How the BBC Show ‘Sherlock’ Strikes Down the Myth That a Loner Genius Doesn’t Need Friends

Debra Minoff and Susannah McCullough of The Take take a look at the concept of the “Loner Genius”, particularly how its perpetuating mythology gives such individual tacit permission to behave in the most narcissistically dismissive ways possible. The BBC series Sherlock offers an excellent example of such a personality in its title character. Here we find a particularly gifted genius who thrives on mysteries and solving cases using steam of his own brain. Yet, he can only go so far, for so long in this manner. When he hits a mental wall and Sherlock finally turns to Doctor Watson as a friend, he also begins to acknowledge and listen to the ideas of others.

Sentiment is a chemical defect found in the losing side but what’s interesting about the BBC series Sherlock is that it actually rejects this loner genius myth and proves it to be a lie …Sherlock’s character journey guides him away from his loner existence and away from viewing himself as a computer instead of emulating a cyborg by terminating his relationships and burying his emotions Sherlock ultimately finds success by developing human connections.