'Young Sherlock’s Max Irons Teases a Mycroft Holmes That “Works From Within the System” in Potential Season 2

[Editor's note: The following contains major spoilers for Young Sherlock.]In the Prime Video series Young Sherlock, someone tells Mycroft Holmes (Max Irons), “Your brother is the most interesting thing about you,” and while even Mycroft might agree with that, he has his own strengths that make him stand out from his brother, Sherlock (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). Over the eight-episode season, Sherlock finds himself dragged into a murder investigation that puts him directly into the path of his new best friend, Oxford student James Moriarty (Dónal Finn), a duo that seems unstoppable in their intellect and skill. Only where Sherlock has a strong moral code, Moriarty is a little more fluid in how far he’s willing to go in a tricky situation. When you throw in an imposter princess (Zine Tseng) with a very focused mission of her own, enough secrets to create Holmes family drama, and questions about where everyone’s loyalty truly lies, Sherlock definitely has his hands full.

Collider recently got the opportunity to chat with co-stars Irons and Tseng about favorite moments showcasing the Holmes brotherhood between Mycroft and Sherlock, the solar energy ball that is Shou’an, the fun of playing a character that makes things happen, the strengths Mycroft brings, the spark between Shou’an and Sherlock, that Holmes family dinner scene, and what Irons hopes to see in a possible Season 2.

'Young Sherlock’s Mycroft Has Profound Love for Brother Sherlock Holmes, Despite His Frustration

"What this boy needs is a bit of protection."

Collider: Max, we get to see more of Mycroft and Sherlock together in the series than we typically have in past Sherlock Holmes stories. What is your favorite moment with these brothers together? Was there a scene that you felt really defined the relationship for you?

MAX IRONS: There are one or two scenes, around episode three, where Mycroft’s frustration with his younger brother and the anarchy that follows him and the unconventional thinking that he demonstrates just boils over. But you also see, counterbalancing it, his profound love and deep recognition of Sherlock’s unique and valuable intelligence and an understanding, perhaps, of a smidge of neurodiversity, and that what this boy needs is a bit of protection. That’s where the love comes in. So, my scenes grappling with Sherlock were made a hell of a lot easier by Hero Fiennes Tiffin being just a fabulous actor.

ZINE TSENG: I want to add to that topic too. Whenever I watch their scenes and whenever Sherlock is asking for a favor from Mycroft, he always makes it happen. That was the sweetest moment of brotherhood for me.

Zine, I enjoy a good character introduction, and there’s something really fun about how we meet your character. We don’t know anything much about her for quite a while. What did you most enjoy about getting to introduce her?

TSENG: It’s Matthew Parkhill’s job to introduce her. He made it so easy for me. I just step onto the set and enjoy the character. That’s how I go along. I felt like I needed to match up to the energy that she has. I’m a low-battery person and she’s a solar energy ball. I had to be there for her, and we had to be one person together. I think Matthew did a good job.

You have a few fight scenes in this series. What did you most enjoy about the fight scenes and about the strength that she has to keep fighting and not give up until she meets her goal?

TSENG: I love a character with very strong objectives. I love that she has so many tools in her toolbox that she can use. I love that she’s been able to use all the weapons but doesn’t have to stick to one. I love that she’s able to come in as a strong force. She’s not exploring, but she’s making things happen.

'Young Sherlock’s Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes Each Have Their Own Unique Skills and Talents

"Mycroft is very good at what he's doing."

Max, when someone says to Mycroft, “Your brother is the most interesting thing about you,” do you think he takes offense to that or is he used to that?

IRONS: I think he’s used to that, and I think he probably agrees.

TSENG: He might agree, but I do think Mycroft is very good at what he’s doing. If Mycroft is in that mindset and comparing himself to Sherlock, if you put them in the same situation, I think Mycroft would be an A student and Sherlock would rank at the bottom.

IRONS: I think Mycroft, as Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, was very intelligent. He even wrote that he was more intelligent than Sherlock, but it’s a very linear, logical intelligence.

TSENG: It’s the majority intelligence.

IRONS: Sherlock, on the other hand, has a unique gift for perception and perspective and is a treasure. Mycroft’s intelligence allows him to recognize this, and despite his endless frustration with Sherlock’s inexplicable behaviors, he understands that what really matters is his perception of the world and his abilities.

It feels much more refined in Mycroft, as opposed to the chaos that Sherlock tends to bring with him everywhere you go.

IRONS: They balance each other out nicely, I think.

Zine, in episode four, a noose is put around your neck in an attempt to torture information out of you. What was that like to shoot? Obviously, you’re shooting a TV series, but is it a bit of a weird day at work when you’re doing something like that?

TSENG: Yeah, it was actually fun. Every scene with Colin Firth, I made sure to best myself. I remember I shared a lovely moment with Max in that scene. I had fun doing that. That was an interior scene, so it was less windy and with less distractions.

IRONS: And she only had to hold her breath for about four minutes. It was very impressive.

'Young Sherlock’s Shou’an and Sherlock Have Undefined Feelings for Each Other

"We don't know how far it'll go yet."

Shou’an and Sherlock both have common interests and the same goals, they just have different ideas about how to achieve that. How would you describe her relationship with Sherlock? What does she think of him? What does she see in him?

TSENG: We do have feelings for each other. We don’t know how far it’ll go yet.

IRONS: There’s a look that you give him in the dining hall scene with Hodge, when you’re watching him as he’s pick-pocketing. You see a real interest. It’s a beautiful moment.

TSENG: On the other hand, I’d like to see Mycroft’s love interest drag him out of government business.

IRONS: And into the dating game.

TSENG: How great is that going to be?

IRONS: Yeah, Victorian speed dating.

How do you guys feel about the way things played out in the finale and how things ended up for your characters? Clearly, it feels like there is more story to tell, and it leaves the characters in places where we’re excited to learn about what comes next for them?

TSENG: That’s the goal. That’s the point. We want to know too.

IRONS: Yes, exactly. We’d like to know too.

Max, do you have any thoughts about where you would like to see the Holmes family go and what you would like to do with Mycroft in the future?

IRONS: Arthur Conan Doyle said Mycroft would cross the street from any physical labor or effort. He prefers to be quite louche in a gentlemen’s club. I like that about Mycroft. I would like to see him continue to work from within the system and within the government to affect change. That’s a nice counterweight to the more kinetic side of this TV show.

There’s a moment in episode seven when the Holmes family are all sitting at the table together and trying to figure out how to deal with Beatrice. What was that family dinner scene like to shoot?

TSENG: Family dinner scenes are always very signaturely intense. As an audience [member], when I watched that scene, I felt the tension between two groups of people. I remember watching Mycroft in the middle, being strangled by both sides, and then quite hopeless. That’s what I feel. (To Max) How did you feel?

IRONS: The thing about table scenes is that quite often you have a camera around your face. In this case, you’ve got actors in your face, and they’re actors of extremely high caliber. You get lost in the play of it, and that’s nice.

TSENG: That’s the most fun, that you get lost in there.

IRONS: Joseph Fiennes, Dónal [Finn], Hero, Natascha [McElhone] – what more can you ask for?

There was so much tension that it gave me anxiety. It was a lot of fun to watch.

TSENG: Yeah.

Young Sherlock is available to stream on Prime Video.