Sherlock Holmes is a character so famous you’d expect every inch of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective to have been covered by now. Yet Sherlock & Daughter gives us something new.
In late 19th-century London, Sherlock (David Thewlis) is a man caught in an unfamiliar situation. He’s a world-renowned detective, but he’s unable to solve crimes. Part of this has been forced upon him, such as the missing persons cases around town that Sherlock is forbidden from investigating, lest an unseen enemy harm his captive housekeeper, Mrs Hudson, and best friend, Watson. Complicating the situation is the arrival on the doorstep of 221 Baker Street, of a young Native American woman named Amelia Rojas (Blu Hunt) who claims to be his daughter – a prospect the famed detective refuses to entertain.
Amelia Rojas (Blu Hunt) and Sherlock (David Thewlis). Credit: Starlings Entertainment
This forced inertia is a side of Sherlock brought brilliantly to life by Thewlis. With Sherlock Holmes named by Guinness World Records as , Thewlis has a challenge making his performance stand out from the before him. His Sherlock is not a wisecracking bohemian like Robert Downey Jr.'s, nor the awkward and often cold character portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. He remains sharply intelligent, but Thewlis’ Sherlock is also irritable, sarcastic and emotionally guarded. His personal life is another mystery in Sherlock & Daughter, and Thewlis’s endearing portrayal provides the hook to want to solve it.
Then there’s the “& Daughter” half of the title, which falls on Hunt’s Amelia. The disappearance of Sherlock’s housekeeper and assistant provides an opening in the detective’s inner circle, which Amelia immediately fills. Under the public guise of his new scullery maid, Amelia is taken under Sherlock’s wing, eager to learn detective skills from the master, which will enable her to solve the mysteries in her own life. As it turns out, Amelia has a lot to offer in this department. Along with being bold and charming, she has an innate investigative prowess that makes her a natural fit for Sherlock’s offspring (whether he believes it to be true or not).
Amelia Rojas (Blu Hunt). Credit: Starlings Entertainment
Together, Sherlock and Amelia are two halves that create a unique whole. Part of the charm of Sherlock & Daughter is watching Amelia’s modern and American sensibilities brush up against Sherlock’s stiff and undeniably British nature. It’s a dynamic also reflected behind the screen via the duo of Irish series creator Brendan Foley () and American showrunner James Duff (Major Crimes). The series’ diversity is a strength that takes it beyond the traditional Victorian-era Holmes and Watson duo, infusing it with additional cultural perspectives and a more progressive dynamic.
Adding to that is a new facet of the character that has remained untouched onscreen, even with the hundreds of Sherlock Holmes portrayals over the years: fatherhood. Despite being a father of five himself, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not make this part of Sherlock’s life. It’s well known that Doyle had a complex relationship with his fictional creation (which is documented in Killing Sherlock: Lucy Worsley on the Case of Conan Doyle, coming to SBS and SBS On Demand on May 29), but the choice to make Sherlock a father figure is a creative liberty that anchors Sherlock & Daughter.
It’s this mystery of parenthood that is the greatest challenge for Sherlock in the series. Though that’s not to say this detective story doesn’t have plenty of criminal cases to crack. Sherlock has multiple mysteries vying for his attention, but none more critical than the ominous Red Thread, a shady syndicate responsible for kidnapping the family members of important figures in town, such as Clara Anderson (Gia Hunt) the daughter of the American ambassador, whom Amelia befriends on the voyage to London in the opening episode.
Multiple mysteries face Sherlock (David Thewlis). Credit: Starlings Entertainment
Along with this, the detective is contending with the disappearance of Watson and the murder of Amelia’s mother, which are all somehow connected by these threatening red threads. The introduction of his famed nemesis Moriarty (Dougray Scott) and the scorned Lady Violet (Fiona Glascott) only adds to Sherlock’s mounting problems, and with the detective prohibited from publicly investigating the Red Threads, this is where Amelia’s arrival in London becomes a convenient partnership.
Sherlock & Daughter maintains a fine balance of procedural and personal. Quirks like on-screen graphics explaining Sherlock’s deductions aren’t new for the murder mystery genre (or Sherlock Holmes adaptations for that matter), but they add a sense of ease to the show’s puzzles, making for a modern and accessible crime thriller. Nevertheless, Sherlock Holmes is not an enigma that can be so easily unravelled by superimposed text, making this eight-episode series one that must be completely consumed to discover all the answers.
Sherlock & Daughter airs Thursdays on SBS, starting 9.30pm May 8. New episodes will also arrive each Thursday at SBS On Demand, with episode 1 streaming now.
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Sherlock & Daughter
