Episode 3.2, "The Sign of Three"

[Detective Prince]

With people saying Mary is putting a wedge between him and John, I can't help but feel that some of that was Sherlock's own doing. He doesn't help himself sometimes.

 

My absolute favourite part was drunk Sherlock. I was literally wondering what Sherlock would be like drunk a few days ago and couldn't picture it.

[T.o.b.y]

 

Funny how lots of anti-Mary fans proclaimed that she would "get between" John and Sherlock. In the end, the writers seem to agree on that. Sherlock's on his own again, and while people care (Molly looking at him, etc.) nobody reaches out to stop him from leaving. It makes for an interesting "stop" before the season's finale. Even Mycroft, who is often used as a sort of voice by Gatiss to lead through the seasons, comments upon that.

 

I don't think the writers agree at all. It seems to be poor Sherlock who is under the impression that the "good old days" are over, just like Holmes did at the end of The Sign of the Four, where he groaned and went back to cocaine. But any Doyle reader knows he was wrong. Mrs Watson nearly pushed her husband out of the house to go help the detective and even though they saw each other less often and even lost touch for months on end, when they were back together on a case, it was just the same as ever. Holmes was free to show up and demand the doctor's assistance and attention at any time (and he did and was always attended to). So far, they have been quite true to the spirit of the original, so I strongly assume that is the way things are going here.

 

[Karie]

http://i.imgur.com/vogPtbG.png        Are they trying to tell us something?

 

I know you were alluding to the horns, but I've just noticed that Mary's top apparently has a bunch of thumbs ups and thumbs downs on it. Cute! 

[Jacob]

 

 

 

 

 

(source)

 

That.was.perfect .

 

YES!! How great was it that Sherlock was interviewing the wedding guests and screening them for John's protection? It's clear there is nothing he won't do to protect John, which he reiterated with his "last vow". I'm just totally on eggshells about how he's going to end up having to keep that vow next week.  I know it's going to be bad, probably worse than we are all imagining.  My one wish is that the season ends with the two of them together, at least, and not separated on some cliffhanger again. I had enough of that last season! 

 

Not to rain on your parade. But the writers of the series said that the cliffhanger in season 3 would be even worse than the season 2 one.

 

Also, I've listened on the soundtrack from S3E3, and almost all of the tracks are sad one, which probably means that the episode will be pretty heart breaking

[Caya]

Well, the trailer for next week's up ...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhjIsu7n6bI

 

Time to stock up on hankies .

[T.o.b.y]

 

Not to rain on your parade. But the writers of the serie sad that the cliffhanger in season 3 would be even worse than the season 2 one.

 

Well, the end of season 2 was pretty benign. We all knew Sherlock was alive and it stood to reason that he'd come back and explain everything, so the wait was quite pleasant with all the theorizing and speculating. There was nobody and nothing to be really worried about.

 

As for the ending of series 3, as long as we know that there will be a series 4, all I will really be apprehensive about is the quality of the show. There cannot be an entire series without what I care for most: Sherlock Holmes and John Watson solve crimes and have adventures together. So as long as three more episodes are planned, they will have to get back to that somehow, no matter how far they seem to stray.

[Caya]

Well season 4 is already well planned, according to this article.

[Let's_have_dinner]

Okay… After a second viewing I can share my thoughts with you beyond “aaah! Brilliant!” So… (sorry for the very long post!)

 

Lestrade leaving just as he’s about to make a monumental and career-changing arrest because he thinks Sherlock is in trouble. Altogether now – Awww! You could see he was torn for a second because he knew what he was giving up, but helping his friend was more important. I fell even more in love with Lestrade in that moment. I guessed Sherlock needed help with his best man’s speech – the scene when Greg arrived and Sherlock was confused about what was going on was brilliant!

 

Sherlock dancing – thank you, thank you, thank you. I love him even more now too! And the whole scene with him and Mrs Hudson made me laugh, especially when he said he thought his morning tea “just sort of happened”.

 

Sherlock looking at John’s empty chair… heartbreaking. I just wanted to reach into my TV and give him a hug.

 

Sherlock interrogating Mary’s ex – brilliant. Funny, the silly smile made me laugh out loud, and I love how he’s looking out for John.

 

Sherlock with the kid. More hilarity. “I don’t know, I’ll ask one.” Lol!

 

Sherlock ‘flirting’ (for lack of a better word!!) with the bridesmaid. I actually really liked her. When she said “Can I keep you?” I was, of course, thinking, “No! He’s mine! I want him!” 

 

My love for Sherlock and Mary’s relationship was cemented in this episode. Loved the scene when they were talking at the wedding about John and the Major. I really, really like her. Which doesn’t bode well for the future  :-(

 

Who/What is Redbeard? I have to know!! Childhood pet??

 

I was thinking, “I really wish we’d seen the scene where John asks Sherlock to be his best man” and then they obliged And the actual scene… Firstly, hilarious. The speech itself, and the flashback to John asking him. But as well as being funny, it was also so sweet and touching. “I want to be up there with the two people that I love and care about most in the world.” Aww!   Love them. So much. When Sherlock was talking about his own flaws my heart was just melting, especially when he said he’d never expected to be anyone’s best friend. And how John had saved him. And when he said he and Mary loved him most in the world. Oh, the whole damn thing. Perfect. And when he saw people crying and didn’t understand… “Did I do it wrong?” Bless him. Like John, I wanted to hug Sherlock in that moment!

 

Sherlock learning how to fold serviettes on Youtube. Just… brilliant. 

 

THERE WAS ANOTHER HAIR RUFFLE. I hadn’t even dared dream we’d get another one. And we did. *swoon*

 

John calling Sherlock “nurse.”    

 

The stag night. I was crying with laughter the whole way through – just brilliant. I never thought we’d get to see drunk Sherlock! And when they were playing Who am I… it just got better and better. “Got it! I’m you, aren’t I?”   I bet Benedict and Martin had a riot filming all those scenes. Would love to see some commentary on this ep on the DVD, and hear their thoughts about filming the stag night scenes!

 

When the whole ‘Hamish’ thing came up and Sherlock was shown trying to guess John's name, I was shouting at the telly “We know it’s Hamish, he told us in Scandal!!” so I was very relieved when they showed that bit!! 

 

IRENE! So glad she got to have a mini cameo. Short but sweet  :-)

 

I liked that John recognised that something was wrong, because he knows Sherlock so well. And of course it was great to hear “Vatican Cameos!” again.

 

Mrs Hudson – “I think you’re a popular choice at the moment dear.” Lol!  

 

Molly stabbing Tom with a fork or whatever it was when he said Sherlock was pissed. Being protective of Sherlock 

 

I liked all the flashbacks – I think they worked well in this episode, and I liked the way everything came together. There’ll probably be some people who didn’t like the structure of the episode, but I loved it. I wasn’t expecting everything to come together, but I thought it all worked really well.

 

The solution - I had wondered if it was something to do with the belt. But would you really not feel it if you were stabbed with something, however small or thin it was?  :-/

 

More Sherlock dancing. Oh, heaven. I want to dance with Benedict!

 

‘The Sign of Three’ – I don’t know if I’m just an idiot and was focussing on other things throughout this episode, but I wasn’t even trying to see the relevance of the title. Then when Sherlock said “three of you” and I realised, it was a real *facepalm* moment. It was so obvious, looking back! 

 

Then there was the moment, when Sherlock was smiling and then it faded as he thought about what this news meant for the future… Oh, just heartbreaking. Nice coat action at the end (is that man capable of putting a coat on without making it look sexy?!) but it did make me want to cry seeing him leave the wedding. Beautiful moment. *sniff*

 

So… yes. I loved it. Funny, sweet and sad. It did feel different to other episodes – it was different to other episodes, in a lot of ways, and I’m expecting there will be some criticism for that, and some people who didn’t enjoy it as much. But it was still an excellent episode in my opinion, and it doesn’t always have to be a bad thing doing something a little different. I expect the last episode is going to be more similar to TGG or TRF, more of a thriller type episode with a more continuous plot rather than disjointed stories and moments (even though they all wove together). I only wish I had more time this week for rewatches – I managed seven of TEH before tonight’s episode, which I loved even more. Twice is definitely not enough!

 

Also, did anyone hear Rickman in some words Benedict spoke? Or was that just me? 

[T.o.b.y]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who writes long posts! And thanks, actually, for listing all those scenes - I'd almost forgotten half of them in a general wave of satisfaction.

[Let's_have_dinner]

There was just too much to comment on! 

[T.o.b.y]

There were so many references to the old stories in this episode again. Here's another one that I'm particularly happy with (for once, the "I" is Holmes; this is one of the few stories where he is the narrator):

 

"Speaking of my old friend and biographer, I would take this opportunity to remark that if I burden myself with a companion in my various little inquiries it is not done out of sentiment or caprice, but it is that Watson has some remarkable characteristics of his own to which in his modesty he has given small attention amid his exaggerated estimates of my own performances."

 

That was part of the wedding speech and I think the writers treated it very nicely, de-masking Holmes' rationalization of his affection for another human being.

[Let's_have_dinner]

One question though - if John doesn't know where the major is living now (since he asked him) how could they send him an invitation? Or are we to assume it was an e-invite?

[Caya]

John had his mobile in hand when he said he was coming, didn't he?

[Let's_have_dinner]

Yeah, but he hadn't RSVP-d... just wondered how they'd sent the invite.

 

Oh, and I forgot to add - Sherlock calling Mrs Hudson "Hudders" - cracked me up! 

[Karie]

 

 

 

 

 

 

(source)

 

That.was.perfect .

 

YES!! How great was it that Sherlock was interviewing the wedding guests and screening them for John's protection? It's clear there is nothing he won't do to protect John, which he reiterated with his "last vow". I'm just totally on eggshells about how he's going to end up having to keep that vow next week.  I know it's going to be bad, probably worse than we are all imagining.  My one wish is that the season ends with the two of them together, at least, and not separated on some cliffhanger again. I had enough of that last season! 

 

Not to rain on your parade. But the writers of the series said that the cliffhanger in season 3 would be even worse than the season 2 one.

 

Also, I've listened on the soundtrack from S3E3, and almost all of the tracks are sad one, which probably means that the episode will be pretty heart breaking

 

 

I can survive a cliffhanger, I just don't want it to be another one that separates John and Sherlock in any way. As long as they remain a unified front, I'm good. 

 

Redbeard --- I think he probably was a childhood pet. One that Sherlock became attached to and then suffered the loss. Mycroft is always trying to remind him that it's a bad idea to care about anyone. 

 

Speaking of Mycroft... (paraphrase) "Why are you out of breath? ... I've either caught you in a compromising position or you've been working out again (pulling a face)... I favor the latter." Haha, Sherly doesn't want to picture his big brother getting up to anything naughty. 

 

I have been attempting to re-watch this episode for a good while now, but I can't seem to make any progress as I keep rewinding to watch that speech leading up to and including the hug. I'm dying, I really am.  If Moffat wanted to kill me, that git has succeeded.  He snuck up behind me and stuck a needle in my heart, then bound it up with fluffy brotp goodness, only to pop it off next week and allow me to quickly bleed to death. 

 

One thing that's really annoying me though... can they please let poor Molly move on already? Constant shots of her staring longingly at Sherlock, glaring while he was taking photos with the MoH.  I don't see anything ever coming of it with them, so to me this just seems like a joke the writers are playing at her expense. It's really mean and she deserves better. Why not let her be truly happy? 

[T.o.b.y]

One thing that's really annoying me though... can they please let poor Molly move on already? Constant shots of her staring longingly at Sherlock, glaring while he was taking photos with the MoH.  I don't see anything ever coming of it with them, so to me this just seems like a joke the writers are playing at her expense. It's really mean and she deserves better. Why not let her be truly happy? 

 

Because that isn't what usually happens to women like Molly, unfortunately. In real life, I mean. They fall for jerks and pine after sociopaths. Molly is the one character on this show who feels totally real to me. Every time I see her, it's like I'm looking in a ( very, very flattering) mirror and I go "oh god, yes, exactly, dear. I've been there!"

 

I think she'll always love Sherlock. Even if she ever does find a really nice man and gets happily married to him. The first love cuts the deepest. (Okay, given her age, it's unlikely Sherlock was the first, but I bet he's the deepest).

 

[Let's_have_dinner]

It's almost quarter to one. I need to be up in five and a half hours. I need to stop watching this episode and go to bed! Maybe just one more viewing of the stag night 

[Caya]

Sleep, sleep is optional .

[Let's_have_dinner]

Watching the stag night again turned into watching the bit after that. And the bit after that. Oops.

[Let's_have_dinner]

It's interesting that 'Cam' (we're all assuming that's Magnusson, right?) wrote about Mary's family not being there. Could he have had something to do with their deaths? Hmm...

[T.o.b.y]

Sorry, I didn't get that bit; I missed bits and pieces in between. Could you kindly tell me what happened - please?

[Caya]

One of the cards Sherlock reads. It goes like this, "Mary: lots of love, poppet. Oodles of love and good wishes, from Cam. Wish your family could've seen this."

 

And Mary's like that when she hears it:

 

 

That family part doesn't sound good.

[T.o.b.y]

Oh, thank you! Wow, that does sound kind of ominous. After all, the case in The Sign of the Four revolved around the death of her father. Maybe they'll make something of that.

[Karie]

It's interesting that 'Cam' (we're all assuming that's Magnusson, right?) wrote about Mary's family not being there. Could he have had something to do with their deaths? Hmm...

 

And she also mentioned earlier, when Sherlock said they'd need to bulk up her side of the reception, that she didn't have any family, only lots of friends. She said something about being an orphan, or an orphanage. And Sherlock deduced in TEH that she was an only child.  So for "Cam" to mention her family being there when it sounds like she's never had much of one... it seems like an inside dig he's making. Maybe he's related to her somehow, or he took her in at some point and told her they were like family to each other. 

 

I'm definitely thinking that Cam is Magnussen.  I don't think they would have gone through the trouble of having her look ill when Sherlock read out the name (and even have John notice and ask if she was OK) if there weren't a story there.  

 

 

I'm just reviewing the bit where Sherlock has figured out the Major is the target, and I think I understand better the deal with those five women now.  It seems like they did all have the same employer... the Major.  It didn't turn up when Sherly checked because, I'm assuming, it's a type of witness protection program. Sherlock mentioned that they would have all signed confidentiality agreements.  The "secret" they all had was the same. They were working for a boss they couldn't disclose, because his location had to be kept secret.  The Mayfly was working his way up the ranks of these women, from the gardner, to security officer, to the maid, etc., until he got to the nurse. She was the only one high enough up to have seen the invitation to John's wedding (probably in his bedchamber, where she presumably would be helping tend to his medical needs from his previous injuries). So, from the nurse, the Mayfly was able to learn where and when the wedding was going to take place, so he knew when to plan his attack on the Major. 

 

It still doesn't explain how the Major got the invitation (I was previously assuming John had e-mailed him), unless he has some kind of PO box where someone in his confidential employ (or the government/military) retrieves his post and brings it to his residence. 

[Karie]

Oh, thank you! Wow, that does sound kind of ominous. After all, the case in The Sign of the Four revolved around the death of her father. Maybe they'll make something of that.

 

What if Magnussen IS her father?