Janyss

Great how Mycroft's character (with his qualities and failings) rings various bells in everyone : weight put by the parents on the first-born, relations of a gifted child with other children and adults, brotherhood...However, I don't know if there can be any kind of "reality" in the Holmes siblings' childhood. I completely consider the last episode as a metaphore. If not, many things are quite incoherent... Hikari, I'm sure you remember much French in spite of what you assert: a British neighbour of mine (we have many British dwellers in South-West France, fortunately for my English) told me the difference between "tu" and "vous" was something he had absolutely never understood.

Thanks for advice, everyone...May be for next holidays, these ones become shorter and shorter... Hikari, I think I got the meaning of "dork", that could be may be tranlated by something like "crétin", or "abruti", or even here, "plante verte" :)...And you can say me "comprends-TU ce mot?". "Comprenez-vous" is perfectly correct, but very formal to address only one person. I've been through a few photographs of John Steed, whom MG sais somewhere he wanted to "invoke" when creating his Mycroft. Very similar (notice the umbrella!), but these British secret agents of the 60's are full of humour and optimism in these times of 60's and swinging London...A few decades later, they worry much about a chaotic so-called "new world order" and décisions to be made in it...Poor Mycroft.

I have very mixed feelings about "The darkest hour". Gary Oldman is very good (as good as the other actors), but the way the story is told is quite messy: the film director obviously wanted to concentrate it on a few days (when the British and French soldiers have been evacuated from Dunkerque), but he has spread the storyline in too many directions (Churchill's privacy, relationships with wife, with the king...). However, the characters (who are real politicians with contrasted viewpoints, which gives interestins dialogues) are very nuanced, the heaviness of political choices are well underlined. Not a waste of time, but nothing really fundamental...

Omg what do the writers (and Andrew Scott) put in their 5 o'clock tea?! I want some! How could they imagine the shooting, the Golem, the planétarium scene...if not?

I did! The way I've been able to watch the various episodes is a mess! I've started in the middle of the middle, with a scene in Baskerville. Fortunately it is the best known Sherlock Holmes story to me, thus I immediately picked up what the show was about and how. One advantage: when you know what writers have in mind, you enjoy some scenes much more (the opening meeting of series 4 for eg).

Thanks Arcadia. I've planned to go tomorrow, I'll let you know.

Yes, I love Mary in the episode. She hasn't enough scènes, however. But her role in the two stories are great! I quite like the character in general all along the series, and the actress is very good. Pseudonym, sometimes it is difficult to be a fan with people who are not. That is why this kind of website is so good :)!

Could anyone see "Darkest hour", by Joe Wright? It is about Churchill and the first war operations in may 1940. Seems interesting (in general, and related with my assumptions about Sherlock's last episode), but I'm always afraid to waste my time (I live far from cities and I have to find someone for the children, so it must be worth going), thus I'd like other viewers' opinion.

As I may be VERY tired later: :D :WELCOME 2018! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU, WHEREVER YOU ARE :lol: :lol:!

Cute and lovely (even if I prefer cats)!

I'm taking the opportunity of a few days off to watch the few episodes I couldn't see, or just some parts. This Abominable bride is great! I love the way the characters both changed and remained the same in this "breach of the space-time continuum" (are there Person of interest fans here ;)?). I loved the funny situations and lines (Mrs Hudson refusing to talk as it is the way Watson describes her in his books). I loved the historical background with the suffragettes, and Mary Watson's role in the story (by the way, Mark Gatiss wrote the part of the man of progress for himself, beyond the "grotesque" -in the cinematographic meaning- of his character. I have the feeling it is the way he does things: entertaining surface, fundamental questions underneath). There were so many good things, that took place in a very interesting way in the whole story. Great tribute to the actors who portrayed Sherlock before BC (I thought much of Jeremy Brett, whom I've seen as Sherlock Holmes too) and to Conan Doyle of course!

Sometimes it's good to watch a "navet" (turnip) as we say in French. I must admit "Santa Claus is a b**tard" isn't a model of intellectual entertainment either, there is much caricature and ugly characters in it. If you want to laugh with something referring to classical French culture, then "La folie des grandeurs" by Gerard Oury is for you: it portrays the characters of a Victor Hugo's tragedy called "Ruy Blas" in a very funny way. My only regret about it is that it dates back to the 70's and that nowadays in France, no one does this entertainment with high cultural contents. We would need a Mofftiss here to spread the message of our Jean Valjean or Cyrano in our times...

Well, sure the three don't expect to have good time in Sherrinford...But Mycroft can't believe his sister has been able to go out (or do you think he's changed his mind after the talk with Sherlock and the bomb? I'm not sure, as he seems very surprised when he realises Euros controls the governor's mind). They don't expect to find the same things. Sherlock and John may be more prepared to the worst...But Mycroft remains so blind (see the numerous moments when MG closes his eyes to convey this) and gets stuck in so many lies (until the end about Redbeard) that I think it is impossible for him to be rational in this case. He's overwhelmed by the force he tried to control, while Sherlock can cope a little more.

I have loved many TV shows since I was , let's say, 18. My favourite ones: The Avengers. The 60's one, whith John Steed (not a surprise I'm fond of Mycroft, then). It was aired on French TV in the early 90's, in subtitled English (which was something in this time). Friends. X-Files. Person of interest (the two heroes have common points with Sherlock, and it portrays New-York as a character, a little like Mofftiss do with London). And a few French ones: le mari de l'ambassadeur, Zone blanche.

Yes, you're right, JP (and may be you'll tell me: at some point in the last ep of S3, I have caught that lady S. becomes a widow, thus CAM hasn't any pressure points left on her, and all Sherlock's fight against him is about Mary and John...Or did I get it completely wrong?). I was thinking of the last conversation she has with Mycroft in this same episode: they are discussing Sherlock's exile and the fate of "the other one". Thus she knows what happened to the family and may be she had to help in some way. And of course I was referring to the opening scene in T6T, when she attends the brat-looking like argument between the Holmes boys, and Sherlock's happiness about the coming back of a serial killer, in a very fatalistic way. Great deal of fun!

It is a movie of the eighties that portrays a group of rather borderline people getting together in a charity in Christmas Eve (including someone disguised as Santa, a rather religious lady, a trans and a very naïve Eastern immigrant). I don't know if it's been translated or subtitled in English, and I'd say the translation, if there's been one, must have been a challenge...

Yes, Mrs Hudson did well here! There are many good things, but it's so dark! It would have been difficult to make it in another way, with what happened before. And anyway, I love the way Euros is brought in the story. And I forgive ALL the bad female characters in the show, just because of lady Smalwood here and in the previous episode...This woman embodying power, who looked so fed up with the whole Holmes family in the beginning of T6T, I love that. And of course, I'm fond of the fact that she decides to search for good moments with Mycroft. Kind of reward for all she had to deal with from them? Lol!

Thanks for you wishes! Well, Christmas in France is mainly a family celebration. But of course, the way it is celebrate depends a lot on which kind of family you are and where you live. As a child and a teen-ager, we had two family dinners with small gifts. When I was single and far from family, I was with a few friends. Now I'm married with children, we spend it at my mother-in-law's. She's in overconsuming mood with Christmas...That is not really my sight on things, to say the least, but that's the way it is...So I'd say the different steps of my life reflect the different ways Christmas is seen here in France. I don't know "a Christmas story", but of course I have my favourite movies for Christmas time: I always love seeing any adaptation of " a Christmas Carol", which has been an important story in my life. I love seeing old French comédies with Louis de Funès, like Fantômas or La folie des grandeurs (if you know one of them), or more récent, Le père Noël est une ordure ("Santa Claus is a bastard"). My despair is that for years and years now, we haven't had any airing of "Légend" by Ridley Scott, which was often on TV for Christmas before.

Artémis and JP, you reminded me of the time I was single and far from family. Other advantages and drawbacks, other time of life. Enjoy everybody, anyway!

Thank you, Merry Christmas as well! I'm spending Christmas Eve and tomorrow at my mother-in-law's, and I'm feeling like our dear Mycroft at his parents' (without the brain and the laptop, unfortunately). Can Wiggins pay a visit? Well, everyone here has health and we have things to celebrate. Shouldn't complain. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

I don't know where to post this, so may be I'm mistaking, but I wish a merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate!

Yes, the two brothers worked together against Moriarty, and Sherlock sometimes doesn't mind a little help from dear big brother, admitting that may be they are "in the same side", even if he disapproves of his political compromises...But I don't know if in TFP, under the circumstances, they could plan something. Yes, the scene is heartbreaking. And the heart as a very small target sounds like Mycroft's statement about his life and regrets. His sacrifice (as JP said, not only of life) is like a search for a redemption about the consequences all the heavy choices he had to make. I agree again here with JP: we need this kind of people in real life, specifically in times of wars or crises. And that is why many viewers hate Mycroft: they don't like -specifically in a TV show-to be reminded that the limits between good and evil are not that clear, they don't like to see that even for good political actions, we need people who search for power (and who must be strictly controlled by the democratic institutions, or they become blind). On the contrary, all that is exactly why I love the character. And that is what brought me to a parallel with Chamberlain, who loved the idea of entering history as the saviour of peace, the one who could have avoided the crush of a new war to his people, and thus didn't listen to the voices who warned him about his heavy concessions to Hitler).

Well done! I always fall in that kind of traps lol!... Anyway, if there is another season, I don't want the two brothers to fall in each other's arms just because of all this. I'd like them to have a good argument, and then starting with other points of rivalries that would keep the old wounds wide open...oh, how bad am I for our boys!

The fact that they get a poisoned shard shows that Euros has anticipated something like that, doesn't it? As a genius, she must have planned all the possible options (even if one surprises her), and anyway she has an answer: after that she just gets rid of Mycroft and goes on pressuring Sherlock with John's fate. About what Arcadia wrote: Sherlock has always considered Mycroft important in his life. We can see it in various épisodes, when Mycroft is talking in Sherlock's mind palace for eg. But there is Something more in TFP: the two brother get better understanding on each other. Sherlock realises why Mycroft acted some questionable ways, and Mycroft aknowledges the fact that his brother has chosen his own brotherhood -with John-, and shows by sacrifying himself that he understands its importance. I must admit I completely bought the "kill him, he has absolutely no interest" thing. I think Mycroft's reactions during the governor's scene, even if a little out of characters, was aimed at preparing us to fall in this trap. Mark Gatiss' acting added to the efficiency...

In a very polite and civilized way, he also threatens Irène Adler of torture if she doesn't give the code of the phone. Definitely, in the governor's scene he's overwhelmed by his lies and the consequences of his decisions. Mr Iceman is melting under our eyes and then is recognizing his failure (reason why he decides he will die and John won't, and why I think he tells the truth to his parents). The writers have probably been short of time for Mycroft in the end, I assume he would have told Sherlock and John the truth about Victor. But the effect of this last lie is that we see him trying to protect Sherlock from horrors until the end.