**Warning: Spoilers for the season finale of "Sherlock" are contained in the following post!**
A week ago today Sherlock season 4, and possibly the entire show, came to a riveting close. It was quite the season, filled with mind-bending twists and turns, intriguing character development, and despicable (and I mean it in the true sense of the word) villains. The final episode of the season, appropriately titled "The Final Problem," was an intense, uncomfortably dark story that tested the series' heroes more than any episode so far. In it, we are acquainted with Euros Holmes, Sherlock's brilliant, insane, desperately evil sister. She has been, as we come to find out, the real mind behind the evils that have plagued Sherlock Holmes, even going back to his early childhood. She has had her hand on almost every heartbreak, every terrible, tortuous event that happens to Sherlock during the course of the series, and in this episode we get to see her work up close. Euros manages to lure Sherlock, his best friend John, and brilliant older brother Mycroft to the prison in which she has been held (or, as we learn, has come to control) for the majority of her life. Once trapped, she puts them through a series of tests, sadistic games, for reasons not completely clear. Insanity? Yes. Hatred? Probably. Revenge? Maybe. But its also pretty clear that she just enjoys it. She has finally met people who have a chance of standing up to her intellectually, but they are limited by morality, by love for each other, and by a regard for human life. And her goal is to exploit those so-called "weaknesses," and to test the power it gives her over them. This episode of Sherlock explored, perhaps more than any other episode up until this point, the fundamental differences between the "good guys" and the "bad guys." Never before in this show have we seen so evidently two radically different types of characters and what it looks like when they clash. Their fundamental differences lie, I believe, in one key area: their value of human life. To Euros, human life is of no value. She sees men as tools, playthings even, to be used until they're worn out. She is, in her own mind, a god--and probably not just a god, but the god. Her intellectual capabilities give her the means to use, abuse, and control; and in her own godless universe, why should that change? Sherlock and his companions, on the other hand, see human life in a completely different light. When faced with the gut-wrenching choice to shoot one man to save the life of another, neither John nor Mycroft can do it. And when Sherlock must choose which of his companions to murder to get to the next segment of Euros' "game," he threatens, to his sister's shock and dismay, to end his own life instead. So why does Sherlock, who, in this version of the classic stories, is a self-proclaimed atheist, put such immense value on the life of another human being? Because, from an evolutionary standpoint, shouldn't the life of a human have just as much value as that of a dog, horse, or monkey? What kept John from pulling the trigger, even when he had a man literally begging John to shoot him to save the life of his captive wife? I believe the answer is this: as humans created in the image of God, we are created with a subconscious understanding that human life has value. And, I would argue, the reason it has value is that God gives it value. One of the earliest decrees given by God in Scripture can be found in Genesis 9:1-7. In it, the Creator gives humankind dominion over all other creation. He sets them apart, per say. He goes on to declare: "Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind." From the beginning, God has chosen to give men value. And, as creatures all created by God, we have engrained in our consciences an understanding, an instinct, that we don't have the right or authority to take something of such incredible value as human life. So while Sherlock might claim to not believe in a higher power, his actions indicate that he subconsciously answers to one. He recognizes that mankind has a special place in creation, and I doubt that he could provide a solid explanation on why that is. But I believe, as Christians, that we can. Our worth as humans can only be found in one thing, and that's through a loving Creator who has chosen to give us immense value for the glory of His name.
Comments
I love analyzing film, or anything else that tells a story. I've found that stories are amazing things that hold so much power and influence over us...they can change our moods, give us purpose, help us understand a variety of different concepts, draw us closer to other people, etc. In a way, stories set us apart from the rest of creation. The ability to create and communicate ideas intentionally is a really unique, cool thing.
The influence that stories can have is what makes them important, but it can also make them potentially harmful. That's why I believe they should be taken seriously, and not just observed, but also interacted with. In other words, I think we need to be really careful about falling prey to engaging in "blind entertainment"-- entertainment for the sole sake of entertainment. Instead, we should be aware of the stories that are told to us, and not just the stories themselves, but the motivations behind them, the worldviews they promote, and the values they uphold (or don't, for that matter). That's why I created WWAP. I wanted a creative outlet that would challenge me to not see entertainment as purely entertainment, and maybe encourage some other people to do the same. I want to watch films with a purpose. I want to learn and grow from the stories that are told to me, and discern how the messages line up with biblical values. I want to be aware of how stories influence myself, my heart attitudes, my values, beliefs, and even actions. Because, like it or not, stories change us; and to me, that's both an exciting and terrifying thing. I still remember watching The Avengers for the first time back when it was originally released on DVD. It was one of my first superhero films, and I had very mixed feelings about it. The Avengers marked my first exposure to the popular character known as Tony Stark (aka Iron Man). At first, I couldn’t stand him. To me, this “superhero” didn’t deserve to be called a hero at all. Since my first viewing of The Avengers, my enjoyment of Marvel films has increased exponentially.
When I first took an interest in film and Christian media-discernment, I had practically promised myself that I’d loathe Iron Man for eternity. To me, he didn’t seem deserving of the enormous fandom he had acquired. He was a womanizing, fowl-mouthed, arrogant man that honestly really annoyed me. But the more I watched the Iron Man films, and the more I understood the character of Tony Stark, I began to warm up to the character really quickly. Why was this? I finally came to this conclusion: Tony Stark is real. Not in the context of being an actual living, breathing person on the planet, but Tony Stark seems to provide a picture of an incredibly flawed individual trying to make the world a better place one step (or explosion) at a time. As I watched the films, I was surprised by how much Tony Stark reminded me of King Solomon in the Bible. King Solomon had it all-- riches, glory, a kingdom, women, soldiers, horses, chariots, and anything else that money and power could help him obtain; he even had Jehovah God on his side! Unfortunately for Solomon, he was an imperfect, sinful, and wretched human being. He had a God-shaped void in his heart that he attempted to fill with every pleasure he could ask for. After all, if he could have it, why shouldn't he? As he grew older, he continued to push God aside and tried to replace Him with worldly pleasures. Scholars believe that it was towards the end of his life when he began to look back and think, "What a waste." That's when he wrote Ecclesiastes. For those of you who haven't read Ecclesiastes recently, let me sum it up for you in three words: everything is meaningless. Solomon looked back on his life and realized that only God could have given him the contentment that he had searched for his entire life. And that brings us to a fictional man named Tony Stark. Like Solomon, Tony seems to have it all. He's practically the richest man on Earth, he’s a living genius, and he could basically give himself anything money and fame could buy: cars, mansions, women...the list goes on and on. But for some reason, Tony doesn't find it fulfilling. Like Solomon, Tony has regrets. When his friend gets ruthlessly gunned down by an enemy in the first movie, he is able to share one last piece of advice with Tony before he dies: “Don’t waste your life.” Those words have a profound affect on Tony Stark, and we watch as Tony struggles to discover the meaning of life. When he looks at how the mistakes in his past have hurt countless others, he resolves to change. He resolves to do good. Solomon had one advantage over Tony Stark…Solomon knew God and had a personal relationship with Him. Even so, I found it immensely encouraging that the creative minds behind the Iron Man movies realized (even if it was just a little bit) that pursuing oneself does not bring fulfillment. Both Solomon and Tony Stark had to face this realization over the course of their lives. I truly hope that we as an audience can learn as well that there is so much more to life than filling it with stuff that can only bring temporary happiness. So, is Tony Stark a character who doesn’t deserve the fandom that he has acquired? Well, he is a sinful, reckless individual, but his desire to fix his mistakes and make the world a better place is something I can definitely cheer for. |
Welcome!This blog is devoted to analyzing the content and themes in movies, television, video games, and other forms of media from a Christian perspective. Thanks for stopping by!
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