In Enola Holmes, Sherlocks kid sister solves a pretty good case of her own

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most malleable characters in fiction. Like a pasty heap of Yorkshire pudding in the shape of a man, he can be molded into just about anything the changing times demand. A misanthropic action hero (Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes), an acerbic doctor (House), or perhaps most sacrilegious of all, an American immigrant (Elementary). All of these make for fun stories. It’s simply a pleasure watching someone who is very smart and unconcerned with social niceties solve mysteries no one else can seem to crack. But must he and his world be so white and male?

Netflix’s Enola Holmes is the latest attempt to free Sherlock stories of these burdens, or at least one of them. Based on a series of young adult novels by Nancy...

Continue reading…