Young Sherlock Reviews Preview Prime Video's Fresh Take On A Classic

Prime Video's Young Sherlock, which is set to drop all eight episodes of its first season on Wednesday, March 4, has been receiving critical acclaim for its inaugural season. While there have been various versions of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes throughout TV and film, the newest iteration features a fun spin with a younger, less practiced version of the master detective modeled after Andrew Lane's book series.

Sherlock Holmes, played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, isn't the man readers have come to know and love in Young Sherlock. Instead, Holmes is a 19-year-old student at Oxford University where his youth and lack of discipline gets him in more trouble with his intense curiosity. The upcoming series also features Dónal Finn as James Moriarty, Max Irons as Mycroft Holmes, and Ralph Fiennes as the Holmes brothers' father.

Although there has been some buzz surrounding the show being yet another Sherlock Holmes story in the collection, Young Sherlock's reviews have been overwhelmingly positive from those who have seen the series firsthand. With the series pulling from Lane's Young Sherlock Holmes novels rather than the original canon of Conan Doyle's work, the source material is different enough to have created a fresh new series surrounding the beloved detective.

Young Sherlock Reviews Say It Stands Out Against Guy Ritchie's Films

One of the biggest concerns for Young Sherlock came from the fact that Guy Ritchie is an executive producer on the project and worked as a director on the project. While Ritchie is an immense talent, his work on 2009's Sherlock Holmes and 2011's Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows caused some tension, as audiences were concerned Young Sherlock's tone would be too similar to the films.

Thankfully, reviewers have been upfront about viewers' concerns surrounding Ritchie not being able to move past his work with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in the previous films. According to reviews, Young Sherlock stands on its own as a distinct project. Separating itself both due to the source material of Long's novels and the distinction of Holmes' immaturity in his work, Young Sherlock has its own identity.

While it was clear the question of Ritchie's ability to create something unique was in the forefront for many, reviewers praised his ability to bring something different to life with Young Sherlock.

Reviews Gush That The Cast Of Young Sherlock Creates A Dynamic World

Reviewers have enjoyed the cast of Young Sherlock, focusing heavily on Fiennes Tiffin and Finn as the glue that keeps the show together. While some of the focus prior to release has been heavily featured on the fact that Fiennes Tiffin and Fiennes, nephew and uncle, will be working together on screen for the first time, the chemistry of the cast as a whole is being praised.

According to Collider, Young Sherlock features a "magnificent cast of characters" who are able to keep the story moving forward throughout a break-neck eight episode pace. The chemistry between Holmes and Moriarty, which is meant to ebb and flow throughout the series, is an excitingly unexpected piece of Young Sherlock's puzzle. Along with the pair, Zine Tseng is said to stand out as Princess Gulun Shou'an, a unique role.

The family elements, which include Fiennes, Irons as Sherlock's older brother, and Natascha McElhone as Cordelia, the matriarch, are said to be a great way to dive into Holmes' background in a fresh new way.

Although Young Sherlock isn't a direct adaptation of the original Sherlock Holmes stories, the series adapted from a series of novels that reimagine the character's early years. Andrew Lane's Young Sherlock Holmes novels, which began in 2010 and have been ongoing in the 16 years since, depict a young version of the character readers have grown to love, moving through his life from the age of 14.

While the Young Sherlock Holmes novels are based on the original Conan Doyle work, the imagining of his younger years allows the Prime Video series to work diligently as a bridge. With viewers likely at least aware of the adult version of Holmes, according to reviews, Young Sherlock is able to remain a fairly faithful adaptation to the youthful version of the character.

Reviews Say Young Sherlock Subverts Expectations While Keeping Energy High

Screen Rant's review of the series praises Young Sherlock for its ability to subvert expectations, explaining that "the show slowly reveals the truth as Sherlock refines his extraordinary deductive reasoning powers." Calling the series a "masterpiece" that allows its mystery to unravel slowly, Young Sherlock is being praised for its ability to remain as clever and intelligent as would be expected for a Sherlock adaptation.

Throughout the reviews for Young Sherlock, the series was praised for being able to keep up a mystery that's fun, fresh, and high energy while establishing a world that's partially known to the viewer. With an audience coming into the series with expectations, Young Sherlock has the difficult task of building a believable world while keeping its forward momentum.

Reviews of the Prime Video series, which releases on March 4, make it clear that Young Sherlock is up to the task.

Sources: Comic Book, Collider, Variety