Sherlock & Daughter

Preposterous, hammily acted, the script often clunky as well, but suspend serious critical faculties and what you've got is a compelling entertainment.

David Thewlis of course steals the acting prize as Sherlock, well matched by Dougray Scott's Moriarty. Blu Hunt's wide eyed enthusiasm as his maybe daughter added plenty of fire to the tale and Ivana Milicevic wasn't given enough to do but had an authoritative presence which rooted the scenes at the US Ambassador's residence. Fiona Glascott was too stilted to carry off the Lady Bracknell accent as intended but that aside all the actors did their best to season the ham.

Sherlock & Daughter (Season 1, 2025, 7.3/10) is an attempt to reinterpret the Sherlock Holmes universe through the lens of family drama - an idea that sounds intriguing on paper but ultimately leaves mixed feelings. Introducing a sudden "daughter" into Holmes's life is a risky move, and while the series tries to balance classic elements with new themes, the execution doesn't always withstand the tension between them.

The show's main strength lies in its acting. David Thewlis is perfectly cast as Holmes: his portrayal of the detective is more weathered by time, more human, yet still retains the familiar cold sharpness. Blu Hunt as Amelia brings a refreshing energy: her character is independent, determined, and provides a good contrast to Sherlock's detached nature. Their dynamic is one of the main reasons the series manages to hold the viewer's interest.

Visually, the production is solid: London is depicted with atmosphere - without excessive gloss, tinged with a slight grayness and an attentive eye for period details. In terms of staging, the series looks robust and at times even impressive.

However, the main weakness lies in the script. Storylines often feel simplified: the mysteries are not particularly complex, some plot twists can be guessed long before the reveal, and themes that could have added emotional weight (such as generational conflict, trust, redemption) remain superficial hints rather than fully developed arcs. The pacing is also uneven: there are lively moments, but also noticeable lulls, especially in the middle of the season.

Conclusion: Sherlock & Daughter is a project with a good concept, solid performances, and a pleasant atmosphere, but it lacks depth in storytelling. It's more of an interesting side note in the world of Sherlock rather than a new pinnacle of the genre. As an easy evening watch, it works well enough. But if you're looking for the wit and complexity of the original Holmes, they are noticeably scarcer here.

This series is taken from the Charles Veley books "Lucy James Mystery" series. Without credit of course. Anyone who has read all the books can't miss the almost total reproduction, with only trivial changes in names and plot changes. The plot line and circumstances that happen are all in the books, not in one book but from the series in total. There are two things missing in the show that the books excel at, the smartness in the writing, that's where the tv series missed the mark, it's also what makes the difference between a great show, and a just an ok show. Also missing in the show is that they really failed at showing the intellect of Sherlock Holmes, both in dialogue and in storyline, something the books excel at.

For me, Sherlock Holmes should notice all the small details, leave nothing to chance, and in the end you get an explanation of how how Holmes' conclusion was made.

Sherlock & Daughter did try to do all these things, but it felt like the writing used for the series was in iteration 2, when it needed to be iterated 10 times to be proper Sherlock Holmes.

It was entertaining, well paced and all that. Impressive how they can nail costumes and environment to the time period. A nick pick would be a lack of a realistic amount of bystanders / crowds, due to what I only can imagine to be budget costs.

I was expecting to be mildly amused but I ended up enjoying quite a bit. I used to to dislike Thewlis a while back but I've learned to appreciate some of the characters he's played though his Holmes here is a bit smug and annoying. Of course he's dealing with some loss and personal issues so he gets a pass for now. The daughter which could have been a waste of character is actually charming and interesting. I've seen untold movies and shows featuring Holmes as well as read dozens of novels and this is quite refreshing though somewhat reminiscent of Miss Scarlett and the Duke ( another good show ). This could have had dumb, unfunny jokes but while not overly dramatic it's mercifully not whimsical or campy ( two things I abhor ). Anyway give it a shot and you too might be surprisingly entertained.