what keeps you hooked/addicted

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

Ah, yes, the majestic tumbles.

 

 

 

 

 

[sfmpco]

[SherlockedCAMPer]

That one's hilarious. Eyes are watering from laughing so hard.

[sfmpco]

The fan humor can just be hilarious, I swear.  That's one of the things that keeps me coming back for more.

 

 

 

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Yes, the fandom has a crazy sense of humor that comes up with some of the best stuff that will probably never happen in the show.

[sfmpco]

Normally I would not post anything to do with Johnlock, but this was too hilarious.  This pic is from when they were meeting Prince William.

 

[sittything]

Normally I would not post anything to do with Johnlock, but this was too hilarious. This pic is from when they were meeting Prince William.

 

Lol. I'm dying at the ehehehehehe.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

#setlock

 

 

(need I say more)

[sfmpco]

[Boton]

 

 

"Ooh.  You're the sane one."

[SherlockedCAMPer]

I love it. It's a pretty apt, funny description.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

I just has this thought on Mary's description in that piece (which may have been brought up elsewhere on here), could she have been working with the Americans from SiB before she realized that she truly lived John?

 

That question definitely helps with the staying hooked/addicted.

[Carol the Dabbler]

That piece reminds me of the scientific fallacy "People used to think ... but now we know ...."

 

I don't trust the current descriptions (from Moftiss, Sherlock, or anyone else), partly because they don't quite fit what I'm seeing but mostly because there are bound to be more surprises in Series 4.

 

[sfmpco]

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

I just has this thought on Mary's description in that piece (which may have been brought up elsewhere on here), could she have been working with the Americans from SiB before she realized that she truly lived John?

 

Hey, maybe she was the sniper who was aiming at the other sniper who was aiming at John in TRF! (Does this make sense?)

[sfmpco]

Well, I do think this will all come to light in S4.

[T.o.b.y]

I've been thinking (dangerous, I know :P) and I just realized what it is that gives Sherlock such a special place among my favorite fiction.

 

I identify with him. I used to think I had a big fat crush on him, which is kind of true, I guess, but more than that his character resonates with something inside me more than any other I have ever come across.

 

On the surface of it, this seems odd and presumptuous. What could I, a woman of average intelligence and little courage, extremely ordinary in every way, could possibly have in common with an adventure-hungry genius super-sleuth? Sherlock is superhuman. He couldn't even exist in our world. What has he got to do with little me?

 

It's the outsider thing. I think I've noticed that a lot of Sherlock fans are fairly introverted people with a small social circle and I am no exception there. Growing up, I was always the odd girl out. Now, when that happens - when you find yourself isolated from your peers - you find some way to explain it to yourself, preferably in a way that isn't completely humiliating, and you develop a few coping mechanisms. As a kid / young teen, I soon decided that I wasn't part of the crowd because I didn't want to be. I didn't need anybody, and they were idiots anyway. Sherlock, when we meet him in series 1, is actually in a very similar place. He doesn't have friends, practically everyone is an idiot, he lives in his own little world, and that's just fine with him. He's cool and other people are dumb, insignificant and vapid, end of story. That's very like me between the age of, say twelve, and seventeen. I didn't reach Sherlock's level of acerbity and certainly not his wit, but I was pretty abrasive, too.

 

Then, there's this thing with the best friend. For an outsider, the best friend, the one person your own age whom you are close to, is hugely, incredibly important, and the relationship can and does take on a certain romantic quality. I see Sherlock and John and I go, hey, I know how that is. I even know what it's like to have people assume you're sleeping with each other.

 

I love how in Sherlock, they at the same time totally glorify the loner concept and show how it doesn't really work out. Sherlock is cool, he really is above the common crowd. We're not asked to pity him or consider him a loser in any way. He's us, the outsiders, not how the world sees us but as we see ourselves in our secret fantasies. But he can't really be happy or safe all on his own. Right in the first episode, he himself admits he "needs an assistant", and throughout the rest of the series, we see him gathering his own little circle of friends and adopted family, proving that the human being is a social animal and not even the strongest, bravest and cleverest exceptions can get by all alone for long.

 

We also get to see all the drama and hurt and vulnerability that comes with forming ties with other human beings, which for some of us might be the reason why we tried to avoid all that in the first place. "Caring is not an advantage" - what sensitive introvert hasn't sighed that to her- / himself at some point or other? Sherlock doesn't sell us the common storybook idea that love is the solution to every problem. The show's portrayal of love is more problematic, and more realistic and relatable. One might even say the verdict is still open on whether it's worth it for Sherlock. I'd say yes, but I've read plenty of dissenting opinions on that.

 

Series 3 had plenty more "hey, I've been there" moments. Take Sherlock leaving the wedding. Again, they took something I've done a score of times and made it look cool instead of pathetic.

 

And His Last Vow! That can be seen as a story about bullying, and that's another big issue in my life. Magnussen is nothing more than your common schoolyard bully blown up to epic proportions, and they handle that superbly. You can't win against a bully. You just can't. They're immune to reason. Negotiation is futile. Ignoring them is an option, but not after they find your pressure point and threaten your best friend. They have this huge sense of entitlement, think their behavior is totally justified, and zero empathy. The Mycrofts in our lives can't or won't intervene. In the end, what are you going to do? Shoot them in the head? That might provide a short moment of satisfaction, but the consequences are pretty dire.

 

Sherlock takes ordinary human experiences and weaves them into a very extraordinary story about adventure and genius, murder, mystery and mayhem. It's the perfect blend of reality and fantasy and the title character is the hero for me. He's the most loving, respectful, understanding and sympathetic portrayal of the outsider I've ever seen. And with all his relatability, he's still a mysterious, wild, dangerous and fascinating creation. It's impossible to predict what he'll be up to next, but whatever it is, I'm pretty sure I'll like it when I see it.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

I get that Toby.  Much of what you said rings true for me as well.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yup, I agree too -- although in my case, it's far more applicable to my reaction to Spock.  As a Sherlock fan, I'm far more drawn to John Watson, and identify with him in many ways.  But then John is something of an outsider himself, or he wouldn't have been at such loose ends at the beginning of "Study in Pink."  And of course my life is different now from what it was when I first saw the original Star Trek.

 

[J.P.]

Oh, Toby, what a great post.

I was writing some remarks like this already here and there, but you sum it up so beautifully.

I remember that actually John was my emotional "entrance" into Sherlock's world. But after a short while I read something on the net about people watching the series from John's perspective, and once I thought about it I realized it's not exactly my case. It felt more like I was standing close behind John and watch Sherlock - but seeing myself, like in a mirror.

 

I don't remember any fictional character I could relate so strongly (and yet being a total aenigma at times), it's crazy.

[J.P.]

Another thought - it always comes to my mind when I think about what keeps me going. It is a statement that someone made on one of Viggo-Mortensen-fanboards (which have been a home for my first fangirl quirk for several years), and I feel it is very true:

 

We come because of (insert a name of your choice) - but we stay because of ourselves.

 

The object of your admiration might be the best in the world, but you go on, because there are others who you can talk to, who inspire you and make you feel home.

[Arcadia]

 

 

We all do silly things.

 

They do, don't they?

 

 

I love that Sherlock used the word "they."  Like he's excluding Molly from that.

 

 

I think it's himself he's excluding. ;)

 

(Sorry, bit late for that response but I don't remember reading it before!)

 

 

I've been thinking (dangerous, I know :P) and I just realized what it is that gives Sherlock such a special place among my favorite fiction.

 

I identify with him. I used to think I had a big fat crush on him, which is kind of true, I guess, but more than that his character resonates with something inside me more than any other I have ever come across.

 

On the surface of it, this seems odd and presumptuous. What could I, a woman of average intelligence and little courage, extremely ordinary in every way, could possibly have in common with an adventure-hungry genius super-sleuth? Sherlock is superhuman. He couldn't even exist in our world. What has he got to do with little me?

 

It's the outsider thing. I think I've noticed that a lot of Sherlock fans are fairly introverted people with a small social circle and I am no exception there. Growing up, I was always the odd girl out. Now, when that happens - when you find yourself isolated from your peers - you find some way to explain it to yourself, preferably in a way that isn't completely humiliating, and you develop a few coping mechanisms. As a kid / young teen, I soon decided that I wasn't part of the crowd because I didn't want to be. I didn't need anybody, and they were idiots anyway. Sherlock, when we meet him in series 1, is actually in a very similar place. He doesn't have friends, practically everyone is an idiot, he lives in his own little world, and that's just fine with him. He's cool and other people are dumb, insignificant and vapid, end of story. That's very like me between the age of, say twelve, and seventeen. I didn't reach Sherlock's level of acerbity and certainly not his wit, but I was pretty abrasive, too.

 

Then, there's this thing with the best friend. For an outsider, the best friend, the one person your own age whom you are close to, is hugely, incredibly important, and the relationship can and does take on a certain romantic quality. I see Sherlock and John and I go, hey, I know how that is. I even know what it's like to have people assume you're sleeping with each other.

 

I love how in Sherlock, they at the same time totally glorify the loner concept and show how it doesn't really work out. Sherlock is cool, he really is above the common crowd. We're not asked to pity him or consider him a loser in any way. He's us, the outsiders, not how the world sees us but as we see ourselves in our secret fantasies. But he can't really be happy or safe all on his own. Right in the first episode, he himself admits he "needs an assistant", and throughout the rest of the series, we see him gathering his own little circle of friends and adopted family, proving that the human being is a social animal and not even the strongest, bravest and cleverest exceptions can get by all alone for long.

 

We also get to see all the drama and hurt and vulnerability that comes with forming ties with other human beings, which for some of us might be the reason why we tried to avoid all that in the first place. "Caring is not an advantage" - what sensitive introvert hasn't sighed that to her- / himself at some point or other? Sherlock doesn't sell us the common storybook idea that love is the solution to every problem. The show's portrayal of love is more problematic, and more realistic and relatable. One might even say the verdict is still open on whether it's worth it for Sherlock. I'd say yes, but I've read plenty of dissenting opinions on that.

 

Series 3 had plenty more "hey, I've been there" moments. Take Sherlock leaving the wedding. Again, they took something I've done a score of times and made it look cool instead of pathetic.

 

And His Last Vow! That can be seen as a story about bullying, and that's another big issue in my life. Magnussen is nothing more than your common schoolyard bully blown up to epic proportions, and they handle that superbly. You can't win against a bully. You just can't. They're immune to reason. Negotiation is futile. Ignoring them is an option, but not after they find your pressure point and threaten your best friend. They have this huge sense of entitlement, think their behavior is totally justified, and zero empathy. The Mycrofts in our lives can't or won't intervene. In the end, what are you going to do? Shoot them in the head? That might provide a short moment of satisfaction, but the consequences are pretty dire.

 

Sherlock takes ordinary human experiences and weaves them into a very extraordinary story about adventure and genius, murder, mystery and mayhem. It's the perfect blend of reality and fantasy and the title character is the hero for me. He's the most loving, respectful, understanding and sympathetic portrayal of the outsider I've ever seen. And with all his relatability, he's still a mysterious, wild, dangerous and fascinating creation. It's impossible to predict what he'll be up to next, but whatever it is, I'm pretty sure I'll like it when I see it.

 

Oh god yes.

[Boton]

I was thinking about Toby's beautiful response last night and about what keeps me coming back to Sherlock.  Other than the beautiful production values and stunningly consistent quality of the writing and acting across the episodes and characters, I think I have three things that really keep me fascinated:

 

1.  The Sherlock and John relationship:  I've tried to explain before my perspective on the relationship and really made hash of it, so let me try to be more accurate.  I think many of the relationships that we celebrate in fiction are buttressed in a very tangible way by both biology and society.  The kin relationships (parent/child, sibling, etc.) do have a biological imperative to them as well as a societal expectation that one owes at least some level of allegiance to family.  The romantic/sexual relationships, which are often used in fiction as the pinnacle of commitment, have not just a biological component (often) based on sexual attraction and union but also a societal support system in the form of marriage, if one chooses that.

 

Sherlock and John have none of that.  They have a relationship that they could dissolve at any moment without many repercussions, but they stay out of an intellectual and emotional commitment to each other.  (Yes, emotions have a biochemical basis, but not quite like the other relationships above.)  It's fascinating to me to see two people make a commitment to each other because they belong together and work well together as a team.

 

2.  Sherlock's life trajectory:  Kind of related to the above, most fiction seems to follow a predictable path of wanting the protagonist to ultimately find the spouse and have the kids and find fulfillment that way.  And that's a good story and one that I enjoy.  But I love that Sherlock Holmes takes a completely different route with his life and is fine with it.  He has the Work.  He has a few close friends.  He has London.  And, I would argue, he's as happy with that as others are with the more traditional life dreams.  I like watching someone on screen doing something a little different with their lives in that way.

 

3.  But conversely, this Sherlock is so human.  That moment walking out of John and Mary's wedding just tears me apart, because we've all walked out of an event feeling like the odd man out.  And how comforting that even Sherlock Holmes, who seems like he has everything under control, has these moments in which he just doesn't fit.  When this Sherlock is human, he's very, very human, and I love that.

[Inge l-w]

I do so love to read TOBY's long answers and Boton's rational arguments, Arcadia's quirky humorous ones, SherlockedCamper's pithy comments, Caya's rare but always to-the point contributions, I share my love of the Granada series with Carol the Dabbler and have fun with J.P.'s and sfmpco's updates, not to mention Sarina's witty comments, BendyBoodle's enthusiasm and besleybean' s sheer guts.

This forum can be a place to relax, to have fun, to argue, to split hairs over the finest points, it's like a very strong support group.

However, I am first, foremost and above all an original Sherlock Holmes fan, which means that if either the Special or the promised S4 do anything too drastic to a character idolised from my teenage years, I will regretfully bid a ( hopefully graceful) goodbye and turn my back on it and the modernised version, because I shall owe it to the memories of Sir Arthur and Jeremy Brett not to put up with any more wrecking of what was not broken in the first place!

[J.P.]

@ Inge:

You would miss this. Admit it. The thrill of the chase, the blood pumping through your veins, just the bunch of us against the rest of the world ...