Making Strives: A Study in Sherlock

While reading the articles on Geek Culture, I found that not enough attention was given to the more progressive depictions of women in media. Despite the truth that these depictions are often few and far between, I think that it is important to at least acknowledge them. For this task, I have chosen to examine BBC's Sherlock.

Contrary to the article that touted females as having only one dimension, the females of Sherlock excel in their multidimensional portrayals. The first example is Irene Adler. Irene is a villain who matches wits with Sherlock Holmes clear to the end of her episode. She is both smart and sexy, using her attractiveness and skills to get when she wants. She, unlike most female characters, is also incredibly dynamic. She is allowed to be ruthless, vain, creative, controlling, and is able to show her vulnerability only to strike back with the same ferociousness. Irene is far from the traditional female portrayal.

Second is Molly Hooper, the mortician at the Saint Bartholomew's Hospital that often interacts with Sherlock and Dr. Watson. Molly is quirky and sweet, swooning over the emotionless Sherlock. However, Molly has a backbone that rivals that of the main male characters. She is fiercely loyal, standing up for herself, what she believes, and those she cares about, not in a dominating, "male" way, but in her own means of support.

Third is Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock and Dr. Watson's landlady. Mrs. Hudson is the epitome of the sweet, older lady who helps Dr. Watson and Sherlock by bringing them tea and helping out with whatever they need. However, Mrs. Hudson is also as cunning as she is motherly and is the queen of sass with her witty retorts and subtle innuendo.

Finally, there is Kitty Riley, a reporter that approaches Sherlock in order to interview him. Kitty Riley begins as a sweet, naive fan, but quickly transforms into a crafty, story-hungry journalist who will do anything for the next scoop. Her intentions were proved to be somewhat altruistic when she believed she was revealing Sherlock for a fraud.

There are countless other examples of dynamic female characters in Sherlock such as Sergeant Sally Donovan who works for the police force, Soo Lin Yao, the reformed smuggler turned art curator, Shan, the leader of the group of smugglers, and Ella Thompson, Dr. Watson's therapist, that also make appearances throughout the series.

It just goes to show that, those these shows are few and far between, there is hope for gender equality in the media.