The Six Napoleons

The Six Napoleons is one of my favorite from the Return cases, the others are The Empty House and Devil's Foot. I like this episode especially because of its lighter and funnier atmosphere.Holmes, Watson and Lestrade make such a cool trio!I love their conversation besides the fire, it makes me laugh every time I see it.All three actors are awesome in it, and it shines through that they enjoy each other's company so much. I think Colin Jeavons was an excellent choice for the role of Inspector Lestrade, he does such a wonderful job!My opinion is that he gives his best in this episode and in The Norwood Builder.Jeremy Brett told in an interview he loved to work with Colin Jeavons and they liked each other. Another thing I like in this episode is the tablecloth trick of Holmes.It is not easy at all!

The Six Napoleons is highly recommended to cheer up one's day and have a good laugh in addition to the exciting investigation.

The Six Napoleons is easily one of the best of "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" series, and one I have seen five times over the past three weeks, finding something new to love and admire every time. For instance if you love Holmes, Watson and Lestrade together you are in heaven as their scenes in The Six Napoleons are the best and funniest of the entire series especially the humbug exchange, the build up to the final denouncement and the scene where Lestrade shares his theory about the busts smashing. The story may not be the most interesting in hindsight, but what is done with the story here is what makes the episode so remarkable. The Six Napoleons is well paced, suspenseful, funny, exciting and always compelling, while there are some absolutely brilliant episodes other than this one not many have all five of those qualities and so well in the way The Six Napoleons has. Once again, it is superbly made, evocative in atmosphere and meticulous in detail. The music is hauntingly beautiful, and the writing is droll and intelligent. Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke and Colin Jeavons couldn't have been more perfect as Holmes, Watson and Lestrade, Brett is commanding, Hardwicke is composed and quietly intelligent and Jeavons is a comic joy(his Chiswick explanation is yet another little thing I loved about the episode) and gives perhaps his best performance of the episodes he starred in. The supporting cast also give good performances, in Jeffrey Gardiner's case as Sandeford, great. Overall, such a fun episode. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The Six Napoleans is one of the best known Sherlock Holmes stories, possibly because it is an exquisitely clever work. It has been made many times, and this, by far and away is the best version. The acting is sublime, particularly the serious performance by Eric Sykes, who shines through, not just a comic actor. The Italian side of the story is fantastic, adding a wonderful tone of theatre and drama, it adds to the story. I've read it many times, and in my mind's eye, this is exactly how I picture it. I love the touches of humour throughout, there is a great mixture of humour and drama. I love the scene where Holmes, Watson and Lestrade are waiting to catch the killer, it is very humorous. I love the whole idea of the black Borgia pearl too, such a great story.

Wonderfully theatrical, the quintessential version. 9/10

This is one of the better known stories. A number of plaster figures of Napoleon have been smashed by someone. It would appear to be burglary, but nothing much has been taken. It's not a fetish. No one has been harmed until one day that ends with a murder. The best part of this offering is the byplay between Holmes and Inspector LeStrade who plays Hamilton Burger to Holmes' Perry Mason. He's always wrong, but he has the best of intentions. Holmes is perpetually disappointed by the police and their ineptness, but not as bad in the original stories as they are in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Holmes episodes. In this, while LeStrade comes up with some pretty preposterous theories, Holmes doesn't overtly abuse him. They actually work together well and LeStrade actually pays him a great compliment, telling him how significant his contributions are to Scotland Yard. The problem at this time, of course, is that the fine points of detection had not been really used. Scotland Yard was as much a political entity as a police force. That aside, Holmes suspect that the Napoleon bust must have some existence beyond the mere acts of vandalism. Apparently, LeStrade all but disappears from the canon after this story. He is a much more human character in the Granada series (as is Watson) and as a true fan, I really appreciate that.

This is one of the very best performances by Mr. Jeremy Brett. We usually see Sherlock Holmes cold as ice with no emotions to the persons involved in any case and merely treats them as subjects. However, human side of Holmes surfaces at the end of this episode when Inspector Lestrade Played nicely by Mr. Colin Jeavons admires him from the bottom of his heart that moves Holmes almost to watery eyes. Many have played Sherlock Holmes ; but Mr. Brett lived Sherlock Holmes with equal contribution by Mr. Edward Hardwicke as Dr. Watson and their on screen chemistry was flawless. I understand in real life too, they were good friends.