Jonathan Creek 501: 'The Letters of Septimus Noone' REVIEW

Jonathan Creek is back!
So, after last years' dire Easter episode, can Mr Renwick resurrect Jonathan Creek for a new series?
With almost everything iconic about Jonathan Creek gone - the dufflecoat, the windmill, Adam Klaus, etc - it seems odd that its continuing for a new run of episodes.
The first point I have to make is that Jonathan Creek seems to be taking a lot of inspiration from Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss' Sherlock series, with little in-jokes and references galore. The character of Ripley looks and acts like some kind of David Tennant / Benedict Cumberbatch hyrbid, with massive side-burns and a very Sherlock-ish costume of a scarf and long coat, and the cinematography around his deductions? Sherlock style! (Please, no one make that into a music video)
Also, the structure of the episode mirrored Sherlock, with the main case, comedy case and little cases added in, and while they were entertaining, there was no mystery. The main case was almost completely explained at the beginning, which felt very odd for Jonathan Creek. Where was the mystery?
There were some mysterious elements, and overall it somehow worked in the episode's favour with the additional mysteries as well.
Polly Creek annoyed me in 'The Clue of the Savant's Thumb' and I wasn't to happy to learn she would be Creek's assistant in this new series, but she worked. She's bright, intelligent and its clear why she and Jonathan got together. Sarah Alexander is clearly having a lot of fun, and Alan Davies doesn't look as bored as he did in last years' episode.
The old-fashioned Jonathan Creek elements felt a little odd compared to the very modern world that this episode was set in, but the comedy was the traditional Creek-style and was funny.
Overall, this is Jonathan Creek updated for a new generation. Hopefully there will be more mysteries as the series goes on, but this is a definitely satisfying comeback for the series. Mr Renwick has dug himself out of the pit that was 'The Clue of the Savant's Thumb'. 7/10

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