7. Sherlock Holmes- Sherlock/Elementary
There are lots of differences between BBC's Sherlock and CBS' Elementary, the setting and somewhat controversial casting choice in the Americanised version are but two examples of that fact. One thing that has stayed constant between both adaptations though, is Holmes' propensity to be a grade A-hole. Sherlock Holmes is what tvtropes.com describes as an
insufferable genius. When he's not using his incredible powers of deduction to solve the odd murder or two, he's sniffing out all the transgressions of those around him and blurting them out in the most public forums no matter how personal or embarrassing they may be. He approaches social interaction with a sledgehammer and never wastes an opportunity to show how much smarter he is than everyone else or undermine an authority figure. If it wasn't for his incredible efficiency at problem solving and spotting a liar, it's likely Sherlock Holmes would be languishing either in prison, a mental institution or anywhere a safe distance away from all compassion, kindness and other debilitating emotions of the human spectrum. Just how Scotland Yard or the NYPD managed to solve any murders before his introduction to their respective teams is anyone's guess, but the emergence of Moriarty and other distinctly nasty bad buys has forced the police to put up with his belligerence for the greater good. Interestingly, Johnny Lee Miller does a good job in bringing Holmes back down to earth in 'Elementary'. Playing the ex-heroin addict recovering from a destructive habit and a broken heart, with Watson accompanying him as his sober companion actually shows an endearing aspect to his character we haven't really seen before. Of course there are glimpses of the same in 'Sherlock' with his interactions with Irene Adler in 'A Scandal in Belgravia', but these are comparatively few and far between. More often than not, his softer side usually gives way to his unabashed ego and thus prompts him to display the type of behaviour we've come to expect from his character, even when it's not the least bit necessary. 'Sherlock' left us on a spine-tingling cliff-hanger after the title character appeared to throw himself off a building at the end of the second season. I for one eagerly await the explanation as to how he manages to deduce his way out of this pickle. The real mystery though, is how Watson, Molly Hooper, Lestraude or Captain Gregson resist the urge to strangle him long enough for fight any crime in the first place.