I would have to give a mixed review to Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking, which aired on “Masterpiece Theatre” Sunday night.

Rupert Everett and Ian Hart did a generally good job as Holmes and Watson. One of my pet peeves is when Watson is made to be a bumbling, blustery fool. Holmes would never have put up with Watson the way he is portrayed in some adaptions. One of the things I loved about the Jeremy Brett adaptations from the 1980s was Edward Hardwicke’s portrayal of Watson. (Another actor, David Burke, appeared as Watson in the first few Brett adaptations.) The Brett / Hardwicke films are, in my opinion, the gold standard for Sherlock Holmes adaptations.

Everett and Hart, as I said, were fine, and Watson was portrayed as a worthy companion to the great detective. But the original story, not adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle, was unnecessarily sordid, and in fact played out too much like many modern-day serial-killer stories from movies and TV. And the portrayal of Watson’s fiancee was wildly anachronistic. Yes, I know she was supposed to be an independent woman, ahead of her time, but come on — she sounded exactly like a modern-day character, and her constant addressing of Holmes as “Sherlock” was a grating affectation.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Everett and Hart in another Holmes adaptation, but maybe they could send Watson’s new bride on an extended tour of the West Indes.