Enjoyed Enola Holmes when it landed on Netflix last September? Then buckle up for another reinvention of the Sherlock Holmes mythos that’s headed to the streamer, and this one’s an even bolder fresh take on the Great Detective.
The first trailer for The Irregulars, which is hitting the platform before the end of the month, debuted this Monday, and it promises a surprisingly horror-infused show that might appeal to fans of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina more than lovers of Sherlock. Thaddea Graham stars as Bea, the leader of a group of tough street urchins in Victorian London who are approached by Dr. John Watson (Royce Pierreson) to work for his rarely seen employer, Mr. Holmes (a briefly glimpsed Henry Lloyd-Hughes), who seems to be a shadow of the man he used to be. Bea, it turns out, has the gift of seeing dead people and there’s a supernatural threat at work in olde London town that only she and her friends can battle.
This isn’t a Hound of the Baskervilles situation, though, where Holmes is going to be able to explain it all away. The trailer gets into unexpectedly deep horror territory as it goes along, featuring demonic possessions, skinned faces and a rip in the fabric of reality that’s letting in evil forces from another realm. Though the core concept is inspired by the Baker Street Irregulars of the original stories, this is clearly not like any Sherlock Holmes adaptation you’ve seen before.
Netflix must be pleased with it, too, as it’s believed that The Irregulars has already been renewed for a second season. Based on the massive success of Enola – which is no doubt getting a sequel as well – and the familiarity of the Holmes IP, the streamer is likely confident they have another hit on their hands.
The eight-episode first season debuts on Netflix in less than a couple of weeks on Friday, March 26th. Don’t miss it.