Do You Feel Dr. Watson Gets Unfairly Treated In Films and Such?

[Pendragon]

I am positively livid everytime I see an old Holmes film and see Dr. Watson portrayed as a bumbling idiot! Holmes was often impatient with Watson since Watson's mind did not function on the same level as Holmes' did. But does anyone think that the Great Detective would saddle himself with a partner who was a literal dunce? No, no, a thousand times no! Watson had brains, he often came up with the clue Holmes needed to straighten out a flaw in his own theory that he'd been puzzeling over. Holmes called him "a conducter of light, not in himself luminious". In other words, he found the flaw but would have missed the clues. But stupid? I think not!

[volvoreta]

He is certainly not an idiot and he has lots of common sense. He also has feelings, while Holmes does not seem to have any.

[Zippy]

I suppose it depends on which Watson you mean. The old Basil Rathbone films certainly make Watson out to be a bumbling idiot, but the newer UK TV version, with Jeremy Brett as Holmes, show a more intelligent, lively Watson.

I totally get what you're saying, though. From a straight reading of the books Watson is an asset to Holmes rather than a mere sidekick.

[Reichenbach]

I know what you mean, in one of the Basil Rathbone films, he started making 'a noise like a ducky' as he put it! I was livid! How could such an incompetant idiot become a doctor of all careers?

I dislike the Rathbone films because Watson is useless and they always seem more like 007 movies! Since when did Holmes hide behind lamposts and shoot at innocent bystanders?????

I watch the films starring Jeremy Brett, they follow the story lines really well most of the time and Watson seems to have half an ounce of sense! I also like the rather atmosphere twist that Jeremy Brett gives the character and the stories. Ooops, I seemed to have gone off on a bit of a different topic! never mind!

[Pendragon]

They were even worse on the old radio shows!

[Turmise]

who is Dr.Watson????????

[Turmise]

what is portrayed

[Reichenbach]

WHO IS DOCTOR WATSON?!?!?!?!?!?!? I hope that was a typing error, if it wasn't, I suggest you run away to the local library for an hour or two!

Is it really true that some people have never heard of him? That scares me!

[holmesian]

yeah it is really scary that some people have never heard of Holmes or Watson.

now about watson being stupid:
he was not stupid at all. he was an M.D., the highest degree achievable for a doctor. he can't be stupid. the average IQ of an M.D. is quite high. but he seems stupid compared to holmes because holmes is a lot more intelligent that watson. that doesn't mean that watson is stupid. he is only less intelligent than holmes. that's what is portrayed in the stories.

[Reichenbach]

I know that as a an M.D he should have been close to Holmes on an intellectual level, but the B.R films make him out to be a complete dunce. The fact that he couldn't work out that he was about to shoot Holmes (The case of the spider woman) made me want to cry out loud!

I also dislike the fact that they don't use the original stories and that it is in a completely different time period!!! since when did they have cars?

I also couldn't believe the amount of shooting going on! Holmes nearly shot some innocent bloke by accident and didn't seem to notice!!!

Well, I've done enough complaining for one post, and I'm very sorry to all those people who are B.R fans.

[Red-Headed]

I agree with that!

[RG57]

Watson always gets treated unfairly in the films and series, Holmes always makes him out to be a dunder head. How many times have you seen Holmes set up Watson, makes him feel important and then comes along in a disguise poking fun at him, classic example just watch Rathbone version of the Hound of the Baskerville!

[bounty]

I don't know if I would use the word "unfairly"---holmes seems to be an equal opportunity intellectual abuser of everyone around him.

at least one exception might be the holmes played by ron howard, who seemed to be much more kind-hearted and congenial.

from an analytical perspective though, and some folks have hinted at this, itd be fun to go through all the iterations of holmes and Watson to see how they were portrayed relative to each other.

recently ive been watching the bbc sherlock, and the old cbs series elementary, and enjoying both. I was skeptical at first about a female Watson, but ive been enjoying her and the relationship they have. in the bbc version holmes is so bound up with and supportive of Watson that holmes goes to great lengths to protect his life.