The single greatest issue with The Mazarin Stone is the absence of the titular detective. And while it's fantastic that we got to see Mycroft again before the series ended, his insertion into the story is imperfect, in that he is sometimes speaking lines that sound like they belong in Jeremy Brett's mouth and it takes a tiny stretch when the story requires Mycroft to start working from Holmes' apartment.
Nonetheless, it is possible to trudge through the shortcomings. What seems to compound the problem is that episode that was loosely adapted in the first place. Although titled The Mazarin Stone, this adaptation actually incorporates two Conan Doyle stories: the titular tale and The Adventure of the Three Garridebs, creating a pretty effective amalgam. Although it may surprise and upset purists unaccustomed to this sort of meddling by Granada, I think the reasons are understandable for those who've read the original stories. If you tried to take The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone and place what is on the page directly on the screen, even though the short story itself is okay on its own, you'd end up with something that probably wouldn't be that interesting for most viewers to follow and almost certainly wouldn't take up fifty minutes of screen time.
In the original, there is little mystery. There's also virtually no detective work, because the characters never leave the room and all of the action leading up to the confrontation with Sylvius is related to the reader after the fact. By incorporating The Three Garridebs, this adaptation introduces stronger elements of mystery and footwork: here the characters get out and about in. In fact, the episode is almost more of an action story than a mystery.
The script, however, is generally well-written as are the characters, contrary to what some other reviewers say. The episode benefits from some colorful background characters. The Garrideb siblings are delightful.
Possibly due to the introduction of Mycroft, the pacing or structure feel a bit off to me at times and exposition is sometimes a little on the rushed side. This is one of those Holmes episodes with some weird camera angles and lighting, but unlike some viewers, I've never been driven to distraction by that sort of flamboyance. I wouldn't change it a bit.
As for Sherlock's part, his brief and sudden reappearance at the end is startling. But it ends it up kind of working in a cool way.
By the standards of this series, this episode is a novelty. For that reason alone, I find it somewhat enjoyable, but again, that requires one to view it in the context of a good working knowledge of the Jeremy Brett Holmes films. On its own the episode is well-written, cleverly directed, finely acted, and generally entertaining. Just treat as a novelty to the series and you may find that, while it doesn't quite fall into step with the other great episodes, it stands out in its own way and really is not that bad a piece of TV when approached fairly. If nothing else, props to everyone involved for doing their best to salvage a difficult situation. All things considered, this could have been a hell of a lot worse and more troublesome than it was.
Nonetheless, it is possible to trudge through the shortcomings. What seems to compound the problem is that episode that was loosely adapted in the first place. Although titled The Mazarin Stone, this adaptation actually incorporates two Conan Doyle stories: the titular tale and The Adventure of the Three Garridebs, creating a pretty effective amalgam. Although it may surprise and upset purists unaccustomed to this sort of meddling by Granada, I think the reasons are understandable for those who've read the original stories. If you tried to take The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone and place what is on the page directly on the screen, even though the short story itself is okay on its own, you'd end up with something that probably wouldn't be that interesting for most viewers to follow and almost certainly wouldn't take up fifty minutes of screen time.
In the original, there is little mystery. There's also virtually no detective work, because the characters never leave the room and all of the action leading up to the confrontation with Sylvius is related to the reader after the fact. By incorporating The Three Garridebs, this adaptation introduces stronger elements of mystery and footwork: here the characters get out and about in. In fact, the episode is almost more of an action story than a mystery.
The script, however, is generally well-written as are the characters, contrary to what some other reviewers say. The episode benefits from some colorful background characters. The Garrideb siblings are delightful.
Possibly due to the introduction of Mycroft, the pacing or structure feel a bit off to me at times and exposition is sometimes a little on the rushed side. This is one of those Holmes episodes with some weird camera angles and lighting, but unlike some viewers, I've never been driven to distraction by that sort of flamboyance. I wouldn't change it a bit.
As for Sherlock's part, his brief and sudden reappearance at the end is startling. But it ends it up kind of working in a cool way.
By the standards of this series, this episode is a novelty. For that reason alone, I find it somewhat enjoyable, but again, that requires one to view it in the context of a good working knowledge of the Jeremy Brett Holmes films. On its own the episode is well-written, cleverly directed, finely acted, and generally entertaining. Just treat as a novelty to the series and you may find that, while it doesn't quite fall into step with the other great episodes, it stands out in its own way and really is not that bad a piece of TV when approached fairly. If nothing else, props to everyone involved for doing their best to salvage a difficult situation. All things considered, this could have been a hell of a lot worse and more troublesome than it was.