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Irene Adler

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Character
Name: Irene Adler (married name, Irene Norton)
Occupation: Adventuress
Relationships: Godfrey Norton (husband), Sherlock Holmes (respected adversary)
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes
Other:
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Irene Adler is one of the most notable female characters in the original Sherlock Holmes canon.

Canon

Irene Alder appears in only one of the original Sherlock Holmes' stories, A Scandal in Bohemia, she is known for garnering the respect of Holmes, and one of the few characters that has ever been able to outmaneuver him. She is a popular character to include in various adaptations.

Versions

Sherlock Holmes (Granada)

Sherlock Holmes (Granada) she is portrayed by Gayle Hunnicutt. "A Scandal in Bohemia" was the first episode of the first series of Granada Holmes. The portrait of Irene is kept in Holmes' desk and appears in a few more episodes.

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

In the 2009 movie Sherlock Holmes she is portrayed by Rachel McAdams. In this film she has divorced her husband and is "Irene Adler again." She and Holmes have a more romantically tinged relationship.

Sherlock (BBC)

Irene Adler, portrayed by Lara Pulver, was introduced to the BBC adaptation of Sherlock in a starring role in the season two episode, "A Scandal in Belgravia," after which she was only occasionally mentioned or shown on-screen again. In this version of the story, her character is adapted as a dominatrix under the professional name “The Woman,” and she provides the episode’s conflict. She identifies herself as gay, though she performs her work with non-women clients as well and by the end of the episode has fallen in love with Sherlock.

Like her ACD counterpart, Irene engages in a battle of wits with Sherlock, and is the only woman to get to him.

Irene is sometimes seen by fans as one of the Moffat Women, women characters written by Steven Moffat who are perceived to have similar personality traits and sexist portrayals.[1][2] Similarly, her feelings for Sherlock are felt by some fans to erase her professed homosexuality.[3]

Many fans have analyzed Irene as a mirror to both Sherlock and John Watson; the former due to shared physical and behavioral characteristics, and the latter due to their ambiguous relationships to Sherlock, as highlighted in the exchange between Irene and John:

JOHN: You... flirted with Sherlock Holmes?
IRENE: At him. He never replies.
JOHN: No, Sherlock always replies, to everything. He’s Mr. Punchline. He will outlive God trying to have the last word.
IRENE: Does that make me special?
JOHN: ...I don’t know. Maybe.
IRENE: Are you jealous?
JOHN: We’re not a couple.
IRENE: Yes you are. There... [text to Sherlock] “I’m not dead. Let’s have dinner.”
JOHN: Who... who the hell knows about Sherlock Holmes, but for the record, if anyone out there still cares, I’m not actually gay.
IRENE: Well, I am. Look at us both.

“A Scandal in Belgravia,” BBC Sherlock, Season 2, Episode 1

There is little consensus in fandom about the extent of Sherlock’s canonical attraction to the Woman, and whether this was romantic, sexual, and/or purely intellectual in nature.[4][5][6] These discussions can be confused by the canon ambiguity of both characters’ sexuality, and fans’ own interpretations of them.

In fandom, she is most frequently shipped with Sherlock, under the ship name “Adlock.”

Elementary

In Elementary, Irene was Sherlock's ex-lover who is thought to have been killed by a serial killer called "M." She is later found alive, apparently being held captive by Moriarty. It is revealed that "Irene" actually is Jamie Moriarty, who assumed the identity to seduce Sherlock and distract him from his investigations. Irene/Moriarty is portrayed by Natalie Dormer.

Sherlock Holmes (2013 TV Series)

Irene Adler (portrayed by Lyanka Gryu) has a love affair with Sherlock Holmes.[7]

In other fannish media

Fandom

Pairings

Irene's most popular ship in almost all adaptations is with Sherlock Holmes, but the prevalence of the pair can vary greatly. There is also a small amount gen fanworks, usually where she is friends with Holmes.

Example Fanworks

Fanfiction

Sherlock

Books

Meta/Analysis

Sherlock

Books

Example Art Gallery

Archives and Links

Resources

References

  1. ^ “stop telling me that either of the new interpretations of Irene Adler are progressive”, tygermama, Tumblr, 5 June 2014.
  2. ^ Irene Adler: how to butcher a brilliant woman character, blog post from “another angry woman”, 1 January 2012.
  3. ^ response to: “what if Irene Adler’s phone code…”, pennypaperbrain, Tumblr, 1 March 2014.
  4. ^ On Irene in the Mind Palace, themissadventurer, Tumblr, 23 June 2016.
  5. ^ thoughts on Sherlock’s attraction, madlori, Tumblr, 12 February 2014.
  6. ^ Meta on “Isn't Sherlock at least attracted to Irene's naked body in a SiB?”, inevitably-johnlocked, Tumblr, 12 May 2016.
  7. ^ Sherlock Homes (2013 TV Series) on Wikipedia