How would you fix "His Last Vow"?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Assuming that you're one of the people who has issues with "His Last Vow" -- if you could retroactively change just one thing in the episode, what would it be, and how would you fix it?

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

About the only thing I would change about it is having one of the women in Sherlock's life do the actual shooting of CAM. Maybe Irene would hire a hit on CAM as could have Lady Smallwood. I would have loved if it had been Mary making good on her threat to CAM earlier in the episode. Waking up early from the drugging and figuring out what Sherlock has done and why finds a long range weapon....maybe Daddy or Mummy hunts...and takes the long shot from cover.

[Caya]

Just one thing? You're a harsh mistress, Carol . Would have to be Mary killing Sherlock, then. For me, that was the moral event horizon.

 

Wasn't it you who suggested them grappling for the gun and the thing accidentally going off? That would make it so much better in my eyes. Now it wouldn't solve either Sherlock becoming a murderer or the airfield scene, mind you, but I could enjoy the episode a lot longer.

[T.o.b.y]

Just one thing? Oh dear, I am not good at this at all. Okay, I'd have to choose the scene where John and Mary make up, because that grates on me the most. It would be enough for me if they just postponed talking about Mary's past until after Christmas (or until series 4...) and decided to focus on what's most important then; that they still love each other or at least want to, and having established that, they'll sort the rest out eventually. Something like that. I'd just need to know that John does care for all there is to his wife, and not just who she was "supposed to be". And I wouldn't have it end with Mary sobbing and fainting (even though she does faint from drugs, but still). It could all be a bit more tentative, they wouldn't have to fall into each others arms or anything. And I wouldn't mind a bit of snark from both sides (that bit about the lawn was good...).

 

To sum it up, I want John to be more "help me understand all this please and by the way, I still love you" instead of "shut up, come here and listen to what I have to say".

[Carol the Dabbler]

About the only thing I would change about it is having one of the women in Sherlock's life do the actual shooting of CAM. Maybe Irene would hire a hit on CAM as could have Lady Smallwood. I would have loved if it had been Mary making good on her threat to CAM earlier in the episode. Waking up early from the drugging and figuring out what Sherlock has done and why  finds a long range weapon....maybe Daddy or Mummy hunts...and takes the long shot from cover.

 

Yes!  Too bad Moftiss didn't care to stick with canon at least to the extent that Magnussen was shot by a woman, rather than going with their theory that Holmes did it.  While that does strike me as an interesting supposition for the canon story, it hardly seems necessary for Sherlock, especially since they figure Watson lied to protect Holmes's reputation, whereas Sherlock waited till he had witnesses!

 

Just one thing? You're a harsh mistress, Carol . Would have to be Mary killing Sherlock, then. For me, that was the moral event horizon.

 

Wasn't it you who suggested them grappling for the gun and the thing accidentally going off? That would make it so much better in my eyes. Now it wouldn't solve either Sherlock becoming a murderer or the airfield scene, mind you, but I could enjoy the episode a lot longer.

 

Yup, I'm just like the moon!    (And note:  Heinlein's novel is the only non-Holmes fiction I'm aware of with a character named Mycroft -- alias "Mike"!)

 

Right, that was my suggestion, and I still like it.  It would make Mary's shooting of her husband's best friend semi-accidental, while still maintaining her murky past. It would retain the drama of Sherlock's fighting-his-way-back-to-life scene, while obviating all that "surgical precision" nonsense. And it leaves the rest of the story more-or-less intact.

 

Frankly, I could grudgingly live with Mary's shooting Sherlock (since she did warn him not to take that step) -- but Sherlock's justification of it is utter bilge -- yet it needs to be justified in order for the rest of the story to work.  So nip it in the bud, I say!

 

To sum it up, I want John to be more "help me understand all this please and by the way, I still love you" instead of "shut up, come here and listen to what I have to say".

Oh my yes -- I'd really like that!

 

[Arcadia]

I think I'd probably change it so that Sherlock defeats CAM with his mind, not with a gun. I get why they did it that way, though, so maybe not.

 

 

The one I'd rather fix is the Empty Hearse, I don't like the way the "explanation" seems to negate Sherlock's emotions at the end of TRF.

[Carol the Dabbler]

How would you like to see Sherlock defeat Magnussen, specifically?  (Must admit I'm at a loss for suggestions.)

 

[Arcadia]

Well, that's a problem, because the story would have to be significantly restructured. It is written so that Sherlock will lose this game, that's the whole point of it, imo. It's all leading up to: what does Sherlock do when he loses?

 

In my opinion, he takes the Kirk way out ... he cheats. For the world's smartest detective to resort to murder is a cop out ... if you choose to look at it (ahem) logically.

 

So to fix that, either Sherlock wins (and then you have a completely different show) or he goes down in defeat and stays there. So either Mary gets sacrificed, or you have someone not as important to the boys be the "victim." I'm not as heartless as Moftiss, I would probably have had Sherlock be right about the vaults. Or if I could bring myself to do it, I'd replace Mary with Lady Smallwood (but I liked her! ) and let her suffer the legal consequences ... and let Sherlock suffer the humiliation of losing, but w/o sacrificing his morals. But I recognize that would not be as dramatic as what "actually" happened.

 

Or have Sherlock think his way out of the situation, but I'm not smart enough to figure out how to do that. CAM was written so that he had no weak points.

 

In the real world, the solution would have been to turn Mary over to the authorities. Dramatically speaking, though, that would have been pretty cheesy; have John marry her one episode, then lose her the next? Lame.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I agree with your analysis -- Moftiss intentionally painted Sherlock into an untenable corner, forcing him to choose between following the rules (hah!) or, well, not following the rules.  So unless they (and we) have overlooked something really simple, there was only one way that standoff could end.  And so it did.

 

And I'm OK with that.  I've never heard anyone argue morality when Tolkien's heros slay an Orc or ten, presumably because that's fantasy and the Orcs are intrinsically evil.  I'm not sure that "Last Vow" is much different.

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Because as Toby and others have stated, Sherlock Holmes is fantasy. More realistic then Tolkien, but it is still a type of fantasy.

[Caya]

I agree with your analysis -- Moftiss intentionally painted Sherlock into an untenable corner, forcing him to choose between following the rules (hah!) or, well, not following the rules.  So unless they (and we) have overlooked something really simple, there was only one way that standoff could end.  And so it did.

 

Well Plaidder presented a solution that ended with Magnussen alive, but humiliated and broke in Law Like Love. But my hat's off to her in a big way for pulling that off. I sure couldn't, even less so like she did, without breaking the canon. And backwards.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I haven't read that story (yet), but although I'm glad someone has come up with a more satisfying solution, I don't see that as meaning Sherlock is wrong for not thinking of it.  He did the only thing he could think of in a limited amount of time, which I suppose makes him a tragic figure, but hardly an evil one.

 

[Janie]

Just one thing? Oh dear, I am not good at this at all. Okay, I'd have to choose the scene where John and Mary make up, because that grates on me the most. 

 

Yeah, this is probably the only scene that really bothers me in HLV. I would have let John read the memory stick and then deal with Mary's past. 

[T.o.b.y]

I would certainly not change the bit where Sherlock shoots Magnussen. For some reason, that is one of the most deeply satisfying moments of television for me there is. It's hard to explain why... I guess it is because he's breaking the rules, as Carol and Arcadia have pointed out. Realistically, there was no way out of the situation. Sherlock and John would have gotten arrested, and Magnussen would have triumphed, end of story. But Sherlock, glorious wonderful (anti-)hero Sherlock just will not let that happen, and if the rules have failed, and he has lost anyway, then F*** all that, he'll go down with a smash and a bang at least, save his friends and rid the world of a poisonous thing while he's at it. This is what I turn to fiction for, that it makes the impossible possible, that if "if only I could" becomes "I just will".

 

And what makes the scene perfect, for me, is that Sherlock is not celebrated for his act of violence like a common super hero. He has still lost the game big time. Nobody pins a medal on his chest. He's labeled a murderer by his own brother, and is sent to exile and death. And he has no regrets, I don't think so. I think that faced with the same choice again, he'd pull the trigger every time, and take whatever trouble that brings him.

 

I do want Sherlock to solve every other problem with his brilliant mind. But he's got to loose at least once, and this is the way to do it. It's great to have a hero who actually loses sometimes.

 

I think the main reason why I still like His Last Vow an awful lot is that it lets me love and adore Sherlock whole-heartedly as much as ever. It's one long roller coaster ride through his colorful personality and I enjoy every moment he's on screen. As long as they keep that up, this will continue to be my favorite series of all times.

[Arcadia]

I largely agree with you, Toby, except I grieved rather than found satisfaction when he shot Magnussen. (And no, I was not grieving for CAM.) But that's alright, grief is a legitimate emotion to evoke too.

 

I don't agree that Sherlock is a fantasy, exactly. It's fiction, but the rules (of physics, ethics, etc.) in Sherlock World are pretty much the same they are in Real World. And even if they weren't, good fiction (and fantasy) still serves to illuminate real life. So I get a little uncomfortable when fiction treats murder casually; I don't like what is says about human beings. But I do know the difference between reality and fiction. (Just in case you were wondering! )

 

And before anyone asks -- I don't know yet if Sherlock is treating murder casually or not. Moffat certainly did, in an interview, but I think I need to learn not to pay very much attention to him. But he makes me worry when he says stuff like that.

[Zain]

I'd have Mary take responsibility for her behavior. That's something I could respect her for. If she told John that she cannot run from her past any longer, and that it is unfair to their child to put it in this danger. I'd either have her ask Sherlock to get Mycroft to quietly "remove" her to be led away to prison, or to leave as a direct consequence of shooting Sherlock and endangering and lying to John. It is kinder than to ask them to further endanger them just because she'd rather stay. That's one of the things that make her seem so selfish. It is not like she even considers to inconvenience herself for the sake of Sherlock, John, and her baby.

 

Yes. Instead of pressuring and manipulating John into taking her back, I'd have her go with her head held high, out of her own decision. On her own conditions. That is something I could respect her for. Then I could see some sort of repentance in her. In hindsight, I cannot find as much fault with John's decision as I did in the beginning. She was clearly manipulating him. And he gave in. 

[Arcadia]

I agree, if nothing else were changed, turning Mary over to the authorities would in fact be the only solution that doesn't involve either killing CAM or knuckling under to his demands.

 

Just as clearly, Moftiss rejected that solution ..... that's not the story they wanted to tell. The more I think about it the more I think it's not reasonable for me to be chagrined because they told a different story than the one I thought I wanted to see. I don't like Sherlock turning killer? Too bad for me, it's their show, not  mine. My job now is to either stop watching, or to come to terms with it so I can continue to enjoy it. (Of course, it would help if I had a few SOLID clues as to what they actually have in mind ........ Moftiss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

Zain, just out of curiosity -- if Mary had apologized for her actions, confessed her past, willingly gone to the police, submitted to prison ... and then been given a reprieve by the government for some reason or other, and allowed to return to John ... would that be an acceptable outcome in your view? Or does she have to be punished for her past, no matter what? Just wondering.

[Zain]

Zain, just out of curiosity -- if Mary had apologized for her actions, confessed her past, willingly gone to the police, submitted to prison ... and then been given a reprieve by the government for some reason or other, and allowed to return to John ... would that be an acceptable outcome in your view? Or does she have to be punished for her past, no matter what? Just wondering.

 

That would have been just as fine with me. Sure, she still would not be my favorite person, but to me, it is this refusal of Mary's to take responsibility for her actions that completely repels me. She just continues the way she did. I can't see any kind of character development. And thus, no wish to repent. Or to make it up to the people she wronged.

 

If she had truly made this decision to confess and the choice to give her freedom up so that she would no longer pose a threat to John, Sherlock, and the baby, then she would be different from the person she was before HLV, the one that lied and manipulated and endangered the people around her to protect herself. There'd be some sort of development. Some sign that she feels guilty. But I can't really see any semblance of guilt in her demeanor in HLV. Smugness, yes. A guilty conscience... not really.

 

In a way, I think she should be punished, yes. But if she was willing to bear punishment, truly willing, then I would be completely fine with it if she was let off the hook. But I am not fine with the end of HLV, because she was let off the hook when she was still wriggling to escape the consequences of her actions. Just like Bakerstreet Irregular, I believe in second chances. Or more, even. But you can only give someone a second chance if that person wants a second chance. If that person knows that they have to do better next time. If that realization is missing from their conscience, then it is a carte blanche to be selfish and to act out again. You then are not offering a second chance.

[Arcadia]

Makes perfect sense, thank you! It will be interesting to see if she does have any character development, or if she just remains static, like Lestrade. Part of me hopes she's static, cuz any time given to her takes time away from the boys. On the other hand, they could do so many interesting things with her.....

[sherlockandjohn]

 

Just one thing? You're a harsh mistress, Carol . Would have to be Mary killing Sherlock, then. For me, that was the moral event horizon.

 

Wasn't it you who suggested them grappling for the gun and the thing accidentally going off? That would make it so much better in my eyes. Now it wouldn't solve either Sherlock becoming a murderer or the airfield scene, mind you, but I could enjoy the episode a lot longer.

 

Yup, I'm just like the moon!    (And note:  Heinlein's novel is the only non-Holmes fiction I'm aware of with a character named Mycroft -- alias "Mike"!)

 

Right, that was my suggestion, and I still like it.  It would make Mary's shooting of her husband's best friend semi-accidental, while still maintaining her murky past. It would retain the drama of Sherlock's fighting-his-way-back-to-life scene, while obviating all that "surgical precision" nonsense. And it leaves the rest of the story more-or-less intact.

 

Now, that I would have liked! I really love the scene where Sherlock fights his way back to life, spurred on by Moriarty's words.

 

I also love the fact that Sherlock is willing to sacrifice his future for John and Mary, but maybe something else (that didn't involve Sherlock killing a man) would have sufficed? On the other hand, Magnussen was so vile that someone had to kill him. I would hate seeing him in any future episodes. No resurrection for him, please!

 

Of course I'm not actually in favor of killing people. In fact, I dislike it when Mary says, "People like Magnussen should be killed, that's why there are people like me." Just because the world would be better without certain people, it doesn't mean I think I, or anyone else, should kill them. Certainly not any individual.

 

However, the surgery explanation is probably the weakest link in the story for me, so the idea of the gun going off accidentally in Magnussen's office sounds good.

[sherlockandjohn]

I think I'd probably change it so that Sherlock defeats CAM with his mind, not with a gun. I get why they did it that way, though, so maybe not.

 

 

The one I'd rather fix is the Empty Hearse, I don't like the way the "explanation" seems to negate Sherlock's emotions at the end of TRF.

 

I think I just have to accept that Sherlock is a jerk. Or a sociopath. Take your pick. And I love him anyway.

[Arcadia]

I choose jerk, jerks can improve!

[sherlockandjohn]

:-D But if a sociopath, you can more easily excuse him, perhaps...

[Slithytove]

I don't think I can improve on Zain's answer. Sums up everything that needed to happen.

 

Although I don't agree with the shooting of CAM, I suppose that one way of overcoming him would have been for Mary to turn up at Appledore at the crucial moment and kill him (it was her original intention after all.). She could then take responsibility for her deeds and let Mycroft's men arrest her.. I don't really like it as a solution - it still says it is okay to kill your enemies - but I like it better than Sherlock being the killer.

[Alex the Dabbler]

My one fix to His Last Vow is Sherlock takes John's gun and shoots the real source of his problems - Steven Moffat!