"Sherlock" Shines on Masterpiece Mystery

It's time for the next season of "Sherlock and it'll be well worth the wait.

”Sherlock” is both an adaptation and a modern update. Gone are the Victorian clothes, the horses and carriages, and the genial but bumbling Dr. Watson. Instead we get text-messaging, Skyping, and a blogging Watson (Martin Freeman) with the spirit and wit to match his famous comrade in arms.

Best of all, we get Sherlock, played with great panache by actor Benedict Cumberbatch. This Sherlock is still brilliant, and still cold, but with rough edges. This isn’t Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock or even Robert Downey Jr.’s. This Sherlock still has some growing up to do.

There will be more thrills to come this season. What happens during this series is that the challenges thrown at Sherlock are sourced from the three most famous stories in the Holmes canon: “A Scandal in Bohemia,” “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” and “The Final Solution.” Or, as Dr. Watson might succinctly put it, Sherlock grapples with “The Woman, the Hound, and the Fall.”

You can also read the blog of Doctor John Watson online, since the modern day side kick no longer writes his stories about Sherlock's adventures in journals.

“Sherlock” Series 2 begins on “Masterpiece Mystery” on Sunday, May 6 on PBS. Don't miss it.