Janyss

Omg I completely imagine him in the shakespearian universe!

I've seen "God's own country" by Francis Lee, about two boys meeting in a farm that is in a really bad situation. A very good critic attracted me in it in early december when the movie was programmed in France. Then I read that Mark Gatiss liked it very much, and my nearest cinema offered it last thursday, so... Well, that was really good. Love story, atmosphere, all ok, even if one backstory or two,a few events and characters more, could have been developped. Not a Hollywood blockbuster, clearly. But I got the feeling that the film director was (very innocently) playing with the viewers' expectations, and I enjoyed what I considered a game very much. I thought he was asking us sometimes: "what do you want me to do? Happy end or melodramatic outcome? See, may be the first, may be the second...". And the way he develops this suspense is both very simple and completely amazing: there is one very simple shot (can't tell much) which lets us assume there could be a tragic ending, and I just was here thinking: "oh you b... film director, don't do that, or I'll cross the Channel just to kill you!". Besides, the way the film director faces possible comparisons with "The secret of Brokeback mountain" is also something fantastic: parallels, re-interpretation of scènes...no hesitation from him in telling his own story despite this overwhelming reference. And a bonus for me: Ian Hart, the leading role of "Land and freedom" by Ken Loach, some twenty years ago...well, as the ageing father now...very important and touching presence, also. I dropped a tear bacause of him. Really something to be seen if you want to stop a little from the Hollywood way of telling the story. Some scènes are explicit but it fits with the evolution of the characters, and you'll also get your time of very romantic moments!

And is this choice the same as the one you did before?

I made a mistake, sorry, the vidéo is called "Sherlock, Mycroft, John, Greg and Jim, men of Sherlock", with the famous song in its Gerri Hallywell version (I don't know how to copy a link).

Well, very interesting topic...There's a video on you tube called "It's raining men (in Baker street)"...And that's a reason I like this show (the positive side of stating that most of the women in it are...not the strong suit here, to say the least and stop complaining). Men are sexy, attractive,and there are so many...each one in his own way. However, my choice is: Mycroft: mysterious, unreachable, making you dream you'll be the one that brings ice to melt...perfect fictionnal character (moreover, my first attraction in fictional characters has been for John Steed. That may say something about me. Any therapist here?) Lestrade: the reverse for a part. Open heart, human...and complex in the same way (but, on his level, he has to deal with the reality, make choices, compromises, he has hesitations and doubts about his choices...a little like Mycroft, which brings to both a kind of vulnerability which make them adorable). Sherlock...as the hero, and portrayed in a quite sexy way by BC, even if Moffat has compared his Sherlock to a monk for affective and sex life. About the others: John has his way of charming, as well. Moriarty and Magnussen...well, the seduction of the devil, certainly. Very well done, too.

OMG, "I want to break free" on my radio! I can't help seeing John turning down, the ballet of a hélicopter, and Moriarty getting out! Damn Mofftiss!

I could see the two videos. Thanks everyone! There are many "mystraders", in fact. They focus much on this "...brother", and also on the moment when Mycroft and Greg deal with how to find baby brother, in HLV.

OMG :D :D :D!!

I agree with your reading of the line. I love subtext. Anyway, I've watched the vidéo -thanks both, Hikari and Carol. True it's really funny and cute,as Mycroft and Greg could be together. But I absolutely don't believe in John and Sherlock being a couple, for 2 reasons: the first one is that Moffat has eliminated the assumption -which wasn't done, as far as I know, for Mycroft and Greg. The second one is that the show is much about the two sides of the specific affection that brotherhood is, and how Sherlock lives it: the one given by family -Mycroft-, the one brought by his own choices -John. And that's why to my mind romantism and desire are irrelevant here.

There's a worse idea than dating the boss: it's dating the employee, so...here in the episode, Lestrade doesn't really deny having been sent by Big Brother so as to look after Sherlock. Another reason seems pure imagination for me.

He gave up! Well, I could rewatch yesterday evening. I didn't know anything about "Mystrade" in my first viewing, but one must admit that Rupert Graves's tone on "brother" can give way to many interpretations..even if I would be more in favour of Lestrade just being fed up with the Holmes brothers (far from over for him, then!). I would not be against two guys together in general, but the clue is rather thin here!

I picked up today of a FB page that Mark Gatiss, who had been a veggie for a while, gave up when beginning living in couple. It reminded me of the hôtel owner's line, begging pardon to his boyfriend for having fallen on bacon at a wedding party, while he was supposed to be veggie. Is it kind of guilt here :)?

Moffat himself aknowledged that the show was "quite arty", and Gatiss often refers, in his interviews, about how to deal with cultural references...Thus, yes, I think there can be "meta" here and there in the show :)!...

MG's way of doing things...remining us we are in a game with the viewers, in a world of representations, even in the middle of the most serious moments...one likes it or not.

That's just style from Mark Gatiss, who has enjoyed monsters and horror films for a long time...there's much humour in the fight, something kind of absurd referring to old fashion horror movies like the ones with Béla Lugosi, but it clearly doesn't bring anything to the storyline. That's not the point, I think...and I absolutely like it.

I have been completely caught in this episode. I have seen it once only and I'm waiting for some real time off to rewatch...So far, it is one of my favourite, in fact. Mark Gatiss did very well with, as you said, this large task (I'm not sure he would call it "unenviable"...). I love the story and its interpretation in our days, the parallels between the original book and what we see (the map! They kept the map "on a very wide scale"!...). The plot is both complex, good and easy to read, with parallel stories, digressions (does it exist in English?) full of much irony and poetry (the contrary of what we get, in fact, in many Moffat's épisodes, which are unusefully complicated and so serious and dark...) I didn't notice the "Mystrade" implication of the lines you quote (I don't remember them, actually), but even if it could be cute, I don't really believe in "Mystrade". May be I'll change my mind... About Margaret Thatcher...That must be an exaggeration of the fact that Sherlock, in ACD's books, doesn't remember things which seem essential (about the solar system...). And a politician can't be more famous, mainly by the hatred she raised against her: here in France we have a very famous song called "Miss Maggie", against her and the model of society she represented in her time. The song caused many problems between French and British diplomats. It is quite difficult to guess Moftiss's opinion about Margaret Thatcher, as "Sherlock" has certainly not direct political speech (even if it conveys much in terms of philosophy, psychology and relation to life, nation, etc...). But the parallel with Napoleon ("The six Thatchers") is the transposition of "The six Napoléons", isn't it?) is not a plea in favour of a good opinion about her in our dear writers' minds.

I miss it much, too...That is why I don't like rewatching the very end of the last episode, and yet I love TFP so much! But in the last scene, there are too many echoes of the pilot, and that makes me think the writers wanted to stop it at that: the text on the phone is the same as the one sent to Lestrade after the press conference, and Mary's last words ("Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson!") are the ones of the end of the pilot, when Mycroft mentions the two guys to order surveillance. And to come back to Moriarty...Not Moriarty-Andrew Scott enough in the show. Definitely.

Hello, and welcome! It's a very nice place here, very interesting talks and fun.

Very interesting...there would be a logic to show another brotherhood, compare it with Sherlock and Mycroft's... I love Jim Moriarty as a living character and as a dead one who remains threatening. I love his relation with Sherlock and the fact that he commits suicide. The actor is great, too. I just don't really believe in his partnership with Irène Adler (but I don't like the episode very much) and I would have liked to see more interaction with Euros.

I'll try it, certainly! We have a very famous and funny pastiche here in France, "Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmes" (which btw gave the alias to one of the members here). Next to be seen: "God's own country", which happens to be Mark Gatiss's favourite movie these days :), accirding to some FB pages!

There was not enough time left in the episode to deal more with Mycroft, anyway. The writers had to draw the parallel between John and Victor, end with Euros...But they took the time to confront him with his parents, as obviously, Sherlock wouldn't have accepted to become the accomplice of Mycroft's lies about the family. Sherlock has aknowledged Mycroft had to make difficult choices, but as the one who finds the truth, he doesn't want to bear the weight of these lies (and yet, our favourite detective is so manipulative sometimes!). Yes, poor Mycroft, who tried to act for the greater good and thus made wrong choices. In the end, he's like a character of a Greek tragedy, sentenced to be followed by deamons all the way long. after trying to jail them. And even if we can understand, the other characters are quite nasty, I agree... Mrs Hudson in the previous episode, Mummy Holmes...the price he has to pay is heavy. Fortunately it contrasts well with Sherlock's words (and with lady Smallwood's thing, which may be was just aimed at reminding us that even this ambiguous character deserved love).

The show mixes different ways to deal with political and social issues (humour or serious ways), but the writers really describe these issues: two young men who are not exactly in the norm trying to find their path and finding a professionnal success after difficult times, their relations with the power, with good and evil, rationality, feelings, not really sure about sex...universal issues, that also was a key to success, I guess.

The more I rewatch, the more I keep my take on a kind of geopolitical tale. Or (more widely than only in the political field, that MG seems very interested in), something about the mad (or at least irrational) part of human being, his attraction to evil...that he must know, accept, control a minimum (with art, for eg)...I've read somewhere that Mark Gatiss's parents worked in psychiatry and that he spent time of his childhood close to mentally ill people. Can others confirm this part of biography?

About this... Don't you think Mycroft has been suspecting something for a while (even though not measuring the spread of it as he trusts the governor and Sherrinford very much, and as he's depicted as blind about Euros)? During the opening interview in ep 1, when Sherlock considers a post-death revenge from Moriarty, it seems Big Brother realises a little what could have happened with our "good old-fashioned villain"...I thought of it owing to the way Mycroft is filmed, something on his face (not a word, of course, MG's doing) The writers bring viewers' attention on the argument between the brothers, on a fed-up Lady S., but that may have been a smokescreen...

Your statements about Japanese, German and English low/upper classes is a pleasure to read! Would be great to have time to learn more! Sure Mycroft would enjoy this chat (or, he would remind us his method to learn Serbian "in a couple of hours" :) !