Latin and London and Love- An Expert Speaks.

by Barbara Poelle

Say it with me:

Benedict Cumberbatch, will you marry me?

Alright, technically since I am already married, I’ll have to offer up someone in utero instead. (Yup, that’s a real Latin term. It means “instead”, like: “They had to assemble the giant sculpture in utero, because it would have been too heavy to move from the workshop."

You’re welcome.)

Okay, I know I am a GIANT nerd, but please tell me that someone out there besides me Sunday night  embraced the sui generis that was the PBS Masterpiece Mystery re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes. (See? That’s another one. Sui generis. It means “goulash of goodness”, like: “This Cosmorita is neither Cosmopolitan nor Margarita, but sui generis: the first and only frosty treat goulashing both.” Oh, yes, and goulashing is also totally acceptable there. And also, totally Latin.)

So OMG, did you not want to just EAT YOUR TELEVISION watching that? So, okay, Benedict Cumberbatch [your brain should insert this sound every time I say his name] plays Holmes and the effervescently irreverent Martin Freeman plays Dr. John Watson and they tackled a variation on the Holmes tale A Study in Scarlet set in a modern day London.

I was aggressively leery when it started- I am a Jeremy Brett fan, and I have been of a school where three things have done so well by me that they should never be modernized: Sherlock Holmes, Jelly shoes, and that game with the hoop and the stick. (It’s easy to play when I am wearing my short pants and this jaunty sailor hat.)But I am changed- CHANGED I tell you! I am sitting here barking and FROTHING, I loved it so much. Yes, yes, there are some fancy jazz-hand devices used, like the on screen visual deconstruction of Sherlock’s thought processes, which I am not sure were totally necessary, but middle management needs their pound of flesh, so fine.   But overall it was a sumptuous, Bacchanalian buffet of quick dialogue, evocative camera wipes, murky filtered lighting and the blank-faced yet feral stares from Benedict Cumberbatch [...] as Holmes.

I am in agony to not see the next two in a timely fashion.  Sunday is Halloween and this hung-over owl costume isn’t going to wear itself. The Sunday after that I am out of the country.  I am morose, bereft, totally ad nauseum (Yep! Latin! It means to feel barfy.)  that I won’t be seeing the second and third  miniseries. I am trying to convince Husband to buy me the box set of all three post haste (No, sorry, not Latin. It’s regular English, meaning “from the mailman who will run as he delivers it”) and he said, “If you can behave yourself.”

What?  I have no idea what he is referring to. Oh, you know what? It miiight have something to do with last night when he wished me good sleepin’ and I said, “I hope so, as long as that [airhorn sound] upstairs keeps her [spring coil bounce noise] mouth closed at 4 in the [old time car horn] morning and I don’t have to go up there and [woodpecker sound] staple her [elephant trunk blast] mouth shut, then yeah, I can see myself having some sweet dreams about you know who.” [...]

But I am sure THAT isn’t what he is referring to.

Comments

[Mark Phialas]

harksa atinla?

[Sarah W]

I always wondered why Sherlock Holmes couldn't be yummy---some actors have given him a sort of untouchable SA (ala Mr. Spock), but not too often and not enough---and with the advent of Robert Downey, Jr. and Mr. Cumberbatch, I feel completely validated (among other things).

Veni, Vidi, Vodka!

[Roy Innes]

"in utero" is more commonly used as medical terminology and means "in the uterus"
Substitute that in your third sentence and reread. Interesting, eh?

[barbara]

hahahahaha Um, Roy? Yes, I put vodka in my cornflakes but having one myself, I am familair with the terminology hahaha. I got a slew of emails about this and I realized that perhaps my humor runs a bit esoteric at times. hahahah

[Tracy Kiely]

Well, I for one have my recording of Sherlock ready to go. A little bit of laundry to fold and a bit of eye candy to watch. Hello Tuesday!! Therefore: "Ergo bibamus" or as we say around these parts at 10 am "Therefore, let us drink"

(Mom and Dad would be so proud at what those 3 years of Latin got me!)

[barbara]

Oooh, Ergo Bibamus!!! I need that stitched on a pillow.

[Tracy Kiely]

A pillow!? I say nay nay! That's what you get tattooed down your arm like Angelina Jolie does.

[Sophie Littlefield]

tattoo or cross-stitch? tattoo *and* cross-stitch, imho! (hi tracy!)

[Tracy Kiely]

Ever the diplomat! Well done Sophie!

[Robert Lewis]

J. Brett will always get my vote, and my love. I watch Sherlock Holmes ad nauseum, and I just really luvthesh*touttaem (that's Latin, for really, REALLY liking something).

e pluribus drinkium!

[Alli]

"in vino veritas"

There is truth in wine (although had vodka been around then it would have been "in vodka veritas")

[Adele]

I'm just happy knowing there is
somebody out there whose name is
Benedict Cumberbatch.

Parva leves capiunt animos: with
slightest trifles little minds
are caught

[Amanda Forester]

Must admit after watching Sherlock Homes I googled Benedict Cumberbatch to find out if he was single. No luck. Did you know they have the full episode available for viewing on the PBS website?

[Sally]

Okay, I confess.
My first thought was, ad astra per alia porci.
Due to my EXTREME bias for Mr. Brett, I found myself grumbling ALL day before the first episode. No, they are going to ruin it. It is going to be as horrid as that movie thing. Why is the BBC torturing me? Is there no God?
Okay, I was wrong. Mea Culpa It was brilliant!!
I loved every adaptation of the canon. Mycroft rules the government. New version, he rules the government because he controls the London video system. Ha! Canon: sherlock explains powers of observation via examination of a watch. New version, almost the same observation but done on a iPhone. Ha! Owner is drunk so there are scratches around the key hole v. owner drunk and scratches around the plug-in hole. Fabulous!!
Mr. Cumberbatch?
Two thumbs up as Sherlock, but is he really a ginger with dyed hair? Eeck! Cucullus non facit monachum.

[Jennifer Null]

WHAT?!?!?! How did I miss this series? Netflixing immediately! I will not believe anyone is as good as Brett until I see it myself, although Robert Downey did have me salivating. (Was super disappointed in Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, though. I wish they would have consulted Carole Nelson Douglas' series for characterization there.)

BTW, totally got the in utero humor. . .