Forget 'Sherlock,' This 154-Episode Detective Series Did Sherlock Holmes Better

Published Sep 30, 2026, 7:52 PM EDT

Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with extensive experience. Collier, or “CJ” to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy, and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. With his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he’s tackled a wide variety of articles.

Certain characters, like James Bond or Spider-Man, have often been reimagined in different forms of media throughout the years. One character that’s thrived the most is Sherlock Holmes. Whether it’s Young Sherlock, which explores the legendary detective’s younger years, or Without a Clue, which bases its humor on the fact that his longtime associate Dr. Watson is the actual brains behind the operation, there’s no shortage of Holmes stories. Some would argue that the BBC’s ***Sherlock ***is the definitive version, as it brought Holmes into the modern era and catapulted **Benedict Cumberbatch **into superstardom. However, **there’s another modern-day take on Holmes’ adventures **that’s worth watching.

We’re talking, of course, about Elementary. First making its debut on CBS in 2012, *Elementary *also filters the Sherlock Holmes mythos through a modern lens. It takes some major swings in terms of how it depicts certain characters, particularly Holmes (Johnny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu). In this take, Dr. Joan Watson is hired by Holmes’ father to serve as his sober companion in New York. Very soon, Holmes starts helping the NYPD solve crimes, with Watson eventually developing her own skills as a detective. Though it was initially met with skepticism, *Elementary *quickly became one of the more enduring interpretations of Sherlock Holmes.

From its very first episode, *Elementary *proved that it was more than willing to shake up what fans knew about Sherlock Holmes. While Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories briefly touched upon the fact that Holmes partook in drugs, *Elementary *showcased the toll they took on his life, including how they cost him his position as a consultant for Scotland Yard. Watson’s partnership with Sherlock also drastically changes, as she eventually becomes his partner in crime solving and later a detective in her own right. She even launches her own detective agency in Season 3, solving cases on her own. Even the shift to New York manages to keep the flair of Holmes’ classic cases while also fitting into the procedural formula of CBS’s more popular shows.

Elementary saved its biggest, and arguably its best twist, for the end of Season 1. Holmes’ drug issues stem from the supposed murder of his girlfriend Irene Adler by the criminal mastermind Moriarty, which makes things personal when Moriarty resurfaces to torment the detective. While things look up for Holmes when he reunites with Irene, it’s eventually revealed that** Irene is Moriarty. Combining Sherlock Holmes’ greatest love and his greatest enemy was a wild swing for *Elementary *to take, but it works thanks to Natalie Dormer’s unpredictable and utterly chilling performance as Moriarty.

Four criminal masterminds. One of them was always going to be yours. Here is who comes for you, why they picked you out of everyone available, and what they want from

Your nemesis does not want to beat you. He wants to know you completely, and he is patient enough to wait for it. The frightening part is how good the conversation is.

Your nemesis is not after money, territory or revenge. He is after a demonstration, and you are the person he has chosen to prove his point on.

Your nemesis respects you, which sounds flattering until you work out what it means. He chose you because nobody else was worth his time.

Your nemesis has no personal interest in you whatsoever, and that is precisely what makes him unsurvivable. You are not a rival. You are a stop on the way.

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