The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (TV Series) The Naval Treaty (1984) User Reviews

Great watch, if a little obvious

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 2 August 2016]

The Naval Treaty is an episode I always enjoy watching, mostly for the acting, characters and the story itself. I think it's fair to say it is lacking in any suspense or mystery, I would argue that even a casual viewer would guess 'whodunit' within minutes.

As mentioned the performances are particularly fine, Brett is particularly strong in this one, commanding you to watch him, when he's not even so much as uttering a word. David Gwillim gives a particularly fine performance as Percy, the victim, you watch him and truly believe he's suffering. The late Gareth Thomas is also great in his role, he had such a command and presence.

So it lacks any real mystery, but it's a fine watch nonetheless. The production values, costumes etc are the glorious standard expected from this series.

One of those episodes it's nice to watch curled up with a cup of tea. 7/10

Open Covenants Openly Arrived At

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 10 October 2009]

Watching The Naval Treaty in The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes my mind wandered to Woodrow Wilson and one of his 14 points which was 'open covenants openly arrived at', something he was trying to get into the Treaty of Versailles. It was against just such things as this, a secret Naval Treaty between the British and the Italians, something the foreign offices of any number of European powers would have loved to have gotten their hands on in those days before World War I.

The document, written in French, because in Europe that was the universal language of diplomacy, is entrusted to David Gwillim, a clerk in the foreign office. Gwillim is in that position because of his uncle is the foreign minister. One night the document is stolen and Gwillim facing personal ruin as well as the potential crisis in foreign relations the United Kingdom could suffer calls on a friend of a friend. Gwillim went to school with David Burke as Dr. John Watson and we know who his friend is. Jeremy Brett is the one man in the country who could untangle this potential crisis and keep it from coming to a head.

Given the limited number of characters in a short story, let alone one of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about the master sleuth, we only have a limited number of suspects. It was obvious to me who the guilty party was almost from the beginning. Yet Conan Doyle's stories are mind games, the treat in reading and watching a dramatization is to see how Sherlock Holmes's mind works.

We don't have secret treaties any more, not because nations wouldn't like to have them. But in this the day of the internet, such secrets can't be kept for too long. What Wilson couldn't get by treaty, technology has forced upon nations.

Brett Shines

[ericksonsam60 · 7/10 · 13 July 2011]

While, it is not one of the best this episode was surprisingly enjoyable for me. It is one of those "important missing documents" mysteries. However, what makes it enjoyable is not so much the story but rather Sherlock Holmes himself with his charisma and the way he solves the mystery.This is one is a showcase for Jeremy Brett to shine as Sherlock Holmes. We also see a more intricate side of Holmes as he subtly hides the fact that he dislikes his client and is only taking the case because he is friend of Watson's. The production values, music, and locations are very good. Also, the scene at the end in which the treaty is finally recovered is a gem. Good fun all around.

In Plain Sight

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 5 February 2014]

In this third episode in the Granada series, Watson receives a request from an old "friend," who has found his career and his health doomed by a mystery that he can't comprehend. While he has left his office, a document of great importance has disappeared from his desk. This is one of those Holmes stories where someone in a position of trust has been victimized. Still, the circumstances make it impossible to see how the document got out of the office and into the hands of someone wishing to start a war or to exacerbate the politics of the time. The strength of the story has to do with the physical makeup of the building which is the scene of the crime. There are a series of possible answers, but they never seem to satisfy the requirements of discernment. Holmes strength in all these cases is that he doesn't buy into the obvious solutions, but rather assumes nothing. An interesting factor for the modern reader (or viewer, in this case), is the incredible emotion expended by the victims. Having read all the Holmes stories many times, I recall that there seemed to be something called "brain fever" that was sort of a catch-all malady for people like the victim of this crime. I think another thing that makes this enjoyable for the average viewer is that while this is a serious crime, we've all had that experience of being careless and paying a price of some sort. Brett is again an intriguing Holmes and this is a very enjoyable episode.

Very good if not one of the best

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 18 May 2012]

The Naval Treaty is a strong episode with a lot that makes the Granada Sherlock Holmes series so great evident. It's not one of the best, with the perpetrator rather obvious from the get go due to a lesser amount of suspects as usual. However, the story is the usual clever and mostly compelling standard, and the script is of high quality, thought-provoking and sometimes playful with some suspenseful parts too. The music is wonderful, I always find the music in this series haunting, beautiful or often both, and this episode is an example of the music being both. The production values are typically splendid, evocative and very beautiful-looking. The photography is always focused and fluid. The acting is strong too, the support cast are good but nobody as such stood out. David Burke is a composed and intelligent Watson, but this episode belongs to the supreme Holmes of Jeremy Brett, who never fails to delight with his gritty baritone and towering presence. All in all, not one of my favourites but still very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Another great mystery that will beg for a second view

[kfo9494 · 9/10 · 8 October 2013]

This episode puts us right in the middle of another great mystery when a young man, Percy Phelps, working very late at the foreign office is copying a very important treaty for the British Government. Being alone, he takes a small break to go get some coffee from the night watchman when suddenly the bell rings from his office. No one is suppose to be in the room. When Percy runs back upstairs he finds that the treaty had been stolen. Now his job and his honor have been stained. Percy becomes bedridden with guilt and his last straw will be to get Sherlock Holmes to take the case.

A very nice episode with plenty of situations that, at the end, all lead the viewer to think outside of their limit. A very well written script with fine acting throughout. This is an episode you will watch again to see how many clues that were missed on the first view. Good watch.

Much better with a second viewing

[suicidea · 9/10 · 15 January 2021]

An old school chum writes to Dr. Watson and asks for Sherlock Holmes' help: an immensely important naval treaty document, which was entrusted to him for copying, has been stolen. The poor guy, devastated and hardly able to carry a conversation for two minutes before getting into another nervous fit, is hopeless.

This is the first time where the plot involves a mystery in the true sense of the word, because while Holmes is putting the pieces together in his mind, the audience isn't given much of a clue.

I admit this was my least favorite episode when I first binge-watched this series, since I found the constant whining and nervousness of Percy Phelps (the character who lost the treaty) too tiresome and annoying. But upon a couple of repeated viewings over the years, I now find it better than most episodes. Recommended.

The Naval Treaty

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 21 January 2019]

The Naval Treaty is one of the Conan Doyle short stories that had to be expanded to an hour's length.

It features a strong performance from David Gwillim. He plays Percy Phelps, a foreign office who has lost an important document. Embarrassingly his uncle is also the foreign minister. Phelps has literally fallen to illness brought about by the shock of losing the papers. He calls on his old school friend, Dr Watson for help.

Sherlock Holmes is certainly intrigued by the puzzle. Phelps working late at night only left his office briefly and the document swiftly disappeared. However Holmes knows enough to serve Phelps something special for breakfast.

This is a well adapted story, Jeremy Brett looks suave in his light coloured suit as he spends an afternoon in the country. It does lose some mystery because of the well known guest star syndrome.

Great mystery

[grantss · 9/10 · 17 November 2022]

Sherlock Holmes is hired by someone Watson knew at school, Percy Phelps. Mr Phelps works at the Foreign Office and was tasked with making a copy of a top secret Naval Treaty between Britain and Italy. This incredibly important document has been stolen, leaving Mr Phelps a broken man.

Another great adaptation of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story. Very intriguing as Holmes and Watson go about gathering clues as to the identity of the culprit.

Jeremy Brett once again puts in an excellent performance as Holmes with David Burke giving solid support as Watson. Some good guest performances too.

As always the exquisite recapturing of 1890s London, and England generally, adds a further dimension to proceedings.

The Purloined Treaty.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 19 July 2012]

This story always reminds me of another, the name of which doesn't come to me. "The Second Stain"? It's been years since I read the tales, but the plot is similar -- a crime takes place quickly in a small room with only one or two entrances and no one is seen going in or out.

The producers have done wonders with the flabby, innocent, old charwoman and her children, all of them dirty and ragged, looking straight out of Dickens.

And then there is Holmes' "dramatic" trick played on the victim at the end -- the stolen treaty presented to the man on a silver platter.

The victim, by the way, is an old friend of Watson's and, though young and healthy, must be powerful weak. When he discovers the all-important treaty has been stolen (and his career and character possibly ruined), he collapses and has a "brainstorm." It take him months to recover. But "shock" is a medical condition and doesn't last long. And the usual response to an extreme psychological stressor is depression, not lying around in bed for a month, your head in your fiancée's lap. If it had been MY treaty stolen and MY career ruined, I'd have reacted quickly enough. Found the nearest helpless dog and stomped him to death.

Marvelous set dressing and period decor, as usual.