Is ‘Enola Holmes’ based on a real person? The truth behind Netflix’s detective franchise
'Enola Holmes' is back on Netflix. The third installment of the popular franchise puts the clever detective in the midst of a new mystery. The series might not be as acclaimed as many of the iterations centered on Sherlock Holmes, Enola's brother; however, fans have appreciated Enola for being more realistic than the 221B Baker Street resident. Enola is so imitable that many might think that a real-life individual inspired her. But is the speculation true? The character of Enola Holmes was derived from 'The Enola Holmes Mysteries' authored by Nancy Springer. Springer shared that the character was based partially on her own life.
Much like Springer, Enola has a massive age gap with her brothers. The author's mother worked as an artist and had less of a presence in her daughter's life after 14 because of cancer, menopause, and an early-onset form of dementia. In the movies, Enola's mother, Eudoria Holmes (Helena Bonham Carter), does not suffer from these conditions; she exits Enola's life to pursue liberty. Springer describes Enola as "solitary and bookish" and "a scrawny, bony, gawky tree-climbing tomboy with hair that needed to be washed." The author shared that these would be the ways she would describe her own teen self. As far as the name is concerned, she wanted something "romantic," so she took up the name of a nearby town. Everything else, though, from her illustrious family to the several cases she embarks on, is fictional.
In the series' second movie, several viewers noted that real historical events appear to have inspired the central case. The sequel opens with a title card that reads, "Some of what follows is true. The important parts at least." The true parts possibly refer to the elements clearly inspired by the saga of labor activist Sarah Chapman and the Match Girls' Strike of 1888. In the movie, Enola is hired to find Sarah. Sarah's sister reveals that she went missing after being accused of stealing at the factory where she worked. This factory, where matches are made, is also facing a typhus outbreak. Sarah later tells Enola that the factory is forcing workers to use a new substance called white phosphorus, which is causing deaths and not typhus. The movie ends with workers protesting against this cruel method employed by the authorities to increase profitability.
In real life, Chapman also convinced her workers to go on strike to protest unjust working conditions, as per the People's History Museum. This strike came to be known as the 'Match Girls' Strike'. 'Enola Holmes' 3 does not seem to feature any real events or people. The movie follows Enola as she searches for a missing Sherlock and deals with her impending nuptials. Millie Bobby Brown returns to play the titular detective, alongside Louis Partridge, Himesh Patel, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Henry Cavill, and Helena Bonham Carter. 'Enola Holmes 3' is currently streaming on Netflix.
