The Crooked Man

Despite the Sherlock Holmes Stories being timeless in their narrative of an intricate mind at work, Arthur Conan Doyle was in fact writing for the British public. By giving some of them a fixed place in British history he stimulated interest from his readers all the more.

The Crooked Man begins when Holmes and Watson are summoned by the acting commander of a regiment that had been posted to India. It's the proverbial locked door mystery. The regiment's late colonel is lying dead with a look of horror on his face and his wife in a dead faint. She hasn't awakened from her swoon, but it is certain she will be charged with her husband's murder as there was a large cut on the back of his neck, the blunt instrument trauma. The new commander hopes that scandal to the regiment's name can be averted.

The fixed place in British history this story starts with is during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. This is when the native Indian soldiers rose against the British occupiers and it was put down, but bloodily. Our victim was a hero during that uprising, he was a man in the ranks and got a commission and eventually became the commanding officer. He also married the regimental sergeant major's daughter.

Holmes of course solves the mystery and I won't reveal, but let's say that our colonel was not what he seemed and another man suffered dreadfully for his ambition. Jeremy Brett and David Burke are the usual intrepid duo of Holmes and Watson and Norman Jones is unforgettable in the title role. And remember the title.

This is a wonderfully clever murder mystery, multi layered and deeply intricate. Holmes and Watson are called in to a locked door mystery, the death of a respected Colonel Barclay, with his suspected wife, the delicate and lovely Nancy found unconscious next to him. Naturally there is so much more to this case then that basic premise, the case is deep and full of intrigue, Holmes needs to be at his very best to discover the truth.

Norman Jones gives one of the most memorable performances in the show's history as Henry Wood, a tormented soul, broken-hearted and full of torment, he is fantastic. I'd also give a note on the performance of Shelagh Stephenson as the maid Jane, she does a great job when her character is quizzed by Holmes. I must admit to being fond of Burke in these early episodes. Brett is wonderfully exuberant, energised and at the height of his majesty here.

Naturally it boasts impeccable production values, the sets and costumes are spot on, the whole thing looks and feels very slick, it moves at an enjoyable pace.

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

Dead Colonel in locked room with wife...fainted not killed and in custody mongoose is a ferret

A regimental commander and his wife are overheard by their staff arguing. However, the door to the room they're in is locked and a servant needed to go outside and climb through a window. Once inside, he found the Colonel dead and his wife in some sort of coma. Oddly, the door is locked still...and they cannot locate a key...and a key was not found on the Colonel nor his wife! Watson asks Holmes to investigate and the trail leads to a man with a crooked back and his 'mongoose' pet.

While these Sherlock Holmes episodes with Jeremy Brett are the best Holmes stories ever made, in this case they do make a silly mistake...the mongoose you see is clearly a Ferret. The animals come from different continents and a ferret is usually a very sweet animal that makes a decent pet...and I assume the cobra-killing mongoose isn't so friendly towards people.

As for the mystery, it is very interesting and memorable...and, as it turns out, wasn't a murder at all. See the story and see what I mean.

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?