Simon Willison’s Weblog

How could Sherlock be improved?

12th January 2012

My answer to How could Sherlock be improved? on Quora

Watson needs to be more competent. Jude Law’s Watson is significantly more useful than Martin Freeman’s—Watson is a military man and a doctor, and is hence useful for far more than just bumbling around with a quizzical expression and updating his blog.

Irene Adler is supposed to be the only woman to ever outwit Holmes. She shouldn’t need to get all of her ideas from the consulting criminal Moriarty, and she definitely shouldn’t need Holmes to rescue her.