Episode 3.1, "The Empty Hearse"

[Undead Medic]

A Thread for the discussion of Episode 1 "The Empty Hearse."

Please rate the episode using the poll and discuss the episode below.
 
 

 

Two years on from reports of his Reichenbach Fall demise, Holmes resurfaces, as London comes under threat of a huge terrorist attack.

 

 
 

[Caya]

 

Mrs. Hudson, perfect as ever (source)

[Caya]

And John's blog has been updated, too.

[Karie]

LOL, I totally knew Mrs. Hudson was going to ask for "his" name! 

 

There were things I liked and things I didn't. I'm doing a re-watch now to pick up anything I missed on the first go. I'll be back later and hopefully there will be some discussion going on.  Happy Sherlock Day, everyone!     

[Caya]

And a happy Sherlock Day to you, Karie!

 

Since the Episode 2 thread is still locked, I'll put the trailer here:

 

[Alfie]

Am I the only one worried about Anderson, though? 

[Caya]

Well either he was having a seizure or he was just totally happy. I sure hope it's the latter, too. A bit hard to tell.

 

Fun fact I just read on tumblr - Sherlock's parents:

 

 

were played by Mr. Cumberbatch's parents (who are both actors).

[Karie]

Oooh, thanks for the trailer!

 

I actually knew (that girl who saw the screening at the BFI told me through a private message) that Ben's real parents were going to play his parents on the show. I'm actually very disappointed in how that played out... I thought we'd get more of them than him cold-heartedly shoving them out the door. And the way he acted ashamed of how "ordinary" they are. His mother, especially, seemed to be very warm and loving toward him, much like Mrs. Hudson, whom Sherlock obviously adores and indulges. It felt wrong that he seemed so indifferent to them.

 

I knew they were going to be "ordinary" since that comment Gatiss made earlier, but I still find that a bit weird. There go loads of perfectly good fanfics with Sherlock and Mycroft's behavior being explained away by wealthy, detached, upper class parents who ignored them or looked down on Sherlock's "freak" ways. 

[Zain]

To me, it looked more like Anderson suffered a breakdown. We know that his obsession with Sherlock's death has been severe enough to cost him highly. Those theories and that group of his must have become an integral part of his life. Sherlock's resurrection more than likely causes a big gap in his daily activities. Anderson must reorientate himself. And Sherlock playing mindgames with him probably didn't help. I feel somewhat bad for Anderson, but on the other side, Sherlock was downright considerate. Anderson was rather vulnerable; he set all his odds on Sherlock. Sherlock could have truly hurt him with nothing but a well-placed insult.

 

 

Definitely some things I liked, and some I didn't.

The Holmes brothers interaction was brilliant. Loved every second of it. The fan service especially caught my eye - "I believe in Sherlock Holmes" by Anderson, then the different theories that were more or less spread all over the internet, Mrs Hudson's question, the scene where Sherlock was captured and tortured, the appearance of "Mommy Holmes". Yep, definitely liked those. Reminded me of the last year, all that waiting, reading about theories, and all those fanworks...

[Caya]

It does make sense, though - Mycroft's and Sherlock's parents as two nice, perfectly ordinary people, trying their best but hopelessly out of their depth with their two genius kids. I kinda liked that simply because it was rather unexpected.

[T.o.b.y]

Yay! It finally aired and I was actually able to see it - won't tell how but it wasn't terribly illegal Thanks to all who made that possible!

 

I take it that comments on references to the original Doyle stories are supposed to go here for the time being and not in the "Canon References" thread? Okay then, I'll be nerdy here to my heart's content:

 

- Sebastian Moran, the last of Moriarty's people who was going to assassinate Holmes with his special German air gun became Moran the politician who wanted to blow up parliament

 

- The young woman who is tricked into falling in love with her stepfather, Mr Windibank, is from "A Case of Identity"

 

- The line about London, the "great cesspool" is from "A Study in Scarlet"

 

- The text to Mary plays with a glitch of Doyle's: in one of his stories, Mary calls her husband "James" instead of "John"

 

- There is a "hat deduction" (without Mycroft) in "The Blue Carbuncle"

 

- In "The Empty Hearse", Holmes disguises as an elderly book collector who offers Watson obscure volumes. Here, the poor man was real and John only thought he was Sherlock in disguise.

 

I am sure there were a lot more!

 

The episode seemed kind of disjointed to me. They probably had ten times as many ideas as would fit into 90 minutes. But it's really nice to have everybody back, isn't it?

[sherlockandjohn]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear... This was... I don't even know. Think I need some recovery time, really. It was different than what I expected, and different from the other episodes so far in several ways. I loved it to pieces, and yet there's a part of me - I suspect the sensitive part - that's not satisfied with Sherlock's response to John's anger. I honestly thought I had expected something like the reactions I've just seen, but... I don't know, I feel slightly exasperated. Like I want to rip Sherlock's hair out myself, because I think he got off the hook too easily Hehe! But, wow, this was awesome, too! So much great stuff. Don't know how I'm going to sleep now, what with all this excitement  I think this episode is just more wacky than any so far. Will need to see it again very soon!

[Caya]

Thank you so much, T.o.b.y ! 

 

Say, did anyone notice this?

 

 

Liar??

[T.o.b.y]

I liked "hidden tatoo"

[Escribblings]

OK.

 

Like the episode a lot, very fast paced as usual.  Was willing Watson to punch Holmes!

 

I have been out of the loop for a while, Anderson - is that the copper/detective who had so much disdain for Sherlock in the first 2 series?

 

Now apart from that, not sure what to make of his parents - although quite pleased to see (hear) Mycroft begging Sherlock to take them back.

 

Am I the only one who doesn't trust Mary?  How did she recognise that text message as a Skip Code?  Who is she? Where did she come from?

 

Molly's fiancé - the look Sherlock gave him at the end, was that one of "I have seen you before" or one of "she doesn't really love you"?

[Karie]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear... This was... I don't even know. Think I need some recovery time, really. It was different than what I expected, and different from the other episodes so far in several ways. I loved it to pieces, and yet there's a part of me - I suspect the sensitive part - that's not satisfied with Sherlock's response to John's anger. I honestly thought I had expected something like the reactions I've just seen, but... I don't know, I feel slightly exasperated. Like I want to rip Sherlock's hair out myself, because I think he got off the hook too easily Hehe! But, wow, this was awesome, too! So much great stuff. Don't know how I'm going to sleep now, what with all this excitement  I think this episode is just more wacky than any so far. Will need to see it again very soon!

 

 

I agree! I thought Sherlock definitely got off too easily with John, especially when he played that little "joke" on the train. I really wanted him to get punched again there. And speaking of which... it was dissatisfying to me that the scene kept cutting away with John lunging at Sherlock and we never actually saw a punch. That was anticlimactic for me since I really felt John deserved more of an apology, and that his anger was warranted and not properly appreciated by Sherlock, and I wanted to see him rough Sherlock up a bit. Especially when Sherlock kept making jokes like it was no big deal. I did love the bit with John strangling Sherlock on the floor, though. 

 

 

Thank you so much, T.o.b.y ! 

 

Say, did anyone notice this?

 

 

Liar??

 

 

Thank you!! I was trying desperately to read it, but it went so fast I couldn't catch anything but "cat lover".

 

So, not just "liar" but "disillusioned" as well. I definitely think this will come into play later! I really liked Mary a lot which, sadly, probably won't end well for her. Most minor characters I take a liking to usually end up on the chopping block.   And it seems like maybe there's more to her than meets the eye. I suppose this will really set off the people who were originally thinking she was in line with Moriarty or Moran... but I feel more likely that she will be good sport for the new villain, since blackmail is apparently his forte. I wonder what she's lying about? 

[sherlockandjohn]

 

The episode seemed kind of disjointed to me. They probably had ten times as many ideas as would fit into 90 minutes. But it's really nice to have everybody back, isn't it?

 

I agree, and certain bits were processed too quickly for my taste. I guess the 90 minutes were really not enough this time... too much stuff to go through. I don't feel emotionally satisfied when it comes to the reunion with John, or with Lestrade for that matter, but it was still a great episode, more hilarious than ever, and I don't know the number of times I slapped my sofa in excitement - or in exasperation I look so much forward to watching it again, but I will probably continue to have ambiguous feelings about this episode.

[Caya]

They sure could've spent more time on John's emotional wellbeing and less on poking fun at us, although it was rather gentle, imho, and I literally :lol:ed at that Sherlock/Moriarty scene.

 

 

(source)

[Karie]

OK.

 

Like the episode a lot, very fast paced as usual.  Was willing Watson to punch Holmes!

 

I have been out of the loop for a while, Anderson - is that the copper/detective who had so much disdain for Sherlock in the first 2 series?

 

Now apart from that, not sure what to make of his parents - although quite pleased to see (hear) Mycroft begging Sherlock to take them back.

 

Am I the only one who doesn't trust Mary?  How did she recognise that text message as a Skip Code?  Who is she? Where did she come from?

 

Molly's fiancé - the look Sherlock gave him at the end, was that one of "I have seen you before" or one of "she doesn't really love you"?

 

Yes, Anderson is the forensics guy that was having the affair with Sally Donovan, and the two of them pushed Lestrade into thinking Sherlock needed to be arrested. 

 

I forgot about the Skip Code! That was very impressive and a bit suspicious.  Combined with the stuff above about her being a liar and disillusioned, I do think we're going to find out she's hiding something. 

 

The impression I got from Sherlock's look at Tom (?) was the same as everyone else's... he was noticing with a bit of shock and horror that Molly had gone and found herself Sherlock 2.0.  Or, at least that's the impression they were trying to give.  I still don't think the guy looks anything like him, apart from the fact that he was equally tall and they dressed him the same.  And that really annoys me.  I wanted Molly to realize how much better she deserves and move on. It's a disservice to her character that, for a cheap laugh, they had her fiance be a Sherlock "clone" to show that she's still hopelessly pining for a man who treated her like crap and walked out of her life two years ago. 

 

Then again, maybe she does just have a "type". 

[Karie]

They sure could've spent more time on John's emotional wellbeing and less on poking fun at us, although it was rather gentle, imho, and I literally :lol:ed at that Sherlock/Moriarty scene.

 

 

Yeah, a lot of poking fun meant a lot of time wasted on the Sherlock/John interaction. 

 

I did love that bit, if for nothing else than the fantastic acting and facial expressions of Ben and Scott.  Although, I know already from when this bit leaked a couple of weeks ago that some people are really not going to like the "queer baiting", and I do understand where they're coming from. I'm sure offense was not intended, but some people will definitely be offended.  To people who genuinely support and ship gay and lesbian couples on the show (or any show), them treating it like a big joke won't come over well. I have seen several people express how tired they are already of the constant running "STOP IT, I'M NOT GAY" joke around John Watson. 

[Caya]

Dunno, they had him kiss Molly in Anderson's theory earlier so if anything, they're equal opportunity baiters.

 

[sherlockandjohn]

 

I agree! I thought Sherlock definitely got off too easily with John, especially when he played that little "joke" on the train.

 

That scene kills me! I was nearly choking up at how vulnerable and repentent Sherlock seemed to be, and at the same time I was wondering - like John did - whether Sherlock was pulling his chain. When Sherlock then started laughing so much that he cried, I didn't know whether I wanted to strangle him or laugh with him! I might have done both in John's situation!

[MindPalaceStuck]

I really can't even explain how I felt watching this episode! Honestly I was so excited about it and didn't want to miss a second that I left a family cocktail party early, got home, very quickly tidied my room and changed into comfy clothes complete with sherlock scarf and locket, made myself a whole POT of tea and just got ready for everything to hit the fan.

 

AND IT DID. JESUS CHRIST.

 

 

The survival theory parodies, the JohnLock hints, John's reaction to the fact Sherlock's alive, THE FLIPPING BONFIRE! Oh my god at that moment I sat there, hands over mouth, in absolute adrenaline mode. I could write a mile long list of the things I loved about this bloody episode but all I will say is my siblings (who were ironically watching it at the same time in their rooms) could hear my laughter and shrieking and yells of "WOAH WAIT WHAT" throughout the house.

 

I cannot wait for the next episode and am not sure I'm going to sleep much tonight.

 

 

EDIT: By the way who was it that predicted Anderson would hug Sherlock? Well you were right about a hug, it just happened to be Lestrade. Didn't see that coming.

[Escribblings]

OK, I think we are going to be able to trust Mary after all (unless there is a sinister plot twist/shift took from cannon) Looking at John's blog reveled her last name (as she commented at the bottom).

A quick Google led me to Wikipedia, talk about keeping it in the family. Just as Sherlock's parents were played by Benedict's real life parents, so (according to Wikipedia) Mary is played by Martin's real life partner!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_Sherlock_Holmes_characters#Mary_Morstan_.28later_Watson.29
 

Mary Morstan (later Watson)

Mary Morstan becomes the wife of Dr. Watson. She is first introduced in The Sign of Four, where she and Watson tentatively become attracted to each other, but only when the case is resolved is he able to propose to her. She is described as blonde with pale skin. At the time she hires Holmes she had been making a living as a governess. Although at the end of the story the main treasure is lost, she has received six pearls from a chaplet of the Agra Treasure.

Mary Morstan's father, a senior captain of an Indian regiment and later stationed near the Andaman Islands, disappeared in 1878 under mysterious circumstances that would later be proven to be related to the mystery, The Sign of Four. Her mother died soon after her birth and she had no other relatives in England, although she was educated there (in accordance with the received wisdom of the time about children in the colony of India) until the age of seventeen. Shortly afterwards her father disappeared and she found work as a governess. Watson and Mary marry in 1889.

Although it was "love at first sight", Mary Morstan and Dr. Watson's marriage fluctuates somewhat. In "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" Watson goes off with Holmes to solve a locked room mystery the summer after his marriage. She is concerned enough about his health to send him to the country during "The Boscombe Valley Mystery", but when Mary Morstan dies (the circumstances of which are not related in the Sherlock Holmes canon), Watson moves back in with Holmes and makes no reference to the loss, though it is speculated by Baring-Gould that he married again afterwards, which raises questions as to how close they actually were, or whether Watson is being a stiff-lipped Victorian. It is probable that Mary Morstan died in the interim between "The Adventure of the Final Problem" and "The Adventure of the Empty House", given that in his farewell letter to Watson, Holmes asks his old friend to "give my regards to Mrs. Watson"; upon Holmes's return, Watson writes, "In some manner he had learned of my own sad bereavement"; and in "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder", one of the most immediate adventures after Holmes's return, Watson has returned to the old quarters in Baker Street.

Film appearances
Mary Morstan has been portrayed on film by several actresses.[11]

• Isobel Elsom in the 1913 silent film Sherlock Holmes Solves The Sign of the Four
• Isla Bevan in the 1932 film The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case featuring Arthur Wontner as Holmes
• Ann Bell in The Sign of Four episode of the 1965-68 Sherlock Holmes series featuring Peter Cushing as Holmes and Nigel Stock as Watson
• Gila Von Weitershausen in the 1974 French/German film Das Zeichen der Vier
• Cherie Lunghi in the 1983 film The Sign of Four featuring Ian Richardson as Holmes
• Yekaterina Zinchenko in the 1983 Russian film Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sokrovishcha Agry
• Jenny Seagrove in the 1984 television series starring Jeremy Brett
• Susannah Harker in the 1991 television adaptation of the play The Crucifer of Blood, starring Charlton Heston as Sherlock Holmes. In the play and the telefilm, Morstan is renamed "Irene St. Claire".  Glenn Close played the character in the original 1978 Broadway cast of the play; Susan Hampshire played her in the original 1979 London cast.
• Sophie Lorain in the 2001 film The Sign of Four, with Matt Frewer as Sherlock Holmes and Kenneth Welsh as Dr. Watson. In this version, Mary Morstan becomes engaged to Thaddeus Sholto rather than Dr. Watson.
• Kelly Reilly in Guy Ritchie's 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey, Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson. In the film, Mary is first introduced to Holmes as Watson's fiancée rather than as a client. Reilly reprises the role in the 2011 film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
• Amanda Abbington in the third season of Sherlock (TV series). She is the real-life partner of the show's Watson, Martin Freeman.

[Jacob]

Slight spoiler:

 

 

Sherlock lied to Anderson about how he survived, right? We don't know the right version yet, am I correct?