The Character Everyone Talks About: Sherlock The world is tripping over itself for Benedict Cumberbatch's otherworldly presence, piercing green eyes and gravelly tones. He's a superstar of screen, and it is an absolute gift that he still graces it for Sherlock, even with countless Hollywood offers coming in. But he's not the only star of the show, contrary to the consistent hyperbole heaped on him by critics, bloggers and fans (myself included). Martin Freeman's John Watson is the ultimate performance of how to play the best friend of a charismatic protagonist, whether that protagonist is a crime-solving genius or not. Freeman is warm, human, fantastically funny, brilliantly subtle and ingeniously nuanced; he's the definition of an "every-man". From the horrifically sad scene of John saying goodbye to his old friend to the almost-meltdown-anger of John finding out he's back, Freeman gives his character a brilliant spectrum with which to relate to; he's the only character in the show who's not a stark-raving psychopath - according to Sherlock's deductions - and when he cries, the audience feels his pain. It's a credit to the character of Sherlock Holmes and Cumberbatch's extraordinary performance that John Watson isn't considered the star of the show; in any other series, he'd be praised so much more - as seen with Freeman's excellent turns in The Hobbit and The Office - but Watson's role is an important one; he grounds Sherlock. He keeps the show from being bombastic cleverness spiralling out of control. Sherlock is fantastic because of Benedict Cumberbatch, but it is irresistibly watchable because of Martin Freeman. Who are your unsung heroes of television? Who are the supporting characters that don't receive nearly enough credit? Comment below!
