A Scandal in Belgravia

The brilliant BBC series Sherlock has served up a second batch of episodes (three more, just like the first run) that has just now been broadcast in America. Those first three 90-minute episodes were some of my favorite entertainment I saw all year -- in film or television -- and I'm thrilled to finally see more.

For those who have not yet heard about this series, it stars Benedict Cumberbatch (villain of the upcoming Star Trek movie) as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman (Bilbo of the upcoming two Hobbit films, in addition to appearing in the original incarnation of The Office, and the film Love Actually) as John Watson. The spirit and adventure of the classic Sherlock Holmes tales has been updated to the present day; the series even takes particular plot points from Arthur Conan Doyle's original writing and weaves them into a new narrative that's thrilling and intelligent.

The first of the new episodes brings a notable character from the original stories into the mix, one also portrayed in the recent Hollywood Holmes films, Irene Adler. The character is realized here as a wonderfully cunning foil for Holmes, able to manipulate him with razor-sharp wit and even sharper sexuality. The story unfolds over the course of a year, with very clever writing indicating the passage of time without ever needing to resort to any "months later" expository text on screen. The case is satisfying and complex, and the resolution entertaining.

But, as before, the main draw of Sherlock is the wonderful acting. The interaction between Cumberbatch and Freeman is top notch. Recurring guest stars Una Stubbs (as Mrs. Hudson) and series co-creator Mark Gatiss (as Mycroft) add wonderfully droll accents to story. And Lara Pulver is added to the mix as Irene Adler, and almost steals the show.

The show remains as wonderful as it was in its first brilliant season. This first episode gets an A from me, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next two.