HBO Max’s Most Popular Mystery Show Now Is This Clever Update of a Classic Story

The story of Sherlock Holmes has been told and retold hundreds of times over the years, with the intellectual detective reaching mythological status in pop culture since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced him to the world in 1887.

But each of these retellings brings something new to the character, and The CW’s series Sherlock & Daughter is no exception.

The series, currently one of the most popular shows on HBO Max, follows Holmes (David Thewlis) as he investigates a criminal syndicate called “The Red Thread” with the help of a young American woman (Blu Hunt) — who may just be his daughter.

Watch With Us is recommending you check out this series — find out why below.

‘Sherlock & Daughter’ Brings Some Diversity Into the Holmesian Canon

Amelia Rojas, the titular daughter in this series, is a Native American woman from California who has reason to believe Holmes may be her father. Since the Sherlock Holmes books were written in 19th-century England, there’s not a large history of people of color being written into the stories — so it’s nice to see the chemistry between Holmes and Rojas grow in a way that feels genuine.

Adding in a Native American character makes the story accessible to a wider audience and provides some much-needed representation in the world of Sherlock Holmes.

It’s an Interesting Preview of The CW’s Next Phase

The CW, a network best known for superhero shows and teen dramas, has been undergoing a bit of an identity crisis since the majority of its shares were sold to Nexstar Media Group in 2022. For those interested in tracking media trends, Sherlock & Daughter is one of the first original drama series that was created after the network changed owners.

It’s a co-production with Discovery+ in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as are almost all of The CW’s new scripted series. If it’s renewed for a second season — and the odds are decent, the series currently holds a 75 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes — Sherlock & Daughter may be an interesting indicator of the types of stories that The CW is prioritizing.

David Thewlis Was Born to Play Holmes

Thewlis, best known for playing straight-laced Brits in movies like the Harry Potter series, has the perfect Holmesian affect — aloof, detached and wickedly intelligent. But the actor also gets to experiment with a slightly softer side to Holmes as he becomes closer to Amelia. (He doesn’t believe that she is his daughter, but he still consents to teach her his methods and attempt to solve her mother’s murder.)

Despite himself, Holmes finds himself growing attached to the clever young woman. As series creator Brendan Foley put it, “Sherlock Holmes is classically an unemotional character in the stories, but he’s also a big experimenter. So, is it possible that just once in that great experimenter’s life, he might have thought, ‘What’s all this human emotion stuff about?’”

You can watch Sherlock & Daughter on HBO Max or The CW.