The Enola Holmes Series

[SeanC]

A success for Netflix, then.

[Kromm]

I just read the book(s) and it's an interesting compare/contrast.  I put it that way because the overall premise and rough outline actually is preserved, but countless details, including MAJOR character and plot notes are very different.  I wouldn't say either the book or movie is better or worse, because they BOTH work as stories, but they're very different when you drill down on things.  I say "books" because I did plow through all of them in the past few weeks, and there ARE a few elements of the movie that aren't touched upon until later books.  Consequently I'm only going to speak about things, for ANY of the books, in general terms, if they might potentially spoil later movies.

Just a FEW of the differences. A full list would be too big.

Enola is younger in the book. So big surprise. It's pretty standard that movies up the ages from children's books.  Tewskbury is MUCH younger.  He's a child. This is connected to him not being a "romantic" plot in any way.

Eudoria's reasons for leaving are quite different.  In a way they make much more sense.  Note that Enola is not left on her own in the same way in the books.  They have servants, and it's made fairly clear that she's meant to be taken care of by her brothers, at least in the short term. Eudoria DOES leave her hidden money in the books as well, but I think it's implied that's to give Enola options at whatever point in the future she needs it.  Also, Eudoria and Enola's relationship is much more distant in the books.  Eudoria is not this idealized super mom in them.  Arguably she isn't in the movie either, since we could argue the harshness of her leaving in it removes her from Mom of the Year territory, but conversely her eventually realized reason for leaving (not revealed till much later on, so it's definitely spoilery of later books, even if it won't likely apply to the movies) is far less selfish seeming.  Enough said about it though.

Tied in with Eudoria being less of the super mom, Enola has far far less skills in the books.

Sherlock is more of a dick, and Mycroft arguably less of one, than their respective movie versions.

As I said, there's far more that differs.  This is just to help note how different the books are, while not knocking them.

[ribboninthesky1]

On 10/11/2020 at 9:28 AM, Mabinogia said:

While I enjoyed the movie I think the plot was absolute dreck.

Yeah, I had to hand wave a lot of the plot.  But by the time Enola had the Marquess going back to the family home knowing that a family member fully intended to murder him, I threw my hands up.  I'm not really sure what she thought would happen.  It would have been an interesting, albeit sad, twist if the Marquess really died to Enola's poor decision.  But hey, all's well that ends well.      

I feel like Netflix original films tend to meander about 30 minutes longer than they should.   This one was no exception.  I found the Eudoria mystery more interesting, and while I appreciated the social commentary surrounding the Reform Bill, I started to lose interest when Enola willfully abandoned her pursuit of Eudoria to help the sheepish, handsome young male.  The two actors were adorable, I just didn't care.  

Still, Brown was great and carried the film.    

On 9/28/2020 at 5:23 PM, ursula said:

Edith was definitely a scene-stealer. She and Cavill vibed off each other extremely well in their one scene. I'm not usually someone who spots chemistry - still not convinced it isn't partially subjective - but I picked up on their own.

This was my favorite scene of the film. Not just because of the aforementioned chemistry, but it's satisfying that Edith read him like a book. Her line about Sherlock's lack of interest in politics because he's never known what it is to be without power and the world as it exists suits him so well was spot on and more pointed social commentary.  I thought her summary of the Holmes family was hilariously concise as well - a lost child, a puffed up misanthrope, a revolutionary, and....Sherlock.  Ha!    

[Brn2bwild]

This was so cute.  I suspect it's one of those movies that would have gotten overlooked at the box office, but was able to find an audience thanks to distribution by Netflix.

Also, for those who have seen The Age of Innocence, Henry Cavill looked so much like a young Daniel Day Lewis in that movie.  I could not stop looking at him.

Edited November 8, 2020 by Brn2bwild

[Featherhat]

So this is apparently by week to discover Susan Wokoma. She turned what could have been a very frustrating character in "Truth Seekers" into a genuinely moving and hilarious one and she's definitely delightful in this. 

[MisterGlass]

Finally saw this.  It was cute.  I'm not familiar with this book series, but based on the trailer this was very much what I thought it would be.  If there are more made I will probably watch them.  The plot was definitely dodging some holes, but it moved briskly enough and was sufficiently charming to keep me engaged.  I agree it could have been shorter.

Millie Bobby Brown did very well as lead, and I liked seeing the character stumble as much as she succeeded.  I was hoping to see her set up at Baker Street by the end, but it worked out okay.  I rolled my eyes a little at the teen romance, but there was respect on both sides and they both had their good points.

On 10/22/2020 at 8:28 PM, Kromm said:

Also, Eudoria and Enola's relationship is much more distant in the books.  Eudoria is not this idealized super mom in them.

This is probably more in keeping with having two sons like Mycroft and Sherlock.  I thought they were setting up Mycroft as the villain, but the grandmother was interesting.  Mycroft is instead the proper bureaucrat.  I thought it was odd that they referred to him as less gifted than Sherlock since in the Doyle canon that isn't the case.  Another notable change is the absence of a Watson in Sherlock's life.  Traditionally Watson is the window into Sherlock that lets the reader/viewer see his human side.  It seems Enola will play that role here, to the extent that Sherlock will appear.

I thought Henry Cavill was fine as Sherlock.  He's a supporting character/mentor here, so I didn't expect great emotions or revelations from him.  He was expressive when the moment called for it.  He was positively warm compared to some versions of the character.  This universe puts him in the position of not just younger brother but middle child, and that's an interesting dynamic.  I agree the scene with Susan Wokoma was good, and I liked the laugh of surprise and delight after his conversation with Lestrade.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I finally got around to watching this and it was as fun as I expected. I knew MBB was a strong actress from seeing her on Stranger Things but it was a nice change to see her in a completely different role. This was an entertaining movie and most of that is due to MBB.

Like many others have said previously, I don't get the appeal of Henry Cavill. Maybe I just haven't seen him in the right role yet, but to me he's a blandly attractive guy with good but not great acting skills. He's fine but I don't understand his massive popularity.

On 9/28/2020 at 2:11 PM, Irlandesa said:

Edith (Susie Wokoma) also stars in another period detective comedy that takes place in the Victorian era called Year of The Rabbit so I was happy to see her here.

 

On 11/9/2020 at 12:58 AM, Featherhat said:

So this is apparently by week to discover Susan Wokoma. She turned what could have been a very frustrating character in "Truth Seekers" into a genuinely moving and hilarious one and she's definitely delightful in this. 

She will always be Cynthia from Chewing Gum to me but I loved her in Year of the Rabbit too. It's always great to see someone like her pop up on different shows. She really makes the most of her scenes, no matter how show minor her role is.

[snickers]

On 9/24/2020 at 2:00 PM, festivus said:

He was fine but I don't get the hype with this dude. He's nice looking but he's always just okay. OTOH, I've never been that impressed with Sam Claflin either but I thought he was very good as the rigid douchcanoe,

Ok, Henry Cavill might not be the BEST actor, but my god, he is SOOOO fine to look at, he was especially nice to look at when he was on the Tudors.  And his acting to me, is better than say some of the other big names like Chris Hemsworth who to me, is just okay acting wise, and Henry Cavil imo is the better looking person if we are going to strictly go by looks here

 

As for Sam Claffin, I recommend watching the movie, The Nightingale, if you think he was a good douchcanoe in Enola Holmes.....

 

I thought this movie was good, but, kinda long? I would like to see a sequel, because i didn't like the way it ended...to open ended????

[Perfect Xero]

I thought that Cavill was solid in this film, I think that casting Superman to play the part works with Enola's perception of her brother at the start of the tilm as this hero figure, I liked the way he played the scene where Sherlock is called out on his "politics don't interest me" stance.

[SeanC]

Netflix formally announces the sequel plans.

Edited May 13, 2021 by SeanC

[AimingforYoko]

No Mycroft?

[Kromm]

20 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

No Mycroft?

Maybe Henry Cavill ate the budget? 

[Perfect Xero]

I would assume that they're just announcing Brown and Cavill up front because they're the two biggest stars, I'd expect most of the main supporting cast to be back

[Ravenya003]

As a book reader, I really hope they bring in Cecily Alistair, AND make her more central a character than the books did.

[Sarah 103]

On 11/15/2020 at 11:10 PM, MisterGlass said:

Traditionally Watson is the window into Sherlock that lets the reader/viewer see his human side.  It seems Enola will play that role here, to the extent that Sherlock will appear.

Watson isn't part of this story (and by story I mean this specific movie. I haven't read the book series so I have no idea what role Watson plays in them). My guess (and apologies if this comes off as fan fiction) was that Sherlock told Watson he had to leave and deal with a family situation. While the action of the movie is happening, Watson is at 221B Baker Street doing stuff. (I have no idea what Watson's hobbies are. Maybe he goes to the theater or belongs to some sort of club that he would go to. I could also picture him writing/preparing some case summaries for publication). If I have totally misunderstood what you mean, I am sorry. It would not be the first time that has happened.

I think your sentence "to the extent that Sherlock will appear" is critical and important. My guess is that Sherlock will refer cases that he does want to take on for any number of reasons to his younger sister. I picture Sherlock appearing in 10-15 minutes of each movie. Ultimately, this is not Sherlock's story, this is Enola's. He is not going to play a major role in these movies, because then it will be his story and not hers and it would be too easy for him to overshadow her. I could picture a version of this series where you have a Sherlock story and an Enola story, and somehow the cases are connected, or when they meet to discuss the different they are working on, each helps the other. Sherlock would play a larger role in the movies, but not in Enola's story.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. I look forward to the sequels.

Edited July 5, 2021 by Sarah 103

[MisterGlass]

14 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

My guess (and apologies if this comes off as fan fiction) was that Sherlock told Watson he had to leave and deal with a family situation. While the action of the movie is happening, Watson is at 221B Baker Street doing stuff.

That's entirely possible.  My thought was that if Watson existed in this universe he would have been mentioned, but it may be he is off being a doctor or writing stories during the events of the movie.

14 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I picture Sherlock appearing in 10-15 minutes of each movie.

That's a likely scenario.  I would like to see more of mentor relationship between the two of them.

[Sarah 103]

On 7/5/2021 at 3:19 PM, MisterGlass said:

I would like to see more of mentor relationship between the two of them.

That's exactly what I want. Enola should be the one solving the case and doing the bulk of the work. The last thing I want is for Sherlock to swoop in at the end and solve the case. It would be great if they have a regular meeting (tea, lunch, dinner) during which he gives her a hint if she needs one and points her in the right direction. He asks her a question and that sparks something and ultimately helps her solve the case.

[ferjy]

On 10/3/2020 at 7:48 PM, callie lee 29 said:

My only annoyance (other than Eudora abandoning her daughter on her birthday) was Mycroft.  He was such a douche.  I know this is more canonical but I liked the more recent Mycroft of the BBC Sherlock. 

And a shame they made Sam Claflin such a geek when he’s gorgeous in real life. At least we had the hunky Henry Cavill to drool over. 

 

[ferjy]

On 11/15/2020 at 11:10 PM, MisterGlass said:

Traditionally Watson is the window into Sherlock that lets the reader/viewer see his human side.  It seems Enola will play that role here, to the extent that Sherlock will appear.

 

On 7/6/2021 at 4:42 PM, Sarah 103 said:

That's exactly what I want. Enola should be the one solving the case and doing the bulk of the work. The last thing I want is for Sherlock to swoop in at the end and solve the case. It would be great if they have a regular meeting (tea, lunch, dinner) during which he gives her a hint if she needs one and points her in the right direction. He asks her a question and that sparks something and ultimately helps her solve the case.

That sounds a likely scenario. In an interview, Henry Cavill said (paraphrasing) that they wanted to stress it is Enola’s story, not Sherlock’s, and he is more of a side character here. There to support her and to show his more human side. He’s more sensitive with Enola but back to his usual emotionless self with others.

 

[ferjy]

On 12/4/2020 at 9:30 PM, snickers said:

he is SOOOO fine to look (Henry Cavill)

lol So true. He does command the screen. Enola who? 😄

 

[ferjy]

On 11/29/2020 at 8:55 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I loved her in Year of the Rabbit too. It's always great to see someone like her pop up on different shows. She really makes the most of her scenes, no matter how show minor her role is.

I’m finding this too. I was gutted when they cancelled the 2nd season of Year of the Rabbit, it was so much fun, and I thought Susan Wokoma was particularly good in it, as she was here. I’ll have to look out for her in other shows.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2021 by ferjy

[Cherpumple]

5 hours ago, ferjy said:

I thought Susan Wokoma was particularly good in it, as she was here. I’ll have to look out for her in other shows.

I can recommend one for you! She's in a show called Crazyhead from 2016, which is on Netflix (it's only 6 episodes). She plays a demon hunter who teams up with another girl to fight off various baddies, which is not usually my thing, but it's funny and quirky and fun to watch around Halloween.

[ferjy]

18 hours ago, Cherpumple said:

I can recommend one for you! She's in a show called Crazyhead from 2016, which is on Netflix (it's only 6 episodes). She plays a demon hunter who teams up with another girl to fight off various baddies, which is not usually my thing, but it's funny and quirky and fun to watch around Halloween.

Thanks, I’ll try it. It looks like yet another very different role. She seems quite versatile. 

 

[AnimeMania]

Enola Holmes 2 Set for November Release on Netflix — First-Look Photos

 Enola Holmes 2 will arrive on Friday, November 4, 2022 on Netflix.

Fresh off the triumph of solving her first case, Enola Holmes follows in the footsteps of her famous brother, Sherlock, and opens her own agency — only to find that life as a female detective-for-hire isn’t as easy as it seems. Resigned to accepting the cold realities of adulthood, she is about to close shop when a penniless matchstick girl offers Enola her first official job: to find her missing sister. 

Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Mira Troy

This case proves to be far more puzzling than expected, as Enola is thrown into a dangerous new world — from London’s sinister factories and colorful music halls, to the highest echelons of society and 221B Baker Street itself.

Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes, Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes, Louis Partridge as Tewkesbury

As the sparks of a deadly conspiracy ignite, Enola must call upon the help of friends — and Sherlock himself — to unravel her mystery. The game, it seems, has found its feet again!

Helena Bonham Carter as Eudoria Holmes

[ursula]

Damn, this looks great. Awesome on MBB for getting a franchise straight off her successful TV show.

[AnimeMania]

 Enola Holmes 2,  Enola will need Sherlock Holmes help to solve the case.

Still from the movie.

[chitowngirl]

Enola Holmes 2 drops November 4

[BetterButter]

[akiss]

Maybe we should rename this topic to reflect both movies. 

The new trailer looks fun!

[AnimeMania]

[AnimeMania]

Edited October 11, 2022 by AnimeMania

[AnimeMania]

[AnimeMania]

[Llywela]

Has anyone else watched this yet? I thought it was fun, although I wished they'd incorporated more of Enola's story from the original novels, in which she is socially adept enough to know not to attempt to set up shop in Victorian London as a teenage lady detective, but instead employs all kinds of subterfuge and disguise to achieve the same end, positioning herself as the secretary of a (male, imaginary) detective, who 'sends her out' to do all the leg work on his behalf. That disguise opens all kinds of doors for her. I also enjoyed in the books how Enola made use of the ladies fashions she abhorred, concealing weapons and entire changes of clothes in her bustle and corset, using a variety of disguises to change her appearance far more than we see in these films, although we do see her going undercover here. The demands of the 2-hour movie medium call for different, simpler, more action-packed storytelling (plus less period-exact costuming), shedding all the subleties of the original form. The film is entertaining enough to watch, though, even if it does twist itself into a pretzel to create a plot in which all the previously established characters can recur.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Llywela

[Hiyo]

Quote

instead employs all kinds of subterfuge and disguise to achieve the same end, positioning herself as the secretary of a (male, imaginary) detective, who 'sends her out' to do all the leg work on his behalf.

So basically, if Sherlock Holmes had a child with Remington Steele...

[twoods]

I also enjoyed it, and liked it better than the first one.

[Evie]

It was fun. Henry Cavill doesn't do much for me in other roles, but I really like his Sherlock. 

[Anela]

I haven't watched it yet. 

[Ceindreadh]

Just finished watching it.  A most enjoyable way to spend a few hours!

[Mabinogia]

I thought it was fun. I enjoyed Sherlock and Enola interacting more. Some things felt a bit forced and it is the typical modern girl in a Victorian setting, but the cast are very enjoyable and if I think of it as just some people who happen to be named Holmes I enjoy it. 

[Ms.Moon]

Was I the only one yelling at the screen: Where’s Mycroft?  Enola gets arrested and he is not involved?  Is he off in the colonies or doesn’t have proper rank yet because he would have never let it get to the point where she would be hauled off.  Did I miss a mention somewhere?  I enjoyed the movie anyway I definitely enjoyed the mystery.

[Irlandesa]

I enjoyed it too, although it probably didn't need to be over 2 hours long.  I was sad about one of the murders, though.  I root for love.

[Llywela]

2 hours ago, Ms.Moon said:

Was I the only one yelling at the screen: Where’s Mycroft?  Enola gets arrested and he is not involved?  Is he off in the colonies or doesn’t have proper rank yet because he would have never let it get to the point where she would be hauled off.  Did I miss a mention somewhere?  I enjoyed the movie anyway I definitely enjoyed the mystery.

Yeah, I wondered that, too. Mycroft was in the first film - just about the only significant character from the first one who didn't recur here. Was the actor not available? Could the writers not find a way to squeeze him in, with so much else going on? Or...I have a vague recollection that he washed his hands of Enola at the end of the first film. Are we supposed to assume that he is stubborn enough to hold to that through all these shenanigans? A mention of him might have helped, even if he wasn't going to appear.

[Mabinogia]

12 hours ago, Ms.Moon said:

Was I the only one yelling at the screen: Where’s Mycroft?  Enola gets arrested and he is not involved?

You are not. I wish they had given some excuse for him not being involved at all. I get why they needed him not in the story since he'd have gotten Enola out of jail in seconds and they needed the swashbuckling women kicking ass escape but it was very distracting to pretend he doesn't exist. Unless I, too, missed some mention of why he's not around. 

[Ms.Moon]

14 hours ago, Llywela said:

Yeah, I wondered that, too. Mycroft was in the first film - just about the only significant character from the first one who didn't recur here. Was the actor not available? Could the writers not find a way to squeeze him in, with so much else going on? Or...I have a vague recollection that he washed his hands of Enola at the end of the first film. Are we supposed to assume that he is stubborn enough to hold to that through all these shenanigans? A mention of him might have helped, even if he wasn't going to appear.

Exactly.  It was made the story feel a bit unbalanced to me because Mycroft was in the first movie and as someone who has read the Enola books and has watched Sherlock Mycroft is still present in both his siblings lives and as a person with connection to the British government it’s odd that he was not at all involved when Enola was arrested.  It feels off that he has no mention that I recall in this show 

[Spartan Girl]

These movies are fun. Millie was great, and Henry Cavill is as dashing as ever. Hoping for a third one because Himesh Patel as Dr. Watson?! More of that, please!

Yeah, I was wondering where Mycroft was. Not that I liked him all that much, but still. Also, why don’t we get more interactions with Sherlock and Eudoria? Isn’t she his mom too?!

[nomodrama]

5 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Not that I liked him all that much, but still. Also, why don’t we get more interactions with Sherlock and Eudoria? Isn’t she his mom too?!

Eudoria seems completely uninterested in Sherlock and Mycroft. They are men, the world is made for them so no need for her to fight any cause on their behalf. 

I didn't miss Mycroft at all, though I didn't read the books so I'm not sure if he should have a bigger role.

I really liked this, I think it worked well as a sequel, the match girls plight was compelling and I enjoyed all the new characters. 

Henry Cavil is so FINEEEEEE! I very much enjoyed his expanded role, he works incredibly well as the brooding Sherlock and his moments of showing that he really cares for Enola were great.  

[Spartan Girl]

5 hours ago, nomodrama said:

Eudoria seems completely uninterested in Sherlock and Mycroft. They are men, the world is made for them so no need for her to fight any cause on their behalf. 

Still seems a waste not to have at least one scene of Henry and HBC together.

[SeanC]

My understanding is that Sam Claflin wasn't available for this one.

[Llywela]

6 hours ago, SeanC said:

My understanding is that Sam Claflin wasn't available for this one.

Yes, I suspected as much and said so above. A mention of Mycroft, even as an aside, still would have felt a little more natural than ignoring his existence completely.