Sherlock: 5 Differences Between John And Sherlock (& 5 Similarities)

The Benedict Cumberbatch-led series Sherlock is an interesting modern take on the classic detective, especially in how it portrays its two leads.

You Are Reading :Sherlock 5 Differences Between John And Sherlock (& 5 Similarities)

Like most versions and adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Dolye’s classic book series, Sherlock is known for the iconic relationship between John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. Not only are the two partners in their investigative work, but they are very good friends. The series particularly emphasizes the importance of this friendship, delving into the intricacies and unique intimacies shared between two characters who seem, for all intents and purposes, to be completely incompatible people.

John and Sherlock are certainly contrasting types of characters, but the more one watches the show the more they realize why it is that the pair get along so well. John and Sherlock have their moments of butting heads, revealing the stark differences between them, but sometimes it’s their apparent differences that emphasize the ways in which they are actually very much the same.

10 Difference: Sherlock Is A Sociopath

Many would agree that Sherlock is a unique man, but according to the man himself this goes beyond the average fluctuations in personality. After being referred to as a “psychopath”, Sherlock abruptly corrects the accusing person, saying that he is in fact a “high functioning sociopath.” John might be unique as well and have quirks all his own, but sociopath he most certainly is not.

9 Similarity: They Both Love Danger

One of the first things that ties Sherlock and John together is their realized common attraction to danger. Up until meeting John, Sherlock is used to being considered the odd guy out for feeding off of the adrenaline of the crimes he solves. When he meets John, he sees a sort of kindred spirit in his twinned enthusiasm for the chase, and this makes the duo the ideal crime-solving pair.

8 Difference: John Is Socially Aware

Sherlock is hyper-aware of small details relating to people’s everyday activities, but he often misses the very things that come so easily to the rest of the world— namely, social cues. Sherlock will talk until the cows come home, never noticing that those around him are growing increasingly uncomfortable.

John often has to be the one to cut him off, serving as a sort of translator and mediator between Sherlock and the average person and trying to help him be a little more likable.

7 Similarity: They Are Misfits

Sherlock and John are both outcasts from society in one way or another. Sherlock has trouble getting along with people. On the other hand, John can get by in a normal conversation, but what people hardly notice is that he isn’t necessarily enjoying himself or feeling fulfilled in doing so. Both partners need more than the daily grind— hence why they fit so well as partners of investigation.

6 Difference: John Is Modest

John knows he has good qualities, and he doesn’t shy away from using his skills when necessary— but he doesn’t brag. Sherlock relishes the chance to show off, frequently begging to reel off an assessment of some poor unsuspecting person nearby just so he can see their reaction to his prowess.

John has immense skills in different ways, but he would never use them except in case of absolute necessity because he feels no need to have his ego stroked.

5 Similarity: They Are Experts

They may show it in different ways, but both Sherlock and John are experts. Sherlock is so astonishing in his approach that it’s easy for him to overshadow John, or to even make it seem as though John is merely there for Sherlock to have someone to bounce ideas off of, offering no actual substance of his own.

This is not the case. John is a highly experienced medical doctor as well as a steady hand in a moment of crisis, filling a role Sherlock can genuinely make use of.

4 Difference: John Appears Conventional

Sherlock stands out. He’s tall, wears a long coat with the collar popped up, and has definitive facial features. There’s an air to him that makes him instantly noticeable.

John is easier to blend in. He’s shorter and less remarkable looking and dresses like an average Londoner. John passes as normal, but Sherlock’s presence makes a statement. It’s only as John changes throughout the series and reveals more about himself that viewers see just how unconventional he can be beneath the surface.

3 Similarity: They Are Bored By Normal Society

Both men find normal society boring to a certain degree. Before meeting Sherlock, John floated through life, mostly miserable and unsure of what he needed to stop feeling that way.

Sherlock, in turn, becomes restless and unhappy whenever life becomes too ritualistic and mundane. Both men need things to be shaken up quite regularly, and the regular occurrence of mysterious murders comes as the perfect occupation of their time.

2 Difference: Sherlock Feeds Off Of Crime

The fact that Sherlock and John both feel passionate about solving crimes doesn’t mean that their feelings about it are exactly the same. John lives for the danger and the adrenaline, but he doesn’t necessarily derive pleasure from hearing that someone has been murdered. On the contrary, Sherlock very much gets a thrill from the advent of a new case in a much less sensitive and humane way than John.

1 Similarity: They Fight For The Same Side

Sherlock isn’t highly driven by morals— at least on the surface— but it remains true that with anything he could be doing in life, he chooses to solve crimes, resolving cases that bring an end to a murderous person hurting more people. This suggests there is a goodness to Sherlock, goodness that exists much more on the surface with John Watson, but the same kind none the less.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/sherlock-john-and-sherlock-differences-similarities/