krissylou wrote:

One thing that really struck me between the pilot and the aired A Study In Pink is Sherlock and John's conversation after Sherlock realizes that John killed the cabbie.

(I won't get the wording exactly right, but it's the idea.)

Pilot:

SH: You have just killed a man.
JW: Yes.  In Afghanistan I saw lots of men die.  Good men.  Friends of mine.  Sometimes I thought I'd never sleep again.  I'll sleep fine tonight.
SH: Quite right.

Okay, so John is not going to be losing sleep over this.  This is justifiable homicide, he was doing what he had to do.  But there's still a gravity to the situation.

ASiP

SH: You have just killed a man.
JW: Yes.  But he wasn't a very nice man.  And a bloody awful cabbie.
SH: He was a bad cabbie.  You should have seen the route he took to get us here.

<giggles>

Ummm geez.  That's cold.  That's really really cold.  And it's a deliberate change they made from the original pilot.

That's an interesting observation. A psychology student could do a whole treatise on each one of those scenarios and the possible emotional reasons behind them.
 

I finally got around to watching it recently. I would say that this pilot is quite good as a first draft but the one that aired is much more polished and better executed even if this version is technically “tighter.” I’m glad I saw it but I’m also glad it was rewritten and remade at the same time. I do think the series would have still been a success if this one aired but the show would have ended up differently in terms of structure and style. It does give you an idea of what the series would have been like if it followed the traditional format of 60 minute episodes instead of 90 minutes. Either way, watching it made me appreciate “A Study in Pink” even more.
 
Observations (some of which has already been mentioned)

-John runs into Mike Stamford on the street rather in the park. They also later talk in a restaurant.
-Sherlock still has his signature look even if it is a bit different. He still has the same hair cut but it seems much shorter with a tint of brown. Sherlock also seems just a tad bit warmer (and more human) in his manner.
-The first meeting between Sherlock and John is in a computer lab at Barts rather than a science lab. Before John and Mike Stamford walk in, Sherlock is also checking and responding to his emails some of which come from Lestrade and Mycroft.
-The 221B flat looks very casual and low rent. It didn’t seem like much thought was given into how the flat would actually look like at first when they made the pilot. The flat that would be done for the aired episode and for the rest of the series says “Sherlock Holmes” far more to me.
-In the aired version we get to see the other murders taking place and who the other victims were but here we are simply being told that there have been others murders as part of a series.
-The building in Lauriston Gardens in this looks run down but it is more modern than the old, gothic, and decaying one in the original. It was also smaller as it had just one staircase rather than a long flight of stairs.
-Much of the quotes, one-liners, and general dialogue that we love in ASIP are here even though it is much better delivered in the aired version that we saw. I will state that the “Want see some more?, Good God yes” exchange always cracks me up and it still does so in this version.
-There is no visualization of the deductions. Here Sherlock pretty much explains broadly how he comes to all his conclusions.
-There is no Mycroft (despite the reference to him in the email) and no mention of Moriarty either.
-Sherlock solves the case more quickly in this version (which I do like). When him and John are waiting at Angelo’s restaurant, he already comes to the conclusion that it was The Cabbie.
-The climax is also altered and much more rushed in my opinion. Sherlock tries to stop The Cabbie by acting drunk but gets drugged by him instead. The Cabbie takes him back to 221B. The conversation they have is much shorter and in the moment where they are about to take the pills we hear the police arrive outside. When The Cabbie is shot, the viewer does not know who fired, it is not until the last scene that we know it was John.
-I did like Mrs. Hudson’s reaction at the end as well as that little moment when John sees Sherlock on top of the roof in the moonlight. It reminds me of “Batman” for some reason.

Last edited by BrettHolmes (January 31, 2015 7:58 pm)

I thought the moonlight scene should have been kept, although it is slightly similar in feel to his standing all majestic like on the Tor in THB. Some of the differences, such as the texts & deductions are due entirely to a different DP and costumier changed between pilot and aired episode.

I am SO glad they decided to drop the rooftop scene, it was horribly cheesy.

Watching the pilot now for the first time, typing as I go. Interesting to see. I do believe that overall the final episode is a vast improvement. I don't l ike Ben's hair at all in the pilot, makes him look like a cute boy. He looks much better, much more charismatic and much more beautiful with his proper Sherlock hair. I do also agree that his demanor is better and more edgy in the rest of the series.

However, I do actually prefer the pilot John! He seems a bit more animated, a bit more forward with his emotions, less restrained and polished, more straight forward. His "damn my leg!" sound MUCH more pained and angry than in the final episode. And when he tells Sherlock in the cab that his deduction was "amazing", he is actually smiling, properly smiling. (The Martin smile that lights up a room).

I can imagine the changes were done to make John more depressed and subdued/passive because of it, but to be honest, I've seen more emotions and more edge in John in the first 15 minutes of the pilot than I feel I've ever seen in the entire S1, almost. And I love it! This is the John from fanfics!

As for 221B, even though I do in a way prefer the one from the series, the pilot one does look better overall. Cleaner, newer, less messy and worn down. Looks like a cosy hobbit hole. (And the tv is very old and small, more fitting actually).

(Hey - the cab driver taking John to 221B, is that the actor playing Tom? 

And WHY did they drop the lines about eating and transport? They are awesome, they should be in the final version. As for the rest of that scene - this isn't a pilot, this IS fanfiction! Just saying.

"Why don't people just think?"
"Because we're stupid" *glares and pointedly takes a bite*

I LOVE this John!

Drunken Sherlock is adorable, just to have that said.

But the 221B scene, with the cabbie and Sherlock - holy cricket, that is creepy! Suddenly the pilot went all horror movie.

I love how he put the coat collar over the blanket!

My god, this is a pure, loud and proud, gay romance! I understand why they changed it, because this wasn't even subtext. 

So to conclude: I think 90% of all the changes were for the better, however the Johnlock is strong in this one. 

And I LOVE this John! Gimme pilot-John back!
 

It is good that you mentioned Phil Davis's excellent performance as The Cabbie. I will state is that he came across as twice as creepy and evil in the pilot even if he was more "developed" in the aired version.

In general, I think regardless of how we feel about the two versions. I believe we can all agree that "A Study in Pink" itself was a perfect introduction for the series.
 

Last edited by BrettHolmes (January 31, 2015 7:51 pm)