Sherlock Holmes in The Twenty Second Century



Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century was an animated television series, running from September 1999 to July 2001. A total of 26 episodes in two seasons. Hundreds of years after the Great Detective's time, a female Lestrade of New London's Scotland Yard discovers that a Mad Scientist has created a clone of the infamous Professor Moriarty from cells taken from his frozen corpse at Reichenbach Falls. Using the latest technology, she has the well-preserved body of the Sherlock Holmes rejuvenated and reanimated to help her foil the plans of what they initially believe to simply be a Moriarty-obsessed madman.

After about half an episode of being disoriented and disadvantaged by being three hundred years out of his own time, Holmes settles down, moves into a Holmes museum recreation of his old apartment, and the game is, once again, afoot.

In addition to Lestrade, Holmes is ably assisted by a new Watson, Lestrade's robotic partner who adopts his predecessor's personality and mannerisms after downloading Watson's collected writings. He soon gains a Latex Perfection mask giving him Watson's superficial appearance. Holmes also adopts a new team of Irregulars (with no mention made of Wiggins' name coinciding with the original Irregular leader).

Each episode was Suggested By a story from the canon, though the extent of the resemblance varies widely: some stories are translated closely, simply transposing the characters to a new setting ("Silver Blaze" with asteroid racing craft, rather than racehorses) while others take little more than names and some concepts ("The Hounds of the Baskervilles" is about "werewolves" on a lunar colony). Most of the stories were, however, rewritten to make Moriarty the ultimate culprit (usually as The Man Behind the Man).

Not to be confused with Sherlock Holmes in the 21st century.

"Lestrade: Welcome to the 22th century, Holmes!
 * Action Girl: Lestrade. Holmes calls her a "force of nature unto herself."
 * Affably Evil: Moriarty can be a gentleman and quite casually so. It's almost a little creepy, as befits the original character.
 * After-Action Villain Analysis: Considering that this is Holmes and he does like to wax eloquent on cases at times... yeah.
 * All Your Base Are Belong to Us: From the Yard's computer core to the Moon to 10 Downing Street, this is part of Moriarty's modus operandi.
 * Ambiguously Human: Martin Fenwick. Just look at him.
 * Androids and Detectives
 * Animated Adaptation
 * An Offer You Can't Refuse: Moriarty's recruiting often works this way, along with an unpleasant alternative.
 * Arm Cannon: Watson, as well as various other robots.
 * Ascended Fangirl: Lestrade, from Sherlockian to Sherlock's professional partner.
 * Asteroid Thicket: As part of a race course, no less.
 * Awesome By Analysis: Even Moriarty apparently thinks this of Holmes.
 * At least, he tells Holmes in one episode to “amuse him” by explaining his deductions.
 * Back From the Dead
 * Badass Baritone: Moriarty. Indeed.
 * Badass Longcoat: Holmes and Moriarty.
 * Watson and Fenwick also wear longcoats, but fall a bit short of the "badass" part.
 * Battle of Wits: Considering that we're talking about Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, this is a given. "The Adventure of the Mazarin Chip" is probably the best example of this.
 * Belligerent Sexual Tension: Holmes and Lestrade. Watch the sparks fly!
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Watson, as all good Watsons should be.
 * Big Bad
 * Big No:
 * The "real" Watson in the prologue of the premiere.
 * Holmes and Watson together, watching Lestrade leap from a very high story.
 * Blondes Are Evil: Subverted with, who had no idea what she was really doing.
 * Played with in “The Beryl Board”.
 * Brief Accent Imitation: Holmes does this a lot when in disguise, even mimicking people’s voices (Moriarty and Fenwick have this ability, as well). Holmes’s favorite accent incognito seems to be Southern.
 * Britain Is Only London: In a Sherlock Holmes adaptation, what else would you expect?
 * Subverted in “The Sussex Vampire Lot,” but the characters still never leave London.
 * Building of Adventure: 221B, of course!
 * Car Chase: Several times with hovercraft, but same basic principle... and often when Lestrade is at the wheel in one of the vehicles.
 * Casual Danger Dialogue: And it's not all Holmes and Moriarty, either - Lestrade and Fenwick can get into it, too.
 * Catch Phrase: All the Holmes standards plus some others... "Eyes and brains!"
 * This is all the more hilarious when the actual so called catchphrases associated with Holmes were either a) only ever said by him once or b) never even said by him.
 * Try telling that to people who have never read the orininal books.
 * Character Development: Holmes and Lestrade demonstrate considerable character development in the show, Holmes throughout the first three episodes, and Lestrade throughout the series, regarding her relationships with Holmes and the Irregulars.
 * Moriarty's attitude towards Lestrade also develops throughout the series, from "Miss Lestrade" to "New Scotland Yard zealot". Ouch.
 * Chekhov's Gun: In a discretional way. Holmes uses his Inverness to protect a Mad Scientist's modesty.
 * Christmas Episode: A retake of "The Blue Carbuncle," with amusing results.
 * Yes, Moriarty is well aware that it is Christmastime. This does not stop him.
 * Child Prodigy: No fewer than three, all of them technology wizards: Tennyson, Amanda Wheelwright, and Helfin Paine III.
 * Conspicuous CG
 * Cool People Rebel Against Authority: Lestrade and Holmes, very deliberately.
 * Cool Old Guy: It must be said - Sherlock Holmes himself. See Older Than They Look.
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive: Mr. Paine.
 * Crazy Enough to Work: Holmes's plans, as is fitting, tend to be this.
 * However, Lestrade's idea to bring Sherlock Holmes back to life to defeat a Moriarty-like Big Bad must take the Academy Award for this trope.
 * Cybernetics Eat Your Soul: Or at least eat away at one character, who let the fact of his cyborg status bother him. To an extreme degree.
 * Da Chief: Chief Inspector Grayson.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Holmes has his moments. He's Sherlock Holmes, after all.
 * Death Glare: Moriarty and Holmes are good at this, but special credit must go to Lestrade.
 * Defictionalization: In-universe. In the first episode, Holmes, Watson, and Moriarty are regarded as historical figures rather than literary ones.
 * Diabolical Mastermind / Evil Genius: We did mention that Moriarty's the Big Bad, right?
 * Do Androids Dream?: Curiously ignored after the second episode, considering that Watson is a compudroid with the real Watson's journals uploaded into him.
 * But revisited one more time in "Five Orange Pips," with an anti-tech society and the necessity of Holmes's clients understanding that Watson is just as human as they are (in mind and heart, anyway, if not in body).
 * The Dragon: Fenwick.
 * An in-universe subversion, as Fenwick had originally intended for Moriarty to be his dragon.
 * Dressing as the Enemy: Moriarty and Holmes in separate episodes, with varying degrees of success but definite eye-candy results.
 * Drives Like Crazy: See Car Chase and Establishing Character Moment.
 * To be fair to Lestrade, Holmes doesn’t even know what he’s doing when he’s behind the wheel.
 * Dull Surprise: Holmes, right after being de-aged and reanimated, wakes up to find this unknown girl right in front of his face telling him he is two hundred years ahead of his time, had only this to say:

Holmes: Huh"

"Moriarty: "I'll merely use the Mazarin chip to turn this room into a transporter and beam us out."
 * Elaborate Underground Base: Um,  hideout kind of strains the willing suspension of disbelief.
 * Establishing Character Moment: The opening scene of the first episode shows an irritated Lestrade tearing through the skyline after a runaway criminal. Easily irritated, reckless driving, and pursuit of justice. Yup, that's our Beth.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: According to Moriarty in "Five Orange Pips," he doesn't want people getting hurt as he takes over the world. To be fair, he generally sticks to this rule, with the exception of "Baskerville" early on in the game.
 * "Everybody Laughs" Ending: Nearly every episode.
 * Everybody Lives: Kids' cartoon, remember?
 * Evil Laugh: Moriarty’s is just a bit chilling.
 * Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Come on, look at the title.
 * Exposed to the Elements: Lestrade, who wears nothing over her short-sleeved uniform in the Christmas episode.
 * Played straight in "The Sussex Vampire Lot," when Watson realizes that the bare-armed Wiggins is cold.
 * Fair Cop: Lestrade may not seem like it at first blush, but, once she's convinced, she's pretty zedding fair.
 * Fake Brit: The actor playing Holmes.
 * Faking the Dead: Holmes, a la "The Empty House".
 * Fantastic Slur: "Yardie."
 * Fearless Fool: Lestrade and Holmes. Very much so.
 * Fish Out of Temporal Water: Holmes, though this is soon forgotten.
 * Fridge Logic: We never got to hear how Moriarty adapted to the new century. In fact, what we know about his history is purely conjecture by Holmes and Lestrade and corroborated by Moriarty.
 * Flanderization: Watson, in keeping with his popular portrayal, is pretty stupid for a robot.
 * Flash Back: Regularly, but perhaps most notably at the beginning of "The Crime Machine."
 * Flying Car
 * Foregone Conclusion: Holmes's non-death in "The Empty House". It's so much of a foregone conclusion that this trope doesn't use the spoiler brackets!
 * Gas Mask Mooks: The men Moriarty hired as a front for his subtler scheme in "Five Orange Pips".
 * Gender Flip: Lestrade, thanks to The Smurfette Principle coming into larger existence after the source material. Here, the role is played by Beth Lestrade, a descendant of the original Inspector G. Lestrade.
 * Getting Crap Past the Radar: The Unusual Euphemism "zed" replaces several different swear words throughout the show - older audiences understand the various contexts of the word.
 * Gloved Fist of Doom: Moriarty in "Five Orange Pips".
 * Good Is Not Nice: Lestrade can indeed be a Fair Cop, but she can also be a downright scary one. Consider: she is the only Yarder we ever see overseeing someone in the cryptnosis chair, and her method of handling arrested people leaves something to be desired.
 * For that matter, New Scotland Yard's method of dealing with criminals. Whether you see cryptnosis as an abomination or a kindness, the fact is that they wipe and reprogram people's minds.
 * Good Old Ways: Holmes and Moriarty are still Victorians-at-heart in the 22nd century.
 * To her credit, Lestrade keeps genuine paper-printed books at home.
 * And let’s not forget the Oppenshaws and their apparent credo of “always 1895.”
 * Heroic BSOD: More than once and more than one hero.
 * Hoist by His Own Petard: The way that Moriarty tends to get his due.
 * Hollywood Police Driving Academy: Zed, Lestrade!
 * I Always Wanted to Say That: Deidre, an Irregular, tails a suspect and says "Follow that hovercab!", followed by the trope name.
 * I Kiss Your Hand: Moriarty kisses Lestrade's hand. She is less than happy.
 * I Lied: Holmes, faking.
 * Impersonation Gambit: Holmes does this several times throughout the series as part of his M.O.
 * Insistent Terminology: Grayson never stops referring to Holmes as the "dead detective".
 * Incredibly Lame Pun: Holmes seems to have a predilection for this, as he comes up with a few throughout the series. One was lampshaded by Lestrade when she groaned.
 * Inspector Lestrade: Of course - although this time it's a woman.
 * Insufferable Genius: Again, this is the Great Detective we're dealing with.
 * It's Personal: If Watson is in harm's way, absolutely.
 * Jumped At the Call: Let's put this in perspective: Lestrade could not make Holmes help her. He chose to, and he threw himself into her investigation.
 * Just a Machine: Holmes's initial reaction to Watson, as well as John Oppenshaw's.
 * Kick Chick: Lestrade delivers some pretty mean kicks, including a Call Back to the third episode when she disarms Moriarty in "The Sussex Vampire Lot".
 * Large Ham: Arguably Fenwick and even Moriarty.
 * Lestrade is actually more over-the-top with just about all her emotions.
 * Laser Blade: Three punk criminals attack Lestrade with lightsabers, she beats the living daylights out of them, and we never see anybody wielding lightsabers again.
 * Last-Name Basis: Subverted twice with Lestrade using "Sherlock"; once with Holmes using "Beth" (but only to Watson). Played straight otherwise.
 * Latex Space Suit: Holmes’s and Lestrade’s space suits in “Baskerville”.
 * Limited Wardrobe: Discounting Holmes's and Moriarty's various disguises, none of the characters ever change their clothes - Lestrade won't even take off her uniform for a wedding!
 * Literal Cliff Hanger: Along with a Take My Hand / attempted Save the Villain moment in Holmes's memory of Reichenbach.
 * Living in a Furniture Store: Does the 22nd century version of 221B ever get messy?
 * Living Legend: Quite so.
 * Machine Monotone: Watson in the pilot, until the Sherlock Holmes Archive Binge causes the original doctor's personality to take over.
 * Made of Iron: Lampshaded by Watson to a shocked Holmes as he cheerfully shrugs off a gunshot to the leg.
 * Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: Averted in  in which the Mad Scientist has a daughter, but she is not beautiful.
 * The Man Behind the Man
 * Master of Disguise: Holmes. Holmes, Holmes, Holmes.
 * Monster of the Week: The series has no fewer than three genetically-modified/mutated people – averted with two in that they were victims rather than the Villain of the Week.
 * Mugged for Disguise: Holmes is, by Lestrade. The result is humorous but disastrous to the case.
 * Muscles Are Meaningless: Moriarty’s impressive build never stops the sleeker Holmes from mopping the floor with him.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Moran, Roylott, Culverton Smith, etc.
 * It makes one wonder if Holmes used actual brainpower to solve these cases, or if he was simply recalling his bygone days.
 * Nerves of Steel: Holmes and Lestrade demonstrate this regularly.
 * Never Found the Body: During one fight, Moriarty tells Holmes that the Yard won't be able to find any trace of him if he falls into a laser field below. True enough, Watson witnessed both men fall, and no bodies were recovered... But that would be too simple for a second Reichenbach, wouldn't it?
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Lestrade royally messes up Holmes's plans once (see Mugged for Disguise).
 * Noble Male, Roguish Male: Watson and Holmes, respectively.
 * No Ending: The last time we see Moriarty (second-to-last episode aired, but probably intended to be the finale), he's gotten away. Neither this issue nor Holmes's relationship with Lestrade (see Will They or Won't They?) is ever resolved.
 * No Name Given: The Prime Minister in "Mazarin Chip".
 * Not Good with People: Ironically, Holmes appears to have better people skills that Lestrade.
 * Not So Different: Bit of Fridge Logic here: read the whole page and come back to this trope. Notice how many times Holmes and Moriarty appear together? And yet Holmes is solidly good and Moriarty is solidly evil.
 * Not So Stoic: When there's a possibility of having lost Watson or Lestrade, watch Holmes's composure crumble.
 * Not Quite Dead:
 * Older Than They Look: Holmes, of course. The man has an old soul in 25-year-old body!
 * Organ Theft: "The Engineer's Thumb" revolves around this.
 * Our Doors Are Different: Some have knobs and hinges; others are distinctly sci-fi.
 * Our Vampires Are Different: With stylish nail polish!
 * Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Tennyson, again, as the youngest of the Irregulars.
 * Playful Hacker: Tennyson, most notably.
 * And Amanda Wheelwright, technically.
 * Plucky Comic Relief: Watson can be this at times.
 * Police Are Useless: Granted, in a Holmes adaptation.
 * Politically-Incorrect Villain: Moriarty, who goes so far as to kidnap the Prime Minister.
 * Poorly-Disguised Pilot: The idea first materialized as "Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century," a two-part episode of Bravestarr, which was made more than a decade before the series was finally produced.
 * The Power of Friendship
 * Power Trio: Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade... who could well be The Spock, The McCoy, and The Kirk, respectively.
 * Ramming Always Works: At least, it works for Holmes when he's behind the wheel. He's not exactly the most experienced driver.
 * Rapid Aging: In reverse for Holmes.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: When you get right down to it, Grayson listens to the Power Trio sooner or later.
 * Recycled in Space: In this case, Recycled IN THE FUTURE.
 * To be fair, this entailed quite a lot of adventures that were, in fact, IN SPACE.
 * Refuge in Audacity: Lestrade resorts to this with her boss when she threatens to blackmail him.
 * This trope is really a big part of her M.O.
 * Renaissance Man: Seriously, is there anything Holmes and Moriarty can't do?
 * Replacement Goldfish: Watson
 * Retcon: Of the canon, actually, regarding what happened at Reichenbach. Of course, the retconning only works in-universe.
 * Ridiculously Human Robot: Watson.
 * Robot Buddy
 * Running Gag: In-universe. Lestrade loves to make cracks at Fenwick's rather deformed appearance.
 * Saved for the Sequel: The first two episodes - the first three make up the show's only story arc.
 * Say My Name: The "real" Watson in the prologue of the premiere. He uses Holmes's given name.
 * Scenery Porn: The cityscape sequences may be Conspicous CG, but you have to give them credit for detail (even if the stock shot of one distinctive double-tower appears a few times too many).
 * Screw Discretion, I'm a Senior: The lady that takes on Moriarty at the National Gallery.
 * Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right: Not just Holmes, surprisingly, but Lestrade, as well.
 * Sealed Good in a Can: Holmes in his unique coffin.
 * Sherlock Scan: As per usual.
 * Shout-Out:
 * "My name is... Dr. Arthur Doyle. And this is Dr. Conan."
 * The scientist who brings Sherlock back to life looks like Arthur Conan Doyle.
 * A Dr. Cushing references noted Holmes actor Peter Cushing.
 * Sherlock makes reference to dogs owned by his neighbors, the Harnages. Phil Harnage created the show and wrote many episodes.
 * And this little gem:
 * And this little gem:

Fenwick: (gasp) "Brilliant!"

Moriarty: "I was kidding. Idiot. You obviously haven't watched the classics.""

"Lestrade: Never cuff a cop with her own cuffs. She might know how to get out of them."
 * The Scales of Justice featured a python named Monty.
 * Sidekick Ex Machina: What would Holmes do without Watson and Lestrade?
 * Or the Irregulars, for that matter!
 * Slipped the Ropes:


 * Smug Snake: Moriarty after having trapped the Power Trio in a not-so-virtual cage.
 * Sonic Stunner: Ionizers, which are typically used as stun weapons.
 * Sour Supporter: Grayson of Lestrade and Holmes, Lestrade of the Irregulars up until the second season.
 * Status Quo Is God: After the third episode, except for some character development that does nothing to change the end results of each episode.
 * Strapped to An Operating Table: With invisible restraints. Considering that Holmes is the one strapped down, it's a bit scary.
 * Suggested By
 * Surrounded by Incompetence: Moriarty, in “The Secret Safe.”
 * He really ought to be saying this all the time.
 * Take a Third Option: Holmes is a master at this, especially when Moriarty's the one holding the gun to his head.
 * Taking You with Me: Seems to be Moriarty's preferred method of trying to get rid of Sherlock Holmes.
 * Take Over the World: Being an adventure cartoon, this trope is a given. However, with Moriarty as the would-be conqueror, the schemes tend to be rather more complex than your average villain.
 * Take That: The Blue Carbuncle is reworked as a Take That against Tickle-Me-Elmo, Furby, and other Christmas fads of the late '90s.
 * Tall, Dark and Snarky: Moriarty. Almost as a hobby.
 * Three Amigos: The Irregulars, long before Holmes hired them.
 * Took a Level In Badass: Moriarty gets very tough and hands-on in his schemes.
 * Took a Level In Kindness: Holmes is noticeably softer in the show, when compared to his younger self in the Sherlockian canon.
 * Tranquil Fury: Contrast Holmes's anger with Moriarty's.
 * Treasure Chest Cavity: "The Five Orange Pips."
 * Two Guys and a Girl: See Power Trio.
 * Also the Irregulars: Wiggins, Tennyson, and Deidre.
 * Unusual Euphemism: "Zed," favored by Lestrade.
 * Villainous Breakdown: Moriarty at the climax of "Musgrave Ritual".
 * We Will Meet Again: Moriarty always comes back, no matter how hard Holmes pounds him.
 * Will They or Won't They?: For all the amusing chemistry between Holmes and Lestrade, the question of their relationship is left as open-ended as the matter of Moriarty still at large.
 * Would Hit a Girl: Criminals, especially Moriarty and Fenwick, don't hesitate attack Lestrade. Her belligerence probably encourages them.
 * You Have Failed Me: Averted. For all the times that Fenwick botches things, Moriarty still keeps him around. Given Moriarty's need for perfection, one must wonder why...
 * Zeerust: Although some characters are clothed in more contemporary-looking apparel, not everyone is, and the architecture and some of the technology definitely fits the trope.
 * Zoot: Fenwick says this a few times, most notably in "Mazarin Chip."