I find that the stories told to us and by us as children are intriguing in an evergreen way, and the power of successfully compelling stories that resonate with young minds has been potent for as long as I can remember; blockbuster franchises and the resurgence of high fantasy media in the last century bear that out. However, one such phenomenon that I most sincerely miss as it has yielded to newer iterations is the legacy of the “girl detective” trope.
The death of the girl detective is something I am glad 8-year-old-Leah is not here to witness, because I wouldn’t be standing forth before you as the same woman if I did. It seems like nobody wants to hand a tweenage girl a notepad, pen, binoculars, sidekick, and spare summer afternoons anymore! The hours and hours of my life spent exploring the worlds of the Harriets, Nancys, Eloises, Annes and Turtles of the literary realms at my fingertips taught me how to be inquisitive, learn from my mistakes and remain observant at all times, the latter of which is a skill I attribute to most of my success and achievements to this day.
I’ve noticed that the solitary girl detectives of eras past seem to have yielded to the “motley crew/trio of troublemakers” who get up to the same amount of trouble with significantly more romantic mishaps and petty entanglements. The Golden Trios may haunt us, but I won’t forget our herstory! This brings me to those carrying the torch into the future, which remains bright and star-studded: the cast and crew of the Enola Holmes franchise.
I must admit that I’m slightly late to the party in that I watched the first film a year after its release and just this weekend watched the sequel with my family, but trust that I’m making up for lost time in promotion and marketing now. I’ve been charmed and utterly won over by a reinvention of classic themes and characters that remains insightful, modern and pertinent by bringing a novel voice and perspective to a nearly flawless mystery formula — and implementing a female coming of age narrative cornerstone as a cherry on top (which y’all know is so on brand for me).
When I first heard of the idea to insert a “forgotten daughter” into the canon of Sherlock Holmes, I may have been wary that she would either be girlbossified or a mere shadow of her reference material. Instead, Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola and Harry Bradbeer’s direction behind her have perfected a tone, world, narrative and heroine that stands on her own feet and makes us root for her through every high and low. Though appearances and interactions with Sherlock and Mycroft ground Enola’s character in that she’s ready to establish her own legacy, they also serve the plot with very basic devices that stay true to the expert pacing of each case, twist and turn.
I do think that the sequel’s humorous, fourth-wall-companion tone became a little heavy handed at times, but that’s nothing that can’t be expected of your star growing up and her prowess demanding that the script keep up. It showed audiences that Enola is growing as well, and forced to face the world around her in different and more layered ways than the first. Discovering that even beyond her unconventional and unruly upbringing, others have it worse (hello workers rights and parliamentary corruption) and she has more to learn advances Enola greatly as a sympathetic narrator and detective in her own right. Even as she navigates societal expectations for marriage and unchaperoned conversations, she can still deliver a breathtaking fight scene and side-stage quip on DEMAND!
I especially loved how the sequel dug into Enola’s relationship with Sherlock; the depth of how she idolizes, respects, resents and repels him reveals their similarities, and it was truly endearing to see them come to understand one another in complex ways and maximize their joint slay to take down the big bad. Henry Cavill may be absolutely dead behind the eyes and a creep, yet he is somehow a charming delight to watch in these movies!
Should there be a third movie in the works, I’d love to see how it continues to pay homage to the original texts in interesting ways; in the sequel a gender-bent Moriarty reveals themself as the villain in the third act, and a post-credits scene reveals that Enola has set up a bumbling Dr. John Watson as a potential flatmate for an alcoholic, messy and lonely Sherlock. I feel like there is still more to root for (Tewkesbury, reformist king!) and more to hear from (Mycroft’s mustache!) in terms of this series, and should the opportunity be provided in the future, I will be sat.
Side Thoughts and Miscellaneous Notes:
I finally watched Tár the other night!! It felt like a luxury and I enjoyed it a lot — but not as much as I will enjoy watching Michelle Yeoh graciously and rightfully take Cate Blanchett’s Best Leading Actress this year.
I am currently in the middle of Season 2 of One Of Us Is Lying, which means real television is back on air. Again, I know that I’m late, but the confines of academia restrain me from hating on Nate Macauley and stanning Bronwyn Rojas as much as I should be. Expect a full review next week!
The highlight of the upcoming holiday season for me is, unironically, the tickets my friends and I have to the Pentatonix tour stop in our city. If you know me, you know that that show will heal my inner child and fulfill my soul deeply.
What’s one dream gift y’all are planning on giving/receiving this holiday season? Put that energy into the universe (or just give me ideas for my own shopping) <333
gifting myself a new journal :)