Episode 3.3, "His Last Vow"

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

He did work within the law...when he could....but these terrorists are not going to jump back and let someone just run...especially a woman. Sherlock would have to fight...good thing he's a master sword fighter.  But then, he has infiltrated the cell...so he could have dummied their bullets.....jammed their firearms...any number of things.

[Slithytove]

 

 

I think you're right that John's absence is probably to heighten the drama, as he is the catalyst for Sherlock's (improbable) return to life. It is interesting, though, that the writers chose to present it that way. They could have featured John and still kept the dramatic turning point. For instance, he could have appeared in the final Mind Palace scene, in distress and calling for Sherlock's help, or he could have been a distant, receding figure drawing Sherlock back towards life. That's just off the top of my head, of course, and I am sure the writers could have come up with a very dramatic way of featuring John as a catalyst in SQherlock's imagination.

Yes, but wouldn't it have been terribly difficult to do so in a way that isn't too romantic? Besides, the people in Sherlock's mind palace don't seem to be representatives of their actual live counterparts so much as different aspects of his own personality, who take on different voices. The mind palace scene is basically Sherlock talking to himself, I think.

 

I like the Moriarty solution. First of all, because it's another way of the series coming full circle. In series 1, it was Moriarty who made Sherlock see that he did have a heart, by using John, by putting John in danger, and then in His Last Vow, of course it is Sherlock's "inner Moriarty" who taunts him with "John Watson is in danger". Besides, for some reason, it seems to be the villains' job in this series to tell the characters (mostly Sherlock) the truth about themselves. So it's appropriate, from my point of view, that Moriarty gets to point out how Sherlock is failing his vow and that yes, he does have a reason to live.

 

Speaking of a reason to live: Wasn't that "the final problem", anyway? Staying alive - what for? So of course it has to be Moriarty who brings this up again!

 

And by the way. Isn't it dark and sad and interesting that Sherlock didn't fight for his life for it's own sake? He's not all too fond of living, it seems. One of my favorite "send a shiver down my spine" moments in the entire series is when, in The Hounds of Baskerville, Sherlock immediately associates "Liberty In" with "Liberty in death" and calls this "the only true freedom". He has a death wish for sure. And who could be better to personify that than Moriarty?

 

It would be quite in character with the original Mr Holmes. He claimed that he would die gladly, if he could take Moriarty with him. I always had the impression that Mr Holmes, sooner than live to lose his mental faculties in old age, would gladly be killed on some adventure, provided his exit made a big enough smash and bang and drama. Unfortunately, there were always people and countries who needed him and dragons to be slain...

 

So, although I'm not saying that killing CAM was okay (this is not a morality discussion), I am saying that it is likely not the first time he has killed...in cold blood.

 

 

And then on the flipside he is the totally flummoxed, almost sweet/child-like man-child whose brain goes on full tilt when John tells him he's his best friend.

Well, it kind of makes sense, though. With that kind of background, you don't exactly expect yourself to become anybody's friend, let alone best man, I guess.

 

I love that bit where Sherlock is asked to be best man. I think it's the moment he realizes that John truly has forgiven him for The Fall and that is mostly why he is so stunned. I suspect that if you would have asked Sherlock before he jumped off that roof "who is John Watson's best friend?", he'd have said "me, of course" (if he wouldn't have laughed the question to scorn).

I'd guess that the writers could manage to hit whatever note they chose but, if it was romantic, would that matter? I don't think you could get a more heightened example of romanticism than the gothic image of Jim Moriarty in a straitjacket, chained up in some sort of pit. Or did you mean romantic in an erotic sense? Again, would it matter? They've hardly avoided playful hints along those lines already, so I can't see that it would be so terrible if the Mind Palace scene had featured John in a way which had the Johnlock shippers going "Well, of course...." and everyone else seeing it as an illustration of the powerful bond between Sherlock & John.

 

Ironically, given that he prides himself on his rationality and cold logic, Holmes has always been a romantic character - a knight errant facing unimaginable evil in defence of the innocence In his current incarnation, he's positively Byronic, all dark curls and flowing black coat. (Not that I'm complaining, you undrstand. )

 

I agree that giving the lines to Jim works well, though his role in the Mind Palace isn't without paradox. It is easy to forget that the characters are all representations of Sherlock's own mental processes, so it is his subconscious which is telling him that he feels pain and heartache but need not fear these feelings. So he has unconsciously chosen an imaginary version of Jim, a genuine psychopath, to tell himself that he does have feelings - i.e. not a sociopath - but he can control them. Strange.....

 

As for Jim's warning that John is in danger......Why does Sherlock think that? Surely he doesn't think Mary would harm John after shooting him? In fact, John would have been safer if Sherlock died and Mary could play the grieving friend, comforting John for his loss. If Sherlock fought his way back to life, he could expose her and maybe put John in danger if he reacted badly to the news. How would Sherlock being alive help to keep John out of danger? Wouldn't it put him in greater danger? Or was Jim referring to something else - something we don't yet know?

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

 

How would Sherlock being alive help to keep John out of danger? Wouldn't it put him in greater danger? Or was Jim referring to something else - something we don't yet know?

 

  This has more or less been my take on it. Especially as he becomes absolutely warm towards Mary. Telling John that he can trust her even after the shooting. So I figure something must be up. Something besides Mary.....or else he's setting her up for a big reveal....but really....I don't see that...yet...anyway.

[T.o.b.y]

I'd guess that the writers could manage to hit whatever note they chose but, if it was romantic, would that matter?

 

Having just watched The Sign of Three for the gazllionth time, I'll have to say, not at all... And I am sure they could have done it beautifully. Just because my poor little brain can't think of a way to do something right, that fortunately doesn't mean this writing and acting and directing and everything else team can't...

 

I don't think you could get a more heightened example of romanticism than the gothic image of Jim Moriarty in a straitjacket, chained up in some sort of pit.

 

Very true. And of course I loved it. I guess I shouldn't have read so much "Wuthering Heights" and stuff like that at a tender age...

 

I love how they romanticize Sherlock and all his world. It's absolutely perfect, never overdone (for me, at least - I bet His Last Vow was over the top enough for some viewers).

 

As for Jim's warning that John is in danger......Why does Sherlock think that? Surely he doesn't think Mary would harm John after shooting him? In fact, John would have been safer if Sherlock died and Mary could play the grieving friend, comforting John for his loss. If Sherlock fought his way back to life, he could expose her and maybe put John in danger if he reacted badly to the news. How would Sherlock being alive help to keep John out of danger? Wouldn't it put him in greater danger? Or was Jim referring to something else - something we don't yet know?

 

 

I thought that since at that point, Sherlock hadn't figured Mary out, didn't know much about her etc, all he knew was that she was potentially dangerous and that John was completely in the dark about her and possibly living enemies of hers who might become a threat to their entire family. So he had to find his way back to them and fix everything up before he could afford to go on a suicide mission or stuff like that.

 

He broke his vow nontheless, didn't he, at the end. "Always be there", indeed. How was he going to manage that in Eastern Europe, let alone after the six months were up? Poor Sherlock. He really did lose to Magnussen. Thank goodness the plane turned around.

 

 

 

[sfmpco]

I do think there is a yet unexplored darkness in his soul.  Killing CAM was the tip of that iceberg.  What that darkness is or is capable of, we don't know.  After all, he did say that although he was on the side of angels, he was NOT one of them, and he was willing to shake Moriarty's hand in hell.  To me, it's his way of saying that he will do whatever it takes to get done whatever needs to be done.  

 

And i keep wanting to talk about his coat... his superhero cape in a way, and they definitely like to film it flowing behind him like a cape when he's running... really looks good when he's running towards the bonfire in TEH, and at the end of HLV when the helicopter is causing it to billow out behind him... that is his cape of sorts.  

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

 

And i keep wanting to talk about his coat... his superhero cape in a way, and they definitely like to film it flowing behind him like a cape when he's running... really looks good when he's running towards the bonfire in TEH, and at the end of HLV when the helicopter is causing it to billow out behind him... that is his cape of sorts.  

 

 

   Oh no argument there. That aspect of "the coat" was really emphasized in "TUP"  when he finds the pink case and jumps out of the skip.  His coat flairs and there is a definite whooshing sound.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Then there is the scene in "TRF" when he and John have run and they are in the alley...about to go down another one. Sherlock brings himself up tall and sweeps the coat behind him.

[sfmpco]

Then there is the scene in "TRF" when he and John have run and they are in the alley...about to go down another one. Sherlock brings himself up tall and sweeps the coat behind him.

 

seriously, that coat is his superhero coat.  It is his signature when in public.

 

Listening to the commentary on ASIB, Lara Pulver said that they had to take the coat in for her because she was swimming in it, plus BC apparently has very long arms and that was a problem for her too.  Obviously they have more than one coat in wardrobe.

 

That coat.... it is his power in public, in a way.  And let's not forget his fall from Barts in TRF and how it was like wings that weren't quite working....

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

The broken wings of a dark angel.

[Slithytove]

I do think there is a yet unexplored darkness in his soul. Killing CAM was the tip of that iceberg. What that darkness is or is capable of, we don't know. After all, he did say that although he was on the side of angels, he was NOT one of them, and he was willing to shake Moriarty's hand in hell. To me, it's his way of saying that he will do whatever it takes to get done whatever needs to be done.

 

And i keep wanting to talk about his coat... his superhero cape in a way, and they definitely like to film it flowing behind him like a cape when he's running... really looks good when he's running towards the bonfire in TEH, and at the end of HLV when the helicopter is causing it to billow out behind him... that is his cape of sorts.

That's interesting - personally, I don't get the impression of a dark side to Sherlock (or, at least, no darker than that possessed by everyone.). I see him as a man who believes, or wants to believe, in his own darkness and that, to me, is a more subtle and intriguing premise. Sherlock proclaims himself a sociopath and tries to live up to it and yet he constantly disproves his own theory by putting other people's well being above his own. This is most obvious, of course, where John is concerned.

 

The more I think of it, the more S3 seems to be a three act play about sacrifice. In TEH, Sherlock is willing to sacrifice his body to save John, literally running into a fire without a thought for his own safety. In TSoT, it is his heart, which breaks as he stands aside to allow John unencumbered happiness with his wife and child. (He even says they won't need him when they have the baby.). In HLV, he sacrifices his soul - or, less romantically, his freedom - when he kills CAM to protect John by protecting Mary.

 

I really don't see Sherlock as a killer. He took down Moriarty's network, but couldn't he have done that by using his brilliant mind to discover the criminals, expose their crimes and bring them to justice? We don't know that he assassinated them as well. Judging by his tears after shooting CAM, it seems unlikely. He looks like a man who has gone into shock after committing a terrible and irrevocable act, motivated by love and a peculiar sense of honour - he did make a vow to protect the Watsons and he keeps it by doing something which appals him.

 

Of course, S4 will probably disprove everything by turning him into an absolute psychopath....

[jesskayding]

Ok. Here's my 2 cents. I think sherlock kills only when necessary. I don't think it excites him to kill. It excites him to be the most clever person in the room. CAM was not only clever, but he was using his "knowledge" to destroy lives. Sherlock or somebody had to remove emotion out of the equation & take him out.

 

Also I believe that Sherlock prefers not to fight, he far prefers bringing down his opponent with wit & intelligence. He also doesn't mind going toe toe... that's obvious. There's had to have been @ least 10 fight scenes that Sherlock has been apart of in these series. Not only that if he was a good shot... The Golem would have been done for. Honestly they've held back on how violent a trained boxer & swordsman could be. They could get all Robert Downey Jr on us.

[Carol the Dabbler]

That's true.  *shudder*  (I like the Downey movies just fine, but one Downey is quite adequate.)

 

Actually, I think it was John (rather than Sherlock) who was trying to shoot the Golem -- but was thwarted by something -- maybe Sherlock's scale double got in the way?  But Sherlock has been shown to be an excellent shot (as evidenced by his Smiley Face performance), so if he doesn't gun down bad guys as a matter of course, there must be a reason.  And I think you may be right -- he prefers to show off his intellect.

 

Now I'm trying to think what fight scenes you're referring to, and here's what I've come up with so far:

 

1. Punching out the scimitar-wielding assassin in "Blind Banker."

2. Wrestling with the Chinese acrobat at the theater in "Blind Banker."

3. Wrestling with the Chinese acrobat in the tunnel in "Blind Banker."

4. Trying to avoid being strangled by John in "Scandal."

5. Defeating the CIA guys (with assistance) at Irene's place in "Scandal."

6. Trying to avoid being "beaten" by Irene in "Scandal."

7. Punching out Neilson at 221B in "Scandal."

8. Attacking the terrorists with a scimitar at the end of "Scandal."

9. Being punched (repeatedly) by John in "Empty Hearse."

10. Attempting to confiscate Mary's gun in "Last Vow."

... and surely there are more.

 

So some he wins, some he loses.

 

[sfmpco]

Oh I hope S4 doesn't turn him into an absolute psychopath.  Just more human, more vulnerable - but to get to those places requires things that really shake him to his core.

 

Look, if this series were just one episode after another of solving a case, it really wouldn't be interesting except for one or two episodes.  What makes it interesting from the start is this title character who after nine episodes has started to crack his shell.  He has let friendship in and with that the platonic love of friends.  And as much as some people don't like Mary, he has a strong bond with her.  He adores her and has liked her from the start.  He has come so far, and that's what makes him interesting to me.  I want to see where else he will go  I'm glad the episodes in Series 3 have gotten away from the straight-forward case.  HLV wasn't even a case.  There was no deduction to be had.  Everything was on the table.  This shows the writers are moving him in a different direction too.

 

I suspect series 4 will have some serious dragon slaying going on - and not without some personal consequences.

[T.o.b.y]

That's interesting - personally, I don't get the impression of a dark side to Sherlock (or, at least, no darker than that possessed by everyone.). I see him as a man who believes, or wants to believe, in his own darkness and that, to me, is a more subtle and intriguing premise. Sherlock proclaims himself a sociopath and tries to live up to it and yet he constantly disproves his own theory by putting other people's well being above his own.

 

That sounds entirely plausible, and it's a very interesting character concept, isn't it. It takes the "reluctant hero" one step further.

 

Of course, it poses the question of why. *Sigh*, I do wish I didn't get started on these thoughts right when I have to hurry to get to work...

 

[jesskayding]

Cool Dabbler.... Thrilling you were counting. & yes there is that part where the gun got kicked out of John's hand, also as the Golem was getting away Sherlock shot @ him like 3 times.

[jesskayding]

Oh yeah.. There was that standoff between him & Moriarty @ the pool.

 

He was about to be put to "sleep" with that pipe by that Serbian fellow.

 

He physically attacked Mycroft, because he was blowing his high.

 

I bet you there's @ least a couple more confrontations/fights. Just can't rememer em' all.

[sfmpco]

Ok. Here's my 2 cents. I think sherlock kills only when necessary. I don't think it excites him to kill. It excites him to be the most clever person in the room. CAM was not only clever, but he was using his "knowledge" to destroy lives. Sherlock or somebody had to remove emotion out of the equation & take him out.

 

Also I believe that Sherlock prefers not to fight, he far prefers bringing down his opponent with wit & intelligence. He also doesn't mind going toe toe... that's obvious. There's had to have been @ least 10 fight scenes that Sherlock has been apart of in these series. Not only that if he was a good shot... The Golem would have been done for. Honestly they've held back on how violent a trained boxer & swordsman could be. They could get all Robert Downey Jr on us.

[Slithytove]

 

That's interesting - personally, I don't get the impression of a dark side to Sherlock (or, at least, no darker than that possessed by everyone.). I see him as a man who believes, or wants to believe, in his own darkness and that, to me, is a more subtle and intriguing premise. Sherlock proclaims himself a sociopath and tries to live up to it and yet he constantly disproves his own theory by putting other people's well being above his own.

That sounds entirely plausible, and it's a very interesting character concept, isn't it. It takes the "reluctant hero" one step further.

 

Of course, it poses the question of why. *Sigh*, I do wish I didn't get started on these thoughts right when I have to hurry to get to work...

Why, indeed. You could build a pretty strong case for an argument that Sherlock has a streak of self- hatred. Not only does he identify as a sociopath, but he neglects himself physically - a frequent lack of food and sleep - and damages himself with drugs. He is also reckless of his own safety at times. I don't know that he has a death wish but he certainly seems to punish himself a lot. I've always felt that Sherlock suffered from low self-esteem beneath all the showing off, and I can only think of his childhood as a reason - evidently pretty isolated at times and growing up under the shadow of his brother. He seems have internalised Mycroft's opinions to a great degree - i.e. you're not as clever as me, don't get involved, don't feel - and it isn't surprising that Mycroft shows up in his Mind Palace in TSoT and HLV. Nor is it surprising that Mycroft's voice in Sherlock's head is helpful but also critical and very bossy. On the face of it, Mycroft does seem a likely source of Sherlock's low self-image. On the other hand, we know nothing of the other dynamics within the family when he was growing up. Are Mummy and Daddy Holmes as sweet and ordinary as they seem? What was their influence over their gifted and strange little boys?

[Caya]

And as much as some people don't like Mary, he has a strong bond with her.  He adores her and has liked her from the start. 

For what feels like the n-th time, this has nothing to do with dislike. Mary killed an unarmed man who thought of her as a friend. And she got away with it without any kind of in-universe consequences (John being temporarily angry with her hardly counts). That goes so much against any basic sense of justice that I would want to see that character punished / gone even if they had been my all-time favourite before.

 

And what does Sherlock adoring Mary have to do with anything? Sherlock was fascinated by Moriarty, too, before that Semtex vest. He has quite odd standards when it comes to liking or disliking people.

[Arcadia]

Hmmmm ... are you sure? I don't mean to aim this specifically at you, Martina, but for anyone who feels Mary got off too easy...
 
Let's turn this around; suppose Mary tells John about her past, and they both sneak into CAM's office hoping to retrieve the information he had on her. Mary finds Sherlock threatening CAM with a gun. She tries to intervene and he shoots her so she can't reveal his presence to John. Both she and the baby survives. She tells John anyway but covers for Sherlock with some nutcake reasoning about "saving her life."
 
Would you want Sherlock punished/gone? What would be a suitable punishment? Would you want John to forgive him?
 
For myself; I would be inclined to buy Mary's explanation, as stupid as it sounds. Simply because I like Sherlock. I might favor some sort of punishment for Sherlock (John's anger might be punishment enough) but I wouldn't want him gone from the show, and I'd want John to eventually forgive him.
 
Oi, I hope I didn't just describe the plot of the Christmas special!

[Caya]

Shooting an unarmed, pregnant friend? Of [censored] course I'd want to see him punished (gone won't be an option, I guess) for that . Not that I'd be likely to continue watching - I like my heroes on this side of the Dexter morality line.

[Slithytove]

I agree absolutely - if Sherlock shot Mary under those circumstances, it would be a wicked and unforgivable deed and I don't think John could, or should, forgive him. It isn't about personalities and whether or not you like Mary or Sherlock or whatever....It is simply the fact that anyone - anyone at all - shooting an unarmed innocent witness is totally in the wrong. As wrong as Moriarty killing all those people in TGG. The difference is that we are not expected to see him as anything other than a thoroughly bad man, regardless of how entertaining he might be.

 

To be honest, I don't see adoration in the Mary-Sherlock relationship. It isn't obvious why he takes to her in such a big way. Yes, she is intelligent and friendly - up to the moment she shot him! - but so was Sarah in T BB and look how rude he was to her. I can think of a couple of explanations....

 

Maybe Mycroft told him of Mary's real identity prior to their first meeting in the restaurant, and his subsequent behaviour was all part of a Cunning Plan. This is my preferred explanation, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Maybe Sherlock realised he couldn't sabotage this relationship, as he had done with John's previous girlfriends. He had been away too long, the relationship was well established and John was still nursing some residual anger towards him. So he swallowed his jealousy by over-identifying with Mary and making himself a part of their relationship. At times, he seems to have cast himself in the role of Mary's Best Friend Forever. Even after she nearly kills him, he is still determined that the Watsons's marriage will work. He is almost like a child horrified by the threat of his parents's divorce, even though Mum and Dad know their relationship is dead in the water.

 

Maybe there is a bond between Sherlock and Mary but, after HLV, I am not sure it is a very healthy one.

[Zain]

Would you want Sherlock punished/gone? What would be a suitable punishment? Would you want John to forgive him?

 

 

 

Punished. Yes. Of course. He committed murder. While his reasons are less abominable than Mary's, it is still an act of violence. Sherlock deserves to feel the consequences. I can like or dislike a character and still wish them to be brought to justice. In a way, especially because I like Sherlock, I think he should feel some sort of consequences. What kind of screwed being will be become if he gets off that lightly? Someone like Mary, maybe. Someone that does no longer think his/her actions are wrong.

 

A suitable punishment would be prison time, or at least something that would force him to deal with Magnussen as a person. I am not sure what this is called in English, but it often is done with juvenile criminals. Because prison sentences can be detrimental to their future, they are instead forced to reconcile with their victims, with their victim's family, and so on. Not just a visit or two, but long-term, just like a sentence. Of course, it only works if the victim's family agrees, but it, if I remember correctly from what (little) we learned about law in school, it is more efficient. Because you force them to reflect upon their actions, and to actively deal with the consequences for others, as well as for them that this action had. I think it would be suitable if Sherlock were to go visit Magnussen's grave, for example, to speak to people who knew him (because there's always something good about a person, no matter how horrible that person may be. Nobody's just evil.), to get familiar with his past. Basically, to accept that he was human. I do not think Sherlock truly realized this.

 

And, again, it is not John's place to forgive Sherlock. Sherlock did not wrong him. He wronged Magnussen. If he acted all "I will not forgive you", he'd be very selfish and judgemental. He should rather look at who he keeps near himself. I distinctly remember someone there that is much more of a danger, and even less sorry than Sherlock.

 

So. It is not about disliking Mary. Sure, that is an important factor for me, but not the reason why I want her punished. It is, however, the reason why I want to see her gone. These two attitudes are not the same.

[jesskayding]

 

 

Ok. Here's my 2 cents. I think sherlock kills only when necessary. I don't think it excites him to kill. It excites him to be the most clever person in the room. CAM was not only clever, but he was using his "knowledge" to destroy lives. Sherlock or somebody had to remove emotion out of the equation & take him out.

 

Also I believe that Sherlock prefers not to fight, he far prefers bringing down his opponent with wit & intelligence. He also doesn't mind going toe toe... that's obvious. There's had to have been @ least 10 fight scenes that Sherlock has been apart of in these series. Not only that if he was a good shot... The Golem would have been done for. Honestly they've held back on how violent a trained boxer & swordsman could be. They could get all Robert Downey Jr on us.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I have no doubt that Sherlock knew Magnussen. Even though we are not given the reason why, Sherlock hated the man. Loathed him and that is not something Sherlock seems to take lightly. He is very forgiving of most people. He tells the murdering Jeff Hope that he is wasted as a killer and a cabbie. Even willing to "play the game" with him. For all that Mycroft has taunted and belittled him since a child, he can get along with him and even get some of his own back on him.

 

  Mary puts him a death's door and he comes not only to forgive but to trust her as well.  No, there is something about Magnussen that hit deep at the heart of something within Sherlock, something he couldn't get past and forgive.