The Crooked Man

Very intense mystery from beginning to end. My favorite so far in this series. Every episode Brett & Burke are so marvelous working together. Holmes mannerisms are getty quirky & twitchy, and walking like he's a lion on the prowl, when he's on the move. Pure joy to watch.

I am a huge fan of the Granada Sherlock Holmes series, and in my mind The Crooked Man is one of the best. As is the case with all of the adaptations in this fine series, The Crooked Man production-values wise is very well made. As I have said before, you can never go wrong with authentic costumes and scenery and excellent photography, and The Crooked Man succeeds brilliantly here. The music is very beautiful and haunting, the story is well paced and interesting, as well as being a contender for the most emotionally affecting of the entire series, and the writing is sophisticated and thoughtful, Holmes' line on military morality is epic. At the top of my head, there is no other adaptation in the series where you not only hate the victim from minute one but also identify and feel great sympathy for the wronged "perpetrator". I would also like to credit The Crooked Man's atmosphere, Sherlock Holmes is a vast majority of the time very good with being atmospheric and especially with the ending(one of the series' most powerful) The Crooked Man is no exception. The acting is top notch, Jeremy Brett as always is nigh-on perfect as Holmes and David Burke is a composed Watson. While the support cast are solid, the best of the lot is Norman Jones, whose haunting yet often poignant performance, bringing heart-breaking pathos to a very long monologue that could easily have rambled, gives meaning to the phrase "once seen, never forgotten". Fiona Shaw has never been more entertainingly aloof either. Overall, The Crooked Man is brilliant. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is a really clever story. Holmes finds himself trying to figure out why a murder has been committed. The victim, a military man in the time of British imperialism, the suspected murderer, his wife, whom everyone said he adored (and she him). Well, there is much more to this. There are several stories in the Sherlock Holmes canon where someone is living a lie or has some baggage that has never been revealed to a spouse. Part of the problem has to do with the society at the time. One could go off to India or some place and make a fortune off the indigent people and come back a hero. Things were often not that simple, and in a military setting, where honor was to play such a huge role, those with feet of clay sometimes lived out their lives if fear of retribution. This story hinges on this.The Crooked Man of the story would normally be seen as less than human (man authors equated ugliness with evil), but it's not so simple as that. There are elements of compassion in this portrayal. The case is a complex one and works very well. Brett and Burke are good as usual. Oh, and there's a large rodent involved. What more could we ask for?

Colonel Barclay is found dead in a room locked from the inside. His wife is also found in the room, having fainted. She is the obvious suspect. Due to his military background Watson encourages Holmes to investigate the matter and Holmes reluctantly agrees.

A fairly intriguing mystery and one typical of the series and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work. Even better is the backstory to everything, a story that comes to light once a certain person of interest is tracked down. The dramatization of this backstory is the highlight of the episode and is very interesting and engaging.

Also good to see Watson taking a more active role. As the case has a large military aspect to it he is more in his element in this episode.

This episode is another one of my favorite adaptations in this great series. Everything about this adaptation is just right. Jeremy Brett and David Burke as Holmes and Watson are perfect and Norman Jones gives a haunting performance in the title role. The production values here are excellent (which is typical for this series). The music by Patrick Gowers is potent. It is a simple, powerful story mixing elements of history and tragedy as it unfolds into a tale of love and survival. Out of all the Holmes mysteries this one is a real sleeper. If there is at least one episode in the Granada Holmes series that you should watch let it be this one.