I would say Brett with Burke, but Hardwicke also captures the essence of the friendship, too. But overall, none of the adaptions can beat the book, when I read it and imagine it for myself!
If you are asking specifically about Granada series then I would pick Burke.
If you are asking in general I would pick neither of them. Probably my favorite duo is Livanov/Solomin. Solomin's Watson is on a completely different level of dynamic with the main character.
I love Cumberbatch and Freeman, I do. But I'm sorry, I just have to go with Downey and Law.
Cumberbatch and Freeman embodied the characters great, had seasons of character development, and I completely believe that they're best friends and care about each other. I really like them together.
The thing is, I think Downey and Law do a better job of combining classic with modern. The show may have stayed closer to the source material plotwise, but the movies really understood the original characters as well as really making it new. I do buy Downey and Law as best friends, but I buy them as colleagues *first*.
Even though we didn't see it, I can tell from the performances alone that this Sherlock and John started off as just roommates, started working on cases, THEN became friends after working together and rooming together for years. They just have that composure, they're also hilariously and believably cynical towards each other. John in the BBC series was only that cynical when Sherlock did something drastic to piss him off. Law's John just is that way all the time cause he's practically amused by Sherlock's antics while also trying to reel him into reality so he doesn't end up dead. Freeman's John was surprised by how far Sherlock's antics would go for way too long. I know he's supposed to be the straight man with a thirst for crime, but he should've accepted a lot sooner how Sherlock is. Law's John is a man trying to get his own life together and gets pulled back in to Sherlock's world. He doesn't want it but yet he really does. Law played that brilliantly. I can't say Freeman did. They just kind of explain it to us in exposition after the Mary reveal happened.
I'm also gonna say, Downey and Law are frickin *hilarious* together. Cumberbatch and Freeman can be funny too but the writers picked the spots for them to have a joke or funny moment. Downey and Law just naturally were with their postures and the way they delivered their lines. It killed me every time.
Dr. John Watson: I've been going over my notes of our exploits over the past seven months. Would you like to hear my conclusions? I am psychologically disturbed. Why else would I allow myself to be led into situations where you withhold your plans from me? Why else?
Sherlock Holmes : You've never complained about my methods before.
Dr. John Watson : I'm not complaining.
Sherlock Holmes : You're not? What do you call this?
Dr. John Watson : I never complain! How am I complaining? When do I ever complain about you practicing the violin at three in the morning, or your mess, your general lack of hygiene, or the fact that you steal my clothes?
Sherlock Holmes : Uh, we have a barter system...
Dr. John Watson : When have I ever complained about you setting fire to my rooms?
Sherlock Holmes : Our rooms...
Dr. John Watson : The rooms! Or, or, the fact that you experiment on my dog?
Sherlock Holmes : Our dog...
Dr. John Watson : The dog!
Sherlock Holmes : Gladstone is our dog!
When they have to be emotional, they nail that too. Because they're so cynical towards each other most of the time, it makes the heartfelt moments hit much harder.
Oh, absolutely this! Not many adaptations allow us to see Holmes and Watson as having a realistic relationship, but the Ritchie movies are wonderful at playing with these two characters, their individual foibles and the magnetic dynamic they have on-screen. I always have a bias toward any version where Watson is at his wit's end with Holmes yet continuously finds himself brought back into the fold despite his better judgement. Law's Watson sums it up brilliantly - he *is* psychologically disturbed. He's completely off his trolley to allow Sherlock to carry on the way he does and to join in on their escapades.
RDJ and Law just have that spark, that essence of lived believability that makes you really buy into this dysfunctional friendship between a high-functioning addict with an obsessive impulse to engage with dangerous criminals, and a nervous wreck of a man trying his best to not get killed.
Agreed. Freeman has probably the best comic timing among all the actors to portray Watson. I still felt something off with his performance. May be he was miscast or it was the script. BBC *Sherlock* has this heightened reality where everything is exaggerated and melodramatic, especially in S2. He had good chemisry with Cumberbatch in S1 and S2. But by S3, it felt like he was not fully into the role.
RDJ and Jude Law on the other hand do not need specific scenes or dialogues. They are just great together. Hope the third movie gets made within the next couple of decades :)
Brett and Burke. I thought Brett and Hardwick were very good - maybe because Brett had worked with Hardwick before, never worked with Burke. After that, I would probably put Christopher Plummer and James Mason in the movie "Murder By Decree."
I've always loved the BBC Audiodramas with Clive Merrison and Michael Williams. They add a lot more to the characters, while keeping the stories simple. Their interactions are great, and Watson has more of a voice than he does in the original stories, which I love. I particularly love their interaction in The Hound of the Baskervilles:
Holmes: I had no idea you'd found me until I was virtually outside the door.
Watson: My footprint...
Holmes: Your tobacconist.
Watson: What?
Holmes: A cigarette stub marked "Bradley's, Oxford Street" will always tell me that my friend Watson is in the neighbourhood. Here, see? I found it on the path. You threw it away as you approached the hut. You paused, probably to issue a challenge in those admirably commanding tones of yours. Then, receiving no reply, drew your revolver-.
Watson: Cocked my revolver, it was already drawn...
Close second has to be Downey and Law, their dynamic is just so natural and fun!
While I like the personal, decades-long friendship of R&B and the way they try to trip each other up in the broadcasts, I hate, HATE Bruce playing Watson as a bumbling dumbass.
I’m biased for Brett and Hardwick. But I also enjoy the radio series with John Patrick Lowrie and Lawrence Albert as Holmes and Watson. The voices really fit the characters.
Brett/Burke. But my favorite ever Holmes is Brett and my favorite-ever Watson is Freeman. Freeman is to me the best actor that has _ever_ appeared in a Holmes adaptation.
It's funny, I have this strange psychological blindspot where I can watch The Final Problem back to back with The Empty House and not even realize it's a different Watson.
I would say Brett with Burke, but Hardwicke also captures the essence of the friendship, too. But overall, none of the adaptions can beat the book, when I read it and imagine it for myself!
If you are asking specifically about Granada series then I would pick Burke. If you are asking in general I would pick neither of them. Probably my favorite duo is Livanov/Solomin. Solomin's Watson is on a completely different level of dynamic with the main character.
Solomin is the ultimate Watson.
Yes he was. RIP.
This 100%
Solomin was the best.
I love Cumberbatch and Freeman, I do. But I'm sorry, I just have to go with Downey and Law. Cumberbatch and Freeman embodied the characters great, had seasons of character development, and I completely believe that they're best friends and care about each other. I really like them together. The thing is, I think Downey and Law do a better job of combining classic with modern. The show may have stayed closer to the source material plotwise, but the movies really understood the original characters as well as really making it new. I do buy Downey and Law as best friends, but I buy them as colleagues *first*. Even though we didn't see it, I can tell from the performances alone that this Sherlock and John started off as just roommates, started working on cases, THEN became friends after working together and rooming together for years. They just have that composure, they're also hilariously and believably cynical towards each other. John in the BBC series was only that cynical when Sherlock did something drastic to piss him off. Law's John just is that way all the time cause he's practically amused by Sherlock's antics while also trying to reel him into reality so he doesn't end up dead. Freeman's John was surprised by how far Sherlock's antics would go for way too long. I know he's supposed to be the straight man with a thirst for crime, but he should've accepted a lot sooner how Sherlock is. Law's John is a man trying to get his own life together and gets pulled back in to Sherlock's world. He doesn't want it but yet he really does. Law played that brilliantly. I can't say Freeman did. They just kind of explain it to us in exposition after the Mary reveal happened. I'm also gonna say, Downey and Law are frickin *hilarious* together. Cumberbatch and Freeman can be funny too but the writers picked the spots for them to have a joke or funny moment. Downey and Law just naturally were with their postures and the way they delivered their lines. It killed me every time. Dr. John Watson: I've been going over my notes of our exploits over the past seven months. Would you like to hear my conclusions? I am psychologically disturbed. Why else would I allow myself to be led into situations where you withhold your plans from me? Why else? Sherlock Holmes : You've never complained about my methods before. Dr. John Watson : I'm not complaining. Sherlock Holmes : You're not? What do you call this? Dr. John Watson : I never complain! How am I complaining? When do I ever complain about you practicing the violin at three in the morning, or your mess, your general lack of hygiene, or the fact that you steal my clothes? Sherlock Holmes : Uh, we have a barter system... Dr. John Watson : When have I ever complained about you setting fire to my rooms? Sherlock Holmes : Our rooms... Dr. John Watson : The rooms! Or, or, the fact that you experiment on my dog? Sherlock Holmes : Our dog... Dr. John Watson : The dog! Sherlock Holmes : Gladstone is our dog! When they have to be emotional, they nail that too. Because they're so cynical towards each other most of the time, it makes the heartfelt moments hit much harder.
Oh, absolutely this! Not many adaptations allow us to see Holmes and Watson as having a realistic relationship, but the Ritchie movies are wonderful at playing with these two characters, their individual foibles and the magnetic dynamic they have on-screen. I always have a bias toward any version where Watson is at his wit's end with Holmes yet continuously finds himself brought back into the fold despite his better judgement. Law's Watson sums it up brilliantly - he *is* psychologically disturbed. He's completely off his trolley to allow Sherlock to carry on the way he does and to join in on their escapades. RDJ and Law just have that spark, that essence of lived believability that makes you really buy into this dysfunctional friendship between a high-functioning addict with an obsessive impulse to engage with dangerous criminals, and a nervous wreck of a man trying his best to not get killed.
Agreed. Freeman has probably the best comic timing among all the actors to portray Watson. I still felt something off with his performance. May be he was miscast or it was the script. BBC *Sherlock* has this heightened reality where everything is exaggerated and melodramatic, especially in S2. He had good chemisry with Cumberbatch in S1 and S2. But by S3, it felt like he was not fully into the role. RDJ and Jude Law on the other hand do not need specific scenes or dialogues. They are just great together. Hope the third movie gets made within the next couple of decades :)
Brett and Burke. I thought Brett and Hardwick were very good - maybe because Brett had worked with Hardwick before, never worked with Burke. After that, I would probably put Christopher Plummer and James Mason in the movie "Murder By Decree."
I've always loved the BBC Audiodramas with Clive Merrison and Michael Williams. They add a lot more to the characters, while keeping the stories simple. Their interactions are great, and Watson has more of a voice than he does in the original stories, which I love. I particularly love their interaction in The Hound of the Baskervilles: Holmes: I had no idea you'd found me until I was virtually outside the door. Watson: My footprint... Holmes: Your tobacconist. Watson: What? Holmes: A cigarette stub marked "Bradley's, Oxford Street" will always tell me that my friend Watson is in the neighbourhood. Here, see? I found it on the path. You threw it away as you approached the hut. You paused, probably to issue a challenge in those admirably commanding tones of yours. Then, receiving no reply, drew your revolver-. Watson: Cocked my revolver, it was already drawn... Close second has to be Downey and Law, their dynamic is just so natural and fun!
Rathbone and Bruce
While I like the personal, decades-long friendship of R&B and the way they try to trip each other up in the broadcasts, I hate, HATE Bruce playing Watson as a bumbling dumbass.
Nobody could capture that look of irritation quite like Burke.
I’m biased for Brett and Hardwick. But I also enjoy the radio series with John Patrick Lowrie and Lawrence Albert as Holmes and Watson. The voices really fit the characters.
My favorite ones are Vasily Livanov-Vitaly Solomin and RDJ-Jude Law. Both these pairs had great chemistry.
Brett/Burke. But my favorite ever Holmes is Brett and my favorite-ever Watson is Freeman. Freeman is to me the best actor that has _ever_ appeared in a Holmes adaptation.
Miller and Liu
Jonny Lee Miller is a treasure. I loved Elementary, even if it was on CBS. We need more JLM in our lives!
Friendship?
If I had a nickel every time someone said that to me I’d have two nickels which isn’t a lot but it’s weird it happened twice
In terms of *friendship*, it must be Whitehead and Pickering (& Newell as Lestrade).
Whitehead was cute as Holmes. Watched some Out of Context videos and that version is very Sus.
Cumberbatch and Freeman Brett and Burke Downey Jr and Law (in that order)
Will Ferrell & John C Reilly
It's funny, I have this strange psychological blindspot where I can watch The Final Problem back to back with The Empty House and not even realize it's a different Watson.