1.02 – The Blind Banker – Sherlock Review

Posted by Samuel Walters

The second installment of Sherlock, titled “The Blind Banker,” isn’t quite as extraordinary as its predecessor. But it’s still filled with plenty of intrigue, suspense and humor. The camaraderie between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson — when shown — continues to the a strong point. And even if the pacing isn’t quite as natural or as effortless as the series premiere, “The Blind Banker” manages to build to a suitably suspenseful and open-ended conclusion. The result is a very enjoyable, if somewhat underwhelming, ninety minutes of television.

The mystery this time is centered on a bizarre bit of vandalism inside a high-end London bank. Sherlock is called in by a former acquaintance who just so happens to be the bank’s director. Naturally, this is just the tip of the iceberg and Holmes & Watson will soon find themselves up to their eyeballs in a cryptic Chinese cypher. Cracking the cypher means cracking the case, and much of the episode revolves around their efforts to do so.

Truth-be-told, the investigations aren’t quite as entertaining this time around because the interactions between Holmes and Watson are a bit too routine. What made the premiere so engrossing was the fact that, as they went about their investigations, Holmes and Watson also learned quite a bit from one another. It was solid character development, and that element is missing (or at least nowhere near as prominent) this time around.

More specifically, there’s a great deal of distance between the characters. Much of what the two men learned about one another in the first episode seems strangely absent here. The problem is one of continuity. From “A Study In Pink,” there seemed to be a distinct understanding and friendship already developing between Holmes and Watson. But in “The Blind Banker,” not only is further development halted, the characters seem to regress a bit, at least in relation to one another.

The saving grace, though, is in just how well Holmes and Watson get along. Their interactions are a lot of fun to watch — even with Holmes’ tendency to repeatedly leave Watson stranded on the doorstep of various London flats. Also, the episode quite wisely gives Watson enough to do and be successful at so as to portray a truly collaborative partnership between the two men. A particularly enjoyable scene has both Holmes and Watson literally bumping into one another on the streets of London — with Watson providing a key bit of evidence.

The case itself is centered on a smuggling ring from China, which is run by a group called The Black Lotus — a lethal and powerful crime syndicate. The elements of Chinese culture provide the episode with an exotic flair reminiscent of many of the traditional Holmes stories. And the minor characters, while not quite as vibrant as the previous installment, are certainly intriguing and entertaining.

But the writing stumbles quite noticeably right when the episode ought to be building toward its finale. A scene inside a museum ends up being especially problematic. Holmes and Watson are at the museum, after hours, to learn how to decipher the strange cryptograms they’ve seen across the city — and to protect the one deciphering the message. But the killer arrives on the scene and, instantly, both Holmes and then Watson, leave their charge behind — helpless against imminent murder.

What’s going on here? Why would Holmes rush off to confront a gunman without considering a desperate retreat (or at least defense) for himself, Watson and the person they mean to protect? Why would Watson do the same? Where is his gun? And, most importantly, where is museum security? These are rather inexplicable developments both in terms of plot and character. That Holmes would be so easily defeated seems troublesome. That a major museum would be utterly lacking in any response while two men ran through the building after hours — one of them indiscriminately firing a weapon — is truly baffling.

Also at issue is one of tone. A woman is murdered in cold blood, the moment is handled with a choral musical score, and we’re meant to keenly feel the tragedy of the moment. Furthermore, it represents a significant defeat and setback for Holmes and Watson. But in the next scene, the pair are back to their typical selves, gallivanting across London in search of new clues in scenes meant to invoke laughs. It’s striking (and a mistake) that the death of someone under their direct protection leaves no noticeable mark on either character.

These are the kind of errors that simply weren’t evident in the original installment.

Highlights of the episode come from Watson’s attempts to woo a new coworker. Their first date is to head off to a Chinese circus — suggested by Holmes, of course, because it’s a likely place for some of their suspects to gather. Alongside the humor of Watson trying to carry on a date with Holmes as a kind of chaperone, we get the benefit of Watson’s date, Sarah, who turns out to be spirited and adventurous enough to join in an inevitable melee by coming to the aid of Watson and Holmes.

One hopes that her character becomes something of a mainstay in the series.

After a few more twists and turns, Watson and his date are captured by our culprits and almost predictably, Holmes arrives in the nick of time to save the day. Holmes has figured out the cypher, located the missing contraband and defeated the bad guys — who are under orders from a ruthless person identified in the episode only by the letter ‘M’. As in, Moriarty.

Overall Grade: B-

On the balance, “The Blind Banker” is a fun installment of Sherlock. The absolute excellence of the first episode hasn’t been reproduced, and a few miscues in writing and character have to be endured. But the results are still well-worth the time, particularly for fans of Sherlock Holmes, or mystery in general.

Topics: Mystery, TV Reviews
Filed under: Sherlock Holmes