Episode 3.3, "His Last Vow"

[T.o.b.y]

When did Sherlock get the chance to study Mary's case so thoroughly? He was hospitalised after the shooting, and by the time he met her in the empty house he had come up with the "surgery" excuse and was effectively telling John to forgive her - because it was his own fault for liking dangerous people! - and to trust her. Unless Mycroft turned up at the hospital with Mary's file, how could Sherlock have enough data to form the opinion that she was trustworthy? He seems to have based this opinion on his deduction that she called the ambulance, but he doesn't even know that that is true.....and calling for help for the victim, if you are the perpetrator, hardly amounts to a noble deed.

 

You are right, Sherlock decided to trust Mary before the stick even showed up, just based on the fact that she failed to kill him when she could have and that she called an ambulance.

 

But he'd have had plenty of time to peruse the information on A.G.R.A. while he was hospitalized for a second time after the confrontation in Baker St, wouldn't he? He'd have needed something to do while lying in bed... Either John let him read it or he stole it from John during a visit (and I assume John would carry the thing around with him for safe keeping).

 

As for Mycroft showing up with Mary's file, it would be odd if Mycroft did not investigate the shooting of his little brother, wouldn't it? I wonder what Sherlock told him. And whether Mycroft found out the truth.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

There is no justification for her attack on an innocent bystander (which was Sherlock's role, in this instance.). She did it because learning the truth about would destroy John?

 

 

Maybe.  But that's not what she said at the time (from Ariane DeVere's transcript):

 

SHERLOCK: Mary, whatever he’s got on you, let me help.

(He shifts his weight onto one foot, preparing to step towards her.)

MARY (in a somewhat exasperated voice): Oh, Sherlock, if you take one more step I swear I will kill you.

SHERLOCK (shaking his head with a small smile on his face): No, Mrs Watson.

(She stares at him, her mouth opening a little.)

SHERLOCK (gently): You won’t.

(He starts to lifts his foot off the floor. Immediately she pulls the trigger....)

 

My interpretation is that she shot him because he was interfering with her mission (whatever it was) by attempting to take her gun away from her.  (Still not a great excuse, I'll admit, but I believe it jibes better with the dialog and the action.)  I think Sherlock thought he could sweet-talk her because he underestimated Mary, didn't take her seriously -- which may be one reason he doesn't seem to hold a grudge later, because he realizes that she might not have shot him if he had taken her seriously.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

 

SHERLOCK (shaking his head with a small smile on his face): No, Mrs Watson.

(She stares at him, her mouth opening a little.)

SHERLOCK (gently): You won’t.

 

   He was right. She didn't kill him outright. No shot directly to the head...or the heart....she did give him a fighting chance...and thanks to his mind palace....Mycroft, Molly, Anderson, Moriarty and all......he made it all the way back.

[Zain]

 

As for Mycroft showing up with Mary's file, it would be odd if Mycroft did not investigate the shooting of his little brother, wouldn't it? I wonder what Sherlock told him. And whether Mycroft found out the truth.

 

 

 

I also thought he would investigate it, but do you really think Mary would be alive if he knew about her involvement? No matter if she has some sob story waiting to be revealed or not. I doubt Mycroft would be impressed in the slightest.

Who knows, maybe he is setting up a fall for her. Bargaining with the Americans to trade her off or something. Or he really is oblivious for once. Or Sherlock and him are collaborating once again (which would be a tad boring and repetitive... I am saying this as someone who has identified certain things that are odd with the Christmas scene, so....).

 

 

 

Of course, they just introduced it as a quick and easy way to symbolize her past. There's an awful lot of short cuts like that in the script, that's for sure. It's almost like they should've spread the story out over a few more episodes, if they'd really wanted it to make sense. To be honest, I don't think they cared if it was logical, as I've stated elsewhere I think this season was about emotional interactions. I don't believe emotion and reason are actually opposed to each other, but that seems to be the point they keep making over and over again in S3.

 

And the emotions do make sense to me. Hurt, betrayal, rage, sorrow ... I could desconstruct this episode into a million little pieces, but I still just love the "feel" of it. Oh, Moftiss, you've played me again....... :-)

 

 

I got a special treat for you. Just looked the scene over again because of your post, and I cannot but share this with you. I apologize for the quality. I wanted it to be close enough to be easy to see.

 

Look at the R in both pictures.

 

Thumbdrive John shows Mary at Christmas.

 

 

 

 

Thumbdrive John throws into the fire a few seconds later.

 

 

 

 

Maybe John did grow a backbone... Either that or I found another mistake, just like with the punch glasses.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

 I know there are metas out there discussing the differences in the initials on that thumb drive and what they might mean. I'm sure that someone had a look at that drive.....Sherlock for sure.....I'm sure he would pass that information on...probably to Mycroft......if Mycroft didn't already know all about Mary Morstan. It wouldn't surprise me at all if John knew it as well.

[Zain]

Actually, John is having the right thumbdrive at the beginning of the scene. But the one in the fire has got the other initials. So it's not something Sherlock pulled without John's knowledge. Either a genuine mistake or this is John's doing.

 

Oh, and could you maybe give me the link to those meta essays? I haven't encountered them yet, and it sounds rather promising. Or, well, interesting at least.

[sherlockandjohn]

Was just thinking about when Moriarty threatens Sherlock with, "I will burn the heart out of you" and how John is later put into the fire - John being Sherlock's pressure point.  Of course, Moriarty was already dead when that happened, but it's still interesting.  Not making a case for JohnLock as I don't see a case to be made.

 

Definitely an interesting point. John has a big place in Sherlock's heart, as we all know.

[sherlockandjohn]

 

 

SHERLOCK (shaking his head with a small smile on his face): No, Mrs Watson.

(She stares at him, her mouth opening a little.)

SHERLOCK (gently): You won’t.

 

   He was right. She didn't kill him outright. No shot directly to the head...or the heart....she did give him a fighting chance...and thanks to his mind palace....Mycroft, Molly, Anderson, Moriarty and all......he made it all the way back.

 

 

I really like that way of putting it, "gave him a fighting chance," because that's just what it was. She didn't shoot to kill him, but she also couldn't have known that he would survive. She hoped so, at least I think, and her intention was, as Sherlock said, to hospitalise him.

 

Not that wanting to hospitalise him is a good thing.

 

It's so strange... but lately I've gotten to like the whole Mary twist better. Mainly because of how Sherlock is portrayed a hero due to Mary's past and her actions in HLV, but also because I'm intrigued by the coldness in Mary's character. I would love it if she continues to have that cold side, and then have her past catch up with her at some point. I think that would be suitable. Not right away, seeing as that would undermine Sherlock's sacrifice, but eventually.

 

As for the discussion about Sherlock killing Magnussen, I again like how Sherlock is portrayed the hero. The loss of innocence (so to speak) makes me sad, but it's true that Magnussen had to go, in one way or another. He was too vile, and I never want to see him again. Like another villain said, he couldn't be allowed to continue.

 

Something that just struck me in HLV about the airport scene: Sherlock takes his glove off in order to shake John's hand. I like that little detail. A final connection before Sherlock has to leave.

[T.o.b.y]

SHERLOCK: Mary, whatever he’s got on you, let me help.

(He shifts his weight onto one foot, preparing to step towards her.)

MARY (in a somewhat exasperated voice): Oh, Sherlock, if you take one more step I swear I will kill you.

SHERLOCK (shaking his head with a small smile on his face): No, Mrs Watson.

(She stares at him, her mouth opening a little.)

SHERLOCK (gently): You won’t.

(He starts to lifts his foot off the floor. Immediately she pulls the trigger....)

 

I've never really understood Mary in that scene. So, what, if he'd stayed where he was she wouldn't have shot him? But... where would have been the big difference in that situation versus if he came towards her? Either way, he'd have discovered her secret and she'd be in danger of John finding out through Sherlock...

[Arcadia]

Actually, John is having the right thumbdrive at the beginning of the scene. But the one in the fire has got the other initials. So it's not something Sherlock pulled without John's knowledge. Either a genuine mistake or this is John's doing.

 

Oh, and could you maybe give me the link to those meta essays? I haven't encountered them yet, and it sounds rather promising. Or, well, interesting at least.

Or some of the "R" rubbed off in his pocket? It looks so similar otherwise .....

 

I still can't figure out where the dang thing came from. Or more precisely, if it's all that damaging, why it still exists. If I'd been Mary I would've tossed it in a blast furnace years earlier.

[Caya]

 

Some serial killers develop a kind of overconfidence if they don't get caught, getting bolder with every kill. Maybe there's something similar at work here. Mary seems to never have suffered any consequences for her deeds, so she might have got cocky. Hence keeping the stick and such. Or maybe it's simple sentiment.

 

Sidenote: got the pic from a blog called Sociopath World. The www is truly a multifaceted place.

[Zain]

 

Actually, John is having the right thumbdrive at the beginning of the scene. But the one in the fire has got the other initials. So it's not something Sherlock pulled without John's knowledge. Either a genuine mistake or this is John's doing.

 

Oh, and could you maybe give me the link to those meta essays? I haven't encountered them yet, and it sounds rather promising. Or, well, interesting at least.

Or some of the "R" rubbed off in his pocket? It looks so similar otherwise .....

 

I still can't figure out where the dang thing came from. Or more precisely, if it's all that damaging, why it still exists. If I'd been Mary I would've tossed in a blast furnace years earlier.

 

 

Possible but the G's dot is also slightly off, as well as the A. The strokes are a bit different, too. The thumbdrive in John's hand has a shorter base stroke for the R than the one in the fire. On the one in his hands the R almost looks like a D with a curve to the right. 

The A at the end is on the thumbdrive in the fire straighter than on the one  in John's hand, there's a slight upturn to the right side.

Either they used a different thumbdrive for the shots, or it is deliberate. I have to admit that it is easier to tell when you can put both images next to each other and at roughly the same size. Overall, the last A is slightly tilted to the right in the fire, and in John's hand, not so much.

 

 

Okay, I do not think there's a real reason why she carries the thumbdrive other than as a short cut for the writers. But, if I have to try myself at an explanation with some plot behind it...(beware, this will be highly conspiratorial).:

 

Okay, the thumbdrive basically contains information on her prior life, and thus on her prior work experience, both, freelance and with the CIA.

So, it is evidence for both, her even more illegal hits, as well as the assignments she was given by the government. She could have held onto it as a bargaining chip. She could publish the information on the thumbdrive, and it would mean she would suffer dire consequences, but so would those other parties, mostly the CIA. In a way, it's a security blanket. (Which would make her a hypocrite, she keeps onto it for blackmail reasons, and then she tries to kill someone who attempts to blackmail her with the same information...)

So, which parties could we be speaking of? Mycroft, for starters. We know he sometimes works with CIA, and Mary worked with them before she became an assassin for hire. Maybe she took some information with her so that she would not be hunted down like you usually would do with someone that goes freelance. It is somewhat strange that her cover is that shallow, and yet nobody found her besides Magnussen. 

Maybe they did find her, but they did not dare raise attention to it.

 

I've mentioned before that Mary's placement in John's surgery seems to be rather deliberate when we consider her true "vocation" and training(assassin and linguist). So, either she placed herself there because she belongs to the bad guys and kept an eye on John because she was after Sherlock, or she gained something else from getting in contact with John. John does not - no offense - have much she could have profited from. I doubt she had a romantic relationship in mind from the beginning. So, what did she gain from getting close to him?

Sherlock was off the table, unless they found out about his fake death around the time she entered John's life. The only other person of interest which would connect her with John is Mycroft, who she must know, either from whispered rumours or personally from the CIA. Maybe she deliberately placed herself in direct view, as both: a warning and blackmail. Mycroft knows she has information that would be a disadvantage to the government, and that is why he cannot touch her. We know that Mycroft did pay her no attention whatsoever, not even when Sherlock was shot. He did not investigate, that itself is strange. What if his hands are tied? If he cannot risk alienating Mary? So: She placed herself near John as a reminder to Mycroft that they better leave her alone about her freelance work. The romantic relationship was an unexpected benefit.

The reason she carries the thumbdrive at her body at all times is because it is what keeps her out of prison. Her bargaining chip.

 

Just an attempt.

Like I stated above, I very much believe that the thumbdrive was simply a method to circumvent the necessity  to give a proper explanation.

But it was fun making all that up

[Slithytove]

 

 

There is no justification for her attack on an innocent bystander (which was Sherlock's role, in this instance.). She did it because learning the truth about would destroy John?

 

Maybe. But that's not what she said at the time (from Ariane DeVere's transcript):

 

SHERLOCK: Mary, whatever he’s got on you, let me help.

(He shifts his weight onto one foot, preparing to step towards her.)

MARY (in a somewhat exasperated voice): Oh, Sherlock, if you take one more step I swear I will kill you.

SHERLOCK (shaking his head with a small smile on his face): No, Mrs Watson.

(She stares at him, her mouth opening a little.)

SHERLOCK (gently): You won’t.

(He starts to lifts his foot off the floor. Immediately she pulls the trigger....)

My interpretation is that she shot him because he was interfering with her mission (whatever it was) by attempting to take her gun away from her. (Still not a great excuse, I'll admit, but I believe it jibes better with the dialog and the action.) I think Sherlock thought he could sweet-talk her because he underestimated Mary, didn't take her seriously -- which may be one reason he doesn't seem to hold a grudge later, because he realizes that she might not have shot him if he had taken her seriously.

Yes, her excuse "It would break him and I would lose him forever" and the threat "There is nothing I would not do to stop that happening" come later, when she has had time to think about it. At the time, Sherlock is just an impediment - he might get in the way of her mission to intimidate and/or kill CAM and he would definitely be an eyewitness. So he has to go. The I-love-John-so-much-that-I-have-to-shoot-you explanation comes later. As you say, it is not what she says at the time, when Sherlock is an obstacle in her path and a danger to her.

 

Personally, I consider her threat to shoot him if he comes closer to be meaningless. Even if he doesn't move an inch, she isn't going to let him get out of that room unscathed. He is a witness. He could get her arrested, or tell John, or both. Of course, she won't let him disarm her but she also won't let him reveal the truth. From her point of view, Sherlock was going to be shot, from the moment he walked into that room. He was an eyewitness, and a professional killer doesn't let a witness escape.

[sherlockandjohn]

 

SHERLOCK: Mary, whatever he’s got on you, let me help.

(He shifts his weight onto one foot, preparing to step towards her.)

MARY (in a somewhat exasperated voice): Oh, Sherlock, if you take one more step I swear I will kill you.

SHERLOCK (shaking his head with a small smile on his face): No, Mrs Watson.

(She stares at him, her mouth opening a little.)

SHERLOCK (gently): You won’t.

(He starts to lifts his foot off the floor. Immediately she pulls the trigger....)

 

I've never really understood Mary in that scene. So, what, if he'd stayed where he was she wouldn't have shot him? But... where would have been the big difference in that situation versus if he came towards her? Either way, he'd have discovered her secret and she'd be in danger of John finding out through Sherlock...

 

 

I'm not sure about that one, either, but it seems to me that Mary feels threatened by Sherlock... and maybe that's part of the reason why she pulls the trigger. Having Sherlock right there in Magnussen's office is obviously a shock, not only to Sherlock, but to her as well, though she is good at covering it up. However, there are still signs of hesitation, which must mean she is wondering what to do, perhaps even as she says the words, "if you take one more step..." When Sherlock does, she panics - but being a trained assasin, she is still capable of keeping her cool enough to calculate where she aims.

[sfmpco]

Well, notice back in TEH that when Sherlock is first filtering info on Mary (after John gives him the bloody nose), that one of the words that flies at him is SECRET.  So right there he knows something is being hidden from him about her.  However, I think he puts it aside because he feels he has made a connection with her, and we follow his lead.  If he likes her and she likes him, we also like her and ignore that filtered word.  Still, the clue was there almost from the start.

 

As for her past, CAM may give a hint to it when he mentions something to the effect of "too bad your family can't be here" in the wedding telegram, and I have to wonder if there is something there with her family that if found out would really make John not like her.  Well, that would be really, really dark and I hope the show doesn't go there.  HLV was dark enough.

[Redbeard]

 

 

Actually, John is having the right thumbdrive at the beginning of the scene. But the one in the fire has got the other initials. So it's not something Sherlock pulled without John's knowledge. Either a genuine mistake or this is John's doing.

 

Oh, and could you maybe give me the link to those meta essays? I haven't encountered them yet, and it sounds rather promising. Or, well, interesting at least.

Or some of the "R" rubbed off in his pocket? It looks so similar otherwise .....

 

I still can't figure out where the dang thing came from. Or more precisely, if it's all that damaging, why it still exists. If I'd been Mary I would've tossed in a blast furnace years earlier.

 

 

 

The reason she carries the thumbdrive at her body at all times is because it is what keeps her out of prison. Her bargaining chip.

 

 

 

 

Then she must have been really ticked off when John threw it in the fire!  lol.  Would have been a hilarious scene, John with this noble, grand gesture and her going "you idiot!". 

 

Also, I like the thought that Mary was placed close to John (let's say by Moriarty or his team) to specifically get close to John after "the fall" to keep tabs and find out if Sherlock is still alive, etc.  And John really did believe Sherlock was dead so he was convincing and she probably reported back to her bosses that he WAS dead which allowed Sherlock to finish off the network unhindered.  Which shows Sherlock's brilliance in not telling John the truth!  It was for good reason after all.   And then after she was sure the threat of Sherlock was cleared she did really fall for John.  But then probably got in huge trouble when - surprise - Sherlock showed up.  And at that point she really liked them both but maybe pressure was being on her to get rid of Sherlock?  

[Carol the Dabbler]

SHERLOCK: Mary, whatever he’s got on you, let me help.

(He shifts his weight onto one foot, preparing to step towards her.)

MARY (in a somewhat exasperated voice): Oh, Sherlock, if you take one more step I swear I will kill you.

SHERLOCK (shaking his head with a small smile on his face): No, Mrs Watson.

(She stares at him, her mouth opening a little.)

SHERLOCK (gently): You won’t.

(He starts to lifts his foot off the floor. Immediately she pulls the trigger....)

 

I've never really understood Mary in that scene. So, what, if he'd stayed where he was she wouldn't have shot him? But... where would have been the big difference in that situation versus if he came towards her? Either way, he'd have discovered her secret and she'd be in danger of John finding out through Sherlock...

 

To elaborate on my take on this -- she thinks he's attempting to take her gun away from her (and I think she's right about that), so her first priority is to convince him not to do that.  That's why she warns him off.  Maybe she figures that once he backs down, then they can discuss what to do next, like two mature adults (they've worked well together before, after all).  But he seems to be seeing her as Little Mary Watson, and assumes that if he just uses his Soothing Voice on her, she'll hand over the gun.  (After all, it worked on Henry Knight.)  So he calls  her bluff -- but she's not bluffing.

 

Personally, I consider her threat to shoot him if he comes closer to be meaningless. Even if he doesn't move an inch, she isn't going to let him get out of that room unscathed. He is a witness. He could get her arrested, or tell John, or both. Of course, she won't let him disarm her but she also won't let him reveal the truth. From her point of view, Sherlock was going to be shot, from the moment he walked into that room. He was an eyewitness, and a professional killer doesn't let a witness escape.

You may be right -- there's no proof to the contrary.  But I like my take better, not only because it fits well with what we actually see, but also because it allows me to like the episode better than I would otherwise.

 

[Arcadia]

 

Okay, I do not think there's a real reason why she carries the thumbdrive other than as a short cut for the writers. But, if I have to try myself at an explanation with some plot behind it...(beware, this will be highly conspiratorial).:

 

Okay, the thumbdrive basically contains information on her prior life, and thus on her prior work experience, both, freelance and with the CIA.

So, it is evidence for both, her even more illegal hits, as well as the assignments she was given by the government. She could have held onto it as a bargaining chip. She could publish the information on the thumbdrive, and it would mean she would suffer dire consequences, but so would those other parties, mostly the CIA. In a way, it's a security blanket. (Which would make her a hypocrite, she keeps onto it for blackmail reasons, and then she tries to kill someone who attempts to blackmail her with the same information...)

So, which parties could we be speaking of? Mycroft, for starters. We know he sometimes works with CIA, and Mary worked with them before she became an assassin for hire. Maybe she took some information with her so that she would not be hunted down like you usually would do with someone that goes freelance. It is somewhat strange that her cover is that shallow, and yet nobody found her besides Magnussen. 

Maybe they did find her, but they did not dare raise attention to it.

 

I've mentioned before that Mary's placement in John's surgery seems to be rather deliberate when we consider her true "vocation" and training(assassin and linguist). So, either she placed herself there because she belongs to the bad guys and kept an eye on John because she was after Sherlock, or she gained something else from getting in contact with John. John does not - no offense - have much she could have profited from. I doubt she had a romantic relationship in mind from the beginning. So, what did she gain from getting close to him?

Sherlock was off the table, unless they found out about his fake death around the time she entered John's life. The only other person of interest which would connect her with John is Mycroft, who she must know, either from whispered rumours or personally from the CIA. Maybe she deliberately placed herself in direct view, as both: a warning and blackmail. Mycroft knows she has information that would be a disadvantage to the government, and that is why he cannot touch her. We know that Mycroft did pay her no attention whatsoever, not even when Sherlock was shot. He did not investigate, that itself is strange. What if his hands are tied? If he cannot risk alienating Mary? So: She placed herself near John as a reminder to Mycroft that they better leave her alone about her freelance work. The romantic relationship was an unexpected benefit.

The reason she carries the thumbdrive at her body at all times is because it is what keeps her out of prison. Her bargaining chip.

 

Just an attempt.

Like I stated above, I very much believe that the thumbdrive was simply a method to circumvent the necessity  to give a proper explanation.

But it was fun making all that up

I have to say it again ... I love the way your mind works! In a million years I could never come up with such an idea.

 

If the drive is Mary's bargaining chip, I hope she made a backup!

 

So, just to have some more fun ... where does the original Moran story lead? I haven't read it, so I'm not much help, but if Mary is Moran, maybe there's more clues there. (What's the title, by the way? In case I want to read it myself.)

[Caya]

The Adventure of the Empty House ends with Moran being arrested ( ). He is mentioned again in His Last Bow as an example of those of Holmes's many adversaries who have futilely sworn revenge against him ( ).

 

 

 

“The old sweet song,” said Holmes. “How often have I heard it in days gone by. It was a favourite ditty of the late lamented Professor Moriarty. Colonel Sebastian Moran has also been known to warble it. And yet I live and keep bees upon the South Downs.”

 

[Arcadia]

Well, yeah, but I meant, before that. How does Holmes catch him, for example. Never mind, don't tell! I'll go read it.

[Slithytove]

 

 

 

SHERLOCK: Mary, whatever he’s got on you, let me help.

(He shifts his weight onto one foot, preparing to step towards her.)

MARY (in a somewhat exasperated voice): Oh, Sherlock, if you take one more step I swear I will kill you.

SHERLOCK (shaking his head with a small smile on his face): No, Mrs Watson.

(She stares at him, her mouth opening a little.)

SHERLOCK (gently): You won’t.

(He starts to lifts his foot off the floor. Immediately she pulls the trigger....)

I've never really understood Mary in that scene. So, what, if he'd stayed where he was she wouldn't have shot him? But... where would have been the big difference in that situation versus if he came towards her? Either way, he'd have discovered her secret and she'd be in danger of John finding out through Sherlock...

To elaborate on my take on this -- she thinks he's attempting to take her gun away from her (and I think she's right about that), so her first priority is to convince him not to do that. That's why she warns him off. Maybe she figures that once he backs down, then they can discuss what to do next, like two mature adults (they've worked well together before, after all). But he seems to be seeing her as Little Mary Watson, and assumes that if he just uses his Soothing Voice on her, she'll hand over the gun. (After all, it worked on Henry Knight.) So he calls her bluff -- but she's not bluffing.

Personally, I consider her threat to shoot him if he comes closer to be meaningless. Even if he doesn't move an inch, she isn't going to let him get out of that room unscathed. He is a witness. He could get her arrested, or tell John, or both. Of course, she won't let him disarm her but she also won't let him reveal the truth. From her point of view, Sherlock was going to be shot, from the moment he walked into that room. He was an eyewitness, and a professional killer doesn't let a witness escape.

You may be right -- there's no proof to the contrary. But I like my take better, not only because it fits well with what we actually see, but also because it allows me to like the episode better than I would otherwise.

I don't agree at all, I am afraid, about Little Mary Watson. I think he doesn't believe she will shoot him because she is a good person. That is his mistake.

 

We don't know if he intended to disarm her. It would be the right thing to do, if you were brave enough - to take the weapon and prevent a murder. We know Sherlock is extremely brave but we don't actually know what he planned to do. However, even if he did disarm her, he would remain a danger to her safety. He could still have her arrested. He could still tell John. He could ask CAM what hold he had over her, and thus learn enough about her to send her to prison for life. Would an assassin risk all that against a little chat with Sherlock? We know she is ruthless - she shoots him without a second thought - and she would not have survived long as a killer if she had a talk with eyewitnesses like mature adults and then let them go.

 

No, I think Sherlock was doomed as soon as soon as he walked into the room. From Mary's perspective, shooting him was the safest, albeit most brutal, option.

[T.o.b.y]

Well, yeah, but I meant, before that. How does Holmes catch him, for example. Never mind, don't tell! I'll go read it.

 

Oh, I'm happy to tell... Just in case you didn't get round to reading the story yet.

 

 

Holmes knows that Moran is planning to assassinate him. So he has a wax model made of himself and places it near the window at Baker St, where, against the light of the fire and with the help of Mrs Hudson who moves it from time to time, it looks lifelike enough. Then he and Watson hide in an empty house across the street and wait, the police round the corner. Eventually, Moran shows up, installs himself by the window and shoots the dummy in the head. Holmes attacks him, is nearly strangled, Watson joins the fight and knocks Moran out. Then they call in the police and have Lestrade arrest him. End of story.

 

 

The scene where Sherlock confronts Mary in His Last Vow with John as the "dummy" is a pretty clever twist on that, isn't it? Of course Mary is in part based on Moran... I do wonder how far that analogy goes.

 

[sfmpco]

No, I think Sherlock was doomed as soon as soon as he walked into the room. From Mary's perspective, shooting him was the safest, albeit most brutal, option.

 

 

Eloquently put.

[Arcadia]

 

Well, yeah, but I meant, before that. How does Holmes catch him, for example. Never mind, don't tell! I'll go read it.

Oh, I'm happy to tell... Just in case you didn't get round to reading the story yet.

 

 

Holmes knows that Moran is planning to assassinate him. So he has a wax model made of himself and places it near the window at Baker St, where, against the light of the fire and with the help of Mrs Hudson who moves it from time to time, it looks lifelike enough. Then he and Watson hide in an empty house across the street and wait, the police round the corner. Eventually, Moran shows up, installs himself by the window and shoots the dummy in the head. Holmes attacks him, is nearly strangled, Watson joins the fight and knocks Moran out. Then they call in the police and have Lestrade arrest him. End of story.

 

 

The scene where Sherlock confronts Mary in His Last Vow with John as the "dummy" is a pretty clever twist on that, isn't it? Of course Mary is in part based on Moran... I do wonder how far that analogy goes.

 

Okay, I have no will power, I read the spoiler. Thanks!

I've actually seen that scene somewhere. Maybe in the Brett version? I remember the silhouette going round and round (like a teddy bear....)

 

And Moran was Moriarty's henchman, or second in command, or something, right? Hmmm. Lots of fodder there! If S4 goes on as if none of this ever happened, Moftiss will be wasting a golden opportunity ....

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Well.....if the analogy of the canon holds true in Season Four and Mary is still out to get Sherlock....then Sherlock is also playing a bluff on her because he knows her true nature.....who wouldn't.  But if she plays Colonel Moran all the way....then what is Sherlock waiting for. He takes Moran down....will be interesting to see how this all plays out.