The Hound of the Baskervilles

I won't spend time introducing the BBC modern-day adaptation of my favourite books, since it has been widely acknowledged as the best adaptation yet. Just today, in fact, The Telegraph have online a countdown of the 20 greatest portrayals of Sherlock Holmes...ever. Guess where Cumberbatch comes in? Cumberbatch, the man with the name like a fart in a bath, has mystified us all, with his deep voice and high cheekbones, and the covetable Belstaff coat with the raised collar. And let's not forget Martin Freeman, who last year won a BAFTA for his performance as the ever loyal John Watson (or John Hamish Watson, should you prefer).

Moving swiftly away from potential squealy fangirl remarks on the beauty that is Benedict Cumberbatch, last night we were treated to the adaptation of one of my favourite stories by Arthur Conan Doyle - Hound of the Baskervilles, and in the hands of Mark Gatiss and Paul McGuigan, it was certainly a treat. Or as Watson would say, fantastic.

I'm not even going to try writing a balanced review, so I will just start by saying out the 5 (sob) episodes we've had so far, Hound was definitely the best. As Moffat and Co. have remarked on in various interviews, this new series has been delving deeper into Sherlocks psyche, and not just his head but his heart. Last week in A Scandal in Belgravia, Sherlock was confronted with the unwelcome topic of attraction. This week it's fear.

OK it's not all doom and gloom. The episode starts with a rather manic Sherlock, gasping for a cig and for a case (and covered in blood, something the fans are dangerously keen on...). A perfect portrayal of the lesser-seen manic side of Sherlock (last week we saw the depressive side, and that was perfect to canon as well). And, for the eagle-eyed Sherlockian, there are several Doctor Who references, and a heap load of canon ones - how many did you count?.

Russel Tovey guest stars as the haunted Henry Knight

Film enthusiasts will appreciate the beautiful camera direction from McGuigan, the sweeping panoramic shots of the Dartmoor wilds immediately impart an atmosphere of creeping uncertainty; the "bleak but beautiful" surroundings flesh into the creeping uncertainty of our beautifully bleak anti-hero. All of this adds to what is Benedicts finest performance as the consulting detective, thrown out of his element and into a danger he doesn't want to believe in. Here is a more emotional, vulnerable Sherlock. His mental disconnection from feelings is failing, and that is what terrifies him more than any hound out there - the high point of the episode for me was a beautifully played conversation between Sherlock and John, in which Sherlock finally comes to terms with the state of his "relationship" with the army doctor.

Perhaps at a later date I will write from a different perspective, and analyse every single shot, but I doubt it. If you're a Sherlockian, then you've already seen it - we succesfully took over the UK trending topics last night, did we not?. And if you haven't been converted yet -get right to it! You don't know what you're missing. I, meanwhile, have to emotionally prepare myself for the finale next week...