Favorite Scenes -- open ended

[Boton]

 

 

I never saw any jealously in John's reactions to Janine... shock, yes, because Sherlock being involved with someone - ANYONE - is totally out of character of the man John knows...especially with the PDAs.  The priceless look on John's face when Janine kisses Sherlock is to me like, "I don't even know where to begin with WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!!!"  He tries desperately to wrap his brain around something that doesn't make any sense only a few moments later, but I don't see jealousy at all.  I see his brain on TILT!!!

 

This was one of my favorite scenes too, and I interpreted it as you did.  John's had quite the morning, really.  The first thing he does when he gets up is find best friend back on drugs and lying on dirty mattress in a smack den.  It's his worst fear -- he, John, got married, and his best friend couldn't really handle the change, so he slipped right back into bad habits as soon as he was alone.  

 

He stages an impromptu intervention with the help of big brother Mycroft, then he turns around to find that Janine, who I very much like as a character but would classify as a girl who is quite, um, "fun," is coming out of Sherlock's bedroom.  And the kicker is, she isn't a drug-fueled one night stand.  She's been there before!  A lot!  She's joining "Sherl" in the bath and sitting on his lap -- completely out of character for a guy who seems to need a fair amount of personal space.  And then there's the cutesy talk typical of a new relationship, combined with a really long snog goodbye.  So, 180 degree turn:  Sherlock maybe hasn't fallen apart, maybe he has developed an actual, adult romantic relationship.   What. The. Hell.

 

No wonder John is having a lot of trouble processing all this.  I think the bit where he looks away from the snogging and kind of up to inspect the tops of the curtains or anything in the world he can fix his eyes on that will keep him from watching this impossible scene going on in front of him is just brilliant.  I know the first time I watched it, I watched it alone and actually said out loud at that point, "This is a lot of information all at once."  Anyway, absolutely a brilliant scene and very well acted on all parts.

 

(I am, of course, getting my fiction cause and effect exactly backwards, but every time I see that scene, I'm reminded of the episode of House where House and Cuddy break up and House checks into a hotel for two weeks of Vicodin and hookers.  Until I knew what was going on in this scene, I had a moment of thinking that maybe Sherlock had just decided to completely throw self-control to the wind.)

 

Another favorite scene I came here to post is the end of the reception at the end of TSoT.  A lot has been said about Sherlock leaving the reception early and alone, but the part that tears me apart is the musical score.  Sherlock in general uses very little contemporary music, and the original score they do use somehow takes our characters just a bit out of the modern "real world" and allows them to retain a bit of Victorianism or sense of "otherness."  The use of "December 1963" as the first pop song played at the wedding destroys me.  Up til that point, Sherlock has handled everything really well, especially for someone who never expected to have a friend, let alone a best friend, let alone a best friend who wanted him as best man.  Yeah, he's gotten a little manic with the napkin folding and ran off the rails for a bit solving an attempted murder in the middle of his speech, but he also composed an ethereal violin waltz for the new couple and has basically done everything within his power to make sure that his best friend's special day is perfect.  He's controlling it.  But then that song comes on, and it's like a door closes.  It's an invasion of modernity interjected into a day that Sherlock has helped orchestrate into being timeless. He loves dancing, but let's face it:  No one is going to ask him to stand in a group and bounce up and down doing the "white man's overbite" (cf. When Harry Met Sally) to a pop song.  There are going to be no more romantic waltzes to dance to that night, no more opportunities to attempt to control the trajectory of the day.  His job is done.  And he's just now realizing it.

 

[jesskayding]

 

 

OK, I can believe that John felt like his friendship with Sherlock might be in jeopardy -- hmm, wonder if Sherlock was not only getting cozy with Magnussen's PA, but also getting even with John? At any rate, it's not only lovers who can feel jealous, friends can too.

 

Definitely. Also, haven't we all been there, in a way? A dear friend has fallen in love, and even though we're sorry that this means we'll be seeing less of them in the near future, we're ready to cheer the new couple on - until we first meet the other half of the equation.

 

And then the brain goes - you're in love with this?!

 

Love isn't rational, and it's not always easy to understand a friend's decision/impulse to pair up with a particular person. And since Janine was Mary's bridesmaid, John must've known her and her basic personality. No wonder he was staring like that.

 

 

 

 

Well put.

[Schlauer Fuchs]

I never saw any jealously in John's reactions to Janine... shock, yes, because Sherlock being involved with someone - ANYONE - is totally out of character of the man John knows...especially with the PDAs.  The priceless look on John's face when Janine kisses Sherlock is to me like, "I don't even know where to begin with WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!!!"  He tries desperately to wrap his brain around something that doesn't make any sense only a few moments later, but I don't see jealousy at all.  I see his brain on TILT!!! 

Frankly: When I saw that scene for the first time, I reacted just the way John does. I didn't get a single word of what Sherlock told John about Magnussen and Appledore, but my brain was filled with nothing but a monotonous buzzing, trying to somehow process what my eyes had just seen. I might even have sat there open-mouthed, I couldn't tell because after seeing Janine sitting on Sherlocks lab and them kissing goodbye I couldn't take anything else in. I was just dumbstruck, my mind was totally blank, not a single perception would enter my brain nor would any "verbal" thought exit it. Mental flatline. Coming to think of it, this may have been an absolutely unique experience in my life until now

 

Another favorite scene I came here to post is the end of the reception at the end of TSoT.  A lot has been said about Sherlock leaving the reception early and alone, but the part that tears me apart is the musical score.  Sherlock in general uses very little contemporary music, and the original score they do use somehow takes our characters just a bit out of the modern "real world" and allows them to retain a bit of Victorianism or sense of "otherness."  The use of "December 1963" as the first pop song played at the wedding destroys me.  Up til that point, Sherlock has handled everything really well, especially for someone who never expected to have a friend, let alone a best friend, let alone a best friend who wanted him as best man.  Yeah, he's gotten a little manic with the napkin folding and ran off the rails for a bit solving an attempted murder in the middle of his speech, but he also composed an ethereal violin waltz for the new couple and has basically done everything within his power to make sure that his best friend's special day is perfect.  He's controlling it.  But then that song comes on, and it's like a door closes.  It's an invasion of modernity interjected into a day that Sherlock has helped orchestrate into being timeless. He loves dancing, but let's face it:  No one is going to ask him to stand in a group and bounce up and down doing the "white man's overbite" (cf. When Harry Met Sally) to a pop song.  There are going to be no more romantic waltzes to dance to that night, no more opportunities to attempt to control the trajectory of the day.  His job is done.  And he's just now realizing it.

 

These two scenes that you describe are one of the few things I like about this episode: Him playing the waltz on the violin and then leaving when the party starts. I deeply dislike the whole episode for several reasons, one of them being that I think Sherlock is completely out of character for nearly the whole thing. These two scenes are the exception here: Showing how his music is a real unique gift for Mary and John, and that it also touches the rest of the audience, made me feel so happy for him. Because it shows how people can accept and cherish him for being who he is, for what he can do and what he likes to do. It is such a stark contrast to the best man speech, a speech he would never have held if he really had had a chance ("how could I say no?") and that went against his nature.

 

When he left the party, I was soooo relieved. As I said, I think he is so unlike himself the whole time and must feel so uncomfortable at the wedding ("weddings are not really my area", he even asks Mycroft to come!), and that is only the more festive part when the "mingling" hasn't really started yet. So when the party started, I was really afraid they'd either make him stand in a lonely corner for a couple of hours or (even worse) dance; I love the idea that Sherlock likes what I'd call "skilled" or even "artistic" dancing, but him dancing like on a party? No way. As to me, his leaving the party meant that he was finally himself again. It literally took a load off my mind, and I am sure off his, too, when he was outside again. Now I may uncover my inner sociopath (Moftiss-meaning of the word), but that's just how I feel about noisy parties with too many unfamiliar people, too: always glad when I can escape, I love the moment when I am on my own again and can finally breathe freely again. Finally quiet, peace and fresh air, it's heaven to me and I'm sure to Sherlock, too. Therefore, the end of the episode doesn't make me sad in the slightest. On the contrary, I pity Sherlock the whole way through the wedding and especially his speech, and am so lucky for him when he can finally resort to being Sherlock Holmes again.

Now there it is, I'm a sociopath as well, though not necessarily a high-functioning one.

[jesskayding]

 

 

 

 

 

I never saw any jealously in John's reactions to Janine... shock, yes, because Sherlock being involved with someone - ANYONE - is totally out of character of the man John knows...especially with the PDAs.  The priceless look on John's face when Janine kisses Sherlock is to me like, "I don't even know where to begin with WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!!!"  He tries desperately to wrap his brain around something that doesn't make any sense only a few moments later, but I don't see jealousy at all.  I see his brain on TILT!!!

 

This was one of my favorite scenes too, and I interpreted it as you did.  John's had quite the morning, really.  The first thing he does when he gets up is find best friend back on drugs and lying on dirty mattress in a smack den.  It's his worst fear -- he, John, got married, and his best friend couldn't really handle the change, so he slipped right back into bad habits as soon as he was alone.  

 

He stages an impromptu intervention with the help of big brother Mycroft, then he turns around to find that Janine, who I very much like as a character but would classify as a girl who is quite, um, "fun," is coming out of Sherlock's bedroom.  And the kicker is, she isn't a drug-fueled one night stand.  She's been there before!  A lot!  She's joining "Sherl" in the bath and sitting on his lap -- completely out of character for a guy who seems to need a fair amount of personal space.  And then there's the cutesy talk typical of a new relationship, combined with a really long snog goodbye.  So, 180 degree turn:  Sherlock maybe hasn't fallen apart, maybe he has developed an actual, adult romantic relationship.   What. The. Hell.

 

No wonder John is having a lot of trouble processing all this.  I think the bit where he looks away from the snogging and kind of up to inspect the tops of the curtains or anything in the world he can fix his eyes on that will keep him from watching this impossible scene going on in front of him is just brilliant.  I know the first time I watched it, I watched it alone and actually said out loud at that point, "This is a lot of information all at once."  Anyway, absolutely a brilliant scene and very well acted on all parts.

 

(I am, of course, getting my fiction cause and effect exactly backwards, but every time I see that scene, I'm reminded of the episode of House where House and Cuddy break up and House checks into a hotel for two weeks of Vicodin and hookers.  Until I knew what was going on in this scene, I had a moment of thinking that maybe Sherlock had just decided to completely throw self-control to the wind.)

 

Another favorite scene I came here to post is the end of the reception at the end of TSoT.  A lot has been said about Sherlock leaving the reception early and alone, but the part that tears me apart is the musical score.  Sherlock in general uses very little contemporary music, and the original score they do use somehow takes our characters just a bit out of the modern "real world" and allows them to retain a bit of Victorianism or sense of "otherness."  The use of "December 1963" as the first pop song played at the wedding destroys me.  Up til that point, Sherlock has handled everything really well, especially for someone who never expected to have a friend, let alone a best friend, let alone a best friend who wanted him as best man.  Yeah, he's gotten a little manic with the napkin folding and ran off the rails for a bit solving an attempted murder in the middle of his speech, but he also composed an ethereal violin waltz for the new couple and has basically done everything within his power to make sure that his best friend's special day is perfect.  He's controlling it.  But then that song comes on, and it's like a door closes.  It's an invasion of modernity interjected into a day that Sherlock has helped orchestrate into being timeless. He loves dancing, but let's face it:  No one is going to ask him to stand in a group and bounce up and down doing the "white man's overbite" (cf. When Harry Met Sally) to a pop song.  There are going to be no more romantic waltzes to dance to that night, no more opportunities to attempt to control the trajectory of the day.  His job is done.  And he's just now realizing it.

 

 

 

 

LOVE!

[Carol the Dabbler]

Sherlock in general uses very little contemporary music, and the original score they do use somehow takes our characters just a bit out of the modern "real world" and allows them to retain a bit of Victorianism or sense of "otherness."  The use of "December 1963" as the first pop song played at the wedding ... [is] ... an invasion of modernity interjected into a day that Sherlock has helped orchestrate into being timeless. He loves dancing, but let's face it:  No one is going to ask him to stand in a group and bounce up and down ... to a pop song.  There are going to be no more romantic waltzes to dance to that night, no more opportunities to attempt to control the trajectory of the day.  His job is done.  And he's just now realizing it.

That had never occurred to me, but you're absolutely right -- it's not just that Janine is dancing with someone else (who was, ironically, recommended to her by Sherlock) -- it's also that music. As John says, "This is not a waltz." 

 

As to me, his leaving the party meant that he was finally himself again. It literally took a load off my mind, and I am sure off his, too, when he was outside again. Now I may uncover my inner sociopath (Moftiss-meaning of the word), but that's just how I feel about noisy parties with too many unfamiliar people, too: always glad when I can escape, I love the moment when I am on my own again and can finally breathe freely again. Finally quiet, peace and fresh air, it's heaven to me and I'm sure to Sherlock, too. Therefore, the end of the episode doesn't make me sad in the slightest. On the contrary, I pity Sherlock the whole way through the wedding and especially his speech, and am so lucky for him when he can finally resort to being Sherlock Holmes again.

Yes, I agree -- possibly I'm just projecting, but I can't imagine big noisy parties being Sherlock's cup of tea AT ALL.

[T.o.b.y]

When he left the party, I was soooo relieved. As I said, I think he is so unlike himself the whole time and must feel so uncomfortable at the wedding ("weddings are not really my area", he even asks Mycroft to come!), and that is only the more festive part when the "mingling" hasn't really started yet. So when the party started, I was really afraid they'd either make him stand in a lonely corner for a couple of hours or (even worse) dance; I love the idea that Sherlock likes what I'd call "skilled" or even "artistic" dancing, but him dancing like on a party? No way. As to me, his leaving the party meant that he was finally himself again. It literally took a load off my mind, and I am sure off his, too, when he was outside again. Now I may uncover my inner sociopath (Moftiss-meaning of the word), but that's just how I feel about noisy parties with too many unfamiliar people, too: always glad when I can escape, I love the moment when I am on my own again and can finally breathe freely again. Finally quiet, peace and fresh air, it's heaven to me and I'm sure to Sherlock, too. Therefore, the end of the episode doesn't make me sad in the slightest. On the contrary, I pity Sherlock the whole way through the wedding and especially his speech, and am so lucky for him when he can finally resort to being Sherlock Holmes again.

Now there it is, I'm a sociopath as well, though not necessarily a high-functioning one.

 

Well, by that rule, so am I. I suspect that Sherlock leaving the wedding is a scene nearly all introverts can relate to. It's certainly a beautiful moment, and I, too, when seeing him there, go "oh, have I ever been there".

 

Yes, he's probably relieved, in a way. But I do think he's also sad. It's not like when he shuts the door on Janine, and his face changes completely, because he's just been playing a part around her, he's perfectly happy to drop that role and get back to business. Sherlock does not leave the wedding with a face that says "thank god this is over and I can now get back to doing what I love."

 

I don't think he enjoyed himself particularly, except maybe while he was on the Sholto case. But he seemed genuinely happy in that short scene where he and John and Mary stand together talking about her pregnancy. It's like he finally has his own little family. And then the realization sinks in, no, they have their own little family. "We can't all dance". Sherlock knows that. He thinks he'll be in the way in the future: "You won't need me around". Until this moment, Sherlock has managed to make the day as much his own wedding to John and Mary both as he can, but when they go off to dance, it's truly "just the bride and groom", and that illusion falls for good. So all he can do is go back to being himself, the idea of himself as the sociopathic loner that he had carefully constructed over years. I don't think he'd seriously choose anything different, but the thing is, at that point, he doesn't have a choice.

 

So yeah, I love that scene, I think it's beautiful, there is a sense of relief, yes, but it's also sad. Beautifully sad.

 

[Arcadia]

...... He loves dancing, but let's face it: No one is going to ask him to stand in a group and bounce up and down doing the "white man's overbite" (cf. When Harry Met Sally) to a pop song. There are going to be no more romantic waltzes to dance to that night, no more opportunities to attempt to control the trajectory of the day. His job is done. And he's just now realizing it.

......... So yeah, I love that scene, I think it's beautiful, there is a sense of relief, yes, but it's also sad. Beautifully sad.

Wahhh, you two are making me Plus, you both write so well and have such great insights, I'm so jealous!

 

I know what you're saying, T.o.b.y ... I've fled more than one party, relieved to be getting away from all the bustle, yet at the same time sad that I didn't fit in. I never thought that made me a sociopath, tho ... I was just shy, and introverted. I suppose some people found me a bit standoffish. But sociopathic? Good grief, I hope not.

[jesskayding]

I know right! It's like the Toby & Boton collaborative.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

New show idea: The psychology of BBC Sherlock by Toby & Boton  They give their analysis of each episode with video footage and the likes,

[jesskayding]

That's actually not a bad idea. Hay, hook that up Toby & Boton.

[T.o.b.y]

New show idea: The psychology of BBC Sherlock by Toby & Boton  They give their analysis of each episode with video footage and the likes,

 

That's actually not a bad idea. Hay, hook that up Toby & Boton.

 

 

I want an actor to play me, then. No way in hell would I get in front of a camera and talk while there were "actual people actually listening". Hmmmm... now, who would I cast....

 

It feels pretty silly to take a TV show that seriously and wonder and analyze about the characters as if they were real, but what the heck, it's also a lot of fun, and there are certainly worse ways to make a fool of one's self, so - I don't see myself denying my brain that simple method of stress relief any time soon.

[Boton]

 

 

But he seemed genuinely happy in that short scene where he and John and Mary stand together talking about her pregnancy. It's like he finally has his own little family. And then the realization sinks in, no, they have their own little family. "We can't all dance". Sherlock knows that. He thinks he'll be in the way in the future: "You won't need me around". Until this moment, Sherlock has managed to make the day as much his own wedding to John and Mary both as he can, but when they go off to dance, it's truly "just the bride and groom", and that illusion falls for good. So all he can do is go back to being himself, the idea of himself as the sociopathic loner that he had carefully constructed over years. I don't think he'd seriously choose anything different, but the thing is, at that point, he doesn't have a choice.

 

T.o.b.y, this is a beautiful, beautiful thought very well expressed.

 

I think yes, the whole Sherlock personality development arc for S3 is about whether or not he really does have a choice in his isolation.  Clearly, Mycroft has been the literal voice in his head for years telling him to not let himself get attached to anyone or anything, not even a pet when he was little.  And here he has started to build a life where there are people important to him ("....friends.  I hear you go in for that sort of thing these days."), and suddenly he has to deal with the fact that, when people are really important to you, you can also be profoundly hurt by losing them or seeing them in danger.  Again, such a nice set-up for HLV.  In TSoT, we get an "everyday" loss of friends in the form of that panic you feel when one of your friends marries or gets pregnant -- the "this is going to change everything and there's no place for me" fear.  By HLV, that is more or less resolved as evidenced by the nice little bit of adapted ACD dialog in which Sherlock admits he and Mary have discussed John's weight gain; just a little clue that things have settled down more normally, and that Sherlock has added Mary to his "family."  And then he sees what it truly means to have his family threatened, in the form of CAM.

 

 

 

New show idea: The psychology of BBC Sherlock by Toby & Boton  They give their analysis of each episode with video footage and the likes,

 

I'm in!  Give me a call, Moftiss!  We can start with DVD commentaries for your next special edition.  

[jesskayding]

 

New show idea: The psychology of BBC Sherlock by Toby & Boton  They give their analysis of each episode with video footage and the likes,

 

That's actually not a bad idea. Hay, hook that up Toby & Boton.

 

 

I want an actor to play me, then. No way in hell would I get in front of a camera and talk while there were "actual people actually listening". Hmmmm... now, who would I cast....

 

It feels pretty silly to take a TV show that seriously and wonder and analyze about the characters as if they were real, but what the heck, it's also a lot of fun, and there are certainly worse ways to make a fool of one's self, so - I don't see myself denying my brain that simple method of stress relief any time soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New show idea: The psychology of BBC Sherlock by Toby & Boton  They give their analysis of each episode with video footage and the likes,

 

I'm in!  Give me a call, Moftiss!  We can start with DVD commentaries for your next special edition.  

 

 

 

Uhhhh, Boton, I say keep it simple. The Motfiss' may not call you, but you could personal message Toby & exchange email or something. I would only recommend phone # exchange if you get Free international calling.

[Carol the Dabbler]

You are such a spoilsport, Jess! 
 

I want an actor to play me, then. No way in hell would I get in front of a camera and talk while there were "actual people actually listening". Hmmmm... now, who would I cast....

Well....?

[jesskayding]

How am I being a Spoilsport? I thought I was being supportive ofthe Toby/Boton collaborative?

[Arcadia]

 

But he seemed genuinely happy in that short scene where he and John and Mary stand together talking about her pregnancy. It's like he finally has his own little family. And then the realization sinks in, no, they have their own little family. "We can't all dance". Sherlock knows that. He thinks he'll be in the way in the future: "You won't need me around". Until this moment, Sherlock has managed to make the day as much his own wedding to John and Mary both as he can, but when they go off to dance, it's truly "just the bride and groom", and that illusion falls for good. So all he can do is go back to being himself, the idea of himself as the sociopathic loner that he had carefully constructed over years. I don't think he'd seriously choose anything different, but the thing is, at that point, he doesn't have a choice.

 

T.o.b.y, this is a beautiful, beautiful thought very well expressed.

 

I think yes, the whole Sherlock personality development arc for S3 is about whether or not he really does have a choice in his isolation.  Clearly, Mycroft has been the literal voice in his head for years telling him to not let himself get attached to anyone or anything, not even a pet when he was little.  And here he has started to build a life where there are people important to him ("....friends.  I hear you go in for that sort of thing these days."), and suddenly he has to deal with the fact that, when people are really important to you, you can also be profoundly hurt by losing them or seeing them in danger.  Again, such a nice set-up for HLV.  In TSoT, we get an "everyday" loss of friends in the form of that panic you feel when one of your friends marries or gets pregnant -- the "this is going to change everything and there's no place for me" fear.  By HLV, that is more or less resolved as evidenced by the nice little bit of adapted ACD dialog in which Sherlock admits he and Mary have discussed John's weight gain; just a little clue that things have settled down more normally, and that Sherlock has added Mary to his "family."  And then he sees what it truly means to have his family threatened, in the form of CAM.

 

Wow. To heck with watching the show, I'm just going to read Toby's and Boton's posts from now on.

[T.o.b.y]

You are such a spoilsport, Jess!

 

I want an actor to play me, then. No way in hell would I get in front of a camera and talk while there were "actual people actually listening". Hmmmm... now, who would I cast....

Well....?

 

Huh! Tough question. Who would I cast to play me? I can't even get that far in my brain, because I get hung up on why in hell anybody should play me. Not exactly a dream role...

 

Whom would you cast to play you?

 

Trying to ease the conversation back to favorite scenes: If you all had to choose just one scene (just one!) to be your favorite, which would you pick?

 

Mine is still the pool. It still makes me catch my breath and my heart rate go up.

 

[Schlauer Fuchs]

 

Trying to ease the conversation back to favorite scenes: If you all had to choose just one scene (just one!) to be your favorite, which would you pick?

 

Mine is still the pool. It still makes me catch my breath and my heart rate go up.

 

Mine would be the rooftop showdown. That's when I finally and irreversibly fell for the show. It's an emotional rollercoaster with Sherlock showing how he finally understood about the binary code, then learning that he got that wrong, him nearly throwing Moriarty off the roof (love the sound Moriarty makes at that point), then stepping on the edge himself (beautiful camera shot when he asks for a moment of privacy), laughing and getting off again when he realises there is a way out opened up for him, only to find  this way out being shot again just seconds later, climbing on the edge again and then the conversation with John... The whole scene just gives me goosebumps.

And I also love Andrew Scott in this scene. I considered his portrayal of Moriarty in the pool scene a bit overacted to the point of satire, but what I got to know about Moriarty in this scene allows me to enjoy the pool scene in retrospect. Now, Moriarty is one of my favourite characters. This scene changed my whole perception of this character which I find quite extraordinary.

[Janie]

Just one? You want something impossible from me. But I'll try...

 

It's really hard but I would probably choose the airport scene. I find it even more touching and emotional than the rooftop scene and it's also the only scene that nearly made me cry.

[Boton]

Of course, I've made no secret of my absolute love of everything HLV, especially the mind palace panic, but if I were to choose another favorite scene, I think I'd choose the cab ride on the way to the crime scene in S1E1 SiP.  I love that the writers used ACD dialog almost intact, only updating it to be about a mobile phone rather than a pocket watch -- and it almost completely works, other than the fact that practically no one would engrave a mobile phone.  I love the delivery of the lines; for me, this is one of the most well-paced deductions scenes in the whole series, maybe because the cab ride gives the pair time to actually slow down just a touch and make the deduction really about Sherlock's observation, not about some word cloud magic that he can perform.  The things he noticed really are details that every one of us could pick up on, if we cared enough to really observe rather than just see.

 

And I love that John is not in the least threatened by this -- he thinks its amazing, which might be one of the first times in Sherlock's life that people have ever thought his talent was worthy of respect and not to be treated like a freakish quality or a parlor trick.  At that point, I pretty much want to be friends with both of them, even before I really "know" that this is Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in any meaningful way.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

The rooftop scene the first time practically had me in tears (very emotional person here) but I also like the flash back scenes with David & Archie. Picking just one is near impossible you realize.

[Carol the Dabbler]

How am I being a Spoilsport? I thought I was being supportive ofthe Toby/Boton collaborative?

 

I was just yanking your chain, Jess -- sorry I didn't make that clear.  (I've edited a smiley into that post now.)  I just meant that you were suggesting a practical alternative to the glorious television show we'd all been happily planning.

 

It's an emotional rollercoaster with Sherlock showing how he finally understood about the binary code, then learning that he got that wrong....

Did Sherlock actually think that the code was real? I still find that hard to believe -- especially that Mycroft would believe it, what with his experience (plus the experts available to advise him). It's a typical television cliche, but not at all plausible in my opinion. My interpretation is that Sherlock was 99% certain the code was a fake, but wanted to trick Moriarty into confessing that (which he was recording on his cell phone). I do wish they'd addressed that question (one way OR the other) in "Empty Hearse."

 

[Schlauer Fuchs]

 

Did Sherlock actually think that the code was real? I still find that hard to believe -- especially that Mycroft would believe it, what with his experience (plus the experts available to advise him). It's a typical television cliche, but not at all plausible in my opinion. My interpretation is that Sherlock was 99% certain the code was a fake, but wanted to trick Moriarty into confessing that (which he was recording on his cell phone). I do wish they'd addressed that question (one way OR the other) in "Empty Hearse."

 

 

That's a good point. I've been wondering about that, too. When I saw the episode for the first time I was like "Oh, come on, one code to unlock every door? Really?", but I was willing to accept it for the sake of the show. So even though I wouldn't believe such a code could exist in reality, I accepted that it existed in the Sherlock-reality. And therefore I experienced this emotional rollercoaster. Whether Sherlock really believed in it? I have no idea... again a question of no bluff, bluff, or double bluff... I don't really have an interpretation, but I agree that yours is more likely than both Sherlock and Mycroft being fooled.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Every time they mentioned that code, I was yelling at the TV, disappointed that such a good program would stoop to using such a ridiculous idea -- then when Jim said there was no such thing, I cheered!  So that took care of my main concern.

 

"Empty Hearse" just glossed over the whole police investigation, telling us only that it had cleared Sherlock's name by proving that Moriarty really was the perpetrator of all those crimes.  Presumably they felt they didn't have time for details.  But at least they didn't dispute the idea that Sherlock was just stringing Jim along in order to get his confession "on tape."

 

[jesskayding]

Yeah, that part is pretty ambiguous. I'm ok with it though.