Introduction:
The purpose of this paper is to analyze television’s shows using critical thinking.
Instead of watching the shows purely for entertaining and relaxing purposes, critical thinking
can provide viewers with more insights into the contents. I choose to re-watch two of my
favorite shows from different categories of television’s programs. The first one is a cooking
reality show known as “MasterChef USA”. Until 14th September 2016, the show has 7
seasons. I have been following the journey of MasterChef since its first debut in 2010 because
I love foods and I love the creativities of contestants and judges. Moreover, my family loves
watching the show together because we can practice our English skills and learn more about
delicious dishes around the world. My second choice of television’s program is the
British-American crime-drama series “Sherlock”. Until 12th January 2014, the show has 3
seasons. I really enjoy detective stories, detective movies and detective series. I love putting
myself in described cases and test my deduction skills. I also love the Great Britain and its
capital London. What makes the show more special and enticing is Conan Doyle’s famous
characters are no longer British citizens under the era of Victoria but citizens of the 21st
century. The show is set in modern London. Fans of the show are patient because unlike other
drama series, “Sherlock” airs a new season every two year. For season 4, viewers have to wait
for 3 years before the show makes a come-back on 1st January 2017. Each season only has
three episodes. However, each episode lasts for approximately one hour and a half, even
more. The length of each episode allows the mood to build up properly and all cases are
solved thoroughly. The more I watch, the more I am caught on by the detailed and creative
scripts, the filming techniques and last but not least, the talented actors .
1
Exercise 1:
MasterChef USA is a cooking competition for homes’ cooks across the United State.
The winner will take home $250,000 cash, his (or her) own cook book, “the most desired”
MasterChef’s trophy and the title of “American Master Chef”. In the first 6 seasons, the
judging panel is always consisted of 3 judges. In the 7th season, the panel is consisted of 2
main judges and guest judges. As the executive producer of the show, Gordon Ramsay is
always one of the main judges. The guest judges are stars of the culinary world. They are not
only there to judge the foods but they are also there to guide and share experiences with the
contestants. Every season of the “MasterChef” Competition has 3 parts. The first part is the
selection of top 20 from thousands of hopefuls. The second part repeats the orderly
occurrence of four challenges: The “Mystery Box Challenge”, the “Elimination”, the “Team
Challenge” and the “Pressure Test”. In the “Mystery Box Challenge”, the homes’ cooks do
not know what they will have to cook with until they lift up the mystery boxes. The judges
will observe and taste the readied components during this challenge. Then, they will take a
closer look at three best dishes. The person with a winning dish will receive (an) advantage(s)
in the “Elimination” round. The “Elimination” can be an eliminatory individual challenge, an
eliminatory “Tact-team Challenge” or the eliminatory “Team-of-two challenge”. The
following “Team challenge” is with different theme and is held at different locations every
week. Two teams must design, prepare, cook and serve their menus according to the given
requirements. The winning team will advance in the competition while the losing team will
have to face the “Pressure Test”. The contestant who falls under the pressure and produce the
worst outcome will be eliminated. The third part of the show is the Finale. The Finale is
always a cook-off challenge between finalists. For the first six seasons, each Finale has two
2
finalists competing for the title. Season 7 is the first season to have three finalists in the battle
ring. The main theme for the Finale is to prepare for the judges a three-course meal. The
judges will consider each dish separately and they will also judge if the dishes success in
composing a cohesive menu or not.
There are many filming and editing effects that contribute to the success of the show.
Firstly, MasterChef is a cooking reality show so the visual effect is vitally important. Viewers
cannot hear all the cooking sounds. They also cannot taste or smell the foods. Therefore,
visual effects provide viewers a chance to feel involved. The warmth, the saturation and the
brightness in colors have been improved since season 4 by having more hues of redness. Red
can stimulate the feeling of hunger1. Therefore, dishes look more delicious whenever the
camera films them close-up. Also, cameras always film closely at ingredients, the process of
preparation, and also elements of dishes. This filming technique provides viewers with more
insights to what ingredients contestants are working with, how they are organizing their
station and how they are preparing components for their dishes. Second, one of the most
important effects for MasterChef is Sound. Diegetic sounds are sounds that both the
contestants and TV viewers can hear. This makes the show more realistic to viewers because
they can listen to the frying sounds, oil’s sound, chopping sounds, etc. Diegetic sounds also
consist of the dialogues between contestants and judges, and also the comments on the dishes
from the judges and fellow competitors. As TV viewers, there are fewer things that we are
allowed to hear comparing to the contestants because of time-constraint. However, it is crucial
that we still can hear what they hear because we can learn some cooking tips from the experts.
The most important non-diegetic sound is background music. It creates the mood of the show.
1
Taylor Delano, “The Psychology of Color”, Daily Infographic. 19 September 2012. Web. 1 November 2016.
http://www.dailyinfographic.com/the-psychology-of-colors-infographic
3
In judging sessions, each contestant is presented with different background music. The sound
is designed to suit the expectations and reviews of his or her dishes. The MasterChef
competition can also build up tension for TV viewers through music. The show can also
create tension through pause at climatic moment (like if the meat is cooked to the right
temperature or not) and through commercial breaks at the decisive moment. Tensions are also
created through worries and break-downs of the contestants, through judges’ angry comments,
through judges’ actions when they are hot-headed, and the classic “I-do-not-know- it-is-hard
to choose” sighing whenever a decision must be made. As a reality show, tension is the third
most necessary component to hook the viewers. The fourth element is the personalities of
judges. A television personality can make or break the show. Strong TV personalities can
draw the attention of viewers while weak ones make viewers feel bored. Chef Gordon
Ramsay has a strong TV personality. On television’s programs, he is famous for his short
temper, his love of cooking and passion for his career. Other judges maybe not as much of a
television personality like Chef Ramsay, but they and their TV personalities still attract a lot
of viewers. Chef Eliot is young, cheerful and supportive in the kitchen but he can be very
strict at certain points. Chef Bastianich is strict in evaluating dishes. One of his signature acts
on MasterChef is dumping bad foods into the bin. Fans in many online discussions start to
feel disappoint with the show when Chef Christina Tosi replaces Chef Bastianich as one of the
main judges because she does not have a strong television personality.
Cooks must create restaurant-quality dishes in order to advance in the competition.
Therefore, basic knowledge and skills are must-to-have assesses for contestants. The more
they know about cooking, the more they will excel. The show demands every home’s cook to
have basic cooking techniques like knife skills, frying skills, etc. Homes’ cooks will be more
4
highly-evaluated if they know more intricate cooking skills like fuming, quick-freezing using
nitrogen liquid, etc. Contestants also need the improvising skills in order to work with
different ingredients from basic to unusual, from cheap to expensive, from canned to fresh,
etc. All of them also need basic acknowledgement to the mix-and-match rules for ingredients.
Contestants need creativity also because if they keep playing safe in the game, judges will
consider that as a sign of them giving up. MasterChef requires contestants to have the will to
learn, to build up their knowledge, senses and skills. The Art of Plating is one of the skills
because according to judges and guest chefs: “You eat with your eyes first”. If dishes do not
look appetizing then people cannot enjoy their food to the fullest. Last but not least, the cooks
need to understand their ideas, their backgrounds, their hearts and desires. They must be
attentive while making foods and make sure that every dish conveys how they feel, shows
their personality and tells their stories.
To me, the biggest reason for most viewers to find this show so appealing is the love for
foods. For different people, that love is expressed in different ways like enjoy eating, enjoy
preparing foods, love to discover new food or just feel satisfy with looking at videos and
pictures of foods. Secondly, people prefer MasterChef Competition over other cooking
competitions because of the judges. Apart from their television personalities, judges in the
show are all successful and experienced chefs. I really love seeing whenever they cook with
contestants because not only do they inspire the homes’ cooks, they also inspire me. Their
professionalisms, skills and creativities are demonstrated once in a while. Those are
opportunities for contestants and for viewers to observe and learn. Thirdly, MasterChef is a
reality show so the audiences follow it to watch the competitive atmosphere between
contestants. Viewers get to see contestants’ motivations, creativities and theirs demonstrations
5
of “putting yourself on the plate”. Dramas are also parts of MasterChef USA since most
people enjoy watching them. In order to attract viewers, Hollywood’s producers create the
stereotype for every American shows to have conflicts and dramas.
Among the adults, this show can reinforce and develop attitudes toward families. In every
season, the importance and influences of families are highlighted though visits of members
from contestants’ families and judges’ families. Families are there to share loving memories
which inspire the homes’ cooks to cook even better than they normally do. Apart from that,
the show also develops the attitude towards foods consumption of certain people. The judges
keep emphasizing that you must respect the ingredients you have on hand and do them justice.
MasterChef sends a message that foods should not be thrown away when they are still in good
use. The third attitude that adult viewers should reinforce is the positive and hopeful attitude
towards life. MasterChef is an inspirational reality show because it encourages people to
dream and to work hard to accomplish their dreams. MasterChef has winners who inspire not
only the American, but also the world. There are the blind but talented Christine Ha, the
persevering Luca Manfé and the “American Dream” seeker Claudia Sandoval. MasterChef
also reinforces and develops the habits of cooking and thinking in advance for adults. By
doing so, they can save money, control their sources of ingredients and exercise portion and
nutrition control. The show also indicates that you should not be afraid of having your food
tested because through constructive comments, whether they are compliments or critics, you
can improve your culinary experiences. Moreover, adults are encouraged to practice the habit
of being calm and collected in all situations. From the show, we can see that those who rush
and hot headed when making food tend to produce less effectively.
6
For children, the first attitude that MasterChef reinforces and develops is the respect to
foods. Cooking requires a lot of effort, love and care; therefore children should learn to
appreciate their foods from a young age. The second attitude that children should develop is
the perseverance with their dreams. This attitude can be reinforced even more if children
watch MasterChef Junior because they will feel more related. In that version of the
MasterChef reality show, contestants are all children from 8 to 13 years old. MasterChef also
develops and reinforces good eating habits for children. They will be less craving for junk
foods and fast foods if they see how delicious and appetizing real foods can be. Another habit
is the willingness to help with the preparation or/and cooking process. They will spend less
time in front of the screens. Through the show, they learn to appreciate the art of making
foods and some will want to learn from the best cooks they know: their parents. The bad habit
they may get from the show is using swearing words because Chef Ramsay is famous for
swearing whenever he is frustrated – which he is for most of the time.
Except from swearing, habits and attitudes that are developed through the show can help
both adults and children with their daily life at home, at school and at work. Firstly, having
the appreciative attitude towards their family is crucial for viewers because family is the
foundation of who they are. Family is usually the endless source of unconditional love also.
Secondly, having the treasuring attitude towards their foods will help adults economize. They
will then learn to put their money in some other good use. Thirdly, thinking in advance is not
only a useful habit in food decision but also in other decisions that need to be made in life.
One simple example is driving: you need to have the map of actions in your head. Next,
cooks need to share their food with others in order to have someone to taste and to give
feedbacks. The habit of sharing their foods with others frees adults from their seclude shells
7
so that people can mingle and be more social. Also, the positive and hopeful attitude towards
life encourages adults to live their life to the fullest and to do their best following their dream.
It is harder for adults than it is for children because adults have responsibilities. But, they can
still take small steps to achieve their goals. For children, to have dreams and to be
perseverance with their dreams from young ages will shape the way they view the world.
Positive attitudes will lead to positive actions and yield positive results in their future. With
the appreciative attitude towards their foods, children will learn from young age that foods
should not be wasted. They will appreciate family’s members, school’s cooks and restaurants’
chefs for cooking them the foods. A grateful personality will do them good in the future
because the society highly values those who have grateful attitudes. Good eating habits will
ensure children’ and adults’ health conditions. For children, it is beneficial to develop habit of
asking to assist in the kitchen rather than playing games. They will learn from young age how
to use their time effectively. They will also know how to cook for themselves. This crucial
skill will benefit them in the future because sustaining a healthy eating habit in busy times are
hard if one do not know how to prepare their own foods.
I love watching the show because my Asian background only allows me to know about
foods from Asian cuisines and fast foods from the Western countries. My knowledge about
foods is broadened thanks to the show because contestants in MasterChef come from different
cultures. Thanks to the up-close filming technique, I learn a lot about cooking and baking.
There are things homes’ cooks have to learn through imagery demonstrations. To me, foods
are the equilibrium of art and science because it requires emotional and physical devotions,
precision, experiment, explorations and finest in seasonings, preparations, decorations. Base
on my understanding of foods, I love how creative and talented the contestants and the judges.
8
I enjoy watching them make foods and listen to their comments on foods. Dramas in this
show are fun to watch, but sometimes they get annoying to me because I can clearly see the
television’s tricks to attract viewers. I would recommend the show to all of my acquaintances
anyway. This show is satisfying, informative and interesting to watch. Foods lovers and cooks
will definitely enjoy the show even more. I do think that this show be suitable for college
classroom discussion. Debates about who should go home and who should not, who should
win and who should not, whether judges’ personalities affect the show ratings or not, etc.
Those are possible topics that we can discuss because a reality show can create a lot of
agreements and disagreements – which keep it interesting to watch and to discuss.
Exercise 3:
The British-American television’s crime drama series “Sherlock” tell the contemporary
version of the classic series “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle. The original Holmes’s story is set in the Victorian period. The latest special episode
called “The Abdominal Bride” is set in that era. Other episodes of “Sherlock” are set in the
21st century because the main plot revolves around a modern Sherlock. “Sherlock” is about a
brilliant but annoying detective who solves mysteries in modern-day London. Sherlock
Holmes used to work alone until John Watson becomes his partner. Holmes’s clients are
varied from normal civilians to British royal members, from the haves to the have-nots. But
Sherlock only cares about the contents of the cases. He only accepts those that interest him.
Every episode tells a different mystery yet they always relate to each other. Jim Moriarty is
the one who plans the connections between all those crimes. The battles of the brilliant minds
of Sherlock Holmes and his archenemies Moriarty are the main wheels of the story line.
9
The show most favorably presents the “partners in crime”: Sherlock Holmes (plays by
Bennedict Cumberbatch) and John Watson (plays by Martin Freeman). Other most recurring
characters are the land-lady Mrs.Hudson, the Scotland Yard’s inspector Greg Lestrade, the
pathologist Molly Hopper, Watson’s wife Mary Morstan (or Mary Watson), Holmes’ brother
Mycroft Holmes and Jim Moriarty- Holmes’ archenemies. In this version, Sherlock Holmes is
a genius but annoying private detective while Doctor John Watson is an ex-soldier who comes
back from Afghanistan and. Through introductions, Watson becomes Holmes’s flat-mate.
Apart from doing his duties as a doctor, Watson assists Holmes with his cases. He also retells
Holmes’s stories on his blog. Sherlock reluctantly becomes an Internet’s sensation thanks to
the tales. The Sherlock Holmes of the 21st century is described to have “a brain of a scientist
or a philosopher yet he elects to be a detective” (Mycroft Holmes’s line in episode 1, season
2). The private detective solves mysteries in modern-day London with his exceptional
observation skills, his brilliant deductions, his profound knowledge in subjects that he finds
useful like physics, chemistry, studies of coding, etc. Sherlock Holmes tends to act on his
own instincts without considering ethics and feelings of others. Therefore, Doctor Watson also
plays the role as a “moral compass” for Sherlock (according to Martin Freeman). Sherlock
does not “have friends, [he] only ha[s] one” (Sherlock’s line) and that is John Watson.
However, Benedict’s Sherlock is different from other Sherlocks because apart from Watson,
he cares for more people. Those persons are Lestrade, Molly Hopper and Mrs. Hudson.
Sherlock’s relationship with his brother-Mycroft is also better in “Sherlock” than in other
versions. Mutual cares between the brothers are expressed and stated through their dialogues,
their supportive but sometimes secretive actions. They even have family reunions on special
occasions like Christmas. Bennedict’s modern Sherlock is similar to the Sherlock that Robert
10
Downey Jr. portrayed in the two “Sherlock Holmes” movies. Both Sherlocks show that “the
heartless bastard[s]” (lines from movies and the series) have hearts and they can
heterosexually feel loves, feel grieves. However, those feelings are always towards the only
woman of the character Sherlock’s admiration: Miss Irene Adler. Benedict’s Sherlock refers to
her as “THE Woman”- the only woman who melts his icy heart. Apart from John Watson, The
Woman is the only one to whom Sherlock Holmes lowers his guards for. She only appears in
one episode of “Sherlock” (episode 1, season 2: A Scandal in Belgravia) but her influences on
Sherlock occasionally show in later episodes. Jim Moriarty is Sherlock’s arch nemesis. He is
the one who webs the net of mysteries, problems, terrors and innocents’ deaths. He is as smart
as Holmes but he uses his exceptional intellects for more wicked purposes. Sherlock
acknowledges him as a match but no matter how Sherlock Holmes respects Jim’s intelligence,
either Sherlock or Jim must die while the other “staying alive” (Moriarty’s signature
ringtone).
A primary theme of a crime drama show is different cases and how the main leads solve
them. Therefore, the drama “Sherlock” focuses mostly on conflicts. Every human has the
curious nature to peek and to unveil secrets. The original story of Sherlock Holmes is already
full of conflicts due to its nature as a detective series. When producers decide to turn the story
into a modern crime drama series, conflicts are developed even more to hook viewers. There
are conflicts between Sherlock Holmes and Scotland Yard’s officers. Inspectors and officers at
Scotland Yard dislike Holmes because of his arrogance, his over-confidence. They are also
afraid of him because if he decides to use his brilliance against the law, it is nearly impossible
to stop the ingenious mad criminal Sherlock Holmes. However, they still ask for his
assistances and his consultants time after time. There are conflicts between Sherlock Homes
11
and John Watson. Sometimes, Holmes can be so annoying and manipulating that Watson
cannot enjoy his life as a free man, a boyfriend, a married man. Holmes’s actions are
sometimes base on pure instinct and have no consideration of morality or ethic. On the
contrary, Watson is the man who thinks of others before he acts. Sometimes, there are
conflicts between the crime scene’s evidences and the realities. For example, in episode 3 of
season 2, the kidnapped children insist that Sherlock is the culprit but he is actually not.
“Sherlock” also illustrates some conflicts in Sherlock’s actions and his thoughts, especially
whenever he is desperate. For example, in episode 1 of season 2, Sherlock predicts that the
woman is dead because she gives him a mobile phone which she emphasizes “her life depends
on that”. On Christmas day, he actually sees a beaten up body with her name and her exact
measurements. He believes that she is dead and he is in grief. He says that he do not care but
his actions of skipping meals, refusing to sleep, composing sad music and saying nothing
betrays him. Generally, those are actions most people with broken heart will take. The show
also animated a social problem: you are always in conflict with the world around you. Our
first instinct when we meet someone is to evaluate them and to judge them. No matter who we
are and how we are living our lives, there are always haters and enviers in because they
compare out achievements with theirs.
There are two violent cases that imprint most heavily in my mind. The cruelest social
violence to me is the mind-game Jim Moriarty sets up for Sherlock Holmes in season 1,
episode 3 known as “The Great Game”. The stake is someone will die if Sherlock fails to
solve a challenge. The messengers are forced to wear a vest full of explosives. Hostages are
innocent women, men, children and John Watson himself. In limited amounts of time, mental
violence is applied to Sherlock Holmes because he is forced to solve difficult challenges. In
12
one of the challenges, an old woman is killed even though Sherlock has successfully solved
the problem. The reason is because she describes the voice of the mastermind behind the
scene: Jim Moriarty. Since Moriarty doesn’t like to be exposed so early, he initiates the bombs
she is wearing. The blast kills her and 12 people in total. To me, the second most dramatic
violence is caused to Doctor John Watson in season 3, episode 1 known as “The Empty
Hearse”. John Watson is mad at Sherlock Holmes for pretending to be dead in two years
without giving John any signal. When John comes to Baker Street to talk with Sherlock, he is
violently attacked, drugged and kidnapped. John is then trapped in the middle of the fagot,
which is covered with gasoline and ready to be burnt on “Guy Fawkes Night”. The fagot is
already caught on fire when Sherlock runs to rescue John from being burnt alive in the
bonfire. For John, he suffers from mental trauma for a few days after this violent event.
The mind-game with people’s lives at stake is one of the serious violences that affect the
plot. The mind-game is an introduction of Jim Moriarty’s capabilities to Sherlock Holmes.
Those scenes let viewers see how cruel, ruthless and insane Jim Moriarty can be. While
Moriarty and Sherlock both possess brilliant brains, they stand on two sides of the barrels.
Sherlock uses his brain to assist the side of justice. In contrast, Jim Moriarty benefits from his
brain by inflecting terrors. Recognizes Sherlock as his equals, Moriarty’s warning to Sherlock
is to stop prying into his business or else he “will burn the heart out of [Sherlock]”. From the
mind game, the “Sherlock” series sets an equal fight between two similarly talented
individuals. The bonfire also affects the plot in season 3 of the series and even in the
upcoming seasons. The bonfire is actually a test from Charles Angustus Magnussens to see if
John Watson is really Sherlock Holmes’s weakness. Magnussen is a guy who collects all data
about important persons. He uses theirs sensitive and private data to black mail them in order
13
to get what he wants. Magnussens reviews that his goal is to acquire the governmental data
that Mycroft Holmes has. In order to legally get the data, he needs Sherlock. Having a
weakness is a proof that Sherlock Holmes can be manipulated. Sherlock has to accept
Magnussens’s deal in order to trade for John’s contentment with his life. At the end of that
episode, Sherlock shoots Magnussens to free everyone from Magnussens’s influences.
Sherlock is free from trial but instead, he is called to enter a highly dangerous mission in
Eastern Europe as punishment. But when a loop of Jim Moriarty asking “Did you miss me?”
is broadcasted all over England, Sherlock is summoned back. Being called back while his
flight has already taken off means that Sherlock Holmes is highly valued by the government.
With the prospect of chaos to come, he is England’s only hope to combat against Moriarty’s
chosen successor. This is an essential point for the plot in the upcoming season 4.
Different people and principles are betrayed during the course of the show. First, having
Sherlock Holmes attending crime scenes is already illegal actions of Scotland Yard’s officers
and detectives, especially Lestrade. They betray the principle of having no extra person in
order to have Sherlock’s assistance. They need him because Sherlock solves mysteries faster
and he still gives all the credits to Scotland Yard. The second “betrayal” in “Sherlock” is how
rational thinkers betray their common principle: “caring is a weakness”. Sherlock Holmes
encounters “The Women” Irene Adler in a case. She is the first woman who is brilliant
enough for him to remember, to have sentimental feelings of a lover, and to respect. For him,
Irene Adler is “THE Woman”. Because of her, he unintentionally destroys a national plan in
just eight seconds and almost causes the royal’s family to succumb to Adler’s conditions. As
for Irene Adler, she is known as the dominatrix who provides sexual pleasures only. She
makes enemies and keeps their weakness as data for her protection. Irene Adler could win the
14
protection by the British government if she wasn’t manipulated by her love for Sherlock. She
betrays her mind and her instinct to survive by setting a password describing her feelings. The
password is SHER in order to create the phrase “I AM SHERLOCKED”. The decision costs
her the game. The third betrayal is between John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. John
considers it is a betrayal on Sherlock’s side for not including him in Sherlock’s plan of faking
his death and living under cover (episode 3, season 2). His death makes John suffer and grieve
for two years (Christmas’s special, episode 3, season 2 and episode 1, season 3). They are
supposed to be life partners so being shut out makes John feel betrayed and hurt. The fourth
betrayal that I notice is caused by Mary. She lies to John about herself ever since the first day
they met. She does not tell him the truth about her true identity and her past as an assassin for
CIA. When Sherlock has John listens to the truth, John is deeply hurt. The only thing Mary
does not fake is her feelings for John. She decides to win his trust back after betraying it by
providing him a hard-drive in which contains all information about her. Sherlock Holmes is
known for acting without caring about consequences but the only time he betrays the national
security law is in episode 3 of season 3. He steals his brother’s laptop to give it to Magnussens
to trade for Mary’s past evidences. At first, it is Sherlock’s plan to get into Magnussens’s
archive of secret data. He wants have Magnussens caught by Mycroft’s government forces but
in the end, his plan backfires.
Firstly, the show encourages the values of useful knowledge. Sherlock compares his brain
to a hard-drive which can store a vast amount of data. However, hard-drives have limits. We
have to make space for important information. Therefore, different people should perceive
and store knowledge that is useful in their specific situations only. Secondly, the show
encourages critical thinking through the use of observations, prior knowledge and
15
experiences. Critical thinkers are forced to realize their own limits and be honest with
themselves. In episode 1 of season 2, Sherlock refers to that as “know when you are beaten”.
After having more insights into who we are, the next step is to gain more insights to the
situations. Reasonable deductions from critical thinking are what we need to live our life more
productively and purposefully. Third, the show features people forcing Holmes to stop
smoking. “Sherlock” sends the message that smoking should be avoided because it is bad for
one’s physical and mental health. Forth, the show emphasizes the importance of friendships.
People should not live selfishly in their own bubbles. We are encouraged to be social, make
friends, cherish and protect our friends. For example: Sherlock has more “friends” in this TV
series. They will be shot if Sherlock does not suicide (episode 3, season 2) so Sherlock
decides to jump off the rooftop. And I have never seen an adaptation of Sherlock Holmes
where Holmes has a gathering dinner with his friends on Chrismas day. More importantly, he
plays them cheerful music. Lastly, the show highlights family’s values. Again, I have never
seen anywhere else that Sherlock Holmes and his brother Mycroft share caring moments with
or express worries for each other. Nor have I seen or read of the Holmes family reunion
anywhere else. I agree with all the attitudes and values the show encourages because those are
what we need to know, to comprehend and to apply in daily life.
I really love the show “Sherlock” or as fans of “Sherlock” prefer to say: I am Sherlocked.
Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are doing an amazing job with the idea of bringing Sherlock
Holmes to the 21st century where he has all the technologies to help him solving cases more
effectively. Along with brilliant deductions and sarcasms of the 21st century’s Sherlock,
allusions to the original work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are also used which make fans of the
original story loves the show more and more. So far, the show only has 3 seasons and 2
16
special episodes. However, the plot is brilliant. The dramas are there to satisfy the curiosities
of viewers. The moral lessons are incorporated so naturally that the show does not give a
feeling of lecturing its viewers of how to live their lives. The cases and the deduction
processes are enticing. The outcome of each case is convincingly solved. All of those
elements make up an exciting drama series that fans cannot stop watching. Season 4 will be
aired on January 1, 2017 after years of postponing and fans of the show are all anxiously
anticipating. One of my friends recommended the show to me and I will definitely
recommend it to all the people I know. In my belief, dramas, detective stories and criminal
analysis excite humans. Therefore, I think everyone who watches the show will love it. Yes,
this show will be suitable for college classroom discussion. Aspects of the series can be
discussed in various classes that require critical and analytical thinking such as Cinema,
English, Knowledge, etc.
17
Conclusion:
After having watched the shows and applied my critical thinking, there are a few
things that I clearly realize for the first time. I noticed the occurrence of dramatizing elements
in MasterChef USA before but I wasn’t aware of how they actually reflect the Hollywood
industry. Conflicts and dramas are money-making elements for producers in making
television shows and any other type of entertaining productions. Therefore, every episode
must have conflicts and dramas to increase the rating and watching rates. The newer and the
more unconventional the dramas and conflicts are, the more successful of the show. Now, I
can actually understand why I prefer Master chef over other cooking competitions, such as
“Hell’s kitchen”. “MasterChef USA” is full of dramas but the contestants’ abilities and
creativities are highlighted more. Therefore, the dramas are not as overwhelming as in “Hell’s
kitchen”. They are just sufficient enough to make the show interesting. I also notice how
editing elements can make a reality show more appealing to viewers. After watching latest
seasons of MasterChef USA, I find the first three seasons less attractive because the colors are
dull and camera’s quality wasn’t as good as it is now. More importantly, I didn’t realize how
much cooking and baking knowledge I have gained from the show until I reflect on it. As for
“Sherlock”, using my knowledge from Cinema’s class to analyze the series gives me more
insights to the show. Fans of “Sherlock” are patiently waiting for the show partly because
each episode has the same duration of a movie. The time length allows the content of each
episode to fully develop. This makes each case more appealing and interesting for the
viewers. Cinematic elements are used too attentively and smoothly that viewers actually
forget they are watching a television drama show. “Sherlock” is a creative adaptation of “The
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” because there are similarities in characters, in names of the
18
episodes, in descriptions of cases. After this project, I can relate the show to other productions
of Sherlock more easily. Moreover, moral components are in show but I couldn’t voice them
out clearly until I think critically about them. Now, I can understand more messages that
directors and writers convey in the show. That makes me realize what elements make up a
good television drama for me. Not only to satisfy human’s cravings for thrilling moments but
also a good drama needs to encourage and develop some aspects of knowledge, ethnicity, and
morality. As a fan of both “MasterChef USA” and “Sherlock”, I love the shows even more
after thinking more deeply about them for this project. But I do not think that I can watch
television programs and movies like I used to. After this Fall’s semester, my knowledge in
cinema and more importantly, in analytical skills are improved. New knowledge and critical
thinking provides me with more insights, helps I see more clearly and understand problems
more thoroughly. It also changes my habits of being passively receiving information in life.
19