Сегодня я гуляю по тумблеру

Любопытные заметки по гранадовскому "Человеку с рассеченной губой!

The Man with the Twisted Lip (Granada) Thoughts

I love Watson’s snarky ‘tell him I have disappeared without a trace’ and then his equally snarky comment to Holmes’ about Holmes disappearing without a trace.

Watson’s annoyance at Holmes’ not being available for dinner, settling into a quiet early night, and then showing his annoyance when he hears Mrs. Hudson ushering in a client is a nice character sequence. It is a small thing, but it is that little touches that really humanize a character.

Watson has a number of wonderful momentary character moments and Edward Hardwicke makes the most of them. His unstated, ‘Thanks for leaving the awkward is your husband on drugs question to me, Holmes’ is perfectly played.

‘And you yourself have said that an impressionable woman may be more important than analytical reasoning,’ with the unstated ‘and you can’t argue when I am quoting you’.

Watson asks Holmes’ permission to go to sleep and Holmes’ answers equally seriously as if Watson does, in fact, need Holmes’ permission to sleep.

Jeremy Brett looks like he was having a little too much fun with the infamous foot tap wake-up call. Brett has talked about how much he had to drain his natural exuberance to play Holmes and this was one of the occasions where his actual personality could come into play. Watson is everyone who has dealt with an annoyingly cheerful people too early in the morning.

Watson tells Mr. Whitney that he will pay the bill. Mr. Whitney has been in there for over 48 hours. That is going to be a hefty bill. Watson is not a rich man.

In ACD canon Mrs. Whitney was friends with Watson’s wife. On Granada Isa is a Watson’s friend. Considering Watson’s disapproval of Holmes’ drug use it is interesting that he has a friend who is addicted to opium.

Holmes quietly advising Watson that Mrs. St. Clair is a strong willed woman is yet another instance where we can see Holmes respects strong and intelligent women. Watson is treating her in the chivalrous way a gentleman would normally be expected to treat a woman and Holmes is quietly pointing out that in the case of Mrs. St. Clair treating her with a more equal respect than was usually shown towards a woman would be a better course of action.

When I wrote my post on Mrs. St. Clair I forget to mention the possibility that her conviction that her husband was still alive was based on her unconsciously noticing the similarities between Boone and Neville St. Clair. I also should have mentioned that Neville is horrible to her in the scene when she enlists the police in helping her find her husband.

The scene between Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Whitney is a nice touch. This episode could be included in Mrs. Hudson’s (secular) sainthood application even without Holmes abusing any papers or starting any fires.