Gatiss Actually Delivers… Mostly

I’ve not been a fan of most of Gatiss’s work for Ghost Stories. He’s either adding unnecessary BS or making things so comical the atmosphere is ruined. With this episode he’s finally delivered.

Though that’s despite still adding unnecessary BS and still making things so comical the atmosphere is ruined. Thankfully the latter is just in that final minute—the lead actor was the best thing about the whole production but even he couldn’t save that coda! The former, hitting the viewer over the head with “THIS CHARACTER IS ACTUALLY SHERLOCK HOLMES KEWL HUH?” That was… entirely unnecessary. (Not to mention it makes Holmes look like a complete moron.)

Also, as a practicing homosexual myself I think this is the best way to “make it gay” but NOT lame. It’s just a fact about two of the characters, and it fits the milieu and times quite nicely. Gatiss, like almost every other screenwriter, usually can’t resist adding in some low-hanging identity politics fruit so it’s nice to see the man has some restraint after all.

That said, he could have written a bathtub scene for the lead actor. I wouldn’t have minded if one of his talks with Bellingham was in the locker room after Rugby or rasseling practice…

Anyway, good job, Gatiss! I take back all those things I said about you. I’ll even let you do another of these next year—provided you avoid James again. Maybe move on to Benson or Blackwood next.