Episode 3.1, "The Empty Hearse"

[Caya]

Yeah, yeah, I'll go look for my rant from the other day already . And I've never been a Johnlocker - not that there's anything wrong with that! But I'm a bit tired of being called such because I detest Mary. You don't need to ship John/Sherlock to loathe her, frankly.

 

Okay, here goes (pardon my language, it was early):

 

Yeah, I know she's not *meant* to be evil, just like she's *meant* to be redeemed and we're all *meant* to be oh so happy with her .

 

As for dumb, er, she answered the nurse wanted ad of a man known to have been a famous detective/fraud(stll unclear then)'s assistant, who in either case can reasonably expected to have some enemies in the underworld, not a good start for someone with a secret identity (and an easily provable one at that). When said detective returns, she happily encourages the contact, she lets someone known for his powers of perception know she can recognize a skip code, and even after the toasty!John affair (and she should've known who was behind this) she plans a big, shiny, high-attendance white dress wedding instead of quietly eloping. Then, after she's as much as telegraphed where she is and who she's attached to, she's apparently still surprised when CAM pounces on it, does a burglaring job on him that she doesn't finish (thus confirming to him that he's got her number), kills Sherlock, waffles about killing him for good, takes that invitation to his parents' house (which could as well have been a ruse to get her somewhere with a garden where no one will look for her corpse) and then, after CAM's dead and one of her big headaches is gone, makes a point of being seen with his killer when he leaves the country ... but it's not as if any part of the underworld was going to watch that after the Reichenfall stunt to see if he's really away this time (or as if an airstrip was a good place to observe from afar with binoculars).

 

And those are just the idiotic things that she does that I can think of spontaneously. That lady is dumb as a bag of rocks and one of the biggest narcissists ever shown on TV.

 

[T.o.b.y]

Thanks! I love things that make me laugh even though I don't even (fully) agree. And I must admit, you have quite a few points there... This poor series really doesn't stand "reality check tests" very well, does it? No wonder I like it so much. Reality is hugely overrated!

 

So you really genuinely dislike Mary because you think she is morally "wrong"? Wow. I think that makes you a good person. I hate to think what it makes me... And why the heck I like Sherlock so much. Sherlock the sociopath, too. Hmmm... interesting question. Will have to ponder that. All I can say for the moment is that obviously, the question whether somebody is a good person or not does not much influence my affection for them, at least in fiction (actually, characters who feel "too" good usually provoke dislike on my part).

[Caya]

I don't dislike Mary because she's morally wrong or even because she's a psychopath ... I like Dexter (and I devoured the John Wayne Cleaver trilogy), I loved Silence of the Lambs, I pity Javert. Why? Because of her total and utter lack of any kind of redemption or even striving for it. She's so utterly devoid of even the idea that what she did wasn't okay, and cheerfully tells Sherlock she'll kill him again if she has to. She has the gall to accept a Christmas invitation by the parents of the man she killed in cold blood (and yes, Sherlock was dead, not just pining for the fjords). She doesn't even look contrite or humbled by his forgiveness, but happily accepts it as if it was something she deserved. *That* is why I loathe her.

[sherlockandjohn]

 

I'm not sure whether morally speaking, Sherlock isn't a pretty bad person as well, but I love him...

 

I do still suspect that a lot of aversion towards Mary comes from viewers liking the idea of the two leads being a "proper" couple (or at least the idea of the possibility of that lurking around the corner), but I am perfectly willing to believe that other reasons apply as well, especially after His Last Vow.

 

Is Sherlock a bad person? Debatable, naturally. He has a pretty big heart when it comes to his closest friends, John and Mrs. Hudson - and Molly, to some degree. He spends a lot of time actually helping people, even though he claims not to care about them, but we all know that's not entirely true. However, I'll certainly say that he makes morally (very) wrong choices sometimes, and without (much) regret.

 

As far as aversion towards Mary goes, I like her person in The Empty Hearse, and partly in The Sign of Three, but much less in His Last Vow, though I never actually hate her. I find her very self-serving and somewhat cold - even towards her husband's best friend. But, then again, Sherlock is at times pretty cold towards her; with good cause, mind you. My feelings towards her in HLV have little to do with her interrupting the domestic bliss of 221b, and much more with her being an unremorseful ex-assasin who shoots Sherlock to keep him from telling John the truth about her identity.

 

That being said, I do feel that her presense disturbs or changes the dynamic between Sherlock and John, and I'm not thrilled with it. I can live with it, though, as long as she is mainly kept in the background. I would feel bad to see John mourning her death, but if she is to be part of a new "trio," I would rather have her die or divorce John.

 

Anyway, this was not why I even went on this thread... but look how debates can carry me away! I love this episode more and more... so much, in fact, that I'm starting to wonder if it's my favorite. Huh. It's amazing how much it keeps growing on me, even though I've just watched it for the 13th time - yes, I know exactly how many times I've watched it I appreciate the portrayal of the main conflict so much more now than when I first watched it. Perhaps the reason is that this is an episode which really requires me to read between the lines.

 

Added: By the way, I generally tend to like both fictional and real people best when they show that they have a big heart. I'm not talking about so-called perfect people (they don't exist), or Mother Teresa's (not that I mind her, of course), but people capable of great things, great love, great sacrifice. Sherlock can do that. John, too. Mary has yet to demonstrate it. I still like her as a fictional character, though - but I also like Moriarty as such. Not Magnussen. He is way too creepy; I find it hard to watch the scenes with him in it.

[T.o.b.y]

Is Sherlock a bad person? Debatable, naturally. He has a pretty big heart when it comes to his closest friends, John and Mrs. Hudson - and Molly, to some degree. He spends a lot of time actually helping people, even though he claims not to care about them, but we all know that's not entirely true. However, I'll certainly say that he makes morally (very) wrong choices sometimes, and without (much) regret.

 

Anyway, this was not why I even went on this thread... but look how debates can carry me away! I love this episode more and more... so much, in fact, that I'm starting to wonder if it's my favorite.

 

 

Interesting! It's actually my least favorite episode at the moment (which still means I'll watch it time and again...).

 

Yes, speaking of regret, when do we ever see Sherlock feeling true remorse? It seems to me that his regrets are all just as selfish as Mary's (I'm not even sure whether hers are selfish; I feel like I know next to nothing about her, really). He's sorry he hurt John because that means his friend isn't there to make his life easy when he returns to London, but does he ever really understand John's perspective? Is he even capable of that much empathy? I seriously doubt it. He goes happily on playing pranks on him (like in the train), not taking him into his confidence on crucial matters until it's too late and charging on with his own plans regardless of their impact on his friend's life.

 

 

[sherlockandjohn]

Very true! He doesn't seem to learn much from past mistakes. Let's still hold out hope, though, that he might think twice before faking his death again - and keeping it a secret from John!

 

I watch my least favorite episodes over and over, too They're all really good, anyway.

[Caya]

Sherlock does realize when he's gone too far, usually. He doesn't apologize with words (usually - he does apologize for making John believe he was dead, for instance), but he does show his remorse. Think of, for instance, when he brings John coffee after that row about not having friends in Hounds (and what about "I only got one" while we're at it), and John tells him, "You don't have to keep apologising." John acknowledges that such small acts (Sherlock buying beer after John broke up with Sarah and he never even noticed comes to mind, too) are his friend's way of making up.

[sherlockandjohn]

You may be right, Caya, and there are just subtle things I dont notice. However, with regard to the coffee in HoB - wasn't that all just a ruse to get John to drink it, because Sherlock needed to test whether or not there were drugs in the sugar?

 

T.o.b.y does make a point with regard to Sherlock running off on his own, not letting John know what's going on. He does so many, many times, and while it's not usually devastating, it certainly is in TRF. And I don't think he ever fully wants to accept how much he's hurt John. To some extent, yes.

[T.o.b.y]

The only time where I got the impression that Sherlock was truly sorry for something he'd done was when he apologized to Molly at the Christmas party in A Scandal in Belgravia.

 

Well, not quite. The wedding speech has its moments, too, and the mere fact that Sherlock agreed to make it is a kind of apology.

[Caya]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjazKorZJjA

[T.o.b.y]

Yes, but is he apologizing because he really feels remorseful or is he just saying sorry over and over again because he wants to gain an end? We'll never know, because he's Sherlock. All we do know is that only few scenes later, he lets John believe they are going to die horribly in an explosion and laughs his head off when he reveals he's fooled him again.

 

I love how Sherlock says to Mary that he doesn't understand, he's said he's sorry, why didn't that work? Probably Sherlock thought that "sorry" would work like "please", you say it once and the "grown ups" give you anything you want...

[sherlockandjohn]

I love that scene. It doesn't make me think that Sherlock is ready to fully regret his actions, but I don't expect him to. It is moving that John forgives him anyway (as much as he does forgive him - I'm not even sure that his forgiveness is full).

[Caya]

Note Sherlock looking away as John asks, "Did they know too?" (eight seconds in). He clearly knows he's done wrong.

 

Also, consider what Sherlock said to make up for what John had to endure through him, "So, here in front of you all, my first and last vow. Mary and John: whatever it takes, whatever happens, from now on I swear I will always be there, always, for all three of you." (and as we all know, he meant it)

 

What did Mary say to Sherlock? "... understand. There is nothing in this world that I would not do to stop that happening." (=John finding out; pistol still in her hand)

 

And you honestly wonder how I can love Sherlock and hate Mary?

[Zain]

 

Yeah, yeah, I'll go look for my rant from the other day already . And I've never been a Johnlocker - not that there's anything wrong with that! But I'm a bit tired of being called such because I detest Mary. You don't need to ship John/Sherlock to loathe her, frankly.

 

 

 

Amen. While I do like Johnlock from times to times, I like well-written Sherlock/Irene just as much (for god's sake, ships don't have to be exclusive). It's not a matter of slash vs het couple. It's not a matter of shipping. I dislike how people try to put down that part of the fandom that dislikes Mary that way. Even if it was about shipping Johnlock, it would be justified, too. I've heard plenty of people complain that they feel unwelcome now in the fandom. It's rather sad. While it is debatable if Mary disrupts John and Sherlock's friendship (I believe she does, but alas...), there's one thing that is for sure. She disrupts the fandom. I feel really sad whenever I read a post (not here, mainly other sites) how people feel afraid to post their opinion, how they are afraid of being called "Amanda-haters" just because people cannot make a distinction between an actress and a fictional character.

 

 

 

She has the gall to accept a Christmas invitation by the parents of the man she killed in cold blood (and yes, Sherlock was dead, not just pining for the fjords). She doesn't even look contrite or humbled by his forgiveness, but happily accepts it as if it was something she deserved. *That* is why I loathe her.

 

I second that.

 

 

 

That being said, I do feel that her presense disturbs or changes the dynamic between Sherlock and John, and I'm not thrilled with it. I can live with it, though, as long as she is mainly kept in the background. I would feel bad to see John mourning her death, but if she is to be part of a new "trio," I would rather have her die or divorce John.

[...]

Added: By the way, I generally tend to like both fictional and real people best when they show that they have a big heart. I'm not talking about so-called perfect people (they don't exist), or Mother Teresa's (not that I mind her, of course), but people capable of great things, great love, great sacrifice. Sherlock can do that. John, too. Mary has yet to demonstrate it. I still like her as a fictional character, though - but I also like Moriarty as such. Not Magnussen. He is way too creepy; I find it hard to watch the scenes with him in it.

 

 

I also think she disrupts their friendship. Sherlock has given and given, and John has yet to demonstrate that he cares as much about Sherlock as Sherlock cares about John. In my opinion, he had two major chances in HLV. Heck, three. And every time he didn't take it. He does never show that he values their friendship as much as Sherlock.

 

1. When Sherlock and John were at Appledore. John could have told Sherlock that Mary wasn't worth it. Sherlock at this point betrayed his brother, and he hurt his parents. John accepted Sherlock's "sacrifices" for his own gain.

2. At Christmas. When John decided to forgive Mary, he forgave her, too, that she shot Sherlock. She neither told him that she was sorry about it, nor did she make any amends. In my opinion, that's not "valuing a friend."

3. When Sherlock left for Eastern Europe and John decided to stay back. "He would have to leave his family!" So what? Sherlock had intended to sell out his brother for John. If that doesn't mean cutting all ties, and facing charges, I don't know.

 

Three times. And not even once do we get the impression that John had doubts or concerns. Or that it was a hard decision for him in that regard. Forgiving Mary? It's only hard because she lied to him. Not because she almost killed Sherlock. In comparison: The cabby who tried to kill Sherlock suffered a rather miserable end. That's how much he valued Sherlock before Mary ruined their friendship. It's like Sherlock doesn't matter anymore. A visit a month will do.

 

 

 

Yes, speaking of regret, when do we ever see Sherlock feeling true remorse? It seems to me that his regrets are all just as selfish as Mary's (I'm not even sure whether hers are selfish; I feel like I know next to nothing about her, really). He's sorry he hurt John because that means his friend isn't there to make his life easy when he returns to London, but does he ever really understand John's perspective? Is he even capable of that much empathy? I seriously doubt it. He goes happily on playing pranks on him (like in the train), not taking him into his confidence on crucial matters until it's too late and charging on with his own plans regardless of their impact on his friend's life.

 

 

That's true but I would like to make a crucial distinction: Sherlock lies to John, yes. He plays horrible pranks on him, yes. But he never consciously endangers John's life when he lies to him. John never was in danger at Baskerville in that lab. He never was in danger when Sherlock pretended the bomb was still ticking. While Sherlock endangers John on cases, John then is also aware of it. Sherlock never does deliberately endanger John and keeps it a secret. Mary does. I'd rather have him as a friend than Mary. I'd rather have somebody play horrible pranks on me that make me feel angry and used than have my best friend lie to me in a way that almost causes me to be burnt to death just because that friend fears I will not like them anymore if I find out what kind of horrible person they are. I can forgive the former. I cannot forgive the latter. The former is bad judgement. The latter is downright selfish and cruel. It is manipulation of the worst kind.

[Arcadia]

Waaaah, I go away for a couple of hours and you folks have a whole huge discussion without me! :-) May I just say that I agree with everything that everyone's said? lol (does that make me a good person or a bad person? :-)

[Caya]

Given how divergent our opinions are, it mostly makes you a remarkably flexible person .

[T.o.b.y]

Waaaah, I go away for a couple of hours and you folks have a whole huge discussion without me! :-) May I just say that I agree with everything that everyone's said? lol (does that make me a good person or a bad person? :-)

 

Definitely a good person! I know that feeling, by the way...

 

Besides, jump right in! The quote button allows you to dig out and reply to old posts any time, so go right ahead! And do disagree with me if you can, I just love a friendly disagreement!

 

Zain, I think I understand why you don't like Mary and I am willing to believe it has nothing to do with romance without a "b" in your case. Sorry for that little bit of venom directed at nobody in particular, which I guess was prompted by unwise consumption of various internet sites on my part. Some day, when I am in the mood, I will write a rant about their content... But not now and not here.

 

And you have a point about Sherlock never really (intentionally) endangering John's life (more than comes with the job, anyway). I've never doubted his affection for him (you'd have to be blind and terminally dim-witted to do that), I just wonder how far Sherlock can see the world from John's (or anybody else's) point of view and how able he is to really admit he was wrong to do or say anything.

 

I don't know why I like Mary, I just do, I guess. Maybe I've simply succumbed to her charm, which I think is considerable. I like her cold, ruthless side, too, it gives me shivers in a good way. The only part I didn't like was the sobbing and crying at Sherlock's parents' house, but hey, everybody has to be allowed a few moments of weakness now and then.

 

As for not being able to distinguish between the actress and the part she plays, that is another rantworty problem. For the record, I'd just like to say again that while I could well dispense with Mycroft, I think Mark Gatiss plays him very well, I love to watch him in interviews and I would much rather put up with his character than hear that he'd left the "Sherlock" team completely!

[Zain]

I hope you didn't take it personally

I know that you are not one of the fans that dismiss part of the fandom like that. Lately, I've become very weary, though. That hatred within the fandom gets to me. It makes me sad to see people turn their back to the fandom because they feel unwelcome. I've never seen the Sherlock fandom claw at each other like this. I've got plenty of reasons why I would like Mary to leave the show. But lately, the most prominent of those is because she disrupts the fandom. This will sound strange but with every post about how people are reluctant to be honest, how people would rather not post anything and would rather turn their back to all of this... it makes me so sad. Before, people had fights. But they could relate to each other. Understand where they were coming from. There was no "superior" and "inferior" side to it. It was "I have my opinion, you have yours, but I like mine better." Now some people put others down. It's ugly. And it's not exactly a good prospect that this is still around, now that it has been months since the series has aired for the first time. I fear this will stick around. Like a stigma Mary put on the fandom. I even have found myself weary of posting. Usually, I've given my opinion but tried to reach out, to show that "all is fine." Lately, I've found myself accepting that there's no use. They don't take you seriously as soon as you state on "which side of that dividing line you are."

Again, I am not talking about you or anybody specific. Not even about this forum. It's just something I've encountered in the fandom since January.

[Carol the Dabbler]

*sigh* Swore to myself I'd not let myself get drawn into that debate again, so I'll quote a cooler head than mine:

 

... you should dislike Mary, and even hate her....

 

Umm, no.  I can't see that I "should," any more than you "should" like her.

 

As I've implied before, I am not particularly interested in examining the evidence against Mary.  I am very fond of John, and he loves her.  (No, I'm not going all sappy -- please bear with me.)  I am also fond of Sherlock, and he likes her.  Which means if I don't like Mary, I find it very hard to enjoy the show.  Therefore, in defense of my own enjoyment, I will use whatever rationalization is necessary to keep liking her.  That position may eventually prove untenable, but so far it seems to be working pretty well.

 

As for dumb, er, she answered the nurse wanted ad of a man known to have been a famous detective/fraud(stll unclear then)'s assistant, who in either case can reasonably expected to have some enemies in the underworld, not a good start for someone with a secret identity (and an easily provable one at that). When said detective returns, she happily encourages the contact, she lets someone known for his powers of perception know she can recognize a skip code, and even after the toasty!John affair (and she should've known who was behind this) she plans a big, shiny, high-attendance white dress wedding instead of quietly eloping. <snip> That lady is dumb as a bag of rocks ....

 

OK, let's see if I can rationalize any of that.  It wasn't Sherlock Holmes that Mary went to work for, it was someone with a very common English name.  So she may not have made the connection till later.  (I am also willing to consider the theory that she was one of Mycroft's operatives, assigned to protect John.)

 

As for the full English wedding -- in addition to changing her name, her accent, and her backstory, she may well have had extensive plastic surgery.

 

That goes right along with something else that she's been frequently criticized for, not telling John about her past.  Well, it's my understanding that when a person goes to all the trouble of covering their tracks and creating a new identity, they become that person.  Anything less risks jeopardizing their cover.

 

Sherlock does realize when he's gone too far, usually. He doesn't apologize with words (usually - he does apologize for making John believe he was dead, for instance), but he does show his remorse. Think of, for instance, when he brings John coffee after that row about not having friends in Hounds (and what about "I only got one" while we're at it), and John tells him, "You don't have to keep apologising." John acknowledges that such small acts (Sherlock buying beer after John broke up with Sarah and he never even noticed comes to mind, too) are his friend's way of making up.

 

As someone has already pointed out, the coffee doesn't count, because Sherlock thought it was drugged.  But John's breakup with Sarah occurred between Series 1 and 2, and I don't recall any later mention of her other than Sherlock calling Janette "Sarah."  What's that about beer?  Did I miss an episode? 

 

<snip> I've got plenty of reasons why I would like Mary to leave the show. But lately, the most prominent of those is because she disrupts the fandom. This will sound strange but with every post about how people are reluctant to be honest, how people would rather not post anything and would rather turn their back to all of this... it makes me so sad. <snip>

I sympathize with you, and I must say that even this friendly forum has sometimes gotten to me over the past few months.  But please let me point out that it's not Mary who has disrupted fandom.  She couldn't do any such thing, because she is fictitious.  If you want to blame someone, I nominate Steven Moffat.  He takes such obvious delight in fooling and shocking people that I suspect he may even be proud of the furor he's caused.

 

Moffat isn't just responsible for some major problems with the show, though, he's also responsible for an awful lot of the good stuff.  So I find it hard to work up much of a rant against him.

 

[Arcadia]

Given how divergent our opinions are, it mostly makes you a remarkably flexible person .

Given how divergent the possible explanations of Season 3 are, I think I've been tied into a pretzel!

[T.o.b.y]

 

I sympathize with you, and I must say that even this friendly forum has sometimes gotten to me over the past few months.  But please let me point out that it's not Mary who has disrupted fandom.  She couldn't do any such thing, because she is fictitious.  If you want to blame someone, I nominate Steven Moffat.  He takes such obvious delight in fooling and shocking people that I suspect he may even be proud of the furor he's caused.

 

Moffat isn't just responsible for some major problems with the show, though, he's also responsible for an awful lot of the good stuff.  So I find it hard to work up much of a rant against him.

 

Oh no, I can't get mad at the person who wrote both A Study in Pink and large parts of the wedding speech! We'll just have to take the good with the bad. And I guess they have to go to some lengths to keep people interested in the series during the long waiting periods. 

 

People actually coming to hate each other because of a disagreement over a TV show is beyond me. But then, so many things are beyond me... And since I can spend half a night pondering a few lines of dialogue and a twitch of a facial muscle, I guess I have to accept that everyone has their own way of being obsessed.

 

As for a line being drawn, I do wonder on what side to place myself, Mary-wise, at least. Yes, I like her. No, I don't think she's meant to be a "bad guy". I wouldn't necessarily mind if she was, though! I just do not see it so far. The sex question aside, I do focus on the two main characters and whatever kind of connection they have (and I do recognize there's something special going on). I don't see Mary as disrupting that, though. On the contrary, I think her presence adds an interesting new angle. And it gives me something new to wonder about. She's even harder to "read" than Sherlock himself!

 

To get back to The Empty Hearse, I love the fire - more specifically, Mary and Sherlock rescuing John from it. That is one of those scenes that my brain says I shouldn't like, but I do. It's deeply satisfying on some level.

[Pamela]

Can I just say how deeply I appreciate how civil everyone is here?

 

I've been keeping up with all the controversy on all the episode threads, although I don't post much, and I'm really impressed with the respectful and courteous attitude shown by everyone, regardless of differing opinions.

 

Speaking of opinions, here's one of mine:  Since Empty Hearse seems to have plunked lots of holes into Reichenbach Fall, I haven't had the nerve to go back and watch RF for a really long time, although I've re-watched everything else multiple times (except BB).  But I was thinking today, if maybe I just stop trying to make sense of things and just try to enjoy what is being presented, maybe then I can enjoy.  It did have some good stuff in it.  I'll definitely give that some more thought.

[sherlockandjohn]

I find the fire scene quite important to bringing Sherlock and John "back together" again. In the wake of Sherlock's return, John is most likely questioning how much his friend cares if he was willing to keep his faked death a secret, not to mention coming back and making light of the situation. Sherlock urgently running to John's resque will have helped tear down some of that doubt.

 

Also, it's just a chilling scene. Seeing John tied up and drugged, unable to speak, struggling to call for help is pretty scary. And I love the panic in Sherlock's voice on several occasions: When he runs out of 221b, when he answers Mary's question about what will happen to John with, "I don't know," and finally when he sees the fire and realises what's going on.

 

I wonder how the scene between Sherlock and John in Baker Street would have unfolded if John had got to speak with Sherlock when he first approached 221b, but instead was drugged, kidnapped, and put in the fire. I guess they would still, eventually, have worked things out between them, but I think the tension and awkwardness had been even worse prior to Sherlock resquing John.

[sherlockandjohn]

Can I just say how deeply I appreciate how civil everyone is here?

 

I've been keeping up with all the controversy on all the episode threads, although I don't post much, and I'm really impressed with the respectful and courteous attitude shown by everyone, regardless of differing opinions.

 

Speaking of opinions, here's one of mine:  Since Empty Hearse seems to have plunked lots of holes into Reichenbach Fall, I haven't had the nerve to go back and watch RF for a really long time, although I've re-watched everything else multiple times (except BB).  But I was thinking today, if maybe I just stop trying to make sense of things and just try to enjoy what is being presented, maybe then I can enjoy.  It did have some good stuff in it.  I'll definitely give that some more thought.

 

I will second that. I love that we can have these discussions openly. Thank you to everyone for that!

 

Pamela, I felt the same way about TRF at first, but now I've watched it a couple of times since TEH aired, and the second time I could definitely enjoy it much like I did before the fall explanation. Though, part of the reason is that there are so many holes in that explanation that I've decided it fits a lot better with the actual events in TRF than on first thought. I just have to fill in the holes by taking the actual events into count - and perhaps trust them more than Sherlock's explanation, at times.

[sherlockandjohn]

 

...

The sex question aside, I do focus on the two main characters and whatever kind of connection they have (and I do recognize there's something special going on). I don't see Mary as disrupting that, though. On the contrary, I think her presence adds an interesting new angle. And it gives me something new to wonder about. She's even harder to "read" than Sherlock himself!

 

I wish to modify my statement that Mary disrupts the dynamic. In a way, I feel she does, but she also adds something new to it. Besides being an interesting character, her presense in John's life makes a big difference to how protective Sherlock gets of them both, I think. Sure, he was always protective of John, but it's become more obvious now. He not only protects John's life, but tries to protect their marriage, even John's feelings from getting hurt. However, he doesn't seem to get the same back from John... not that I think John wouldn't protect Sherlock if he needed it, but John has one higher priority now. It's well established in HLV: Sherlock's pressure point is John. John's pressure point is Mary. It's both sad and moving at the same time. But my main concern is the future. Her presense in John's life, and her past taken into consideration, it seems likely that she will have a considerable amount of screen time. She is too interesting a character to push into the background. My hope is that Sherlock and John will have an episode in s4 that involves them going out of town again, like they did in HoB, and leaving Mary in London.