Sherlock: 5 Characters That Changed (& 5 That Stayed The Same)
Sherlock reimagined the iconic detective for the 21st century, updating his classic stories and the character himself. Over the shows 4 seasons Sherlock encountered many colorful characters during his challenging investigations, but due to his difficult and alienating personality, he made many enemies and a few allies along the way.
Some of these characters changed due to Sherlock's influence, for good or bad, and became radically different people by the end of the fourth season. However, some stayed the same throughout the series and never changed. With this in mind here are 5 characters who changed, and 5 that stayed the same.
10 STAYED THE SAME: Mrs. Hudson
There's no doubt that no other landlady would be as forgiving of Sherlock's treatment of their property as Mrs. Hudson. Sherlock's erratic behavior, mess, not to mention the shooting, makes him a terrible tenant that any other landlord would have kicked out years ago.
From the beginning to the end of the series Mrs. Hudson suffered the very worst of Sherlock's behavior, and unlike so many, she never let him get to her and remained kind to everyone through the series.
9 CHANGED: Detective Inspector Lestrade
Detective Inspector Lestrade is one of the best detectives London has to offer, but time and again he is forced to seek aid from Sherlock Holmes when he is overwhelmed with an array of increasingly difficult cases. These cases would have been impossible to solve without the assistance of Sherlock, and despite their tumultuous relationship Lestrade is happy for the help.
But the more Lestrade is exposed to Sherlock, the more he both respects and fears the brilliant detective. This results in Lestrade having a radically different view of Sherlock by the end of the series.
8 STAYED THE SAME: Charles Magnussen
Featured in season 3 Charles Magnussen proved to be one of the most cunning and unstoppable villains Sherlock had ever encountered. His power came from the many secrets he kept about people in power, allowing him to blackmail them to get what he wants.
It was first believed that these secrets were kept in a physical vault, but it quickly revealed that they simply existed in Magnessen's head. This left Sherlock with no alternative but to kill him. Unlike many villains, Magnussen had no sympathetic qualities and had no intention of changing his wicked ways.
7 CHANGED: Mary
Mary Watson proved to be one of the most popular characters the series introduced and was perfectly matched with John Watson. However, not all was as it seemed and Mary held many secrets and brought with her a lot of baggage from her past.
It was later revealed that she had previously worked as an assassin and was not the woman she had claimed to be. These revelations drastically changed her character, proving there was more to her than their first appeared.
6 STAYED THE SAME: Moriarty
James Moriarty matched Sherlock in every way and proved to be his intellectual equivalent. The only difference being, Moriarty used his genius and skills to cause chaos and harm. The character is an essential element of the classic stories and was remained for a contemporary retelling.
He was the most powerful enemy Sherlock encountered and was unable to be reached by logic and reasoning, his only care was to outwit Sherlock and win "the game". This led to him going further than anyone else would have been willing to go, killing himself just so he could win.
5 CHANGED: Molly
Molly remained a trusted ally of Sherlock and Doctor Watson throughout the series, however, her attitude towards Sherlock did change. Molly had feelings for Sherlock, a fact he was more than happy to exploit for his benefit.
But as the series progressed Molly was able to move on and put her feelings aside, seeing the flaws of Sherlock's character. This resulted in Molly becoming a stronger and better character by the end of the series.
4 STAYED THE SAME: John Watson
John Watson found an unlikely friend in Sherlock Holmes, and although their friendship wasn't always easy, they quickly formed a close bond. He remained Sherlock's trusted and only friend throughout the series and despite so many characters finding Sherlock too much trouble, Watson took in all in his stride.
His skills as a doctor, as well as his impressive combat training, made him an invaluable ally to Sherlock through the series.
3 CHANGED: Philip Anderson
Philip Anderson underwent a radical character transformation throughout the series, beginning as a forensic investigator he unraveled into an obsessive conspiracy theorist after Sherlock's death.
Initially, he disliked Sherlock, and had no respect for, with the two frequently coming to blows. However, this all changed and he became Sherlock's number one fan, and his life became consumed with proving how he faked his death. This resulted in his losing his job and becoming a social outcast.
2 STAYED THE SAME: Mycroft
Mycroft Holmes has one of the most complex relationships with Sherlock of any character, he is after all his brother. Possessing a genius intellect, his clandestine job within the government makes him one of the most powerful men in the country and gives him an enormous amount of responsibility.
This sees his relationship with his brother go through ups and downs, but Mycroft, unlike so many characters, does not change and large aspects of the characters remain shrouded in mystery.
1 CHANGED: Sherlock
Portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock Holmes changed slowly throughout the shows four seasons and became more human and less cold by its conclusion. This is in large part due to his expose to John Watson, who he formed a close bond with like no one else he had ever met.
This transformation was difficult and slow for Sherlock to embrace with many setbacks along the way. But the friendship they shared change Sherlock for the better, making him not only a greater detective but a more caring person as well.