Episode 1.1, "A Study In Pink"

[Arcadia]

Yeah, what Toby said, and also Sherlock gave an address, hoping whoever had the phone would show up there. Which he did.

[HeroinOrHeroine]

 

 

Sherlock gets John to come home to send a text to pink lady's phone, which he believes the murderer has. John texts something about blacking out. Sherlock says the murderer wouldn't be able to ignore a text like that. The phone belongs to the pink lady. Why would she text that to herself? Why would the cabbie panic about a text from a random number? Why would he call the number back? What could he possibly say on the phone if John had answered?

Hey, at least it's occurred to you to wonder about that. Me, I just watch the show! Then somebody (e.g., you) posts a question and gets me curious.

 

Regarding your first question: Let's suppose we're the Pink Lady, and we just woke up in that strange, creepy house. Our first thought might be to get out of there and back to a known location -- say, Northumberland Street (as in, why not). Then as we start to get our head straightened out, we start to wonder what happened to our suitcase, and then we remember the cab. OK, we think, we don't know why we told the cabbie to let us off at that strange house, but we must have absent-mindedly left the suitcase in the cab. How can we get in touch with the cabbie?! Oh, wait, our cell phone was in the suitcase -- if we dial our own number, the cabbie should hear it ring.

 

Of course that's not what actually happened to the Pink Lady, but the cabbie can't know that for 100% sure. And as CAMPer (and Sherlock) said, the message sure sounds like it came from her. If she's still alive, he needs to know -- for one thing, he won't get his bonus unless he finishes the job, and for another thing, if she stays alive she could identify him. So that's why he phones.

 

As for what the cabbie would have said if John had answered, maybe nothing. Maybe he just wanted to see whether it would be her voice.

 

How's that?

But she knows that the cabbie tried to kill her, and he knows he tried to kill her. I don't know; I think, for me, that part might always seem a bit off. Ah well, it certainly doesn't stop me from rewatching it one zillion times.

[Boton]

That all always bothers me too.  It seems to me that, regardless of the situation, Jennifer Wilson would have texted something like "If you find this phone, please contact me at [John's phone number].)  But, I guess we needed the whole "What happened at Lauriston Gardens? I must have blacked out." thing so we'd understand what was going on.  

 

Or maybe Jeff Hope isn't all that bright, for all that he's wasted as a cabbie.  :-)

[Carol the Dabbler]

But she knows that the cabbie tried to kill her, and he knows he tried to kill her.

 

It's supposedly pretty common that people who black out due to trauma will not remember events that occurred just before the trauma -- which makes it plausible that (if she had indeed survived) Ms. Wilson wouldn't recall anything after she got into the cab.  Perhaps the cabbie was aware of that syndrome, but in any case, he was taking no chances.

 

[sittything]

Hey!  That phone thing has always bothered me mildly, but at some point I think I just chose to accept it for what it is.  My first reaction was why would Jennifer Wilson text the man who tried to kill her, and why would Sherlock think that wouldn't be suspicious to the cabbie?   But then "her text" seems to indicate that she didn't remember what happened, so I just mentally kinda roll with it.  Like I guess that is plausible?  Maybe?  Who am I to question Sherlock Holmes?  lol.

 

I do find it odd that the cabbie was so willing to meet up like that, without really questioning and so in the open.  But then, I don't think he was a proper genius anyhow.  ;)

[Arcadia]

Okay, let's try this .... until that moment, I think we may assume Jeff didn't realize the phone was in his cab. Maybe he wasn't even sure it was Jennifer's? But the text mentions Lauriston, so he was wary and didn't speak when he called back, suspecting a trap? He doesn't know what's going on at this point, so he goes to the address indicated to see what he can find out ... as Sherlock intended.
 
And/or, maybe the text was meant to look like it was from someone other than Jennifer? Like a friend who was waiting for her to show up? But was deliberately vague so it could also sound like it might be from the victim herself, or perhaps a witness? If it had too obviously been from a random friend (or lover) who was simply trying to reach Jennifer, Jeff might not have paid any attention to it.
 
I think Jeff was pretty smart, actually ... he went to the address, but unlike Sherlock, who advertises his presence every chance he gets he stayed hidden and fooled the world's most observant man.

[J.P.]

As we know that Jeff was "hunting" Sherlock on Jim's behalf, he might as well know who sent the message. Maybe.

 

Sherlock though didn't know it sending the SMS. He assumed that no matter if the phone was lost or deliberately planted in the murder's car, the murder will show some reaction. But hmmm... it made more sense in the UAP than it makes i SIP, because they could just locate the phone by GPS without sending any SMS. 

 

The cabbie comes to the address having a passenger as a "dummy" (wonder how he explained that long waiting) assuming that whoever sent the SMS would suspect the passenger before the driver. He can see who is hunting him, without much risk.

 

But why would Sherlock want to see the murderer this way instead of just tracking him?

[sittything]

The other thing that bothers me about ASIP is that we the audience figured out it was the cabbie before Sherlock.  I want my Sherlock to figure it out before me.

[Carol the Dabbler]

The other thing that bothers me about ASIP is that we the audience figured out it was the cabbie before Sherlock.  I want my Sherlock to figure it out before me.

Have you seen The Unaired Pilot (the 60-minute version of the same story)? In that version, Sherlock's "Who hunts in a crowd?" soliloquy ends with the deduction that the killer is a cabbie. A good bit of the 30 minutes they added was devoted to Sherlock's failure to answer his own question.  I'm torn between wondering whether this was a deliberate homage to "the butler did it" or simply one more example of authors relying on that sort of cliche.

 

[sittything]

No I haven't!  I think it's on my season 1 discs I got for Christmas.  Sadly, because I'm the laziest person known to mankind, I haven't even opened them yet.    I keep watching Sherlock on Netflix out of convenience.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Watch it -- you'll like it!  :D  It's the same, but different, which makes it interesting.

[sfmpco]

Yes, the same but different.  Interesting to see a really young Batch, and all the main characters save one...who thankfully was written into S1E1.

[sittything]

Yes, the same but different.  Interesting to see a really young Batch, and all the main characters save one...who thankfully was written into S1E1.

 

Is there no Molly in the pilot?

[Pamela]

 

The other thing that bothers me about ASIP is that we the audience figured out it was the cabbie before Sherlock.  I want my Sherlock to figure it out before me.

Have you seen The Unaired Pilot (the 60-minute version of the same story)? In that version, Sherlock's "Who hunts in a crowd?" soliloquy ends with the deduction that the killer is a cabbie. A good bit of the 30 minutes they added was devoted to Sherlock's failure to answer his own question.  I'm torn between wondering whether this was a deliberate homage to "the butler did it" or simply one more example of authors relying on that sort of cliche.

 

That lovely bit is why I sort of prefer the UAP to the actual episode.  At least that part of the plot.  It's really a great bit of dialogue.

[Arcadia]

But why would Sherlock want to see the murderer this way instead of just tracking him?

 I think the plan was to catch the cabbie, not just see or track him.

 

The other thing that bothers me about ASIP is that we the audience figured out it was the cabbie before Sherlock.  I want my Sherlock to figure it out before me.

 I didn't.

 

Yes, the same but different.  Interesting to see a really young Batch, and all the main characters save one...who thankfully was written into S1E1.

 That's one thing, I wish they'd kept Sherlock in his twenties at the beginning. His behaviour would make so much more sense.

 

Is there no Molly in the pilot?

Oh, the Molly scene is virtually identical. It's a different major character that's not in the pilot.

[Carol the Dabbler]

And at least three of the minor characters are played by different actors.

[HeroinOrHeroine]

I haven't seen the unaired pilot either. It's not on Netflix. Boooo.

[sfmpco]

 

Yes, the same but different.  Interesting to see a really young Batch, and all the main characters save one...who thankfully was written into S1E1.

 

Is there no Molly in the pilot?

 

 

Molly is in the pilot but Mycroft isn't.

[sittything]

 

 

Yes, the same but different.  Interesting to see a really young Batch, and all the main characters save one...who thankfully was written into S1E1.

 

Is there no Molly in the pilot?

 

 

Molly is in the pilot but Mycroft isn't.

 

 

OMG, no!   He's one of my favorite characters.  Surely, given that he's in canon, they would have eventually introduced him later?!

[sittything]

[sfmpco]

Well, of course once they made 1.1, Mycroft was put in... and we were mislead to believe he might be Moriarty.

[sittything]

Well, of course once they made 1.1, Mycroft was put in... and we were mislead to believe he might be Moriarty.

 

My H actually has a background with ACD and when Mycroft appeared he was all "that's Moriarty!"   And I was all, "who?"

 

And then I got the last laugh anyhow.  

[sfmpco]

The first of many red herrings in the series.

[Arcadia]

Fooled me! I knew enough about Sherlock Holmes to know who Moriarty was, and I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

[sittything]

Fooled me! I knew enough about Sherlock Holmes to know who Moriarty was, and I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

 

Well, to be fair, I probably would have too if I had had the foggiest idea of who Moriarty was.  In this instance being clueless paid off!