Sherlock: The Curious Condition
INT. 221B BAKER STREET - DAY
JOHN, late 30s, a bit tired, is seated at the dining table with a coffee mug, laptop, and a pile of medical journal papers. SHERLOCK, is standing near the window, playing a somber tune on his violin.
JOHN: (sighs) You know, a little peace and quiet would be nice, Sherlock.
SHERLOCK: (stops playing, offended) Excuse me for attempting to fill the deafening silence with some semblance of culture.
JOHN: I've got work to do, if you don't mind.
SHERLOCK: (fakes a gasp) Oh yes, the ever-important 'Doctor's Digest.'
JOHN: It's a respected medical journal, not some tabloid.
Their conversation is interrupted by MRS. HUDSON entering with a large package.
MRS. HUDSON: Sherlock, dear. This package arrived for you.
SHERLOCK: (takes the package, intrigued) How curious...
Sherlock quickly unwraps the package to find an antique watch.
JOHN: Another gift from a fan?
SHERLOCK: (examines watch carefully) No. There's something peculiar about this watch.
Intrigued, John gets up and takes a closer look.
JOHN: Looks old. Perhaps an eccentric collector?
SHERLOCK: No, quite the opposite. Observe the inscriptions on the back.
JOHN: (reads) 'Tick-tock. Time is running out. Save her.' A bit cryptic, don't you think?
SHERLOCK: That's the spirit, John; it's our next case!
JOHN: (skeptical) Are you sure? Maybe it’s just a prank or a publicity stunt...
SHERLOCK: (dismissively) Highly unlikely. Look closer at the watch.
JOHN: (squints) I see nothing.
SHERLOCK: (smirks) That's because you're not me.
EXT. LONDON STREET - DAY
Sherlock and John walk briskly towards an upscale shop - WICKHAM AND SONS ANTIQUES.
INT. WICKHAM AND SONS ANTIQUES - DAY
Sherlock, John, and the SHOP OWNER, a distinguished elderly gentleman named MR. WICKHAM, inspect the peculiar watch.
MR. WICKHAM: (impressed) This is certainly a rare find. An 18th-century French watch. Very valuable.
SHERLOCK: But not something one would send anonymously to a detective, don't you agree?
MR. WICKHAM: I would say that the chances are quite low.
JOHN: So, what now?
SHERLOCK: We must determine the watch's connection to the message, and in turn, the woman we must save.
INT. 221B BAKER STREET - DAY
Sherlock pores over books on antique watches, cryptology, and French history, his laptop open with multiple images of the watch. John attempts to continue his work.
JOHN: Have you found anything substantial?
SHERLOCK: (frustrated) In this sea of useless information, very little stands out. The only thing clear is the watchmaker's signature.
John's PHONE buzzes with a TEXT MESSAGE.
JOHN: Lestrade. They've found a dead woman in an alleyway. Her watch is missing.
SHERLOCK: (suddenly excited) That's it! The woman, the watch, the cryptic message; it all connects.
EXT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT
Sherlock, John, and LESTRADE stand around the BODY of the WOMAN. Sherlock inspects her wrist where the watch might have been.
SHERLOCK: Look at the bruising here. The watch was forcibly removed.
LESTRADE: This doesn't explain how it ended up on your doorstep.
SHERLOCK: (smiling) Not yet, but it will.
As they continue investigating, the screen fades to black.
TO BE CONTINUED
Sherlock: The Symphony of Shadows
EXT. LONDON STREETS - NIGHT
A foggy night in London. A street violinist plays a hauntingly beautiful tune under a flickering streetlamp.
INT. 221B BAKER STREET - NIGHT
SHERLOCK sits in his armchair, playing the same tune on his own violin. JOHN watches him, concerned.
JOHN
It's been three days, Sherlock. Are you going to tell me what's going on?
SHERLOCK
(ignores him, keeps playing)
JOHN
(sternly)
Sherlock!
SHERLOCK
(stops playing)
If you must know, I've been trying to decipher the meaning behind this melody.
JOHN
And? Have you figured it out?
SHERLOCK
No. It's...unnerving.
JOHN
Well, can you take a break? We have a new case.
Sherlock's eyes light up.
INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Lestrade waits, pacing. He jumps when Sherlock and John walk in suddenly.
LESTRADE
There you are! Something very strange is happening at the symphony hall. Three of its top musicians have disappeared in the past week. No trace of them. Poof!
SHERLOCK
A symphony of shadows, it seems. How intriguing.
INT. SYMPHONY HALL - NIGHT
Sherlock, John, and Lestrade examine the empty stage.
LESTRADE
The only thing they all had in common was their love for the piece 'The Symphony of Shadows'.
SHERLOCK
Suddenly... this tune makes more sense.
Sherlock becomes lost in thought again.
EXT. SYMPHONY HALL - NIGHT
Sherlock and John exit the hall.
SHERLOCK
The kidnapper must have some kind of connection to this specific piece.
JOHN
What about the street musician you saw the other night? He was playing that same tune.
SHERLOCK
Exactly. He could be our man.
EXT. LONDON STREETS - NIGHT
Sherlock and John locate the street violinist.
SHERLOCK
I must commend you on your cunning, but it's over.
The violinist pulls out a GUN and aims it at Sherlock.
VIOLINIST
This is far from over, Mr. Holmes.
TO BE CONTINUED
The Case of the Unseen Shadow
INT. 221B BAKER STREET - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) is playing his violin, deeply engrossed in the music. John (Martin Freeman) sits in his armchair, reading a newspaper.
JOHN: Can you keep it down, Sherlock? Trying to read here.
SHERLOCK (smirking): Ah, the trivial pursuits of ordinary minds.
As Sherlock continues to play his violin, there's a knock at the door. MRS. HUDSON (Una Stubbs) enters, leading a distraught young woman, ANNABELLE (25), toward them.
MRS. HUDSON: This young lady is in need of your help, Sherlock.
ANNABELLE (nervous): Hello, Mr. Holmes. I'm Annabelle Lancaster. I've come... because my fiancé, Mark, has gone missing.
Sherlock immediately deduces multiple facts about her.
SHERLOCK: Recently engaged, lives in Chelsea, no siblings, Mark is a banker, and you've recently had trouble with a stalker.
ANNABELLE (shocked): How could you possibly know all that?
JOHN (proud): You'll get used to it. So, when did your fiancé go missing?
ANNABELLE: Two days ago. Mark left for work and never returned. The police say they'll look into it, but I thought...
SHERLOCK: That we might be able to help.
Sherlock puts his violin down and starts pacing around the room, gathering his coat and scarf.
SHERLOCK: John, we're going to need to visit the bank where Mark works. Contact Lestrade, gather any information he can offer.
JOHN: On it.
INT. THE BANK - DAY
Sherlock, John, and Annabelle enter the busy bank. Sherlock's eyes dart around the room, scanning the environment. A BANK MANAGER approaches them.
BANK MANAGER: How can I help you, sir?
SHERLOCK: Annabelle's fiancé, Mark, has gone missing. I'd like to review the security footage from the past week, specifically tracking his movements in and out of the building.
BANK MANAGER (hesitant): That's not standard procedure, sir. I'm afraid I can't comply without police authorization.
LESTRADE (Rupert Graves) enters, flashing his badge.
LESTRADE: I authorized it. Let's see the footage.
INT. SECURITY ROOM - THE BANK - DAY
Sherlock and John huddle around a small monitor as the Bank Manager queues up the security footage. On the screen, Mark is seen leaving work, walking down the street, and then suddenly vanishing.
ANNABELLE (watching): That's impossible!
SHERLOCK: It seems someone has edited the footage.
JOHN: But who would be able to get access to it?
SHERLOCK (intrigued): That's what we must find out.
TO BE CONTINUED
Sherlock: Riddles of the Past
INT. 221B BAKER STREET - DAY
The cozy room is cluttered with old newspapers, books, and bizarre knick-knacks. Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) is sitting in his usual chair on one side of the fireplace with a microscope, examining a small object intently. Dr. Watson (Martin Freeman) is sitting across from him, going through his mail.
SHERLOCK: There's a faint residue on this pendant - likely from a specific type of poison - Wolfsbane.
WATSON: (looking up) Poison? How did you come across that?
SHERLOCK: (smirking) Delivered to our doorstep. An anonymous package.
WATSON: (concerned) Should you be handling it then?
SHERLOCK: The quantity isn't lethal, but it raises a question. Who sent it and why?
Watson sets his mail aside and joins Sherlock by the microscope.
WATSON: Have we handled any cases recently involving poison?
SHERLOCK: Insignificant. But there's more. The locket contains an old photograph of a woman.
Sherlock hands the locket to Watson, who studies it.
WATSON: Late 19th century attire? She's not someone we've encountered before.
SHERLOCK: Precisely. It's a riddle waiting to be solved, and I do love riddles.
MRS. HUDSON (Una Stubbs) enters the room holding a parcel.
MRS. HUDSON: (cheery) Another package for you two.
WATSON: (eyeing parcel warily) Let's hope it's less deadly than the last one.
Sherlock leaps up and snatches the package, ripping it open with eagerness. A dusty, old book lies within.
SHERLOCK: (excited) An original copy of Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue'!
WATSON: (puzzled) And that means...?
SHERLOCK: (grinning) Our sender has a taste for the macabre.
Watson flips through the pages and finds something wedged into the spine of the book.
WATSON: There's a bookmark. It's an old newspaper article.
They read the article about a mysterious, unsolved murder from the late 19th century, involving a woman who appears to be the one in the locket.
SHERLOCK: (intrigued) We have a decades-old cold case involving poison and literary references. This should be entertaining.
WATSON: You don't think it's a coincidence, then? The book and this article?
SHERLOCK: (smiling) In our line of work? Hardly.
They exchange eager glances and begin to unravel the mystery that stretches through time.
TO BE CONTINUED
Sherlock: The Disappearing Architect
EXT. LONDON STREET - DAY
A busy London street, people hurry along, wrapped up against the cold. A taxi stops outside a private detective agency.
INT. PRIVATE DETECTIVE AGENCY - DAY
Sherlock Holmes expounds on the finer points of a case to a bemused DR. JOHN WATSON.
SHERLOCK
...and, as you see, John, by analyzing the microscopic patterns of the chew marks on the victim's body...
Sherlock notices the taxi outside the window. It gets his attention.
SHERLOCK (CONT'D)
Excuse me, John.
Sherlock hurries to the door.
EXT. PRIVATE DETECTIVE AGENCY - DAY
LADY ELIZABETH MONTGOMERY, a woman of aristocratic bearing, steps out of the taxi. Sherlock greets her with a smile and opens the door.
SHERLOCK
Lady Montgomery, I presume?
LADY MONTGOMERY
That's correct, Mr. Holmes.
INT. PRIVATE DETECTIVE AGENCY - DAY
Lady Montgomery and Dr. Watson are seated while Sherlock pours tea.
LADY MONTGOMERY
My husband, Sir Thomas Montgomery, the lead architect on the completion of the Crystal Palace's reconstruction, has disappeared.
Sherlock furrows his brow thoughtfully.
SHERLOCK
Disappeared? How long has he been missing?
LADY MONTGOMERY
For three days now. The police have conducted a search, and have found nothing.
SHERLOCK
I'm afraid I'm not one for looking for missing persons.
LADY MONTGOMERY
But Mr. Holmes, before Sir Thomas disappeared, he told me he had reason to believe someone was trying to sabotage his work on the Crystal Palace.
These words pique Sherlock's interest.
SHERLOCK
Sabotage? Do go on.
LADY MONTGOMERY
Sir Thomas discovered some discrepancies in the construction plans for the Crystal Palace. He thought someone might be trying to weaken its structural integrity.
Sherlock's eyes INTENSIFY.
SHERLOCK
Now THIS is a case worthy of my time. Dr. Watson, grab your coat. We're heading to the Crystal Palace.
EXT. CRYSTAL PALACE - DAY
Sherlock, John, and Lady Montgomery arrive at the massive construction site. Workers scurry about, busy with various tasks.
SHERLOCK
First, we must examine these discrepancies in the construction plans.
LADY MONTGOMERY
Here, I brought a copy of the latest approved plans.
Sherlock takes the plans from her and examines them closely.
SHERLOCK
Look here, John. Very subtle, but the culprit has introduced errors that could lead to catastrophic consequences once the structure is complete.
Sherlock scans the site to find the foreman, CHARLIE.
SHERLOCK
(AT CHARLIE)
You! You're in charge here, aren't you?
CHARLIE
(DEFENSIVE)
Yes, what's your point, mate?
SHERLOCK
Your boss, Sir Thomas, is in danger. Have you noticed anything unusual lately?
CHARLIE
Well, now that you mention it, I've seen some bloke sneaking around in the shadows. Never got a good look at him though.
SHERLOCK
(SIGHS)
Never mind that. Who has access to the construction plans?
CHARLIE
Only myself, Sir Thomas, and his assistant.
SHERLOCK
Take us to this assistant.
They approach Sir Thomas Montgomery's ASSISTANT, who is visibly shaken.
ASSISTANT
I-I don't know anything about the discrepancies in the plans!
Sherlock narrows his eyes at him suspiciously.
CHOICE
(Whispers to Sherlock)
That's the man I saw in the shadows, Mr. Holmes.
SHERLOCK
A-HA. You, sir!
ASSISTANT
(Stammering
What? N-no, it's not me!
TO BE CONTINUED
A Game of Shadows
INT. 221B BAKER STREET - DAY
MRS. HUDSON, a petite woman in her late sixties, enters the room with a tray of breakfast tea and scones.
MRS. HUDSON
Good morning, Mr. Holmes, Dr. Watson.
SHERLOCK HOLMES, late thirties, thin and eccentric, is sitting in a chair, deep in thought. His best friend, DR. JOHN WATSON, a middle-aged former Army doctor, is reading the morning paper.
SHERLOCK
(Not looking up)
Morning, Mrs. Hudson.
JOHN
Morning, Mrs. Hudson.
MRS. HUDSON
I've brought you both some tea and scones.
SHERLOCK
(Barely registering)
Thank you, Mrs. Hudson.
Mrs. Hudson places the tray on the table and leaves the room. Sherlock sniffs the air, picking up a scent.
SHERLOCK
(To John)
What does the paper say this morning?
JOHN
Ah…murder in Whitechapel.
SHERLOCK
Details?
JOHN
Aspiring journalist, female, early 20s. Stabbed twice, no signs of robbery or assault. Found in an alleyway.
Sherlock springs to his feet, snatches the paper from John, and scans the article.
SHERLOCK
This…this is interesting. We should pay a visit to the crime scene.
JOHN
Are you sure? You seemed preoccupied earlier. Any new cases?
SHERLOCK
None that’s worthy. The scent, it's Patchouli. A fine fragrance very subtle yet distinctive, commonly found on letters written in the 19th century.
JOHN
(Confused)
And, what's the significance?
SHERLOCK
(Excited)
This case, it could be a game, a message wrapped in an enigma.
EXT. WHITECHAPEL ALLEYWAY – DAY
SHERLOCK and JOHN are at the crime scene, talking to a police officer, SGT. GREG LESTRADE.
LESTRADE
Thank you for coming, Mr. Holmes. The victim was found early this morning.
SHERLOCK
(Inspecting the scene)
She bled out, but this was not the primary crime scene. She was moved here.
LESTRADE
(Surprised)
How could you tell?
SHERLOCK
The blood splatter pattern is inconsistent, and the scent… it's stronger now. Patchouli, postmarked parcel transported in the 19th century. I need to visit the first crime scene.
JOHN
Do you think it's connected to the scent from back home?
SHERLOCK
It must be, the scent was the killer's mistake…or a deliberate clue.
LESTRADE
But we haven't found the first crime scene yet.
SHERLOCK
You will. The scent, it's our guide. This is just the beginning. Patchouli, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. - The Great Dissenter…
JOHN
(interrupting)
Sherlock, what does that mean?
SHERLOCK
It means, Dr. Watson…
He trails off, gaze fixed on the distance as the camera focuses on his lips.
SHERLOCK
This is a game of shadows.
TO BE CONTINUED
