#coules holmes

[the-guilty-monographer]

Started listening to the Bert Coules radio adaptation and I quite enjoy it. Currently listening to the Lion's Mane and it has everything:

A sassy retired detective. A grumpy old doctor that returns the sass. Bees. Toffee apples. Holmes and Watson teasing each other about their respective writings.

Full quote this is based on under the cut

Holmes: L-A-M-A. One L. You spelt it with two. Watson: I did nothing of the sort! H: Well, if not you, the typesetter of the Strand. W: Oh dear. H: You're familiar with the word? W: Enough to know that it's not exactly appropriate. An animal, isn't it? H: Mhm. A sort of mountain goat, popular for its skin and its milk. I don't believe they have heads. W: Of course they have heads! H: Not in the hierarchical sense, they don't. W: I spent some time with the head mountain goat…oh God.

[janistarred]

Just listened to the bbc radio adaptation of the devil’s foot and uh

Bert Coules I have some fucking words for you

[cackled0g]

The granada adaptation of abbey grange gets talked about a lot for the scene where Holmes calls Watson "gentleMAN of the jury", and rightfully so, but we should really appreciate the Coules adaptation more for the way Watson calls Holmes "my lord" in response? Their endless devotion to each other... Ough I need to sit down...

[holmesoverture]

Sink or Ship - Audio Holmes (Clive Merrison & Michael Williams)

No, this is not an April Fool’s Day joke, this is a Real Genuine Addition to my long-dormant Sink or Ship series! :D

For reference: I’ve listened to ten of the BBC Radio 4 series of Sherlock Holmes programs.  Bert Coules is the writer most associated with the series, but to give credit where credit’s due, some episodes were written by Peter Mackie, and others by Vincent McInerney.  And yes, I know Andrew Sachs took over as Watson after Williams died, but I haven’t heard any of his episodes, so I can’t tell you whether or not the dynamic changed.

This is one of the easiest possible versions to ship.  If you are on the verge of shipping but aren’t sure, or you want something where the subtext is so blatant even your mom is bound to notice, this is the adaptation for you.

As in the books, Watson constantly risks the annoyance of his wife to hang out with Holmes.  The ending of The Blue Carbuncle is probably the most obvious display of this.  Even on Christmas Eve when he and his wife have guests, Watson is more than happy to charge out the door to Holmes’ aid.  As for Holmes, he clearly wants to spend at least part of the holiday with Watson but can’t bring himself to ask.  He does, however, easily accept Watson’s lame-ass excuse for why he should spend Christmas morning at Baker Street instead of going home to Mary.  But hey, why am I telling you about it when I can link you to a clip of the relevant moment?

Speaking of Mary, she is extremely tolerant of Watson’s absences.  In The Red-Headed League, it’s practically explicit: Watson recounts how, after once again abandoning her without warning to investigate a case, Mary remarked that he only married her to hide the fact that his heart belongs to Holmes.  Mary knows what’s up and is 100% cool with it. Heck, the only reason she objects to Watson inviting Holmes to dinner in The Boscombe Valley Mystery is because she knows Holmes well enough that he won’t come, and Watson sadly concedes her point.  Given events in A Scandal in Bohemia (which I’ll discuss in a minute), I think it’s fair to say Holmes refuses the Watsons’ dinner invitations because he’s still having trouble reconciling himself to their marriage.

Personally, I don’t feel like this Holmes and Watson ever got the chance to be together as anything more than close friends.  I know it’s radio, so the actors have to exaggerate their tones to compensate for the lack of visual, but whenever Holmes and Watson get a private moment together, their every inflection just screams PAIN and UNREQUITED LONGING, as though one or the other or both allowed their fears of discovery to stand in the way of any potential romance.

That would certainly explain the beginning of A Scandal in Bohemia, where Watson gives the usual spiel about Holmes hating emotion, only for the show to cut to Holmes and Watson in the midst of a blazing, wildly emotional row about whether marriage—specifically Watson’s—is a good idea.  Watson then mentions he and Holmes drifted apart following the marriage, and when they finally meet again, they’re awkward with each other at the start and at the conclusion of Watson’s visit, as if not sure how the other will react.

All of this, to me, points to some unresolved romantic tension between the two, which just makes the “I am lost without my Boswell” line even worse.  There’s such a strong sense of wanting but not having that I’m glad these personal moments are few and far between; I don’t think I could handle this show if they happened in every episode.

SINK OR SHIP?: Does it count as shipping if I don’t think they ever actually get together?

[cackled0g]

The scene in the Coules adaptation of SCAN where Watson is calmly narrating the opening shit like "All emotions and that one in particular were abhorrent to his logical mind," and it cuts to him and Holmes having a row. I just imagine Holmes sitting cross-armed in his chair like "I will never marry-" "HA! I'd like to see the woman that would take you!" "[More scornfully] Lest I bias my judgement." Send post.

[cackled0g]

Visit Original Link

He's so hot for this for real

[cackled0g]

I haven't actually read The Sign of Four yeat so I guess I just assumed that Holmes and Watson were on decent terms throughout. Aside from the pretty infamous watch scene, which Granada didn't adapt in their production of it, the only other adaptation I've seen of TSoF, where Holmes is pretty blatantly but at least unintentionally cruel, I didn't know much about their personal interactions. If this adaptation is especially faithful it goes to show just how dark Holmes’s moods can get--he's downright mean to Watson. Coming off of Adventures, where the downspirals are only really referenced and not shown, it certainly paints a picture of Holmes that's sadly familiar to my bipolar ass.

[holmesoverture]

I’m listening to the Coules version of A Scandal in Bohemia and I don’t know how it ends but it’s already one of my favorite Irene Adlers ever.  She puts on a man’s suit and calls it her “walking clothes” and insists the flabbergasted king go walking with her dressed like that.  And then she further insists he KISS HER while she’s dressed like that.  She is amazing and I love her.  The end.