Alsaedi 1 Mossab Alsaedi Professor Lynda Haas Writing 37 March 2, 2014 Modern-Day Sherlock Holmes The mystery genre

is that which involves mysteries and crimes and the quest for a solution. There are several mystery genre conventions and ways that mysteries or crimes occur, such as crime, criminals, detective, sidekick, police, etc. Arthur Conan Doyle is one of the writers who established the mystery genre convention. His writings are considered part of the classical mystery genre writings. But one of the most common mystery genre conventions that is found in most of the mystery genre writings is the convention of clues and evidence. Clues and evidence is what every detective and police officer seeks, although detectives do a better job at looking for clues and evidence than police officers. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels, one could see that seeking clues and evidence is an important step that Holmes and Watson take in order to solve a mystery. Modern-day interpretations of the Sherlock Holmes novels are considered part of the revisionist stage of the mystery genre. In one of the modern-day interpretations of the Conan Doyle's Holmes stories, Sherlock, the mystery genre convention of seeking for clues and evidence takes a modern twist that relates to the 21st century audience by using modern technology and modern concepts. Sherlock first aired in 2010, meaning that it is been developed to appeal with the audience of the year 2010. The episode "The Hounds of Baskerville" demonstrates how this specific mystery genre convention developed throughout the years comparing it to the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), which the episode was based on.

Alsaedi 2 The episode "The Hounds of Baskerville" is the second episode in the second season of Sherlock. The episode is based on the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. Both the episode and the novel talk about how Holmes and Watson go to the moor in Devonshire on a quest to know more about the hound. In the episode, Holmes and Watson go to Baskerville, which is a gated area in which experiments are conducted on animals for genetic alteration and enhancement, to investigate the existence of the thought-to-be ferocious hound. On their way to Baskerville, Holmes drives a car with Watson sitting in the passenger seat. The fact that Holmes is driving a car is one of the ways in which one could see how the mystery genre convention was developed. Back when The Hound of the Baskerville was written, people used to go around in carriages using horses. Then, a view of Baskerville is shown from a distance. Baskerville is shown as a vast area with factory smoke pipes and barbwire fences, for this is what the audience would expect such place to look like. Then, closer shots of barbwire fences with the words "Danger" and "Keep Out" are shown with loud sounds of animals in the background. When Holmes and Watson approach the gate, clips of guards with hounds are shown, which is also a modern way used for protection. At that point, the camera blurs the guards and focuses on the rear mirror of the car, which reflects Holmes's face. This could be to show that Holmes is becoming worried when he reaches the gate and finds this much protection. Music that induces tension and anxiety is played in the background as they approach the gate. Upon reaching the gate, the camera zooms in on several things. The camera zooms in on the Baskerville sign, a part of Baskerville's high barbed fences, and a sign that says "Keep Out" and "Authorized Personnel Only". When the camera reaches its maximum in zooming, a loud sound is heard for emphasis and tension. A guard is shown with a security dog. The camera zooms in on the security dog and a loud sound of a dog's growl is

Alsaedi 3 heard. Another guard is shown and then zoomed in on to show a high-tech machine gun that he is holding. The guard later on asks Holmes for his pass and takes an identification card from Holmes. The guard's machine gun, which is zoomed in on for emphasis, and the concept of the access to a private laboratory with an ID were definitely not found in the late 1800s and the early 1900s, which also shows the development. While Holmes explains how he is using his brother's ID card and why, clips of a guard going around Holmes's car with a dog sniffing it. Then later on, a clip of the guard's hand swiping Holmes's ID card on a pad is shown, which allows them access and opens the gate. As Holmes and Watson pass through the gate, the tense music, which consists of fast paced beats, stops playing as a sign of Holmes and Watson's relief for passing the extensive security. When Holmes's stops the car and walks with his companion, shots of steel and metal pipes are shown from Holmes's point of view with music that suits Holmes's observation. In this part, the music is different than that at the gate, which relates to the difference between both situations. Whatever Holmes looks at is shown in slow motion. The pad, which Holmes swipes his card on and the words Access Granted are shown, is shown in several shots of Holmes using his ID card for access through closed doors. Because Holmes and Watson are short on time, a fast paced music is played as they walk down the hallways of Baskerville and go on an elevator down to a lower level. They reach a laboratory that is well lit with several animals in cages. Clips of doctors and scientists walking around with fancy laboratory equipment and exiting cleanrooms are shown, which implies how highly technological Baskerville is. Zooming in on those things in the scene mentioned above is a way that the director wants the audience to see things from Holmes's point of view. It is also a way to show Holmes's ability to observe and deduce things by looking closely at them.

Alsaedi 4 Comparing the novel to the episode, it could be inferred that there were several changes that occurred in the ways that Holmes and Watson looked for clues and evidence to make the story that the episode is based on up to date. In the episode, Holmes and Watson use a car to drive to Baskerville. Whereas, in the novel, Watson goes to Devonshire by train, which would probably be a coal train due to the year the novel was written in. Holmes and Watson are confronted by guards with hounds and machine guns and are asked for the pass, which turns out to be an ID card. This shows different modern technologies and means of protection and safety. Instead of Watson living in Baskerville Hall and Holmes investigating from a hut on the tor, they both go looking for clues and evidence by driving to a high-tech genetic alteration laboratory and using an ID card to get access after going through intensive security. Another thing that would show the difference is the automated text message that was sent to Mycroft. Text messages are modern ways of communication. In the novel, the only means of long distance communication is communicating using the telegraph. In summation, due to the popularity of the mystery genre throughout the years, the mystery genre conventions had to be updated to match the expectations of its audience. In the episode "The Hounds of Baskerville", the mystery genre convention of looking for clues and evidence takes a modern twist to cope with the 21st century audience. Holmes and Watson have to investigate Baskerville, which is a high-tech laboratory facility, by using an ID card to get access. On the other hand, Holmes investigates the hound from a hut on a tor away from Baskerville Hall in The Hound of the Baskervilles.

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Works Cited: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902). Arthur Conan Doyle. "The Hounds of Baskerville" from Sherlock (BBC). http://bakerstreet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Hounds_of_Baskerville http://hannahlovescomedy.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/conventions-of-fantasymystery-films/ http://www.youtube.com/user/DaVegaFilmstudies/videos?live_view=500&flow=grid&sort=dd &view=0