By Meghan Proctor ’16

When people hear the name “Sherlock Holmes,” they might think of the intelligent fictional detective from Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories set during the Victorian era. Others might picture the overly dramatic yet equally intelligent detective from the BBC drama “Sherlock” set in modern times. However, a 90-minute special of said drama combines both periods of the story almost perfectly in “The Abominable Bride.”

The special begins with a brief flashback of highlights from the show itself before presenting an alternate timeline. Set in the 1890s, the first scene where John Watson (Martin Freeman) first meets Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) acts as both a storyline set-up and a nod to fans, for it parallels the same scene from “A Study in Pink,” the first episode of the series, as well as “A Study in Scarlet,” one of the original stories from Doyle.

After introducing the main characters and their relationship to each other, the story begins to present the case. According to recent reports, a woman dressed in a wedding gown killed her husband a few hours after she supposedly committed suicide. With many people speculating the work of a ghost, Holmes and Watson investigate by observing the estate of a man who may be her next victim. As the duo try to solve the case, they attempt to find the people who are behind the killing.

The plot of the episode is complex and engaging to keep viewers constantly interested in the story. However, its constant references and parallels with previous seasons, especially a surprising twist that connects the plot of the 1890’s case to the present-day events of the series, is more geared towards fans than first-time viewers. Even fans can find the plot somewhat confusing if they don’t pay close attention, but the complexity of the story adds to the mysterious and somewhat dark tone, and the special episode works really well as a direct tie-in with the show.

The characters from the Victorian era slightly differ from their present-day counterparts, but only in mannerisms and speech patterns. Sherlock is still the arrogant, fast-talking detective and Watson is the same loyal army doctor from the show. Both actors do a fantastic job translating their roles into a different time period, as do the rest of the cast reprising their roles from the series.

This episode is not friendly to newcomers, but it’s an engaging story with memorable characters played by talented actors. Newcomers should watch the show first, which is nine episodes and is available on Netflix.