Speculation: How Did Sherlock Do It?

[Brainy]

The supposive female assassin was never scene again in the episode after Mycroft shows the pictures to Watson.

 

I never thought about this - interesting point!

 

I'll also have to re-watch the jumping scene and pay attention to the 2 different shirts. Thanks for pointing that out!

 

Naturally I also have my theories and they've been mentioned in this thread so I won't repeat them.

(the Rhododendron ponticum theory sounds quite good to me, but so do many theories..)

 

 

However, I was wondering whether you think that Lestrade is in on it, too? After all, apart from John and Mrs Hudson he's Sherlock's 3rd friend and probably Sherlock and Molly will need a good connection to the police to cover up the fake?

 

 

And what I'm always thinking about is whether Sherlock knew that Moriarty would 'kill' himself or whether this twist came to him as a surprise..

 

What do you think?

[Ideduce]

in the books the only one in on it was his brother Mycroft but the circumstances were different. I don't think Lestrade is in on it. There's also another thing people kept bringing up. The Angel wings that is spray painted. At first I dismissed it because I thought it to be rather stupid. Then realized a certain magic trick. The building is under construction. You do see a crane in the background if you really look. There's an 'illusionist' named Chris Angel who preformed levitation and walking off buildings with such a trick. He did it during the day. The wires can't be seen then. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UZqv32aiYc

Now then. You can act like you're falling as well proof in point most of the linkin park music videos.

Could be way off though but I kind of like this idea now too. So far it's the only explanation I have to sprayed angel wings.

 

This would also explain why his cloat is closed up and why his white shirt reacts the way it does.

 

Also in an interview Benedict explained he jumped while he was held with wires to another platform that was sticking out of the building. This is for the making of the series. Be pretty funny if he basically told us the damn trick

 

We have also already seen Sherlock fall before. Remember he jumped from one balcony to another. He knows how to monkey jump around. So he'd need little to no training to pull this off.

[Alice Holmes]

Oh you know that is actually pretty good thinking...Wow...

[Ideduce]

I wish I could find the last ep somewhere so I can take print screens and make a valid or somewhat valid argument on how he didn't die. I have a few clues that I'd like to show that I've stated before.

[Our Division]

The biker obviously's got something to do with it - it's too perfect of a distraction for it not to have been staged. Everything John saw after he was knocked over by the biker is no longer reliable, because it affected the location where he was viewing the events from, and he got conked on the head, meaning that whatever it was he thinks he saw, he might have been imagining. I also think the garbage truck that pulls up in front of Sherly's dead body is significant in some way, but of course, I could be wrong.

The rubber-ball trick, I think, has something to do with it. I doubt it's a red herring because I doubt that they'd choose to discard a vital detail that the casual viewers might have missed. Going to all the effort of stumping the hard-core fans who've been paying attention to details (the Make Believe on Kitty's wall, Lestrade's conspicuous ring tan, the similarity of the juror and her kids who Moriarty threatened to the cabbie from A Study In Pink) doesn't seem worth it if it provides a plausible and entertaining conclusion. It makes sense.

I definitely think Molly and Mycroft were involved in some way. We see Moriarty locked up in an earlier episode, before he's even committed the crimes. Even if he didn't help Sherlock fake his death, there's something Mycroft isn't telling us.

[chefbruno]

I'm not good at this kind of stuff myself but have been enjoying reading all the different theories.  Some things that bother me are 1)Sherlock seems genuinly distressed when Moriarty shoots himself.  There is nobody up there for him to be acting for at that point. I think that was an actuall surprise. 2) Sherlock does not take people into his confidence easily. I've read a lot of theories that suggest all the medical staff is in on it, but I don't think he would let that many people know..  he hires homless network people to do things but he does not give them details. 3) if he texts somebody on his phone that message would be on there and surely they would look at his phone afterwards, but I guess he could delete it.  I think the great thing about Doyle's story is that there aren't any helpers and its all Sherlock, I hope the writers stuck to that sort of idea, though I do think Molly knows cause she would have to do the autopsy.

[Loekie]

Why is there hanging a coat in the telephone box at the right when we see Sherlock falling? And what happens in the telephonebox left of Sherlock, when John wakes up? Definitely there is happening something that we and John are not ought to see.

Maybe the body we see at the end, is a corpse from the mortuary with a mask of Sherlock on it.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Wow, there have been a bunch of posts since I was last on this thread! Just a few comments, but first --

 

Hello, chefbruno and Loekie -- welcome to Sherlock Forum!

 

I saw the purple-to-white shirt commented on elsewhere on the internet a while back, so rewatched the episode to check, and it turned out to have a perfectly unamazing explanation. That was a while ago, but near as I recall, his shirt had come untucked during the fall, so that his underwear was showing around his waist. The purple shirt was still visible in his chest area.

 

The DVD documentary mentions that two different buildings (or perhaps it was different sections of the same building) were used for the rooftop that Sherlock jumps from -- so I believe that any visible differences of that sort probably have more to do with how they filmed it than with how Sherlock did it.

 

... if you google map the route from Baker Street to St. Bart's, it's at least 14 minutes (without traffic). That means that it was at least half an hour between John leaving and returning to St. Bart's. I think there was a time lapse (at least 10 minutes) between Moriarty killing himself and John coming back to the hospital....

 

Interesting. Thanks for that datum!

 

Y'all have also mentioned a number of items that I've never noticed -- which is a perfectly good excuse to watch the episode again!

[Loekie]

Something else: Sherlock has a white collar when he is put on the stretcher and we see him from above. Before that moment there is not a white collar to see.

[Loekie]

I watched for the third time yesterday.

And had a close look at the nails of Sherlock on the roof, when he shakes hands with Mortuarty, and at his nails when John is feeling his pulse. The nails are not similar in shape, on the roof there is a small corner of the nail of the indexfinger, at the ground the nail of the indexfinger is completely round.

 

I noticed that as soon as Sherlock is fallen on the ground, there passes somebody who is feeling his neck. When we watch it on the ground, it seems to be a doctor because he has a stetoscope around his neck. That is very quick!

It is strange that when John is feeling the pulse on the wrist, some lady has her hand around the hand of John. Why?

 

A red line in the story is that a soon as Sherlock has shaken hands with an enemy, that enemy dies. Mortuarty screemed that Sherlock should not touch him, that was in the house of the journalist. At the roof he did shake hands and he dies.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I suspect that the fingernail change is another real-life phenomenon (i.e., Cumberbatch broke a nail between scenes).

 

Yes, medical people do gather around Sherlock's "body" very quickly (even considered that the building he jumped from is a hospital), so apparently they are part of his plan (e.g., the woman you mentioned is preventing John from taking Sherlock's pulse for more than a moment).

 

 

A red line in the story is that as soon as Sherlock has shaken hands with an enemy, that enemy dies. Mortuarty screemed that Sherlock should not touch him, that was in the house of the journalist. At the roof he did shake hands and he dies.

 

Interesting! I hadn't noticed that theme before, but you're right -- first the assassin, then Moriarty. I wonder if it was intentional?

Edited September 13, 2012 by Carol the Dabbler

[Alice Holmes]

Oh...good thought!!!!! Touching...

 

Okay, but I will say that we've added so many people to the ring of those who are "in on it" that there's going to be no one left soon and then it wouldn't be a secret at all...except to us.

[Loekie]

I watched again yesterday - I love this episode - and not only hand shaking, also physical contact is 'forbidden' because the other assassin is shot only because he has touched Sherlock. Sherlock deliberately threw himself for the bus and the assassin saves him, but he touched Sherlock so he has to die.

On the roof Sherlock suddenly graps and shakes Moriarty, who makes very strange noises at that moment - look back if you have not noticed this - and Sherlock knows from that point he is stronger and that Moriarty will die, if not because of that moment, than he will after shaking hands.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I watched again yesterday - I love this episode ....

Me too. It's by far my favorite of all six, though of course it wouldn't make much sense without the others, especially "Study in Pink" and "Great Game."

 

 

... not only hand shaking, also physical contact is 'forbidden' because the other assassin is shot only because he has touched Sherlock. Sherlock deliberately threw himself for the bus and the assassin saves him, but he touched Sherlock so he has to die.

Again, I hadn't quite put that together, but you're right. Apparently, each of the assassins believes that the mythical "computer key code" is a physical object, and doesn't want Sherlock to hand it over to one of the others. That being the case, do you think they made any attempt to search the bodies of the ones they had killed?

[Loekie]

Apparently, each of the assassins believes that the mythical "computer key code" is a physical object, and doesn't want Sherlock to hand it over to one of the others. That being the case, do you think they made any attempt to search the bodies of the ones they had killed?

 

The computer code is in the mind of Sherlock and the assassins know this. That's what I understood. At the end Moriarty says that this is all nonsense, that there is not a computercode that can open all doors.

[thedon]

Please excuse possible inaccurate quotes. I have only watched each episode once so far.

 

I think the faked death has a lot to do with Molly.

 

Sherlock goes to her and they say:

Molly Hooper: What do you need?

Sherlock Holmes: You.

 

Could he have been saying "U"?

 

On the rooftop he says to Moriarty "I am you"

Could he have been saying I am "U"

 

And does this tie in to I.O.U?

 

And what about his question in Baskerville "Do you clone people?"

 

Is he referring to a clone of himself called U? A bit unrealistic.

Another explanation to do with U?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Hello, thedon -- welcome to Sherlock Forum!

 

Good heavens! I've been assuming that these arcane theories were the inevitable result of watching the episodes one time too many -- figuratively speaking. If you've arrived at this point after only one viewing, you will definitely fit right in here!

 

My own feeling is that the IOU motif has more to do with Moriarty's obsession than it does with Sherlock's plan. (Though I will add that John's soliloquy in the cemetery includes the phrase, "I owe you so much.") But others disagree, as you will discover in this and other threads here in the Spoilers, Rumours & Speculations area (most especially the Speculation: Moriarty thread and the What Would You Like to See in the Third Series thread -- like your quotes, those titles are approximate -- but close enough, for both titles and quotes).

 

Have fun rummaging around in the forum! Please let us know more of your thoughts, and do feel free to express your agreement and/or disagreement with what others have posted.

[SherLOCKED221]

I might be repeating something someone else has already said (as I find it hard to have enough time to read though all 4 pages here) but:

 

Has anyone else wondered about the WAY Sherlock fell?

I (being obsessed with figuring this out) have taken pictures of about every frame of the last scene and have found the Sherlock seems to FALL WRONG.

 

Sherlock falls from the roof (he doesn't jump) and his body is facing the ground. He should land on his face. However it is clear he lands on the side of his head.

Now leaving out all the other assumptions for a moment; Isn't this strange?

 

If you've ever seen someone commit suicide (on TV) than you'll know 9 out of 10 times they land on their face and, frankly, create quite a mess.

How did Sherlock end up on his side? In not a single frame does he twist or move. It appears to be a straight drop down.

If this is so how could he have ended up where he did?

This might have been a simple oversight by the creators, however I find that unlikely.

In interviews they have been quoted as saying that the answer is in that scene so I find it highly unlikely they made a mistake like that, so...

How is this possible? How did Sherlock end up on his side?

Is this a part of the mystery? Is this somehow connected to the way Sherlock faked his death?

[SherLOCKED221]

If anyone would like these pictures for future reference or to determine an answer to my previous questions you have only to ask and I'll send them to you.

 

I have about 35 of them including the ones I've already posted. I took them personally with my phone off of live TV so they are not of perfect quality, however if you desire high resolution pictures, I am able to take them and then send them to you but it may take a bit longer.

[Carol the Dabbler]

... How did Sherlock end up on his side? .... Is this somehow connected to the way Sherlock faked his death?

 

That would be my first guess. And it would sure be more comfortable than lying on one's face on concrete!

 

Hey, we repeat ourselves all the time around here!

[SherLOCKED221]

I have been obsessing over this FALLING thing for a while and wondered if anyone else had noticed this.

I'm no expert in physics so I don't really know if my assumptions are correct.

However I still think it is strange that he fell on his side instead of his face.

 

It would have been more conformable for Cumberbatch while filming but this just cannot be the only reason.

The creators were thinking a lot about this fall and there must be good answer.

(But we all could be over thinking it and it just might be so simple a child could understand!)

[Carol the Dabbler]

I think the main Sherlock-universe reason is that he didn't actually land on the sidewalk, he landed on something a bit softer and more resilient, then quickly moved to the sidewalk before John arrived.

[SherLOCKED221]

Makes sence, I guess.

Although leaves only a short amount of time for the 'ol switch-a-roo

[Carol the Dabbler]

Thus the bicycle's "accidental" collision with John.

[SherLOCKED221]

Yes, of course that is if you believe he was part of the HOMELESS NETWORK, however did you see that bike? I believe it was expensive (and although Sherlock could have given him the bike for that purpose it is a big IF)