Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Momo and Okarun share a close moment in Dandadan

    Momo And Okarun: The Gold Standard For Shonen Romance

    07/03/2025
    Ironheart Episodes 4 6 But Why Tho 1

    ‘Ironheart’ Explained: Explore MCU’s Bold New Chapter

    07/01/2025
    Buck in 9-1-1

    ‘9-1-1’ Has To Let Buck Say Bisexual

    06/29/2025
    Nintendo Welcome Tour promotional image of the maraca mini-game

    The One “Game” That Justifies The Nintendo Switch 2 Purchase

    06/25/2025
    Destiel Confession in Supernatural - Castiel (Misha Collins) and Dean (Jensen Ackles)

    The Destiel Confession: The Lasting Importance Of Supernatural’s Greatest Ship

    06/22/2025
  • Squid Game
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
  • Summer Game Fest
But Why Tho?
Home » TV » REVIEW: ‘The Irregulars’ – Sherlockian Storytelling but Make it Supernatural

REVIEW: ‘The Irregulars’ – Sherlockian Storytelling but Make it Supernatural

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez04/04/20216 Mins Read
The Irregulars
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

The Irregulars

Oh Sherlock Holmes. As a character, the mythos, lore, and general identity of the character has inspired many retellings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works and even new stories that write in and expand characters like Netflix’s Enola Holmes. While Sherlockian storytelling is well-known and beyond well-traveled, The Irregulars takes on the characters and makes its own world by mixing the in supernatural and a cast of street urchins who have nothing but each other.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

The Irregulars is an eight-episode Netflix Original series developed by Drama Republic and created by Tom Bidwell. Set in Victorian London, The Irregulars follows a gang of troubled street teens who are manipulated into solving crimes for a possibly sinister Doctor Watson and his mysterious business partner, the elusive Sherlock Holmes. But they aren’t deducing their way to capturing criminals. Instead, they’re confronting crimes that increasingly take on a horrifyingly supernatural edge, all while a dark power emerges. Dubbed the Baker Street Irregulars, it’s up to them to come together to save not only London but the entire world. 

It’s important to note that The Irregulars is a young adult supernatural crime drama and it very much lives in YA land. I don’t mean this as a negative critique, but rather, I present it as the baseline for the show. Because YA comes with its own collection of tropes and a specific audience in mind. While the series begins initially with a focus on a group of orphans trying to survive and showing their intelligence in solving mysteries, the series quickly pivots into a supernatural story about family and how to stop the end of the world.

On paper, adapting Sherlockian mysteries to hard supernatural concepts like magical powers, entering others’ minds, and a tear in the fabric of the reality threatening the fall of society, should work. I mean, “The Hounds of Bakersville” is one of the Sherlockian mysteries that dances with the supernatural before deducing the reality behind it. But like a lot of YA, the blending of concepts in The Irregulars struggles to find its footing in making sure each side of the story is balanced. In fact, much of the supernatural elements feel tacked on instead of seamlessly blended with the heart of what makes Sherlockian stories well, Sherlockian; using logic to uncover the truth.

The Irregulars leans hard into the supernatural that works aesthetically but is applied to patch plot holes in the mystery, making it feel too hollow for the universe it’s based on. In fact, had the story been detached from the characters of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, the series would have been better for it. Because going hard in the paint with magic and horror elements is what The Irregulars excels at. From a woman growing bodies in her yard to a zoologist controlling every bird in London and more, there are enough monster-of-the-week elements that make the series both interesting and intriguing.

While some character choices like a menacing Watson are interesting, the main cast that makes up the Baker Street Irregulars is superb. Now, they aren’t all well-written, but the young actors who bring them to life offer up compelling performances. But it isn’t only their performances. It’s their chemistry as a group of friends who become family, in a sense, that works well. Our lead character is Bea (Thaddea Graham), the tough, street smart, older sister that takes on the most responsibility of the group. Next is her sister, Jessie (Darci Shaw). She is the character used to introduce audiences to the supernatural world. Then their supporting cast of teens is rounded out by Billy (Jojo Macari) and Spike (McKell David), the other Baker Street Irregulars, and Leopold (Harrison Osterfield), a rich kid intrigued by the mysteries and the Irregulars themselves.

As a unit, all of the young actors work well together and their chemistry on-screen as a found family and as romantic partners is great to watch. While some could have used more development, as a unit, they’re a joy to watch. Out of them, Bea is the strongest character and Graham delivers a stellar performance. As a character, Bea goes through a rollercoaster of growth. She carries the responsibility of the group’s safety on her back, heightened by the need to protect her younger sister after their mother’s death. The need to carry the burden of responsibility pushes Bea into situations where she has to put aside her own sense of morality in order to save those around her. Bea carries the literal fate of the world on her shoulders and as an actress, Graham brings a strength and a vulnerability to the role with gravitas on screen.

That said, one large issue with The Irregulars is that it colorblind casts instead of casting to color. If you’re unfamiliar with the difference in these two phrases, the latter is used to describe when a character is cast and they’re impacted by the identity of the actor portraying them, and the former means that the actor’s identity has little to no effect on the character’s storylines or identity. While not an inherently bad practice, especially in period dramas, creators have to showcase an understanding of negative tropes that casting a character of color in specific roles will embody.

This is particularly salient with the casting of the series big bad, The Linen Man, played by Clarke Peters. Initially, his role seems to embody the Magical Negro trope, a Black character put into a story to magically interact with a white one and save them through spiritual wisdom or supernatural powers. Now, while the Linen Man isn’t discarded, he does become the menacing villain in the story. When coupled with the fact that other Black characters, especially those with dark skin also play a villainous role in the story, it’s hard to not see hints of colorism and tropes that mar The Irregulars. Even Watson, who enters the story as an antagonist, is only changed when Sherlock enters the picture.

Additionally, there are moments in the series, early on where you see the white Irregulars belittled and maligned by Black upper-class characters. It causes a cringe that comes from a lack of understanding about how character tropes are very much grounded by the identities of the actors playing them, whether casting intends to or not.

Overall, The Irregulars offers up a good story with some expertly executed horror-inspired visuals, but fails to connect the magic with the Sherlockian mystery. Despite having a phenomenal cast of characters, there are some elements that leave them underdeveloped—mainly with some romantic subplots that feel more like YA fantasy necessities instead of well-thought-out narrative elements. While The Irregulars has its share of issues, it’s still a pretty fun watch if you know what you’re in for ahead of time.

The Irregulars is streaming now, exclusively on Netflix.

The Irregulars
  • 6/10
    Rating - 6/10
6/10

TL;DR

The Irregulars offers up a good story with some expertly executed horror-inspired visuals, but fails to connect the magic with the Sherlockian mystery. Despite having a phenomenal cast of characters, there are some elements that leaves them underdeveloped – mainly with some romantic subplots that feel more like YA fantasy necessities instead of well-thought out narrative elements. While The Irregulars has its share of issues, its still a pretty fun watch if you know what you’re in for ahead of time.

 

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba,’ Volume 21
Next Article REVIEW: Amazon’s ‘Them: Covenant’ Can’t Commit To A Genre or A Story
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8
7.5

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 7-8

07/03/2025
Anthony Ramos in Ironheart Episodes 4-6

REVIEW: ‘Ironheart’ Episodes 4-6

07/01/2025
The Bear Season 4 But Why Tho 3
7.0

REVIEW: ‘The Bear’ Season 4 Tries to Bounce Back

06/30/2025
Squid Game Season 3
9.5

REVIEW: ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 Delivers An Emotion-Filled Finale

06/27/2025
Taecyeon in The First Night With The Duke Episodes 5-6
7.5

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 5-6

06/26/2025
Cho Yi-hyun in Head Over Heels Episodes 1-2
8.0

REVIEW: ‘Head Over Heels’ Episodes 1-2

06/24/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8
7.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 7-8

By Sarah Musnicky07/03/2025

The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8 spends welcome time in pre-domestic bliss before new developments stir up trouble.

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf trailer First Look Image From Prime Video News

Prime Video Unleashes Teaser for Prequel Series The Terminal List: Dark Wolf

By Kate Sánchez07/04/2025

The first Terminal List: Dark Wolf trailer was released today by Prime Video. The series…

Together (2025) still from Sundance
8.0
Film

REVIEW: Have A Grossly Good Time ‘Together’

By Kate Sánchez01/27/2025Updated:07/04/2025

Dave Franco and Alison Brie’s Together (2025) is disgustingly funny, genuinely ugly, and just a good time at the movies.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here