The Return of Sherlock Holmes (TV Series) The Devil's Foot (1988) User Reviews

Worthy addition to the series

[klingon-attack · 9/10 · 15 January 2007]

I suppose I am adding this comment as counterweight to the only other existing comment about this episode of the excellent Granada Holmes series.

While not the best of the series it certainly stands out as one of the better ones and is infinitely better than some other Holmes adaptations we have been subjected to in the past decades. An original and classic Sherlock Holmes story is not so much about a detective solving a murder case. We are not talking whodunnit here. People who are looking for that sort of thing had better look out for the odd Agatha Christie movie. A Holmes story is mostly about atmosphere, be it the foggy, nostalgic, and mysterious atmosphere of Victorian London, or, in this case, the lonesome, mystic and eerie air of the Cornish countryside.

Anyone who is slightly acquainted with the canon of Sherlock Holmes stories will know that all occurrences have a scientific and logical explanation. So there is no reason to dwell unnecessarily long on the possibility of something supernatural happening. Of course the astute viewer will have identified the criminal rather early but contrary to the plots of classic whodunnits some of the best Holmes stories feature a criminal who only appears towards the end of the story and is usually some strange and outlandish character from the victim's past. In a whodunnit we would resent such a solution but in a Holmes story which is mostly about atmosphere we do not.

A Standout

[ericksonsam60 · 8/10 · 13 January 2012]

Memorable episode from "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" volume in the Granada series as well as one of the better adaptations in the series overall. Holmes and Watson go to the Cornish coast to recuperate, only to face bizarre double murders. The story is unique and leads to an unexpected conclusion. One moment that really stands out in this adaptation is it's acid dream sequence when Holmes has to put himself under hallucination to find out the solution to the mystery. Also notable in the story is Holmes giving up his habit of cocaine. Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke give their best performances and the atmosphere, photography, production values, and music are superb. Definitely a must watch for fans.

Some Excitement for Holmes

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 11 February 2014]

Holmes is on the verge of a nervous breakdown and needs his fix: a really interesting case. It comes when a trio of people, playing cards are suddenly stricken with catalepsy. One, the woman, dies and there is no explanation for it. This leads to a big game hunter who appears on the scene. He has had experiences in parts of Africa. A logical candidate for what has happened. We know that a writer or director doesn't throw this in if there isn't some significance. The key to it all is motive. If someone is responsible, who and why? This is well done. Brett is at his best in putting together the critical issues of time and opportunity and the conclusion is valid. Once again Holmes is faced with a moral dilemma, one which he has faced many times.

A dark, surreal and brilliant outing for Holmes and Watson

[revans-58368 · 10/10 · 4 October 2015]

Holmes is off the the coast to convalesce with companion Watson, but tragedy strikes at a nearby house, and the Tregennis family are almost wiped out, all except brother Mortimer. The reason for the deaths seems almost supernatural, and soon after Mortimer himself dies in similar circumstances. Holmes is battling his heroine addiction and Watson does his best by his friend Holmes. I think this is one of the best in the series, firstly, the setting, most episodes are dark, and set in bleak surroundings, but the Cornish coast is so beautiful it makes an interesting contrast, murder happening at such an idyllic location. I always enjoy a mystery with an alternative and different method, and Devil's foot certainly has that. It's incredibly dark, we see Holmes's drug taking, and the surreal imagery of him using 'the lamp' also looks good (a little dated now I grant you, but still powerful.) There is a closeness between Holmes and Watson too. A brilliant episode. 10/10

One of the best Granada Sherlock Holmes adaptations

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 12 March 2011]

I love the Granada Sherlock Holmes adaptations, and this adaptation of The Devil's Foot epitomises why. In fact, it is a contender for my favourite episode of the series, that is how good it is. It is relatively faithful to the source material, and while the story is still a fine read, this adaptation in some ways improves on it.

As always, the production values are superb. The sets and costumes are meticulous, the photography is skillful and the atmosphere is resolutely creepy and mysterious. Coupled with one of the most haunting music scores of the series(gives The Red Circle a run for its money), fine sophisticated writing, good pacing, great direction and a classic story told in such an adept way you have a superb episode.

And I cannot not mention the acting. Jeremy Brett is a perfect Holmes with a gritty baritone and commanding presence and Edward Hardwicke is more than an ideal contrast as a thoughtful and composed Watson.

Overall, a wonderful episode and adaptation. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This episode highlights friendship

[agni0504 · 10/10 · 9 February 2009]

The other comments for Devil's Foot are about how bad it is.I do not know anything about dramatization and technical details.What I know is, that for me this episode is about the great friendship between Holmes and Watson.You can see it in every episode, but generally the investigations are more important than friendship. In Devil's Foot the situation is reversed, the emphasis is on the Holmes-Watson relationship. Edward Hardwicke gives one of his best performances as the caring and worried, loyal doctor. Jeremy Brett portrays a very contemplative Holmes, who overcomes his cocaine addiction - it is symbolized by the scene where he buries his syringe on the coast.The filming location, Cornwall suits well the atmosphere of the story.I like this episode very much, it is one of the best from the Return series.

The darkest entry in an outstanding series.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 7 May 2018]

Jeremy Brett's magical run as Holmes aired when I was very young, when I think back this was the episode that had the greatest impact on me, even now I'm struck by just how bleak it is. Three reasons, firstly the horrible way the poor Tregenniss family die, it's so dark, secondly the trippy scene where Holmes suffers the effects of the substance, and also the terrors he faces with drugs. It's one of my favourite stories, it's a wonderful tale of justice and revenge. Great production values, the coast looks incredible, and of course the acting is fabulous, Brett and Hardwicke at their very best.

The Devil's Foot

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 15 April 2019]

I was surprised when Granada announced the second series of The Return of Sherlock Holmes. I did not expect to see it.

I remember the tabloid headlines at the time. Jeremy Brett had a mental breakdown after the death of his wife in 1985 and he was committed to a psychiatric hospital.

I later found out that not only was Brett sectioned, his physical health had suffered. Journalists would pretend to be doctors to try to gain access to his medical records or just get near him and ask if he had Aids. Brett was bisexual.

The producers of the show got Granada to move him to a private hospital and pay for it. With help from friends such as Edward Hardwicke, Brett did get better but the medication bloated him.

In The Devil's Foot, you see that Brett has put on weight and he has short hair. The story actually sees him going to Cornwall to convalesce.

However very soon he comes across the tragedy of the Tregennis family. Two brothers are driven mad, their sister dead. Holmes needs to find out what caused this horror.

Later the estranged brother Mortimer Tregennis is also found dead.

The episode makes good use of the Cornish coastline. It even sees Holmes go on a bad trip and we see a symbolic burial of a syringe, Holmes finally gives up his habit. I was not really convinced by part of the mystery but it was effectively portrayed on the screen.

Very Bad Trip.

[rmax304823 · 8/10 · 18 April 2010]

While reading this story, I had the feeling that Conan-Doyle was getting mighty hard up for plots. This one stretches the usual venue, and it struck me at the time as dryly written, with none of the appealing qualities of the earlier Holmes.

As filmed, the episode is an improvement over the story as written. Forced into a recuperative stay at a Cornish inn, Holmes does a little cocaine (which Jeremy Brett was always opposed to) before breaking the habit and buying both the dope and the syringe in the sandy beach.

On top of that, the episode gives us a subjective view of Holmes' psychedelic trip, induced by an "ordeal poison" from Africa that the murderer placed in a lamp. Well -- it gets a little complicated and I don't want to give away too much of the plot.

I guess I can say that the "ordeal" in "ordeal poison" was a kind of trial in some parts of Africa. In the absence of a valid courtroom and jury, or any higher authority, villagers had to solve their legal problems in SOME way, and one of them was to take the accused and subject him or her to an ordeal. You know: Did the guy do it? Let's make him sniff some poison. If he's innocent, he'll survive. If he's guilty, he deserved his fate. If that sounds too silly to be true, let's remember the witches' "dunking board" in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1693. Ordeal are a transitional way of solving problems. In less organized communities, like isolated villages, the families work it out among themselves. In more complex cultures, there's a judicial system. Ordeal are most common in between the other two.

Where was I? Yes, the movie. The horror of Holmes' trip aside, three things about the episode are appealing. (1) The Cornish locations are very impressive, even in the usual cold, wet winds of England's southwestern tip. Nice close ups of lichen-laced rocks that Watson thumps with his stick. (2) Usually the rural settings are gloomy and ancient. Here, the inn is relatively new, wood-framed, and freshly painted white. Nice and comfortable and modern. (3) When Holmes crashes he looks around wildly, sees Watson bending over him, grasps his shoulders, and shouts, "John!" It's the only time in the canon when Holmes calls him anything other than "Watson." Unless I'm mixing it up with "The Three Garridebs," which is possible. I'm too lazy to look it up, and in any case "Garridebs" was never filmed, so if you're going to have a dazed Holmes reveal the intensity of his bond with Watson, this is the place to do it.

A simpler story is refreshingly devoid of a cluttered assortment of characters...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 26 May 2009]

This is an engrossing episode from "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" series--THE DEVIL'S FOOT. It starts out as possibly being a tale of the supernatural but instead the vacationing Sherlock Holmes uses reason to figure out who did the murders and why.

Brett and Hardwicke are well cast as the sleuth and his doctor friend, vacationing on the Cornish coast after the famous detective has suffered a nervous breakdown. They should have known better than to go this lonely locale expecting to find peace and solitude in the great outdoors far away from Baker Street.

Of course, it doesn't take long before a man turns up at their door with a story about three brothers and a sister enjoying a quiet game of cards, with one brother leaving after a brief quarrel. In the morning, the sister is found dead of apoplexy and the brothers are in a state of acute dementia with their faces frozen in horror. Holmes has to find out what caused the tragic occurrence--and why.

I found it one of the more interesting, if less baffling of the Holmes stories, but effectively produced with the proper atmosphere and settings. The explanations seemed credible and satisfying enough for any mystery fan. Well worth watching.

Checks all the boxes

[martin-intercultural · 10/10 · 4 August 2018]

I was just about to abandon watching this series as too shouty and manic, and because of the drab-looking Sherlock jumping around like an ageing hipster in the previous few stories. Then came the Devil's foot and made all my grouses go away. Sherlock is convalescing hence not jumping up and down, thankfully. He is also sporting a dashing haircut which makes him look 10 years younger. Instead of the charming but by now slightly tired and claustrophobic Baker Street digs we are treated to sweeping Cornish vistas - and a good old "murder at the vicarage" mystery. If you're an Anglophile in the classical mould, you may well find yourself shuddering with delight.

Good episode

[grantss · 7/10 · 11 December 2022]

Sherlock Holmes is convalescing in Cornwall (accompanied by Dr Watson, of course) when three members of the same family are struck down with the same affliction. Brenda Tregennis is dead and her brothers Owen and George insane, found in the same room in their house. A fourth sibling, Mortimer, was also present for part of the evening and had a long-running dispute with his three siblings.

A good episode of Sherlock Holmes, though not among the best. The initial perpetrator is fairly obvious and the title of the episode gives away, to a degree, the method.

Still, it's interesting enough and gets quite intriguing once Mortimer is found dead.

Provides a regrettable demonstration.

[drschor · 10/10 · 25 January 2021]

Excellent show. While it is admirable that Sherlock gets rid of his cocaine needle, placing the syringe with needle attached in a very shallow hole in the sand where others can walk is a bad way to dispose of a needle. Surely, a better needle disposal method could have been demonstrated, especially since this scene was filmed for children.

A few words about "TROSH"

[Cristi_Ciopron · 18 July 2007]

The Devil's Foot shows Brett walking,sick,among dolmens on the Cornish coast.The episode is quite atmospheric.It is well-made and suspenseful;and the sequence of Holmes' delirium,after he was poisoned with African toxic gas,is interesting.As in the whole The Return of Sherlock Holmes series, the tone is more brutal and graphic.The look of the episode is also satisfying.

Wisteria Lodge is a deadly ludicrous episode,with all those round-headed and menacing Latinos wanna-be that so much resemble each other (Arturo Venegas,Sonny Caldinez ...);this is evidently very bad TV,very stupid TV;the note of ridiculous seems to have been intended, but this does not make it less execrable;on the contrary,the mistake is bigger if you persevere into a wrong direction that was not initially meant for you.The whole episode it is so bad,sloppy and stupid it is almost incredible.Even if intended and deliberately chosen,crap is still crap.It is obvious they took it for a grotesque note,but it is indeed very wrong.It shows how very primitive and rudimentary this series was.Yet …that country policeman is interesting (Freddie Jones) and certainly more scary than the American fugitives.

Trippy

[tedg · 15 June 2006]

These Granada Holmes deals are hit and miss because of the way the creative teams were assigned. This is one of the bad ones, beyond remarking.

There are two mildly interesting things about the episode.

One is the continuing oscillation between supernatural forces and the mechanical logic of life that was popular in Victorian England. These forces pull extremes, even today. This version of the story plays that down. From the very first you know we are dealing with a powdered drug. From the very first you know who did it and why.

The other interesting thing is a continuing issue in film. How do you deal with distortions of reality, like dreams and hallucinations? There seems to be a sort of hack vocabulary for this that TeeVee imposes: some wavy images, threatening situations, blood from skin, short, confusing exposures, jittery camera.

Its done here in the clumsiest of ways. Five years later a more maddened Brett would be in "The Last Vampyre" that was equally bad as a Holmes, but much better in the hallucination department.

Oh and accompanying music that seems to come from only one source. This, my friends is why there will never be a decent Holmes produced for TeeVee. Whenever these choices have to be made, the TeeVee vocabulary is just too hackneyed and ordinary.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.