While all the analysis of Holmes is fine, My objection to Elementary comes from the disservice done to Watson. I was looking forward to a gender flipped Watson. I have been a fan of ACD for many years. I love the complex relationship and dynamic between Watson and Holmes and I was looking forward to seeing that complex relationship dealt with in a new way. But, instead of just playing out the dynamic in a new way, the destroy it. A primary aspect of the Original Holmes/Watson dynamic is a level of equality of status between the two characters. It is this equality of status that allows Watson to curb some of Holmes excesses and for Holmes to aid Watson in dealing with his gambling and philandering. In Elementary the power dynamic between the two is shifted in favor of Holmes. As Liu's Watson is a Hired Sober companion, ie Paid, she is no longer an equal. Watson is now part of the service industry/class. Although she can deal with Holmes' sobriety issues with some power, she can't actually balance him in a social setting. It is made even worse by the fact that the creator's did make Watson female. Instead of having an equality of status between those of differing genders, it re-enforces the ideas of gender inequality. When ACD first wrote the books, the ideas of gender equality were no existent, even with the ruling monarch of England being Queen Victoria. But in the 21st century the audience is ready and waiting for an partnership of equals between a male and female leads. In fact, Dan Wolf did this very well in Law and Order:Criminal Intent. Mr. Wolf showed that you could have a partnership between a male and female that are equals in status even if one is more intelligent than the other.
Personally, I think this lack of equality hurts the story and removes the respect that Holmes has always expressed for Watson.
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