the husband is cheating on his wife and when his apprentice finds money, he forbids him to touch it, telling him that the mistress of the house has enough problems. In reality he is more like a Robin Hood. They are both patriots, experts in disguise and characterization, they like melodrama and theatrics, the admiration of the people, they are good fighters and although they are loners at heart, they have their group of people. In Lupin's case they are his trusted men, and the woman he falls in love with. In the case of Holmes, to a greater or lesser extent, Mrs. Hudson, Watson, Mycroft and the Baker Street irregulars. In combat, Lupin is an expert in fencing and Savate, a French martial art, something like kickboxing. Holmes is an expert in Baritsu or Bartitsu, an English martial art based on the learning its creator got from Judo and Jiu Jitsu he learned in Japan, plus the addition of boxing, fencing and more. Sherlock also knows cane fighting. I can see them facing each other and upon finding a common enemy, allying temporarily. Knowing that the other doesn't kill is a good basis for that. I think they would respect each other, even though neither would fully trust the other and with good reason, but they would know that there can always be a next time. There is a book titled "Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes"

[@worldcomicsreview354]

@@madago4785 There's a sporadic but long-running manga series called Eroica about a master-theif and a CIA constantly battling, only to find out whoever the theif is trying to steal from is a killer / slaver / war profiteer etc etc and teaming up to take him down. The first volume and a half has superpowered characters not unlike The Champions (the 60's TV series), but they disappear after that. Once I wanted to make a fan-comic about what they did afterwards... but it would basically just be The Champions.

[@madago4785]

@@worldcomicsreview354 Thanks for the info, I didn't know that manga.

[@lilithgreen5123]

I have adhd and I can relate so much to Holmes. He is obsessed and hyper-focused on solving problems. He neglects the rest of his life, unable to give the energy to something so trivial. He self-medicates with cocaine to push forward whether in work or life. So much of the way he thinks and acts are relatable.

[@Aqua-vf3jr]

Same! I have autism and ADHD, and Sherlock has always been one of the most relatable characters I've come across!

[@elliart7432]

Another neurodivergent person seconding this, lol, we stan an AUdhd king with depressive symptoms

[@helenamcginty4920]

I have read Holmes since I was little. Still recall as children we roared with laughter when my dad read to us but did the actions as well as commenting. Eg. Holmes spent time crawling round the lawn with " the hot August sun on his back". My dad, " bet that was uncomfortable" proper dad jokes. But now my favourites are the audiobooks narrated by Greg Wagland. He sounds just how I imagine Victorian Dr Watson would

[@mudmug1]

Yes. His readings are brilliant

[@Paul_Recall]

While not trying to be a 1 to 1 adaptation, the Great Ace Attorney highlights Holmes flair for the dramatic. Deductions are like stage performances to him, and he will purposefully drag them out if it means solving a puzzle with twists and turns.

[@ultimate9056]

Herlock Sholmes is one of my favourite interpretations of the character

[@worldcomicsreview354]

@@ultimate9056 Charles Hamilton? I've only read a couple, but they're good fun, so many quick-fire gags

[@mikefule330]

Holmes describes himself as a thinking machine, but that is *only* how he describes himself. Watson, as his biographer, has an agenda to present his friend in a particular light. Like any real human being, Holmes is not how he likes to think of himself, and he is not how he likes to present himself. Also, like any normal human being, Watson emphasises some aspects of his friend's character more than others. Holmes is brave, loyal, and patriotic, His is capable of being kind, thoughtful (and sometimes clumsily thoughtless) and generous. He is able to reassure deserving clients with a well placed kindly word. He is moralistic, and often picks and chooses cases on the basis of whether the client is in his view "deserving". He has a strong sense of justice, which is sometimes why he accepts some cases free of charge, but refuses others despite the rewards. He has great pride in his skills and achievements, but is quite modest about social position and status. He shows flashes of impatience, and occasional bursts of righteous anger. He deeply cherishes his friendship with Watson. He is violinist and a music lover, who enjoys a concert, and has a deep knowledge of the music that he likes. He has a sense of humour, and an irrational and sometimes annoying penchant for moments of dramatic showmanship. Yes, he has a finely-tuned ability to observe and infer, but he also has the attention to detail to collect and catalogue information that may be useful later. Apart from his detective skills, he has also studied difficult technical and physical skills including single stick fighting, boxing, and baritsu. He revels in a challenge and is bored by inactivity, and takes cocaine and opium at low moments. He is a sportsman: he goes unarmed into potential confrontation, although he relies on Watson to take his service revolver. In modern terms, Holmes may well have bipolar disorder (manic highs and deep depressions) and possibly some form of high functioning autism. Whatever, he is far from really being "only a brain and everything else is an appendage".

[@parkershaw3753]

This is part of why my favorite adaptation by far is the TV show Elementary. It took the core personalities of Holmes and Watson and transplanted them into modern people. And because of the cultural differences between the settings, we get to see the relationship between Holmes and Watson develop in a different way.

[@parkershaw3753]

@I Exactly! Trying to modernize Holmes story-by-story all too often leads to convoluted messes. To instead focus on integrating the most significant elements of the series into today's standards of serial storytelling was utter brilliance. Especially because some of those elements (especially those which make the mysteries engaging) elevate it as a crime drama. Most of the series aired while I was in high school, so I usually watched it with my parents. We all have different areas of specific knowledge (e.g. my mom knows psychology and anatomy, my dad knows a lot about transit systems and show business, I know absurd amounts about animals, and so on.) and we would often speculate during commercial breaks about details we noticed, and more often than not, the details were correct and addressed in realistic ways. An equally impressive contrast to many other crime dramas is how there will be named speaking roles that end up being red herrings. So many shows of this nature telegraph the solution to their case preemptively because they don't want to higher rates for more side characters than are absolutely necessary so it's very obvious who's actually involved. (And because I don't get enough opportunities to talk about how fantastic the show is allow me to shout some general praises into the internet void: NYC's population actually looks like NYC's population! A male and female lead have a deep and dynamic interpersonal relationship that's explored thoroughly and not forced to have romantic tension! The show includes long-term consequences of the characters' actions! The intro has a sweet Rube-Goldberg machine! There's a turtle!)

[@Leo-sd3jt]

The most amazing thing is that the show always had Holmes talk about how he deduces stuff and he often seeks experts to add on to his knowledge and to help out on cases whereas the series Sherlock basically gave up after season 2 (a huge clue that the writers wrote themselves into a corner was the fact that they couldn't explain how Sherlock faked his own death) and then seasons 3 and 4 basically went full tilt on "Sherlock is magic". It was sad how fast that show devolved out of its potential (considering they had years between the seasons and only 3 episodes per season, the writers had ample time to come up with deduction explanations but weirdly didn't). Uh, I'm rambling. Basically Elementary was a great show that didn't lose its quality throughout its run whereas Sherlock had a great start but unfortunately floundered after series 2.

[@LenaFerrari]

I see a bit too many flaws on it to actually call it a good adaptation, but I do think they put more effort in understanding who the characters truly were than the acclaimed BBC series

[@samwill7259]

Do not think "extra" means "superfluous" Everything that makes us happy is an "extra" And life is written in the things that make you happy

[@dcbandit]

One of my favorite versions of the character is Herlock Sholmes of the Great Ace Attorney games. He might have his name slightly changed, but he is still Holmes, a very full of himself version who needs his partner to get the jumble of his thoughts straight.

[@madago4785]

Herlock Sholmes and Wilson were also parody characters of Holmes and Watson who appeared in stories starring Arsene Lupin. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ars%C3%A8ne_Lupin_versus_Herlock_Sholmes

[@altf4undo01]

and then you learn he’s not actually stupid, he was intentionally misleading the protagonist to help him form his own deductive reasoning skills. i love sholmes so much

[@danielsher5439]

As far as abductive adaptations go, you could definitely do worse. To tell the veiwer that everything he says out loud is wrong, and that the stories in real life are published works in the game, and that THOSE are innaccurate was a bold move. Even still, he's eccentric, perfomative, forgetful and egotistical, yet amicable, wise, and most importantly, kind in his own way. When you first meet him, he seems like an ass who's absolutely lacking in empathy. Laughing off and forgetting that he implicated someone of murder, but as the case progresses, he seems much more keen in helping them find the truth own their own, his initial lack of empathy coming across more as his usual eccentricity. Later in the story, he gives advice on how he deals with being wrong, and what he chooses to believe in. He's kind and polite for the most part, offering to take our protagonists for dinner, and never skips and opportunity to laugh at the absurd, even if the absurdity comes from his own lips. And later flips back into laughing in a man's face for getting him to admit he did the wrong thing. Going through bouts of mainia and lethargy, playing his violin at strange hours, his messy habits. all his iconic features are there. So despite the game blatantly throwing out any semblance of Sholme's actaul lore in the books, it remains faithful in the strangest ways, down to his 7% solution of... caramel. (holograms notwithstanding)

[@TheWBMonu]

I can remember clearly when I finished reading a Scarlet Study. I felt intrigued by Holmes how emotionless he seemed at first but yet capable of capturing the hearts of those around him and wanted to understand more. As I started Sign of Four, reading how he shot drugs in himself as became each time more intrigued, and realized that I was not more there for the mystery of who was behind the murder, but I wanted to know the mystery of Sherlock Holmes. I each history I felt I grew closer to the character, everytime he showed happiness, when he kept the photo of Irene Adler, how he really wanted to end Moriarty crimes, and endless other situations. I really like Sherlock Holmes. And thanks for remembering me why with this video.

[@anoninunen]

There are two types of Sherlock fans: "Wow he's so strange and mysterious" and "lol i do that"

[@kenzgitz9884]

The latter ones are probably neurodivergent lol

[@lyndseystrait1513]

It's nice to see someone expose the underrated emotional side of Sherlock Holmes. I did not previously realize he played the violin and find it interesting that is so fun for him. Great video and character analysis!

[@Mori-nn2le]

As someone who absolutely adores Sherlock Holmes and relates to him deeply, I must say it’s lovely to see fans still realize that he isn’t just some heartless rude machine. But one of the most human, human beings in fictional media. This video was fantastic and the art was lovely, I can’t deny that even made me shed a few tears, I love seeing such great content around such a loveable Detective like Sherlock Holmes❤️

[@liennn5772]

So I've recently started re-reading the Sherlock holmes books and one thing I've noticed is that he's like a pretty normal guy in most instances. In modern iterations of shows and movies, he's shown to be this superhuman entity who is really detached from the rest of other humans, but he really shows his softer side in the books. he often takes the morally right descision in his stories, something which I don't think modern versions do.

[@mauricerose3082]

"Who is Sherlock Holmes's love interest? - Quora If you mean the Holmes written by its creator, Sir Doyle, he had none. He found emotions such as love a hinder to carry out his detective work. There was a woman that he respected because she was smart and actually outsmarted him during an investigation. But he didn't feel any love for her, he just respected her intelligence."

[@19billdong96]

I watched this video on Nebula, but I’m coming over to KZbin purely to say how amazing and beautiful your video is.

[@19billdong96]

I’m free falling down into your channel and fortunately the bottom is still far far away

[@TheKnifeRaven]

I always wondered what would happen if Mr. Holmes was the villian. That genius intelligence, the wit, the craftyness... He would be unstopable.

[@falconeshield]

We need this!

[@Wes_Bluemarine]

Moriarty?

[@draekalloy3673]

That's the reason Moriarty was created though

[@nadiahapsari3359]

Admiral Thrawn from Star Wars?

[@MrClickity]

Col Landa from Inglorious Basterds came close.

[@Zimtblut]

It's so nice to see people that understand that Holmes is a human being too 🙂

[@DEATH-THE-GOAT]

_"Joseph Bell FRCSE was a Scottish surgeon and lecturer at the medical school of the University of Edinburgh in the 19th century. He is best known as an inspiration for the literary character Sherlock Holmes."_

[@ellugerdelacruz2555]

The guy apparently also had a real life superpower which Holmes also possessed: Telescopic Vision. Basically, in a time when professional medical examination was at its earlier stages, Dr. Bell could tell just how sick you were and deduce what sickness it was just by looking at you.

[@Hy-Brasil]

@@ellugerdelacruz2555 hell, i can do that! You only need to know biology and environment, including diet. It's literally no different than a car mechanic. They know every square inch, bolt and weld in a car. They know what to expect when one thing does or does not do something.

[@snaketooth0943]

I also heard that some people think that guy might have been autistic, which I actually am.

[@ellugerdelacruz2555]

@@Hy-Brasil Joseph Bell did that but from his office desk. Again, Telescopic Vision.

[@Karla-ff9bf]

His anniversary was 2nd december!

[@rex8255]

I remember the scene about the earth going around the sun from a TV series, and I thought "You know, he's got a point". There is a lot of we get taught not because it's useful, but because it makes us look "educated". I mean seriously, how many conversations have adults had about High School algebra being, for most of people, one of the more useless studies (I was never subjected to that in High School, thank god).

[@Imperiused]

This comes with a fortunate timing! Over the last two weeks I've been rewatching "Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century," which was a cartoon from my childhood that was the premier shaping influence of Sherlock Holmes on my imagination. Watching as an adult, there isn't much that stands out about the cartoon - the animation is bad, the plots are not that interesting - but Jason Gray-Stanford as Sherlock Holmes and John Payne as Watson seems permanently ensconced in my imagination. Dropping Sherlock Holmes into the somewhat distant future is also a brilliant concept, and is deserving of a lot more exploration than a kid's show can do. The show even made Watson into an actual robot, cleverly playing off this idea of Holmes as a purely logical mind. Anyway, great video!

[@thereisonlycis3566]

This was what also cemented him in my mind. I bought it recently and it's honestly a better adaptation than most of these terrible shows for adults. You can at least justify changes with the fact it's for kids, it's sci-fi, and takes place almost 400 years later.

[@joshuabevins8244]

You reawoke something that I haven't thought about in nearly 20 years.

[@Imperiused]

@@joshuabevins8244 There's a KZbin Playlist with all the episodes. 😉

[@nunyabidness5375]

I like C.S. Lewis' description of a human: intellect, emotion and instinct with emotion as the mediator between intellect and instinct. You can't just be a reasoning machine without dismembering yourself.

[@DblTap317]

Sherlock is one of my favorite book characters! He suffered from severe depression when not completely immersed in a case to stimulate his brain properly. He compensated by sitting in the dark doing cocaine and heroin for years between cases. Dr. Watson was his dear friend that kept him grounded in reality and helped him stop doing drugs and enjoy the things he "enjoyed" doing in life.

[@zanizone3617]

There is another instance where Holmes' mask slips. The adventure of the Devil's Foot. When Watson saves then both from the room filled with the toxic fumes, that Holmes insisted to try to prove his theory about a murder. He's pretty emotional there.

[@zacharyrussell9618]

Bravo! Glad to know another reader caught that.

[@korvo3427]

In that story he also says something like if the roles were reversed between him and the murderer, he might've done the same.

[@dyscotopia]

These themes of finding the heart behind the unfeeling brain, formed the basis for the entire arc of the medical tv show House. The title is even a play on words to acknowledge their debt to Holmes and Doyle

[@joaovitorfarinabraga690]

Homes is the most neurodivergent coded character that I’ve ever seen without neurodivergent conditions being a thing that were even fully aware at the time of his stories

[@hades_head_empty]

are you telling me that harrier du bois is closer in some ways to book sherlock than bbc sherlock?? like yeah he's a whirlwind of emotions, but his haphazard life (his addictions especially) and passion for his work are spot on. and filling the thought cabinet with core ideals, cleaning out the rooms, it all perfectly fits the idea of your brain being a finite physical space. gods i love disco elysium

[@hades_head_empty]

12:22 spoilers for disco: kim leaning over harry, oof

[@hades_head_empty]

it seems kim and harry split aspects of sherlock and watson in a different combination. kim is more stoic, calculated. harry is a machine, can tell with his eyes how many people walked a path in a flurry of footprints, even that one had a slight limp. kim has his few passions and rebellious side, speeding and listening to intense music while doing so, a dream to become a pilot.

[@thereseemstobeenanerror1219]

Specifically if you're running an intelligence build, with Composer leveled very high. ( also we should pick up "Regular law official" to throw points into "Physical Attunement" and "Suggestion" )

[@blondemaverick]

100%

[@LenaFerrari]

Idk this character, but BBC Sherlock is terrible. They go for the generic idea of Sherlock people who never read the books have rather than the actual character. Big disappointment

[@camilaquintas906]

This very specific genre of youtube video analysis "Sherlock Holmes was never cold and uncaring, actually. he just a lil neurodivergent" have my whole heart and always make me cry, love the little guy

[@BlackReshiram]

I find that Elementary rly captured this essence of Holmes

[@AudieHolland]

Sherlock Holmes usually wears tall hats. Only in a handful of stories does he don the outdoors hunting costumer which he is always portrayed as wearing.

[@jacobblue8926]

Just want to thank the tale foundry for all of its content, you guys have inspired me to write interesting stories and characters for a couple things, mostly for a DND campaign. I hope you lot have so much more success in what you do, and your humans prosper! 😊

[@LangThoughts]

As someone with ʜFA, Holmes is Aʉtɨstic. Some of us are overempathetic, to the point where we must mask it to stay sɑnɛ. But sometimes, it comes out. Same with Holmes. It's elementary, Dear Robot.

[@youngproblem5232]

Was looking for this comment completely agree that he seems to show many signs of autism as someone who has hyperfixated on autism and done a lot of research on it

[@kylienielsen6975]

I always got it from him. I confused that that isn't what just the most common take given how obvious the author made it. (By the I am too so I'm not just making shit up I actually know what it is)

[@LangThoughts]

@@kylienielsen6975 Well, given at the time of _Sir Arthur Conan Doyle_ people didn't know what Aʉtɨsm was, I can see people not getting it. But given that Holmes was based on a real person _Doyle_ knew, we see through Holmes, that clearly that person was, to a modern person, Aʉtɨstic.....

[@the_aberration7398]

Agreed. Detective work is his special interest, which is why it’s so all-consuming for him. His struggles with organization and with conforming to the social conventions of the time also fit with the idea he might be Autistic. Autistic people are also disproportionately likely to become addicted to drugs due to the hardships many Autistic people experience in their lives. Arthur Conan Doyle could not have known what Autism is, but I think he accidentally created an Autistic character. I suspect part of the reason Holmes always wants other characters to see him as merely a brain is because his brain is exceptional, while he struggles in all other areas. He doesn’t want to make himself vulnerable to the manipulation or negative judgment of others. Watson, however, he can trust, because Watson is his friend. Watson loves Holmes, the person, and Holmes loves him back.

[@FrankJmClarke]

His brother is autistic, "Mycroft has his rails and he runs on them."

[@arandil1]

Jeremy Brett was the best Holmes we ever had.

[@Hy-Brasil]

The mainstream filmmakers have done a grave injustice to Holmes. Anyone who hasn't read the original material has no right to call themselves a fan of Sherlock Holmes. No no, you are a fan of twisted propaganda, created by someone who wants to reshape society. Or it's a caricature of what someone thinks Holmes is, because they never read the books either. My favorite Holmes portrayals are Ronald Howard, Johnny Lee Miller and.... Basil in the great mouse detective. Those three are the most accurate, but only at different periods in the stories. Except for Howard. He was the most consistent. He got the wry sense of humor, the attention to detail, the character flaws, compassion, curiosity. I think my favorite scene was when he was waiting for Watson to finish eating. Watson was aimlessly chasing a pea around his plate, trying and failed to capture it. Holmes, in his arrogance assumes his friend is just too stupid to know HOW to properly use his utensils, grabs a fork or knife and smushes the pea flat and triumphantly says "there you go!" Which pissed Watson off. He wasted no time letting Holmes know he had been deliberately AVOIDING squishing the pea because he enjoyed the burst of flavor in his mouth. And no thanks to Holmes he'd been denied the pleasure. I have read all the stories, but i don't recall that scene in any of them. So it was probably concocted by the script writers, but even if it was, i loved it. Because if you have read the stories you could easily see Holmes doing something just like that. Well intentions but exceedingly arrogant 😂 "oh you poor inept creature..." probably crosses his mind several times in a day.

[@Hy-Brasil]

It should also be noted you can't appreciate Holmes without understanding the time period. During this age of enlightenment, when the scientific method was an infant, there was an obscure, almost cultlike group of men that shunned marriage, physical pleasure and mindless pursuits. They were like monks who were celibate and solitary so they could achieve spiritual enlightenment. These people like Holmes were Celibates for science. They were NOT closet homosexuals like the idiotic movies would have you believe. They had more important things to spend their short lifespans on than sex. I wish more people would revive this system and help repair a society that has been ravaged by perversion, depravity and instant gratification.

[@alexanderyakubik2289]

It's actually Holmes which gave me the foundation for a life philosophy of mine "an emotion must be tempered by logic, all logic must be seen through the lense of emotion".

[@nidohime6233]

Isn't that what stoicism is?

[@alexanderyakubik2289]

Not really, but a part of it.... Kinda. Stoicism is also minimalistic and abstaining from luxury, way more divorced from excessive emotional response, and a that which you can't control isn't worth worrying about mindset. I'm not against strong emotional responses, as long as you can justify it rationally.

[@rogink]

I've just watched the bio of Conan Doyle and this on Nebula. It's my first experience of this channel and I'm really impressed. The narrator has an obvious interest in the subject, and in the ACD video does some great impersonations, without the pastiche. But for a video you need great pictures and the animation is brilliant. On the subject of Holmes, I think we all recognise the brilliance of his mind. When he explains his reasoning, of course it all makes perfect sense, and I think - why didn't I think that? So in a way, I wish I could be more like him. But on an emotional level, I wish he could be more like me!

[@QuBoSRoadStudio]

Nothing but love for Sherlock Holmes. Often times while watching various incarnations of the character, I feel he has more heart than anyone around him ❣️

[@lorigulfnoldor2162]

How differently one and the same thing can be percieved by different people! I saw a heart in Holmes from the very beginning, in the first novel where he expresses sympathy for the poor criminal murderer guy who killed out of revenge for the terrible evil they had wrought; his very sympathy for them was the very same "extra", because, well, the criminal was so ill that he never even got to be judged, having died from his aneurysm; it has no logical sense to show sympathy who is already dead, gone, and nothing will come out of either condemning him or being sympathetic; yet Holmes still defends the honor of the dead man, feeling for him, when Watson himself is much more morally black-and-white and two-dimensional...

[@arunabhalahiri1592]

It is shocking how accurate herlock sholmes is in the great ace attorney chronicles... At first i thought he would be a gag character, given his name.

[@thereseemstobeenanerror1219]

Fun fact. His name comes from the Arsène Lupin book series. Where his maker Maurice Leblanc tried to use the original character and nearly got sued because of it. So he went back just shifted some letters around and now boom you got that thing.

[@sarahoakes5843]

Another brilliant video from a brilliant channel, loved it

[@guadalupevillarruel4455]

Beautiful video!

[@louveblancheomega799]

Feeling is hard when everything hits with intensity. That's why he's playing cold. He wants to keep focused on what makes his life "useful". I do know for a fact that brighter minds focuses on what stimulates them, and the rest sounds rather boring, shallow, or like death. The only thing he can be sure about is that every life ends by death, like would it feels better by erasing murderers?He knows that his purpose is an illusion, and that's an endless circle. But his mind has to achieve something greater among men. Not talking about being arrogant, do you see how lazy and depressed he becomes when his mind is not aroused to investigate? That's awful, and his insensitive responses are because he feels like he worths nothing without his mask. Sure he's afraid to be exposed, when everything burns out deeply to the core. Paradoxal? Not really. Great mind and great heart comes along. Well, if he was that heartless, why not choosing being an murderer instead? His pain is what called me for in first place.

[@Karuten626]

I remember reading the introduction of Sherlock himself for the first time, getting to the end of his little speech, and thinking, “You’re also a liar.”

[@AlbaMusicArt]

me too

[@nadiahapsari3359]

Why is that?

[@Karuten626]

@@nadiahapsari3359 because if what he said were true, he wouldn't be helping catch criminals. Certainly not for free and without credit

[@nadiahapsari3359]

@@Karuten626 Ah I see,good point!

[@javidking63]

well. you have opened my eyes. thank you for that.

[@smirkypants]

There's a simpler explanation: Holmes can easily be thought of as being on the autism spectrum. Watson describes Holmes as distant, callous, unknowable, and inexplicable, and these adjectives are commonly associated with autism. It is a myth that autistic people can't experience emotional connections, it's just that it's harder for them and they rarely communicate it. His behavior isn't deeply mysterious at all.

[@TonyToed]

this man is so autism coded, special interest in some subject, brain works different

[@sewdryandeuneo2358]

I think "Inside the mind of Sherlock Holmes" is a another brillant representation of depiction of Holmes

[@johnchalmers7336]

Good video from a Holmes fan for 50 years now . I was just watching a Granada production of "The Dying Detective" prior too your video . Which has turned out too be a fitting end too a night ? The contempt Holmes has for injustice is a testament too his possessing a heart . Plus Irena Adler?

[@steamedhamlet]

I think Jeremy Beret really captures that vulnerability and depth in his performance of Holmes.

[@sarahlevine776]

The funny thing about Holmes is that he would be considered neurodivergent if he was real.

[@jayplay8140]

Typical Aspie if ever there were one

[@EmperorZelos]

As an autist, I can say he definitely would.

[@johnathanmonsen6567]

Well... yeah. Pretty sure the majority of gifted people are neurodivergent.

[@valhatan3907]

@@johnathanmonsen6567 they built different

[@G00dTaste]

​@@johnathanmonsen6567 as a former gifted kid, can confirm

[@kittypeanut4102]

I always knew that there was more to him, and i love that.

[@tylerdavis6389]

I love this. One of the complaints I always had about the BBCs "Sherlock" was that it portrayed Holmes as a literal sociopath with no real care or even morality. Holmes is definitely an odd man, with a lot of odd and anti-social behaviors, but behind that is a man of deep morality. Holmes cares about right and wrong, about justice and innocents, and he cares about these things deeply. His "only a mind" stance is a mask he wears-even to himself- to make himself above the criminals he hunts. If I were an armchair psychologist I would even hazard to say it's a security for him. A way to make himself of worth in the face of his many eccentricities, and a way to seperate himself from the crime and evil that he is compelled to face every day.

[@TheUkiko]

This points out why I like him as a character. I see and saw a lot of myself in him. It gave me hope that he had friends that cared for him.

[@qrzt2000]

Can you cover the idea of magical sources? My favourite example of this is in the Skulduggery Pleasant series. first btw (sorry)

[@francois-marienys4471]

What a man (or women or anything else) of great taste ! It is quite rare to find someone who likes this universe !

[@qrzt2000]

@@francois-marienys4471 (man) And thank you! I actually see Derek Landy everytime he does a tour. One of the perks of living in Ireland!

[@NickdeVera]

both holmes brothers agree that the more static mycroft is smarter. for centuries fans have wondered what kind of parents would name and raise two brilliant but warped geniuses

[@treadtrick]

Very nice video, thank you, I'm subscribed! Respectfully Mr. Cook, the quote from A Study in Scarlet was misread at 4:30 ... It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have *useless* facts elbowing out the useful ones. An important difference lol. ;) You've done a great job, I just couldn't help myself, I hope you don't mind. When production quality is as good as that of Tale Foundry, the silliest, little things seem larger I suppose. Keep up the good work!

[@nhokonhokopuala]

Totally unrelated... I love the design and the pallette of your channel😍🌹♥️

[@ellugerdelacruz2555]

4:48 Well, I guess it kinda makes sense. He's allocated so much of his memory space for "detective stuff" and having info on everything he sees down to the tiniest detail that his memory space doesn't even have room for "common sense facts". They don't call him a "high-functioning sociopath" for nothing.... [EDIT] I know that last title is contemporary so feel free to keep disproving me in the replies. Also, if anyone can tell me what his actual personality orientation may be that'd be nice. Thanks.

[@jondw]

from my knowledge, that title is quite recent,not from Doyle

[@nidohime6233]

Is really a sociapath? Nowadays people tend give that label to anyone that looks like an asshole.

[@blondemaverick]

"High-functioning Sociopath" is from the contemporary show. Within the confines of the books, his temperament is far more nebulous, and such an unjust epithet is never ascribed to the man.

[@LenaFerrari]

I read him as autistic. But he does seem antissocial to a degree

[@detectivefiction3701]

I've always thought that Holmes comes off as far more cordial and polite in the original stories than he does in most onscreen portrayals of him.

[@sarahellie4113]

As a Sherlock Holmes fanatic I agree with everything you said. This video is really well done thank you!

[@SpiralAnimationssssss]

I could write a whole essay about this, right here. Technically, I just did. But it’s off in my notes, now. You’ve said almost everything I’d wish to say, better than I could. I love the series and the character. Very much. It’s a personal part of me, by now. I was very happy to see this video.

[@purbayanchowdhury7836]

Another incident if u remember at Reicenbach Fall, Moriarty could take the upper hand for fight because he used Watson as a bait otherwise Sherlock could have walked away easily

[@evee31637]

I wonder is writing dark profound stories like matryers, berserk, a clock work origin and naoki urasawa monster something promoted on this channel

[@skyfish77]

Probably.

[@jimgillespie6109]

Another wonderful video! I wish my budget would allow me to get Nebula. I sure would like to see more.

[@Zeithri]

While I've been interested in reading Sherlock Holmes... But yeah, hearing this, now I really want to read these. Thanks for this video!

[@ZendikarMage42750]

I also like the implication that logic and emotions come from separate places and can therefore coexist without having to sacrifice one for the other. Holmes doesn't need to show off his emotions to do his job, so he doesn't, but that doesn't mean they aren't as complex or interesting as his intellect

[@garfeil420]

I've never agreed with the inhumane characterization of Sherlock Holmes. Of course, given the time period his original tales were written, naturally readers would think him some sort of alien machine. I think a much more appropriate take on his character would be a modern one that says he is most definitely human for all the reasons onlookers think he is not. Just because he does not appear to experience love in most forms (though some would argue he and Dr. Watson were a bit closer than flatmates) certainly doesn't make him any less human; this can be explained by him being aromatic and asexual, something I've deduced from also being aroace. It's a bit disheartening and invalidating to see so many Sherlock fans and critics alike categorize him as inhuman because of that. Yes, his callousness does more harm than help to that, but even still, I wish society would ditch the idea that life is meaningless without romance. Additionally, I've always thought him to be autistic (something also taken from my own experience). If Sherlock's character was observed through such a lense, his behavior would suddenly make a hell of a lot more sense-most notably, his obsession with his work. Autistic people often experience hyperfixations and have special interests; I believe Sherlock's passion for his work would fall into the latter category, as special interests tend to last lifetimes while hyperfixations range from weeks to years. Also, autistic people literally have a brain wired differently than neurotypicals and thus perceive the world differently; therefore, his autism could be the root of his rejection of sentiment and embracement of logic and practicality. Again, he has a "robotic demeanor" not because he is a machine, but because his way of thinking diverges from the norm. Altogether, I think taking this into consideration really helps one to better understand Sherlock Holmes as a whole, and that "human layer underneath". :) sorry for the absolute wall of text here, I just have a lot of thoughts about my own perception of him lol

[@texxstalker]

Its happened you just enlightened my perception about MYSELF. This is ridiculous 😀. Also im not a master in English, i can barely express myself but the facts you explained here.... Im 40. Im struggling for years about things i cant explain. The "lack of" empathy... But under the mask im hypersensitive as s*t, the brutal honesty, sometimes "robotic" behavior, obsession, overthinking, everything most be logical... Wow. I must sleep to this revelation. Huh

[@garfeil420]

@@texxstalker That's awesome! It's never too late to discover things about yourself. I'd recommend you conduct further research; you can really understand your mind so much better with more information on ASD and related disorders! (Stray away from Autism Speaks, however-they are NOT who you want to learn from unless you want nothing but misinformation lmao)

[@printeredlasered]

absolutely 100%. I find it annoying when people act like there's something fundamentally wrong and inhuman with the character. There's nothing to 'fix' here. His affect is different but he very clearly cares about things. Although I don't think one can truly diagnose a fictional character I think autism is a very fair comparison (in terms of how there is a distance between how the narration views and tries to explain his actions through a normative 'neurotypical' perspective, and his actual behaviour) and it's one I personally relate to as well. And also with you on the asexuality read, although you can of course argue many ways for that one. I think it impacted me a lot growing up as an ace person too.

[@eaglemunchbirdofprey3845]

Thank you for having this channel for new writers like me. ❤

[@Johan_cristoff]

Brilliant video loved it 😍😍😍

[@matbritton6816]

I have realised, at 53, that I have quite a few autistic traits. I've tried to get an assessmentbut there is one personin the NHS for the whole of Leicestershire, and they are part time. The estimate for adult undiagnosed autism is between 4 and 40%. With autism processing information takes a route through the brain before responding to a situation, whereas most(?) people react in a more instinctive way. This can often be seen as calculating or disingenuous.

[@Nehu_22]

With everything you've said, it leads me to believe that Holmes might be neurodivergent in some way. His work would be his hyperfocus, and everything else it's harder cause he doesn't care for it.

[@Laura-ol5mt]

Thank you for saying everything that I feel about Holmes

[@SmashingCapital]

Honestly, although i already knew this i never really thought about it so this video made me understand a lot about myself, thanks

[@typemasters2871]

Currently enjoying the characterisation of Sherlock- I mean Herlock Sholmes from The Great Ace Attorney (currently in the middle of case 5 so no spoilers please). He’s smart but his mind likes to wonder, having exaggerated enthusiasm at times, and there is an in-universe explanation as to why Herlock Sholmes’ characterisation is inconsistent with the Sherlock Holmes’ present in the great detective stories, which the in-universe Herlock Sholmes stories are suppose to be carbon copies of.