Benedict Cumberbatch and Matt Smith both played incredibly intelligent and versatile characters under Steven Moffat in and . Steven Moffat has been an instrumental part of writing great British TV shows for many years. He has worked on since it was revived in 2005, and took over as showrunner from 2010 to 2017. Overlapping with his role in , Moffat also co-created and wrote with Mark Gatiss during the exact same time period from 2010 to 2017.
Moffat is known for creating shows with clever protagonists who also possess fatal flaws. In the case of , two shows that he played a significant role in writing
and worked on for several years, his central characters also share a number of things in common between them. Aside from Matt Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch's unique looks, endearing charm, and wonderful British accents, their characters are connected beyond the superficial. The characters are also very distinct, but it's impossible to ignore the similarities between them.
Sherlock Holmes is a detective for hire who derives genuine pleasure and satisfaction from unraveling mysteries.
Often considering the more dangerous and risky jobs to be even more fun and worthwhile. Holmes is frequently contacted for help in numerous cases, and he handpicks the cases that he determines could be the most interesting based on how challenging and mysterious they may be.
, like those before and after his incarnation, also solves mysteries. Frequently, his living transport vehicle, the TARDIS, will bring him directly to the cases he will be most interested in and most useful in solving. The difference here comes from the motivation for solving these mysteries, as the Doctor genuinely seeks to help and care for others, while Sherlock is indulging in the twisted satisfaction of being right and controlling the situation.
One element that the pair seem to be much more aligned with, however, is their desperate need for companionship. From the moment Matt Smith's Doctor regenerated, he needed to have someone by his side to act as a sort of moral compass. Teaming up with young Amelia Pond and diving head first into the mystery surrounding her in the hopes of keeping her safe. In the end, Amelia does a great deal for the Doctor in keeping him motivated, loved, and cared for, even when the Doctor struggles to do those things for himself.
is also similar, relying on the companionship of Martin Freeman's John Watson to keep him from going too far. In some ways, Sherlock relies on his friend to keep him human when his mind becomes too logical and detached from the situation. Both the Doctor and Sherlock have brief periods where they work on their own, but the situation is untenable and they eventually return to their friends to help them find their way once again.
Sherlock may be a literal human being, but that doesn't mean he acts like one. Sherlock frequently struggles to navigate human emotions or act appropriately in a social setting that may require specific behaviors. He can be rude, insulting, and neglectful of others, like Molly Hooper whom he shares a connection with, but lacks the capacity to tell her his own feelings.
The Doctor, on the other hand, is fascinated by human emotions and conventions, but as a 1000-year-old alien, he frequently acts impulsively and misses the subtleties of his situation. However, the Doctor and Sherlock do show remorse when they make blatant errors
, and they often work hard to correct these mistakes. The two men are both brilliant at picking up on circumstantial clues, but when it comes to the nuances of human emotion, they have a lot to learn.
The Doctor is a shining light of hope and goodness in the universe, but it doesn't mean anyone will want to be on his bad side. The Doctor has had to get his hands dirty at times when the good man goes to war, and he has wiped out and
eliminated threats like the Silence by tricking them into commanding all of humanity to kill them on sight. He also has several moments where he acts coldly towards his friends when they hide things from him. the part of a villain, and he uses it to great effect while playing the hero in .
Sherlock is a little easier to recognize in his darker moments. Sherlock may be brilliant and bright, but he is also calculating and practical to the point that he actively hurts his friends and those around him to get his perceived best results. The thing that makes Sherlock interesting is how similar he and his greatest foe, Moriarty truly are
, as either one could have been the good or the bad guy.
However, while , it can't be ignored that he actively chooses to overcome that and do good. Sherlock has a deep love for his friends and a degree of compassion that isn't always on display in his character, but it doesn't mean it's not bubbling away under the surface. Sherlock would give his life for his friends, although he can usually find a way to escape, which means it doesn't have to come to that.
The Doctor similarly possesses a great deal of good. He chooses to stay in the town of Christmas and gives up all of his remaining life to protect people with whom he has very little connection at first. He actively runs toward danger when it means keeping friends out of harm's way and saving the people around him. The Doctor is and always has been a hero, and Matt Smith captures some of the most beautiful moments of the character's heroism in the entire series.
A deeply entrenched element of the Doctor's character is the fact that he is an , with expansive knowledge of all of time and space and more than a millennium of life under his belt. All of this combined typically results in the Doctor being significantly more clever than the people he meets. While Matt Smith's Doctor also possesses more whimsy and what could be mistaken for excited absent-mindedness, there is rarely ever a moment when he is caught off guard, or not in control of the situation.
Sherlock may be only human, but there are very few people who rival his intelligence, and for the most part, it is clear when he is present, that he is the most intelligent person in the room.
Sherlock instinctively picks up on the smallest details to piece together information and identify clues, or even recreate an entire sequence of events in his mind. Both men are brilliantly clever and struggle to find others who match their own genius.
are mortal enemies with similar cognitive abilities. Sherlock is able to detect most things and unravel mysteries, which is a trait shared by his rival. However, while Sherlock applies these skills to solve crimes and help others, Moriarty uses the same knowledge to cleverly fool those around him
, including Sherlock, into believing whatever he chooses to portray. As mentioned above, the two characters could be easily swapped around due to their similarities, but their choices divide them.
Likewise, the Doctor has a rival who mirrors himself in Missy, the Mistress (aka, the Master). Both are Time Lords from the planet Gallifrey, they both grew up together and studied together, and ultimately, they both left their world behind them to pursue their own desires. The Master rivals the Doctor's intelligence, but their motivation is to shape the world around them to their own liking and image.
The Doctor derives a great deal of pleasure from the differences that exist around him and celebrates these things. Considering all of these points, Moffat's and are clear examples of his love for these types of characters.
