Favorite Scenes -- open ended

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

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.

 

Here's a lovely thing I found somewhere. It's centered around the entire cabbie/Sherlock face-off, using a quote from Terry Pratchett -- the quote that starts, "If you have to look along the shaft of an arrow..."

[T.o.b.y]

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.

 

Yes, that is one of my biggest complaints about series 3, that they didn't bother to make the deductions comprehensible any more. They're much less fun if you don't know why Sherlock knows Mary bakes her own bread or has a secret tatoo (where, by the way? and what?), or is a liar, for that matter.

 

I know that Doyle gave up on them after a while too, but is that really an excuse? "Our writing turned sloppy on purpose because that is canon"? I don't think so.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Not exactly on purpose, I think, just that it gets harder and harder to come up with good ones, and they had a good excuse for not bothering quite so much any more.  But I hope to see more of them in Series 4.
 

Here's a lovely thing I found somewhere. It's centered around the entire cabbie/Sherlock face-off, using a quote from Terry Pratchett -- the quote that starts, "If you have to look along the shaft of an arrow..."

That is very nicely done, and also makes a very good point, I think:  An evil man will savor your fear and then kill you; a good man will just kill you.

 

That may say something about Mary, but I'm not sure exactly what.

 

[T.o.b.y]

Not exactly on purpose, I think, just that it gets harder and harder to come up with good ones, and they had a good excuse for not bothering quite so much any more.  But I hope to see more of them in Series 4.

 

Here's a lovely thing I found somewhere. It's centered around the entire cabbie/Sherlock face-off, using a quote from Terry Pratchett -- the quote that starts, "If you have to look along the shaft of an arrow..."

That is very nicely done, and also makes a very good point, I think:  An evil man will savor your fear and then kill you; a good man will just kill you.

 

That may say something about Mary, but I'm not sure exactly what.

 

That she's not evil?

 

Anyway, they have 2 whole years to come up with good scripts, so I think they might at least try. And besides, there are over fifty original Holmes stories to draw from, and Doyle did not give up that early. I'd have zero problem with them just stealing the original deductions and modernizing them, like they did with the phone. Quite the contrary.

[Arcadia]

My favorite scene ... I kinda think it's the mind palace in HLV, but I also love (among many other scenes) the chase after the cab in Pink. Especially when they start giggling back at 221B.

[Boton]

 

 

Yes, that is one of my biggest complaints about series 3, that they didn't bother to make the deductions comprehensible any more. They're much less fun if you don't know why Sherlock knows Mary bakes her own bread or has a secret tatoo (where, by the way? and what?), or is a liar, for that matter.

 

Yeah, how does he know she bakes her own bread?  Does she have bread flour in her sleeve, and he's really adept at telling it apart from plain old unbleached?  (Is there a blog entry on identifying flour I should be reading?)  Is he jonesing after the ergot that is growing on spoiled rye?

 

 

 

Especially when they start giggling back at 221B. 

 

"You invaded Afghanistan."

"I didn't do that alone."  :-)

 

 

[Arcadia]

Yeah, how does he know she bakes her own bread? Does she have bread flour in her sleeve, and he's really adept at telling it apart from plain old unbleached? (Is there a blog entry on identifying flour I should be reading?) Is he jonesing after the ergot that is growing on spoiled rye?

I was going to say something about yeast but no matter how I word it it's not gonna come out right, so never mind.

 

 

Especially when they start giggling back at 221B.

"You invaded Afghanistan."

"I didn't do that alone." :-)

 

Exactly. I love that the writers recognize that bonds between people can form over shared laughter. I'm trying to remember how many other times we see that portrayed in fiction, not coming up with too many.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I don't mind Sherlock's unexplained deductions -- he's been doing that since at least "Scandal" -- just as long as there are also some nice juicy explained ones.  While a few were explained in S3, I don't recall that any of them struck me as particularly fascinating.  (The murder-by-skewer one was sufficiently convoluted, but I have trouble believing it could actually work as presented.)

 

That's the problem with presenting two series of riveting entertainment -- people expect you to do it again.  Unfortunately I for one do not consider confusing cuts, implausible scenes, and more violence to be a substitute for entertainment.

 

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

I don't mind Sherlock's unexplained deductions -- he's been doing that since at least "Scandal" -- just as long as there are also some nice juicy explained ones.  While a few were explained in S3, I don't recall that any of them struck me as particularly fascinating.  (The murder-by-skewer one was sufficiently convoluted, but I have trouble believing it could actually work as presented.)

 

And I don't like the whole random-words-pop-up thing. Sure, it's a good motif -- when used in moderation. S3's deductions aren't up to par, yes. And the skewer thing made ol' gullible me a little dubious.

 

 

 

That's the problem with presenting two series of riveting entertainment -- people expect you to do it again.  Unfortunately I for one do not consider confusing cuts, implausible scenes, and more violence to be a substitute for entertainment.

 

Some people think that S3 should be taken more as a metaphor of sorts, but I don't agree. I'm alright with one scene (say, Sherlock fighting back to life in HLV) being a metaphor (which, if the mind palace scene is, then what's your interpretation of it?), but a whole season? That's no excuse for the episodes not living up to S1 and 2's standards.

[Arcadia]

I loved the word clouds! And the metaphors!! And the impressionistic techniques!!! And the emotion!!!!

 

Um... does the skeleton deduction count for anything?

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

The skeleton thing is probably the only believable deduction in s3, in my opinion, as well as the who-hates-Mary thing. I don't remember any others off the top of my head, though.

[Arcadia]

What about the identical twins thing? Actually, I thought the deduction about CAM's eyeglasses was fairly believable, just ... wrong. And deducting that Sholto was the victim, that was pretty good, yes? And figuring out that the weird egg-shaped object was a sitty thing? And, um.... oh, who the heck cares, I'd far rather watch Sherlock making strangly motions with his hands as he describes how he'd kill Mycroft.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Agreed -- I loved those strangly motions!

 

What about the identical twins thing?

 

Do you mean the identical triplets with moles, or were there twins too?  The moles thing was pretty sharp, yeah.

 

[Arcadia]

Agreed -- I loved those strangly motions!

 

What about the identical twins thing?

 

Do you mean the identical triplets with moles, or were there twins too?  The moles thing was pretty sharp, yeah.

 

Oh, frack, was it triplets? Yeh, that.

 

 

Here's some more; Sherlock deduces that John is bored, that Molly's broken up with Tom, and that the security guard was a neo-Nazi ex-con. Those were pretty good deductions ... ???? Just, y'know.... brief.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Maybe we're just spoiled!

 

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

*brat voice* MOFFAAAATTTT GIVE US BETTER DEDUCTIOOOOOOONNSS!!!!

[SherlockedCAMPer]

I second that in a heartbeat Bendydoodle

[Mycroft]

John and Irene Adler at Battersea.

 

Henry Knight's hallucination with the patio light in 'The Hounds of Baskerville'.

 

Tea with Sherlock and Jim.

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

That scene at Battersea was a classic.

 

[violinist]

I don't know if these have been mentioned yet but I really love the scenes in which Sherlock uses intercoms (one in TBB and the other in ASiB). Sherlock is a good actor there's no question about it.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I don't know if these have been mentioned yet but I really love the scenes in which Sherlock uses intercoms (one in TBB and the other in ASiB). Sherlock is a good actor there's no question about it.

 

Hello, violinist -- welcome to Sherlock Forum! 

 

No, I can't recall that sort of thing ever being mentioned before.  Are you talking about the TBB scene where Sherlock sneaks up on Van Coon's PA while talking to her on the phone?  That definitely adds an extra dimension to what might otherwise have been straight exposition.  And you mean the SiB scene when Sherlock arrives at Irene's front door?  I love that one too!

 

And how about the HLV scene where Mary comes to Lauriston Gardens?  Not playful like the other two, but it sure adds a dramatic twist.

 

[sittything]

I think violinist is referring to that SiB scene and this one from the Blind Banker:

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, right, when he talks his way into Van Coon's apartment.  Yeah, that one was really good, in somewhat the same vein as the SiB scene.

 

[Arcadia]

Dat smile...

[T.o.b.y]

I need to add the Leinster Gardens scene to my favorites. I just rewatched His Last Vow recently and it really struck me how beautiful it is, Sherlock's low hypnotic voice over the phone, the sad music in the background, the scenery... Absolutely lovely. And so nice and quiet in spite of the high drama that is actually going on.