Slithytove

As I've said before, I like Mary as a character. It's good to see a strong female character who is both intelligent and warm - although I must admit that I also liked Irene, who was brilliant but cold. Anyway, Mary is very likeable but I do think she makes the relationship between the two men less focused. It's always been Holmes and Watson, the classic double act, from the beginning. I think Conan Doyle recognised that core relationship and quietly wrote Mary out of the stories. I don't think this will be the fate of the current Mary. After all, the writers could not even bear to kill Irene, and sent in Sherlock to save her at the eleventh hour. I think it will be okay if they keep her as a fairly minor character like Molly or Lestrade, but I think that they will lose focus if it becomes the story of Sherlock, John and Mary (and Baby Watson), rather than the story of Sherlock and John. Of course, I could be wrong and probably am. I am hoping that the next episode will be quite dark and dramatic, to shut up all those who keep whining about this series being different to Series 1& 2. Most of the tv critics seem to have enjoyed this series and we, the fans, have mainly been delighted, but there are a lot of people moaning that it has been too self-indulgent and/or too much influenced by the fandom. I suspect that most of those complaining are people who wanted the crimes foregrounded, rather than the characters. As far as I'm concerned, the interest lies in the people, particularly Sherlock, rather than in whatever dastardly crime is being foiled, but that isn't everyone's view. As fans, we love to ponder "what if" - what if Sherlock had to make a best man's speech? What if John and Sherlock got drunk? - and all fanfic is an attempt to answer those questions. Some viewers, however, just want cops and robbers. I hope that episode 3 blows their socks off! And I hope the BBC has the good sense to ignore the doubters and press on with the next series (and a bit quicker this time, please!)

It has been suggested that something bad will happen to Mary, but I doubt that the writers will kill her off. I think she'll probably be in jeopardy, presumably because of Magnusson, but I can't see them killing a loveable character so soon, particularly now that she is pregnant. Though John as a widower, bringing up a child with Sherlock's bizarre idea of help, would be interesting but would limit their freedom to go out together on cases. I like Mary, and Amanda Abbington is lovely, but I do think her presence weakens the dynamic between the two main characters. Presumably Conan Doyle felt the same about Mrs Watson, as he kept her firmly in the background and quietly killed her off during the Great Hiatus. Looks like our Mary will play a much more prominent role than her namesake and I am not yet convinced that that is a good thing. Time will tell, no doubt...

I'm guessing I'm alone in this opinion, but I found Sherlock's gentle warmth in this episode more out of character than his capricious cruelty in TEH. In ASiB, he is baffled by a family's grief and does not understand why "they care so much.". He suspects that there is something wrong with himself and Mycroft, and yet now he is declaring his love for John and his commitment to the Watson family. Why is he so different now? Three explanations occurred to me: A) He has changed as a person, matured and become a genuinely nice man.....but how did this happen? And why now? B] Intellectually he is a genius, but emotionally he is a child with a small child's tendency to mood swings......rude, loving, callous, selfish and giving, with no real understanding of which of these emotions are considered acceptable and which are "a bit not good." C) He really is a sociopath, with a sociopath's ability to mimic emotions he does not feel. In this case, people would matter to him insofar as they made his life easier - which would explain why John, Lestrade and Mrs Hudson would be top of his list - and he could become fiercely defensive when those "belonging" to him were threatened. He would turn on the charm when required but could drop it like a mask when it had served its purpose. Personally, I would prefer explanation C - I like my Sherlock dark and twisted! - but I suspect the writers like the character too much to let him really be such a psychopath. Despite these objections, I did enjoy TSoT. Funny Sherlock is always good and there was a lot to love. But, speaking of sociopaths, I do miss Moriarty....

Well, yes. I'm now at the age where I'm not ashamed to laugh out loud, and Sherlock's speech was gloriously funny. (And, my God, but that man looks good in morning dress!)

I don't find Sherlock's behaviour in the train to be out of character, given that he is manipulative and prone to inappropriate social responses. In the previous episodes, he manipulated other people's emotions - particularly poor Molly's - to get what he wanted, and he is more than capable of doing the same to John. After all, this is the man who tried to drug John and then calmly observed his terrified response to hallucinations! Sherlock's desire for forgiveness is genuine, because he wants John back in his life, but he uses emotional manipulation to get it because he doesn't really understand why he should not do it. He does not understand socially acceptable behaviour either - he is openly excited by the prospect of serial killers, or the kidnapping of small children, he is brusque with the frightened and bereaved, he blurts out the details of people's private lives.....Yes, he does have real emotions but h does not understand what behaviour is or is not acceptable. Therefore it is quite in character for him to manipulate John into expressing forgiveness and then to burst out laughing, because he does not realise that it is inappropriate. That is surely the reason why he has only one friend....

Thank you all for your welcome. As a grandmother of 6, I'm always amused when Sherlock fans are dismissed as "screaming teenaged girls", which is insulting both to teenagers and also to the more mature fans (and I'm sure there are a lot of us out there.) I look forward to discussing details of the past and present theories with fellow-enthusiasts!

I've been a Sherlock Holmes fan since I read the stories when I was 11, nearly 50 years ago (yes, I'm that old!), and I love the BBC version. Of course, the fact that it stars the incomparable Mr Cumberbatch makes it particularly enjoyable..... Anyway, there is a limit to the amount of Sherlock-related opinions one can inflict on one's own family, so I thought I would post them here instead!