Episode 3.2, "The Sign of Three"

[Carol the Dabbler]

Possibly related:  There's a local legend (dating back to the mid-1700's) in New Brunswick, Canada, of the ghost of a headless nun who wanders the area.  A number of movies and tv episodes appear to have been based on the story.  (Just Google on "headless nun" -Sherlock .)

 

Did Conan Doyle ever mention a headless nun?

 

[miltk]

The nurse knew John's middle name because she had recently worked for Sholto and had seen the wedding invitation.  The photographer dated her (as the Mayfly Man) and she told him that Sholto had been invited to the wedding.  He finagled himself into working at the wedding.  (I don't believe anything was said about the photographer knowing or not knowing John's middle name.)

 

It occurs to me that one other reason Sherlock suspected the photographer could be the news article about Sholto's involvement in the deaths of the raw recruits -- perhaps the article listed the names of the dead soldiers (did anyone notice?).  Since Sherlock was heavily involved in planning the wedding, he presumably knew the surname of the photographer.  "Small" is not a terribly common surname, so that "coincidence" may have made him suspicious.

 

 

the only inconsistency in logic (not yours, but the writers, if that's the storyline) here is why would she have any reason to tell the photographer that sholto was on the invite.

 

BTW, did anyone notice when the party stands in front of the church for the photo shoot, and the guests start throwing confetti just as the picture is taken, and the camera pans around,,,there's a brief glimpse of molly looking sullen as she looks at the best man & maid of honor   the writers think of everything.

[Caya]

Stephen Moffat gave an interview about the Best Man's speech. Bonus info: he opines that Sherlock would only like to be a sociopath.

[T.o.b.y]

BTW, did anyone notice when the party stands in front of the church for the photo shoot, and the guests start throwing confetti just as the picture is taken, and the camera pans around,,,there's a brief glimpse of molly looking sullen as she looks at the best man & maid of honor   the writers think of everything.

 

 

For all who like Molly, I can really recommend re-watching this episode and focusing on her. Her face is a running commentary on the whole wedding and it's wonderful.

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

the only inconsistency in logic (not yours, but the writers, if that's the storyline) here is why would she have any reason to tell the photographer that sholto was on the invite.

Well, remember that Small (alias some dead man) had pretty well swept her off her feet. If their "wonderful conversation" just happened to touch on that famous detective Sherlock Holmes, and especially if there had been a bit of wine involved, then she might have been tempted to share her little tidbit about him, confidentiality contract or no.

 

As for your possible next question, how did she connect the invitation with Sherlock, well, John had mentioned the upcoming wedding (and Sherlock's involvement in it) on his blog.

 

Stephen Moffat gave an interview about the Best Man's speech. Bonus info: he opines that Sherlock would only like to be a sociopath.

Yes, a very interesting read. I think Moffat's not-a-sociopath comment is worthy of its own thread, so I've started one here.

[Alex the Dabbler]

Radio Times has an interesting article about CAM's wedding message and a possible exaplanation for the term "poppet":

 

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-01-08/sherlock-season-3-did-charles-augustus-magnussen-send-john-and-mary-a-wedding-telegram

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

At least that answers the question that was asked earlier if there was one telegram or two. One from Poppet...and another from CAM.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Well, maybe.  But that article is really just a string of conjectures, similar to the ones recently bandied about by fans.  There's no authoritative word on even the basic questions:

 

1.  Is the signature written as a name or nickname, or is it three initials?  Sherlock pronounces it as a name, leading me to believe that it's actually written "Cam" rather than "CAM" (unless the entire note is written telegram style, in all caps).

 

2.  Is that one "telegram" or two?  From the way Sherlock handles the papers in his hand, I can't really say.  Also, it seems odd to me that one brief note would say "lots of love" followed immediately by "oodles of love."

 

So I'm still an agnostic on this matter.

 

[miltk]

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BTW, did anyone notice when the party stands in front of the church for the photo shoot, and the guests start throwing confetti just as the picture is taken, and the camera pans around,,,there's a brief glimpse of molly looking sullen as she looks at the best man & maid of honor the writers think of everything.

 

For all who like Molly, I can really recommend re-watching this episode and focusing on her. Her face is a running commentary on the whole wedding and it's wonderful.

 

 

YES she is. and like when sh tosses the flowers to the maid of honor and molly is standing next to her. you don't see molly's reaction right then but seconds later when the camera pans around you catch a glimpse of molly, face partially turned away i think, and she don't look happy. MUCH more effective than if the camera showed molly just as the moh catches the flowers.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

        Well, maybe.  But that article is really just a string of conjectures, similar to the ones recently bandied about by fans.  There's no authoritative word on even the basic questions:

 

 

 

   Oooohhhh okay, because it was Radio Times I was just taking it for granted that it would be more authoritative then that. When I watched this episode Sunday, I thought that he was reading two notes by his hand actions, one from Poppet and the next one from CAM.

[baxANGIE]

 

For all who like Molly, I can really recommend re-watching this episode and focusing on her. Her face is a running commentary on the whole wedding and it's wonderful.

 

 

 

I do that ,too; Focus on the background and what's happening with the reactions of the rest of the cast . Molly seems torn between jealousy and reason. She herself has a date for the wedding but she can't help wondering what it is  that makes Sherlock "interested" in other girls.  

[baxANGIE]

Sherlock leaves the wedding early , according to Mrs Hudson this is pathetic. "Who leaves a wedding early?" (a hurt/jealous bridesmaid)

 

Well, a lonely person who is left with no one to dance with.(?)Perhaps a person who only wants to be around interesting people he actually cares about (?) A sociopath (?) Someone who realises it's the end of an era and he can start getting used to being alone (?)

 

Anyhow, I would have loved to see Sherlock dance at the party (not just rehearse). Then again he wouldn't be Sherlock if he did!

[miltk]

Stephen Moffat gave an interview about the Best Man's speech. Bonus info: he opines that Sherlock would only like to be a sociopath.

 

 

i love moffat's perspective of holmes. kind of sad in a way.

i have a little twist to that. some people are just who they are but don't want to be because they don't like not fitting in. but because they are who they are and cannot help themselves, some of them purposefully reinforce people's perception of them by acting even more so.

 

my own corollary to moffat's holmes.

 

btw, sad though sh found himself without a partner in the end (wasn't he rehearsing dance steps with the moh), he left,,,,,and the slo-mo parting shot of him sweeping his coat over himself as he walked past the party was pure nobility. loved it...loved the whole damned episode.

[miltk]

 

 

For all who like Molly, I can really recommend re-watching this episode and focusing on her. Her face is a running commentary on the whole wedding and it's wonderful.

 

 

 

I do that ,too; Focus on the background and what's happening with the reactions of the rest of the cast . Molly seems torn between jealousy and reason. She herself has a date for the wedding but she can't help wondering what it is  that makes Sherlock "interested" in other girls.  

 

 

 

he's only been interested in adler. he wasn't so much interested in the moh other than she was the moh and kind of confiscated sherlock

[Carol the Dabbler]

When I watched this episode Sunday, I thought that he was reading two notes by his hand actions, one from Poppet and the next one from CAM.

That's the interpretation I'm currently favoring as well.

 

I suspect one reason a lot of people favor the one-note interpretation is that "poppet" then becomes a clue of sorts.

 

Would dearly LOVE to see the shooting script for this one!  (And all of the others too, for that matter.)  That would give us the writers' intentions.

 

[Karie]

I read a very interesting article someone on tumblr wrote about the use of Sherlock's Mind Palace in this episode, and some things I didn't even notice regarding wardrobe whenever it's being utilized. Give it a read if you like! 

 

http://lizthirose.tumblr.com/post/74722283769/the-one-who-belongs-john-in-sherlocks-mind-palace

[Carol the Dabbler]

Interesting!

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

... one ... reason Sherlock suspected the photographer could be the news article about Sholto's involvement in the deaths of the raw recruits -- perhaps the article listed the names of the dead soldiers (did anyone notice?).  Since Sherlock was heavily involved in planning the wedding, he presumably knew the surname of the photographer.  "Small" is not a terribly common surname, so that "coincidence" may have made him suspicious.

 

Yes, the article certainly does mention Small's dead brother, and right at the beginning, too:

 

Major James Sholto. A name both revered and reviled. A deservedly-decorated war hero? Or a murderer?

 

Madeline Small, 52, believes the latter. "That man was responsible for the death of my Peter. He destroyed my family."

 

Thanks to SwissMarg for transcribing that and posting it online!

 

[Caya]

Not sure where else to put this ... Benedict Cumberbatch and the Sign of Four (or is it Three?):

 

 

[shoot999]

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-02-04/martin-freeman-on-the-sherlock-stag-do-we-cut-a-whole-scene-set-in-a-gay-club

 

 

 

[Pamela]

I, for one, don't mind that they cut a scene.  The drunk stag night did go on long enough in my opinion.

[Janie]

Yeah. I loved the scene up to the point when the nurse turned up. After that it seemed to me a bit over the top.

[T.o.b.y]

It was totally over the top, but once again, I loved it in spite of that because of the acting. The acting was so great. I hope they had fun doing those scenes, because it sure looked like it. I'm always amazed at what a good actor and director can do with a script that would seem mediocre at best if just read out loud to me.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I agree that the scene was long enough as broadcast, but soooo funny!

 

Wouldn't have minded some deleted scenes (in general, not just that one) on the DVD.

 

[T.o.b.y]

Oh yeah, I wish they had published deleted scenes. And I also wish that while John still had his mustache, they had dressed the two of them up in late Victorian dress as Holmes and Watson and taken a few photographs. They'd look just right.