“Enola Holmes,” the 2020 Netflix film, is based on the book written by Nancy Springer, “The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had created the character of Sherlock Holmes, though there was no mention of Enola Holmes in his works. Nancy Springer’s female detective belongs to the same world and is the younger sister of the fabled Sherlock Holmes. Enola Holmes was born in the year 1884, and she remained with her mother, Eudoria Holmes, for the first 16 years of her life. Enola didn’t have any formal education, and she was home-schooled by her mother, who taught her a little bit of everything. Enola grew up to be just like her mother. She was different from the rest of the girls. She aspired to become a renowned detective one day, just like her brother, Sherlock Holmes. Enola’s father had passed away when she was very young, and she had no recollection of him.
Enola’s brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock, didn’t meet her or her mother that often. In fact, when Enola met them after their mother had disappeared, they didn’t even recognize her. As Edith, Eudoria Holmes’ friend, puts it, Enola was a force of nature. She couldn’t be confined by social norms, and she challenged every age-old tradition that told her that she couldn’t be a certain way. Enola was often told that she needed to fit in the society and be like how a woman was expected to be. When Enola was admitted to “Miss Harrison’s Finishing School for Young Ladies,” she felt claustrophobic at the mere idea of living her life like the other subdued women. Enola didn’t want to play the role of a second fiddle. She was capable of being the protagonist of her own story. Enola believed that women should have equal social and political rights as men in society. She was told by her mother that she could be anybody she aspired to be, and Enola believed that fact. A misogynistic English society that was averse to any progressive change, didn’t have the power to bring down her spirits and determination.
What Kind Of Relationship Did Enola Holmes Shared With Sherlock Holmes?
Enola looked up to her brother, Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock was a celebrated detective. He had a knack for not missing any details, no matter how minute they might be. If he was on a case, people knew that it would be solved eventually. Enola had developed exceptional cognitive abilities like her brother. She was inexperienced for sure, but if given the right guidance, she had the potential to become the greatest detective the world had ever seen. Sherlock was quite busy in his own life and didn’t have much time for his family. Enola only heard about him through the newspaper clippings. She had kept all those clippings safely with her, which was a testament to the fact that she honored the legacy of her brother and respected him way too much. Sherlock met Enola when he came to his ancestral residence in Ferndell Hall. Sherlock saw his younger self in his sister, Enola. He developed a liking for her, but considering he was a man of few words; he was never able to express it properly. We get to know that Sherlock also feels extremely close to his sister when he tells Mycroft that he will take custody of Enola. Sherlock knew that it was best for him if he worked alone and was not bound by family ties, considering the perilous nature of his profession. But his thinking changed after he met Enola. In the sequel as well, Sherlock is Enola’s guardian angel, and seeing the nature of their relationship, one thing can be said for sure: he will always be there for her, no matter what the circumstances are.
Who Was Viscount Tewkesbury?
Enola met Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether, by accident when she had escaped her home and was on a quest to find her mother. She referred to him as the “nincompoop” and thought of him as a rich, spoiled, and good-for-nothing brat. But eventually, she saw that he was a good human being. He was not a regressive individual. He was not a misogynist like most men in English society. He didn’t objectify women. In fact, he was quite happy to follow Enola’s lead and accept the fact that if she hadn’t come to his rescue, he wouldn’t have survived. Tewkesbury voted in favor of the reform bill. His grandmother never understood him. She always thought that people like him would lead to the downfall of the English empire. She always believed that England’s true glory is “what is” and not “what could be.” She was against the change that her grandson was vociferously fighting for. Tewkesbury’s grandmother had planned everything, but Enola Holmes spoiled her devilish plans. Enola always thought that she was self-sufficient, but with time she realized that she needed somebody like Tewkesbury in her life, who was dependable and brought about a sense of calm in her life. Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether, will be there in the sequel, too, and maybe we will witness a romance brewing between the young lord and the upcoming detective.
Did Enola Holmes Find Her Mother In Part 1?
Though Enola wasn’t able to find her mother herself, Eudoria chose to come and meet her at the end of the first part. Eudoria knew that it was not right to leave her daughter the way she had. She knew that she was the only friend Enola had. She knew that her daughter only confided in her. But Eudoria was bound by her resolve. She wanted to leave a better world for her children. She knew that she would have to make a lot of sacrifices for it, but she was willing to pay the price for it. She told Enola in the end that she would have to leave her as her work wasn’t finished yet, but the mother-daughter duo had found a unique way of communicating with each other. Enola used to get cryptic messages printed in the newspaper, knowing that her mother would read them and decipher its real meaning. Eudoria wanted her daughter to find her own purpose and lead a life on her terms. We will see Eudoria in the second part too. She will definitely guide and help her daughter in her quest and Enola would greatly benefit from her experience.
Final Words
In the trailer of “Enola Holmes 2,” we see that Enola desperately wants to prove her worth. She was talented, but she was yet to understand the intricacies of this brutal and unforgiving world. She has opened her own detective agency because she wants to rise above the giant shadow of her brother Sherlock Holmes and forge her own path. But the thing is, apart from solving the case she gets, Enola also has to fight the misogyny that she finds on every step of her journey. No matter how much she wants to avoid the involvement of the great Sherlock Holmes, her elder brother will keep an eye on her at all times. Things are going to get darker and more dangerous, and it would be interesting to see if Enola is able to rise to the challenge.
