There's a brilliant bit in the Jeremy Brett adaptation of The Red-Headed League. Holmes (Brett), Watson, (David Burke), Athelney Jones (John Labanowski), and Mr Merryweather (John Woodnutt) have descended into the bank vault owned by Merryweather to ambush the criminals who are planning to rob it. As they wait Holmes deduces that Merryweather is withholding information as to what is actually locked away within his vault and that this information may be crucial. The supercilious Merryweather however refuses to share the information.
This scene doesn't occur in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original short story but it does build on character details from the original tale. When Holmes brings Scotland Yard in on the case Conan Doyle has Homes remark that although Inspector Jones (here named Peter) is "an absolute imbecile in his profession" he is also "brave as a bulldog." When Jones comments on Holmes' deductive abilities he reveals a similar sense of rivalry, commenting that Holmes has "the makings of a detective in him."
In the TV adaptation Labownski plays Jones with a jack the lad swagger along with just a hint of affable thuggery. He may not be Holmes' intellectual equal but he radiates street smarts while at the same time subtly suggesting that, should the need arise, he could beat the crap out of any man in the room. It's a nicely layered performance in a relatively small role.
Meanwhile, back in the bank vault ...
'The information I have is confidential,' sneers Merryweather. 'It is not to be divulged to members of the public. Not even amateur detectives.'
Watson of course springs to Holmes' defence. I, and pretty much every Sherlock Holmes fan ever, would be disappointed if he didn't. As played by David Burke he is the embodiment of loyalty and decency, he needs to stick up for his friend.
But what really makes the scene is that Jones is equally offended. Cocking an eyebrow at Merryweather's use of the word "amateur" there is no trace of his wide boy grin as he advises Merryweather to trust Holmes. Behind his gruff professionalism there is an offended air that clearly says, "I know how brilliant Holmes is and have earned the right to engage in a bit of friendly piss-taking. You, sunshine, have not."
It's a beautiful moment, far removed from the stereotype of Scotland Yard's flatfooted oafs blundering along after Holmes.
(For added entertainment value this episode can be used for "comedy actors in dramatic roles" bingo. First up, there's Richard Wilson sporting a ginger wig. Secondly, there's Tim McInnery as the criminal mastermind behind the entire scheme. McInnery also scores high on the Holmes trivia scale as he appeared as Selden in The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle as well as Eustace Carmichael in the Sherlock episode The Abominable Bride. And for real nerds he co-starred in Blackadder II with Ronald Lacey who played Inspector Lestrade in the Ian Richardson TV movie of The Hound of the Baskervilles as well as Thaddeus and Bartholomew Sholto in the Jeremy Brett version of The Sign of Four. McInnery's Blackadder connection also ties him to Rik Mayall who appeared in Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes alongside Ian Richardson. When it comes to connecting up different actors Kevin Bacon has nothing on Holmes.)
