Crime Dynamic Duos: ‘Sherlock’ (Holmes / Watson) takes on ‘NCIS’ (Bishop / McGee)
Welcome to another feature here at CarterMatt spanning much of the month of February, and this time around, we’re specifically talking about the best in what crime TV has to offer. We watch these shows for the mystery and the drama, but at the end of the day, what makes a great crime show different from the rest is the cast. You want to watch likable, entertaining people, and many of the best of the genre have come in pairs.
With that, we’re introducing today the Crime Dynamic Duos tournament to help identify the answer to one question: Why really is the best crime-fighting duo without a secret identity? We’re going to be putting up pairs in a competition-style format over the course of the month, and every day between now and September 10, we’ll be introducing the combatants for round one. Vote in the poll at the bottom of each article to your heart’s content; the results of the first round will be revealed on September 12, when we will go down from sixteen pairs to eight.
Today, we’re starting things off with two shows in “Sherlock” and “NCIS” that have loyal followings, but on paper one duo does have a clear advantage when it comes to longtime support.
“Sherlock,” Sherlock Holmes and John Watson (#1 seed) – There have been so many different iterations of these characters over the years — heck, there’s even another version in this tournament! What makes these two stand apart, aside from the wonderful performances of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, is the complex relationship the two share. At times they’re firmly collaborative, whereas others they could disagree more. Watson helps Sherlock to care in a way that he rarely does, and in turn he brings out the full potential in Watson. You want your duos to challenge each other, and these two almost certainly do.
“NCIS,” Tim McGee and Ellie Bishop (#8 seed) – Finding the right duo to place for “NCIS,” a show that needed inclusion on this list, was a challenge. We’re trying to think in the present, which is why there’s no Tony representation here. In the end, Bishop and McGee are probably one of the stronger duos the show has going right now in terms of not only crime-solving prowess, but also rapport since the two are at the center of some of the funnier scenes. with DiNozzo now gone they’ll likely share larger responsibilities, and also be relied upon further for some of the series’ humor as two of the quirkier team members.
(Photo: BBC One)