Episode 3.1, "The Empty Hearse"

[Slithytove]

The jump made perfect sense in TRF. Sherlock has to fool the snipers, so he has to jump. Of course, that doesn't explain how he could know where the snipers were sited, and whether they could see him land, or how he intended to proceed if Jim hadn't conveniently shot himself, but at least the reason for jumping made sense.

 

The explanation in TEH demolishes that reason. Take away the snipers, and what need is there for him to jump?

 

If he wants to lull Jim's network into a false sense of security, all it needs is for Mycroft to announce his death. If they want to go for something more visible, they could easily have faked his death in a much more convincing way - something which didn't require any potential witnesses to stand in a particular spot at a particular time......

 

The same applied to John, if Sherlock had decided he had to be convinced of the "death.". Why not tell him Sherlock had taken an overdose or jumped under a train? Why set up such a madly complicated scheme, just to fool John?

 

I would also like to ask Moffat why, if the emotional farewell was faked, Sherlock was crying? You can sound upset and tearful without actually weeping. No-one was up there to see him, so why the tears?

 

None of it makes sense to me.

[sherlockandjohn]

The tears don't make sense to me either - I suspect that was simply to make the scene more emotional and dramatic while it was going on. Which it did!

 

It could be that the sniper wasn't called off until after Sherlock had stepped onto the ledge - everything happened so fast after Moriarty had killed himself, and if Mycroft was to have time to call off the sniper, it is likely that he did so while Sherlock talked to John. And again - we're also back to the dramatic effect of the episode... it's just great drama. And it's true to canon, so I hear. Sherlock did fall.

[Slithytove]

No, he didn't. It is not canon. Moriarty went over the waterfall but Holmes didn't. That's why he survived.

[sherlockandjohn]

Oh, okay then. I've misunderstood. Thanks for setting the record straight

[sherlockandjohn]

It's still great drama, though ;-)

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Holmes does of course tell his Watson how he defeated Moriarty at the Falls and how he had spent the last three years dismantling Moriarty's criminal organization. But there are some things that happened in "The Final Problem" that is as suspect 160 years ago as "The Empty Hearse" is to us today.

 

 John does as Sherlock flat out if Sherlock will ever tell him the truth and Sherlock just looks at him and then looks hesitant, then says: "You know my methods" then turns away.

 

 So...will John...and we....ever get the truth?  Who knows.

[Zain]

The jump made perfect sense in TRF. Sherlock has to fool the snipers, so he has to jump. Of course, that doesn't explain how he could know where the snipers were sited, and whether they could see him land, or how he intended to proceed if Jim hadn't conveniently shot himself, but at least the reason for jumping made sense.

 

The explanation in TEH demolishes that reason. Take away the snipers, and what need is there for him to jump?

 

If he wants to lull Jim's network into a false sense of security, all it needs is for Mycroft to announce his death. If they want to go for something more visible, they could easily have faked his death in a much more convincing way - something which didn't require any potential witnesses to stand in a particular spot at a particular time......

 

The same applied to John, if Sherlock had decided he had to be convinced of the "death.". Why not tell him Sherlock had taken an overdose or jumped under a train? Why set up such a madly complicated scheme, just to fool John?

 

None of it makes sense to me.

 

Fully agree that these are the main points that make no sense. I got some theories (because, really, it's much more satisfying to attempt to make sense of it than accept that it is a plot hole). 

Let's say Sherlock jumped because he had to (and not just because he wanted to prove he could).

 

He also mentions "several outcomes", and he decides to "jump in person" after Moriarty killed himself. We are given a glance at another escape path from the rooftop. Emergency stairs. What tipped him off to choose the fall instead? The sniper must have had a good view on him. If Sherlock had retreated from the rooftop, and if they had simply thrown the corpse on the street and sent in some fake witnesses, the sniper would have known it was fake. Even if John believed it. He'd have shot at first sight.

On the other hand: Sherlock claims they had to "negotiate" with the sniper. So the sniper must have somehow known the jump was faked. His view must have allowed him to either see the place where Sherlock landed, or the mattress when it was carried away.I suppose it was a close call, otherwise it doesn't make much sense. John, after all, thought his friend dead. So why would he have had any incentive to shoot if there hadn't been something that told him it was staged?

Maybe that explains the tears, too (if one doesn't want them to be faked, too). It seems like the sniper hadn't been taken care of yet at that point. Sherlock had no influence anymore, he could only jump and hope that Mycroft knew what he was doing. 

 

But we never got an explanation why Sherlock didn't tell John about his survival. He states that he thought about contacting him but didn't. He claims it was because he thought John would "say something indiscreet", that he'd "let the cat out of the bag." I assume Sherlock suspected that someone was still keeping an eye on John. It's not like John would have told a reporter. That's an unrealistic fear. But he could have "let the cat out of the bag" by not being in mourning, or by changing his habits. Reporters would not have noticed. But maybe someone who was keeping track of him? I've seen the theory crop out at some places: John is like one of those "rats" Sherlock keeps an eye at. A marker. I consider it possible that he wasn't sure whether he got everybody from Moriarty's network. Let's not forget that Sherlock claims in the beginning of TEH that "he doesn't want everyone to know he's still alive." Why? Shortly after, he hits the news, and then he makes a public appearance, does that mean he feels like there is still another threat? At this point, I cannot remember if we ever were told how Sherlock's survival made the news. Did someone see him? Or is it Mycroft's doing? Sherlock himself only appears before the camera at the end of TEH. Who told the reporters in the first place? If it wasn't initiated by Mycroft, maybe it got out before Sherlock and Mycroft wanted to make it official.

 

Just one explanation why Sherlock would have reasons to keep John in the dark, and why he'd jump in front of him. Or to be exact: In front of the sniper.

Btw, did anyone notice the logo on Mycroft's laptop in TEH? It resembles a Q ( Compaq but not sure...)

 

 

 

Funny imo. in HLV, they never show us what make Mycroft's using. The logo is covered at all times. When Mycroft is out of it, his hand covers the place where the logo would be. Before, the potatoes cover that place.

They also gave him a silver laptop while the one in TEH is black. I wonder why they'd use two different laptops. They could have covered the first one's logo just as well. Seems unnecessarily complicated.

 

 

 

 

[Slithytove]

So, do you think then that Sherlock jumped because, at that point, he didn't know whether the sniper had been caught or not, and therefore had to jump and hope the sniper couldn't see where he would land? Well, it makes more sense than staging the whole thing for John's benefit, which just seems absurd.

 

As you say, he had to have a reason why he couldn't just walk back down after Jim's suicide, and the sniper was presumably that reason. The escape routes were presumably based on the assumption that the threat "I owe you a fall" was literal as well as metaphorical. (I would like to know what he planned to do if Jim had demanded he jump but hadn't conveniently shot himself.) It is hard to imagine what scenario Sherlock & Mycroft envisaged which required a jump from the roof but didn't include the possibility that any villains watching would be able to see the pavement and the airbag. He had 13 escape routes planned, and that was the one he decided to go with?

 

I agree that the most likely reason for Sherlock not telling John the truth was that the latter was a marker, "a rat", for Jim's people. Presumably he couldn't risk telling John until he was more or less certain that the entire network is destroyed. It is possible that the last remnants were mopped up between his revelation to John - "I don't want everyone to know I'm alive" - and the point where his existence is revealed to the press. Surely Mycroft would have kept the information under wraps until he was sure it was safe?

 

I can't say I noticed the detail of the laptop's colour or logo, but I agree it seems unnecessarily complicated. In fact, "unnecessarily complicated" does seem to be a trademark of the show's plot devices. On the other hand, you never know what they have planted as clues to later events.....

[T.o.b.y]

As you say, he had to have a reason why he couldn't just walk back down after Jim's suicide, and the sniper was presumably that reason. The escape routes were presumably based on the assumption that the threat "I owe you a fall" was literal as well as metaphorical. (I would like to know what he planned to do if Jim had demanded he jump but hadn't conveniently shot himself.) It is hard to imagine what scenario Sherlock & Mycroft envisaged which required a jump from the roof but didn't include the possibility that any villains watching would be able to see the pavement and the airbag. He had 13 escape routes planned, and that was the one he decided to go with?

 

 

Ex-act-ly-pre-cise-ly. The whole explanation is very fishy. And Sherlock still didn't really tell John "why" he did it, either!

[Arcadia]

Yeah, the "why" still bothers me more than the "how." Esp. since the promos for that episode featured that very question; here I was, all prepared for an answer. *Sigh*

[Zain]

So, any hope this goes into season 4? Maybe... let's wait (aren't we all experts at that?) and see.

[Arcadia]

At this point I don't know whether to hope it does, or hope it doesn't!!

[Carol the Dabbler]

I think a lot of our points boil down to one (or both) of two things:

 

Because it's canon (e.g., Holmes telling Watson that he nearly contacted him several times, but was afraid he might inadvertantly spill the beans).

 

-- or --

 

Because Moftiss had set themselves a challenge (e.g., Sherlock "dying in John's" arms, as they love to say, though even the fake death was not literally "in John's arms").

 

[sherlockandjohn]

Excellent points, Carol. The dramatic effect is how I explain so many things in series 3 (and the fall). And the fact is, it works for most of us. Seeing Sherlock jump before John's eyes was hugely dramatic, and it created an emotional response in John that touched us.

 

Changing the subject entirely... ... How about the interpretation of the scene in the third restaurant/café that Sherlock, John and Mary go to, in which Sherlock complaints that John is overreacting, and it turns into a shouting match. I know it's been brought up before, but I'm still curious. I love that scene, and yet I'm still not sure I understand all the subtext of it. Especially when Sherlock says "Yes, it's still a secret" and then lowers his voice when saying "Promise you won't tell anyone?" The way he looks around the room and then at John makes it seem like he's really talking about something else than what the words express. And John understands what it is. Or, maybe it is that Sherlock knows he is avoiding the real issue - why John is angry with him - by fighting about John's lack of ability to keep his secret. And it could also be that he's proving a point - that John in fact does overreact, so if Sherlock had told John that he was alive, John's (over)reactions would have blown his cover.

[Arcadia]

Hmmm, you're thinking maybe John knows more than the audience does, too? Could be, I'm willing to believe anything at this point!

 

But I took it to be more like Sherlock just lost his temper for a moment and blurted out something that would put John on the defensive for a change. You know, like old married couples do.   I don't get the impression he really wanted his return to be a secret, so much as he just wanted to control the situation (as usual) and the whole evening was not going as planned.

 

That's probably my favorite sequence in this episode. It's laugh out loud funny but poignant at the same time. That's one of the (many) things this show does so well.

[sherlockandjohn]

Yes, I love that scene for the very same reasons, and it's brilliantly done! Good point about Sherlock trying to control the situation, too. However, I wasn't thinking about John knowing more than the audience, really, but more that he and Sherlock both knew that the real issue wasn't whether or not Sherlock being alive was still a secret - rather that A) John is angry, and Sherlock is dodging the issue, and B ) it's becoming ridiculous insisting on keeping the secret, since they are having a shouting match in a public place. So A makes is poignant, and B makes it funny.

[T.o.b.y]

I think they did an admirable job of balancing the audience's sympathies. I feel so terribly sorry for Sherlock throughout The Empty Hearse (throughout lots of series 3, actually), but at the same time I completely understand why John is so infuriated and I'd love to punch Sherlock myself.

 

There is one major difference between The Empty Hearse and "The Empty House": In the original, Watson writes "it was indeed like old times". I have always loved that line. Here, nothing could be more unlike old times and during the following episodes, we don't get the impression that it ever will be. Sherlock simply blew it. And for nothing, it seems, if Moriarty is indeed alive and back in the game. I love series 3 (now), but no wonder it leaves me feeling pretty melancholy.

[sherlockandjohn]

Yep. Melancholy, indeed.

 

I love this episode more and more as I realise the depth of emotion and the delicate manner in which that emotion is portrayed. After TRF, It is perhaps the most compelling episode for me. Not necessarily the best - at least not in plot or coherence - but one of the most gripping. And strangely enough also the episode that had me laughing the most.

 

And yes, while I get furious with Sherlock, I also feel for him when he starts realising what John is feeling, and how that affects their friendship.

 

When he finds out that John is in danger, his panic is palpable. Then follows a dramatic and emotional resque scene.

[T.o.b.y]

Yes, on the one hand there's that "end of an era" feeling but on the other hand, nobody has really moved on, despite their protestations. Molly's fiancé turns out to be a wannabe Sherlock clone and she dumps him anyway a while after Sherlock's return (I strongly assume that Molly ended that relationship, not Tom). John's lovely wife turns out to be just "like that" or rather who she wasn't supposed to, i.e. Sherlock, and by choosing her and staying together with her, John has in effect neatly ensured that he'll always need his friend, after all. So maybe, maybe series 4 will see the return of the "good old days". I certainly hope so (and I for one do see room for Mary there, but that's another story).

[sherlockandjohn]

Okay, there's so much I love about this episode, but the fan theories are not necessarily on that list. They were good entertainment (especially the one with Moriarty, are you kidding me!) but I'm not entirely thrilled about bringing real life fan theories into the show - the mixture of fiction and fan involvement makes it seem less realistic, not more, for my part. But anyway... they were good fun.

 

I love how the first 20 minutes or so are mainly an emotional build-up, in which we tune in on how John is doing, and how Sherlock is brought home. John's lingering sense of loss stands in sharp contrast to Sherlock's attitude of "I think I'll surprise John. He'll be delighted." Mary had a point when she said: "You really don't know anything about human nature, do you?"

[Slithytove]

I must admit I loved the nods towards the fan theories - they seemed so affectionate.

 

Don't you think that Sherlock's assumption that John will happily welcome him back is just bravado? There is an interesting meta at http://archiveofourown.org/works/1115589 which explores Sherlock's character regression/progression in TEH, and I have to agree with the suggestion made by the writer, Kizzia, that Sherlock has clung to the idea of John throughout the hiatus and is terrified by the idea that John might have moved on. So he covers up his fear with arrogance, just as he covers his fear of rejection and John's grief with childish humour. Makes sense to me.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Wondered about that a time or two myself, Slithylove.

[sherlockandjohn]

Hmm, I'll have to give that some thought. It always seemed strange to me that he witnessed and heard John at his graveside, and then barely understood anything of how he hurt him. Not to mention that he apparently saw John break down by his body (assuming that it really was Sherlock himself lying on the pavement when John knelt there). Thanks for the link, Slithytove; I'll have to check it out.

[sherlockandjohn]

Speaking in the HLV about motives... It's generally been considered that since Mycroft called of John's sniper, Sherlock didn't have to jump. I'm not sure about that myself... We aren't told that Mycroft called off the snipers aiming at Mrs. Hudson and Lestrade. Mycroft was waiting for word from Sherlock. If Mycroft took care of the sniper after Sherlock sent him the message, "Lazarus" - which seems likely to me - then the wheels had already been set in motion for the 'Lazarus' plan. I don't know, though. I still find that whole explanation confusing.

[Zain]

 

 

Zain, if you should feel inclined to, I would love to hear you elaborate on the motives for Sherlock jumping off the roof in the thread for TEH. It's generally been considered that since Mycroft called off John's sniper, Sherlock didn't have to jump. I'm not sure about that myself... but I'll go elaborate on that in the TEH thread now.

 

God, that'll be one of my longer posts. But I couldn't resist after you asked me so kindly. Sorry, I have to do this in two posts. The system reminded me that I am not allowed to post this many quotes.

 

Let's review TRF and TEH.

Since characters can lie, I will for now cross-check it with what we saw in TRF. 

 

 

 

 

SHERLOCK (bewildered): Why? Because Moriarty had to be stopped.

 

That's an interesting reason, isn't it? It tells us nothing and everything in one sentence. We know Moriarty had already died when Sherlock jumped. So in what regard did he need to be stopped? At this point, there are two possible things: Sherlock needed to stop "Moriarty's scheme" to kill his friends, or he needs to stop this vast criminal imperium.

Concerning his friends: Sherlock also claims to have known of all three snipers, and that Mycroft had taken care of two of them. John's sniper was the only one who gave them grief. Let's ask ourselves: Why? What did make him different from the other two snipers? In my opinion, it was his position. He was near the "scene." The other snipers relied on outside information. They didn't see Sherlock jump with their own eyes. John's sniper must have been in the unique position to see the fall.

 

 

 

JOHN: One Word, Sherlock. That is all I would have needed. One word to let me know that you were alive.

(He steps back, breathing heavily.)

SHERLOCK (quietly): I’ve nearly been in contact so many times, but ...

(John laughs disbelievingly.)

SHERLOCK: ... I worried that, you know, you might say something indiscreet.

 

While this is very insutling to John, let's have a closer look. Maybe we can extract some knowledge, or at least find some implied meaning.

Sherlock claims that he had considered contacting John. Something held him back. I am particularly wary of Sherlock's use of "nearly." He didn't simply think of John a couple of times. He pondered, and he was about to do it. Then something held him back. Sherlock then claims that John might say something indiscreet. To whom? Sherlock never states who he is talking about. To Mary? To the public? To some unknown threat? Two years have passed, and Sherlock believed it too dangerous to contact John because someone wasn't to know about his continued existence. I seriously doubt he feared John would give an interview and shout "Sherlock Holmes is alive." It's not like people would believe him. They'd declare him stricken with grief and delusioning himself. So it's not the public Sherlock was wary of. At this point, I daresay Sherlock is referring to a single person. Someone who was likely to keep an eye on John during those two years. Maybe Sherlock took them out, maybe he didn't. Maybe it was simply someone who watched him, and who would have reported to a dangerous person. And Sherlock doesn't have to fear that person anymore because he took them out. The main point: There must have been someone in John's surroundings (work, neighbour, ...) who had an eye on him. Otherwise it doesn't make much sense to me. That person doesn't necessarily have to harbor evil intentions. Maybe they had been paid, just like Sherlock pays his homeless network to keep track of the "rats", the markers, in TEH.

To quote Sherlock:

 

 

SHERLOCK (voiceover): Sometimes it’s not a question of ‘Who?’; it’s a question of ‘Who Knows?’

[...]

 There are certain people – they are markers. If they start to move, I’ll know something’s up 

[...]

 I’ll find the answer. It’ll be in an odd phrase in an online blog, or an unexpected trip to the countryside, or a misplaced Lonely Hearts ad.

 

 

Personally, I don't think this threat has been eliminated yet. Maybe Sherlock knows of it but had not been able to acquire more information.

 

 

 

SHERLOCK (shouting): Shut up, John! I don’t want everyone knowing I’m still alive!

JOHN (shouting): Oh, so it’s still a secret, is it?

SHERLOCK (loudly): Yes! It’s still a secret.

(He looks round at the other customers in the shop.)

SHERLOCK (casually): Promise you won’t tell anyone.

 

Sherlock returned. Why still keep his continued existence a secret? We know that the media catch on fairly quickly. On the other hand, Sherlock intends to keep it secret for some more time. Why make John promise not to tell anyone? I believe that it was a leak. The public wasn't supposed to find out yet. Because of Mycroft's terrorist cell mission? Or is there still someone he had intended to smoke out?

Let's walk it through. I consider the former more unlikely. Not just because I love complex theories, and because I want Mary to be the bad guy, John's Judas. Sherlock's survival had become public knowledge before the terrorist attack. If he had feared Moran to become more careful, or to eliminate him beforehand, that didn't happen. As far as we know, Sherlock didn't suffer any direct consequences. I am neglecting Magnussen's interest in him because Sherlock did not know about him at this point. 

 

 

To get into Sherlock's fall theory (after we established possible reasons why he hadn't contacted John):

 

 

SHERLOCK: The criminal network Moriarty headed was vast.

 Its roots were everywhere like a cancer, so we came up with a plan.

 Mycroft fed Moriarty information about me.

Moriarty in turn gave us hints – just hints – as to the extent of his web. We let him go ...

 

 

Most remarkable: Sherlock hasn't mentioned any knowledge about Jim's plan yet. The only thing we know from this passage, and it is the introduction part of his "story", is that Mycroft and he had worked together to determine the danger Jim posed. 

Sherlock glosses over a lot of time. We know how great a time skip that is. He starts off with Jim's captivity. Then he skips forward to the roof. He doesn't tell us the moment when he figured out Jim's plans for him. From TRF, I'd place it at Kitty Riley's apartment. And that he figured out the code didn't exist at Molly's lab shortly before he contacted Jim. 

 

 

 

SHERLOCK (voiceover): But the one thing I didn’t anticipate was just how far Moriarty was prepared to go. I suppose that was obvious, given our first meeting at the swimming pool – his death wish.

 

Sherlock admits he didn't anticipate Jim's suicide. So, how would his plan have worked if Jim had lived? He couldn't very well have faked the jump before Jim's eyes. He also says that it wasn't the preferable solution. His jump had not been their anticipated escape path. In my opinion, that's where Mycroft's knowledge of the three snipers comes in. Sherlock wouldn't have had to jump as long as the snipers had been taken out. Sherlock confirms that there are only three snipers on the rooftop. Because that's elementary. He needs to know that there's no one else. As long as Mycroft takes care of all snipers, he has no reason to jump. He could have simply chosen not to jump. Like he did. Many have assumed (me, too) that he looked down to check whether everything had been prepared for his jump when he stood on the edge before turning around once more. It makes more sense to assume he gave his brother's people a sign. To confirm that there were only three snipers. Mycroft simply would have had to collect Moriarty, and Sherlock could have walked down the stairs. Nobody would have died. We now know Sherlock didn't have to rely on Jim's "call the snipers back code." They were already taken care of. The reason he is this victorious shortly before Jim kills himself is that their plan is working.