The whereabouts of Enola's mother and the plot to murder Viscount Tewkesbury aren't
the only mysteries lurking in Enola Holmes, the new adventure flick that follows Sherlock
Holmes' younger sister.
The movie is also full of Easter eggs that you probably missed.
Don't blame yourself; this stuff is well-hidden.
It'd take a sleuth of Enola's caliber to find it all.
Thankfully, this is one case you don't have to crack alone.
Director Harry Bradbeer, who brought Enola Holmes to life, has provided some us with
some clues, pointing out exactly where to find all of those small details that slipped
by you the first time around.
So, fire up Enola Holmes once more and start searching.
The game is afoot!
Growing up, Enola had a full run of the Holmes family estate, Ferndell, with one exception.
As Enola informs her snooping and disrespectful brothers, her mother Eudoria's chamber is
a "private space," and is strictly off limits.
After all:
"Mother believed Privacy to be the highest virtue and the one most frequently violated."
So why, then, did Eudoria hide her first clue for Enola in the one room that the young detective
isn't allowed to enter?
Apparently, it's all part of Enola's training.
Eudoria doesn't want convention and social norms to define her daughter, and begins Enola's
journey with a very important lesson: Sometimes, it's okay to break the rules.
Early in Enola Holmes, Enola's older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, discuss what to do with
the wayward girl while playing a game of pool.
To modern eyes, this match seems very unusual.
Compared to the multi-colored spread of 15 balls that modern players are used to, Sherlock
and Mycroft's game is considerably stripped-down.
There are only three balls on the table: Two white, and one red.
That's because the Holmes brothers are actually playing a cue-sport known as English billiards,
which differs from eight-ball pool in a number of ways.
Interestingly, that wasn't always the plan.
In Enola Holmes' original screenplay, Mycroft and Sherlock played snooker.
Unfortunately, some extra research revealed that snooker had only just been invented when
Enola Holmes takes place, making it extremely unlikely that the right equipment would be
found in Ferndell.
Besides english billiards works better thematically.
The two white balls knocking the red ball around the table symbolize the relationship
between Enola and her older brothers, as the duo plan the rest of the young woman's life
without her knowledge, consent, or input.
In Enola Holmes, flowers aren't just flowers.
They're also codes.
Chrysanthemums , for example, are a symbol of familial attachment, the first clue that
sends Enola on her journey, and a code name for Eudoria.
Meanwhile, forget-me-nots, a perennial wildflower, show up in Enola Holmes twice, although you
have to be very observant to catch them.
First, Eudoria can be seen painting the forget-me-nots in one of the movie's flashbacks.
They're also featured on the hand-made card that Eudoria leaves for Enola:
"Our future is up to us."
The painting is, of course, more than just a pretty decoration.
It's also how Eudoria is instructing Enola to look for her, as well as an important warning
to the girl: Don't forget what your mother taught you.
When she first arrives in London, Enola finally becomes a lady - or, at the very least, she
begins dressing like one.
While Enola's whale-bone corset gets lots of attention in her dressing-up scene, it's
actually another fashion accessory that has all the meaning.
To top off her adult ensemble, Enola grabs a necklace adorned with a small gold ivy leaf.
That's actually a reference to author Nancy Springer's young adult novel Enola Holmes:
The Case of the Missing Marquess, on which the film Enola Holmes is based.
In the book, Enola adopts the pseudonym Ivy Meshle after she runs away to London, and
this subtle piece of jewelry is director Bradbeer's tribute to the story that started it all.
Enola and the young Viscount Tewkesbury have an instant, easy chemistry, but early on it's
not clear how they feel about each other, especially to Enola herself.
Still, if you look very carefully, you can find the answer a little bit before Enola
does.
In the sequence in the boarding house, during which Enola puts together the cypher she uses
to find her mother, some old-timey titles appear while Enola tries to remember which
phase of her plan is currently in action.
However, one of those cards has nothing to do with Enola's scheme.
It only appears for a single frame, but one of the cards says, "Do I love Tewkesbury?"
It seems like Enola's subconscious is already on the case: Despite Enola's protestations,
this fun little Easter egg makes it obvious that she's already much, much more attached
to the young marquis than she realizes.
It wouldn't be a real Easter egg hunt without a few cameos from the behind-the-scenes folks
who made Enola Holmes.
Near the end of the movie, some photos of the members of the Royal Academy flash on-screen.
Naturally, those aren't really members of the prestigious institution.
They're actually members of Enola Holmes' post-production team - and, despite what Enola
says, there actually is a young woman in their midst, although she's wearing some fake mutton
chops.
That's not all, either.
Director Harry Bradbeer appears at the end of this montage in a photo all by himself.
That's not Bradbeer's only appearance in the movie, either.
Much earlier, a policeman rushes by Enola as she gets on a train,yelling
"No sign of him anywhere, sergeant!"
That's Bradbeer's voice - the director likes to make vocal cameos in his projects.
And finally, Harry isn't the only member of the Bradbeer family to appear in Enola Holmes.
During the animation introducing the Tewkesbury clan, the family dog is played by Socks, Bradbeer's
loyal dachshund.
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