Sherlock got it right! *spoiler*

[pappymac]

Correct deathmetal.
I should have clarified that he only smoked while in his rooms on Baker Street.
As I am currently reading a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories I was given as a Christmas present, I should have written my thoughts more clearly. He and Watson have smoked pipes in the stories, but never while "in the field".
One thing I did notice in the show last night was that Holmes was not smoking a Calabash. I believe it was the Calabash which was introduced in one of the early movies to make it more noticeable.

 

[deathmetal]

I always like to think he smokes G&H Dark Shag.

 

[deathmetal]

Freetexts for those who want to read the originals:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/69

 

[tuold]

I didn't enjoy the episode much. The plot exceeded my ability to suspend disbelief when it tried to tie the suffrage movement with modern day radical extremism. It was a very week resolution.
Also, when a show becomes self referential in its writing or a sort of parody of itself, that's a sure sign a series has "jumped the shark". I realize the whole thing takes place as a drug overdose experiance, but even that is a weak plot device.
The pipes were a nice addition but they did look more like props than used items. As I recall, Sherlock's pipe was described as a black, dirty, beat up sort of thing more like an ebay estate pipe =)
It's not just one or two details that made the experiance sort of disappointing, but mostly the sum of all those details.
I did like the costumes and the general mood of the photographic direction and stage art. All that was betrayed by the frivolous writing.

 

[pappymac]

I found the episode to be filled with references to a significant number of the stories written by Doyle. Then as I was reading "The Musgrave Ritual" I saw mention of "a full account of Ricoletti of the club-foot, and his abominable wife." It's like the show writers just pulled tidbits from different stories to drop into the script that had nothing to do with the context of the original stories, for example, the five orange pips. That story is in the collection I am reading and it had no real bearing to the show last night other than a plot device.

 

[edgreen]

The calabash was introduced by a stage actor so his face could be seen while delivering lines.

 

[jruthledge]

I didn't enjoy the episode much. The plot exceeded my ability to suspend disbelief when it tried to tie the suffrage movement with modern day radical extremism. It was a very week resolution.

I liked the episode, even though agree with pretty much everything you've observed here. There were things that were pretty far fetched, but there have been all along. There was one episode where we're supposed to believe that you can stab someone to death and they won't notice it if they are wearing a tight belt and you you do it just right. Not believable, but entertaining in the episode. I thought the suffrage thing was particularly ironic in this episode since Sherlock, and probably Doyle were such misogynists. So I think a lot of the criticisms are totally valid, I just don't care because I'm having fun watching the show, and I think the writers are having fun with it too. There are enough references and homages to the original stories that it seems like they are also legitimate fans who are having fun breathing some new life into the old tales. The bit with the deerstalker hat in this episode seemed to be throwing a bone to people who know the original stories well. Holmes doesn't want to wear it but Watson basically talks him into it for the sake of Holmes' fictionalized alter ego. It seemed like a bit of a tip of the hat to purists to invite them to loosen up a little and come along with taking the stories to new places. That's why I was excited about them getting the pipe right. They clearly know the originals well, but are intentionally folding in all the additions to Holmes' legend that have been added over the years as they write their own new chapters. It's like jazz. These guys know their stuff, so they can go ahead and improvise a little.

 

[condorlover1]

Holmes if I recall correctly smoked just about everything! Black shag in that knackered, dirty clay pipe, cigars that he kept in the drawer of a coal scuttle as well as copious quantities of cigarettes. I believe in one of his cases he used ash from the cigarettes he was smoking to locate a passage way hidden behind a wardrobe. The person who made the observation about the calabash is indeed correct and was I think a prop introduced by William Gillette the US actor who played Holmes and I believe was responsible for the deerstalker hat and several other Holmes affectations. I also watched the production and thought it was well done, period costume drama but then I have always held the view that the Jeremy Brett versions were pretty close to the books as well.

 

[tbradsim1]

Had recorded it and watched it last night. Other than the pipe smoking and my favorite actors in it I didn't like it, too much jumping around, maybe good plot for Sci-Fi fans, but I"m a simple Cajun, I take my Whiskey straight.

 

[okiescout]

I didn't enjoy the episode much. The plot exceeded my ability to suspend disbelief when it tried to tie the suffrage movement with modern day radical extremism.
+1, Tuold. So are many incorrect facts repeated until they become the truth in the minds of many. Just a little bit of poop in the cake mix does not hurt anything does it? :roll:

 

[tuold]

It reminded me at the end of The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy wakes up a recognizes everybody there as part of her dream.
DOROTHY

No. But it wasn't a dream -- it was a place.

And you -- and you -- and you -- and you were

there.
Like I said, i did like it. I just had higher expectations.

 

[jessicac]

I'm a fan of the Cumberbatch Sherlock and loved the episode. I loved the feminism angle and how the characters almost broke the fourth wall in the criticism of the original texts.
As for the pipe, notice how the stem was a little too shiny to have ever been used?