Molly Hooper

[gerry]

Yeah, that's getting a little hard to maintain. But Sherlock's often acted far younger than his years, too. (So they're perfect for each other! :d) But I get the impression they intend for everyone to be much more "mature" if the show ever returns. That's another reason why it's so hard for me to figure out how they can include Molly in the story after this; if she maintains her schoolgirl crush, she'll just seem pathetic instead of sympathetic. :(

Molly has grown more confident over the years. She never would have told Sherlock to say ILY first in the past but she stands up for herself more so I don't view it like a schoolgirl crush anymore. In season 1 and 2 defintely, now no.

 

I still wonder if they have any idea what to do with Molly if she got over SHerlock.

[gerry]

 

I think the outfit at the end might have been a bit of a nod to the fans? You know, like Molly's greatest hits? I have never been to one of those dress up conventions, but I understand people going as her often try to wear a cardigan like that, with the cherries on.

Oh, yes! I like this idea. It seems like something they'd do.

 

For some reason, my head-canon is that Sherlock is lecturing her in the ambulance over about how she has to play up how badly off he is, whilst she tells him he really is taking it too far. And that his 'you seem stressed' is his way of saying she's not being convincing enough, and trying to cover for it by making her seem more worried.

 

Because actually his line, something like: 'I'm worried about you, you seem stressed,' isn't very like him, I don't think we see him vocalise his concern for others much in general. Until TFP of course, when he turns into a big, soppy mess. :P

That's sort of how I imagine it going down, yeah. But I didn't think his "you seem stressed" was meant to be a sign of caring, I thought it was meant to be snarky. Which is another reason I hope she was in on it, because then he was being snarky to fool John, and not to be mean to her. But I still suspect the latter is what Moffat had in mind. Alas, I guess there's no way we'll ever know.

 

One thing I'm puzzled about ... why do some people snicker at Molly getting into the ambulance with Sherlock? Do they think Sherlock had to take his clothes off, or something? I mean, she would've ... what, taken his temp and his blood pressure, maybe listened to his lungs and heart ... what have I missed? Oh, wait ... did he have to pee in a jar again? That might have been awkward ...

I took the ambulance scene as him just being snarky to Molly. It had a similar tone to it than the scene in HLV where Molly slapped him. Similar set up, her being worried about him and him giving crass answers in reply.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I like Molly's outfits... You should see what I wear! :-D

 

I'm not real fond of Molly's wardrobe -- just not my personal style, plus she sometimes wears things badly.  But I agree with what I take to be your underlying point, namely why do we expect people on tv to be perfectly dressed and perfectly groomed every moment of the day?  Why can't they just dress like real people -- including people like you and me who are, shall we say, not fashion conscious?

 

Actually, I meant that I genuinely like Molly's style of dress.

 

Right, I understand that.  I just meant that -- well, let me expand (and probably confuse everyone even further).

 

Most of what Molly wears, I like just fine on Molly.  Her first attempt at dressing up ("Scandal") was a bit of a disaster, but her everyday stuff looks nice on her and seems to go with her personality.  And so do her more recent "dress up" outfits ("Sign" and "Thatchers."

 

What looks good on her wouldn't look right on me, and vice versa.  But both of us (and presumably you also, Tobe) look good in what we wear, because it suits us -- even though we may not pay much attention to what's in style.

[gerry]

I just don't find what she wears most of the time to really flatter her figure. She's a petite woman but the clothes she wears are oversized almost for her size. Those pants she was wearing in that last scene was Exhibit A of that.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Maybe she values comfort over looking sexy.

[Arcadia]

I just don't find what she wears most of the time to really flatter her figure. She's a petite woman but the clothes she wears are oversized almost for her size. Those pants she was wearing in that last scene was Exhibit A of that.

Exactly. Look at what the actress wears ... nothing fancy, they simply fit her properly. It's not Molly's style that bugs me, it's the fit. And they do it because poorly fitting clothes make her look dorkier.

[Arcadia]

I'd argue that clothes that fit properly are more comfortable to wear than those that don't, except I'm not even supposed to be here right now. :P

[Surelock]

Don't you think her crush has changed a bit though? She does stand up to Sherlock now, and I don't picture her trying to ingratiate herself with him in the same way as season one, anymore. I agree the feeling hasn't changed, but her behavior has, which seems like the only part she has control over.

 

I don't think Molly's crush has changed. Molly always acted like a school girl around Sherlock except when he did things that greatly upset her. Even at the start of Season 2 in A Scandal in Belgravia, Molly tells Sherlock off for trying to deduce what she was trying to do with her Christmas present.

 

She's like that in Season 3 as well. She acts like a schoolgirl around Sherlock but when she finds out that Sherlock has been drowning himself in drugs, she slaps him.

 

 

 

I think one of the reasons I see her that way (socially inept) is that she makes bad jokes at lot- like to Mrs. Hudson in Scandal, and her phone message too, about being in the dead centre of town. And even that bit of mortician's humour to Greg... I actually like her sense of humour though, because it is downright silly. But I picture her not quite getting how to behave in some social situations.

 

I think she makes bad jokes because she's always around Sherlock and she's almost always shy around him and can't think straight. She says weird things like in Season 3 she said weird things about her Sherlock-like boyfriend to try and make Sherlock jealous like 'We're having lots of sex.' Who on earth says that?

 

I have to say that Molly is a character that seems to be entirely defined by her relationship with Sherlock. I can't think of a single scene with her that didn't include Sherlock as well. It's like her entire life revolves around him and that's why she comes off as a schoolgirl rather than an adult.

 

 

I think Sherlock said as part of his deductions that Molly that she wasn't close to her family. That was kind of sad. I wonder what kind of family she has left. She seemed like she was alone at Christmas in Scandal too. I can't imagine what family wouldn't adore Molly. Though I'm biased, of course.

 

Maybe she was only close to her father, who dies, and her parents had been divorced a long time? 

 

I think The Reichenbch Fall may imply that Molly sees her father in Sherlock because he made similar faces to him when he was upset? If Molly is distant with her family then maybe that explains her crush on Sherlock?

[Arcadia]

As a female with a bit of a crush on Sherlock myself, I can confirm that the nearness or distance of one's family has no bearing on the situation. :p He's just ... so Sherlocky..... *swoon*

[bedelia1984]

 

 

I think one of the reasons I see her that way (socially inept) is that she makes bad jokes at lot- like to Mrs. Hudson in Scandal, and her phone message too, about being in the dead centre of town. And even that bit of mortician's humour to Greg... I actually like her sense of humour though, because it is downright silly. But I picture her not quite getting how to behave in some social situations.

 

I think she makes bad jokes because she's always around Sherlock and she's almost always shy around him and can't think straight. She says weird things like in Season 3 she said weird things about her Sherlock-like boyfriend to try and make Sherlock jealous like 'We're having lots of sex.' Who on earth says that?

 

I have to say that Molly is a character that seems to be entirely defined by her relationship with Sherlock. I can't think of a single scene with her that didn't include Sherlock as well. It's like her entire life revolves around him and that's why she comes off as a schoolgirl rather than an adult.

 

I have to agree about the 'lots of sex' line being hugely inappropriate, only I see that as another example of her not knowing quite the right way to behave socially.

 

Sherlock is the protagonist, so it makes sense we don't see her in scenes without him, (there are one or two actually, but that are still about Sherlock- with Lestrade and her phone call to Mrs H, both in TSOT). We do have another kind of dorky joke to Greg about the brain in TSOT too, with no Sherlock in sight, though. And that phone message is going out to everyone, presumably after she made it by herself at home.

 

 

I think Sherlock said as part of his deductions that Molly that she wasn't close to her family. That was kind of sad. I wonder what kind of family she has left. She seemed like she was alone at Christmas in Scandal too. I can't imagine what family wouldn't adore Molly. Though I'm biased, of course.

 

Maybe she was only close to her father, who dies, and her parents had been divorced a long time? 

 

I think The Reichenbch Fall may imply that Molly sees her father in Sherlock because he made similar faces to him when he was upset? If Molly is distant with her family then maybe that explains her crush on Sherlock?

 

Yes, I think Sherlock might remind her of her Dad, who might have been kind of an outsider (as it seems she also is in her own family)- and she probably sees Sherlock that way too.

 

ETA:

As a female with a bit of a crush on Sherlock myself, I can confirm that the nearness or distance of one's family has no bearing on the situation.  :P He's just ... so Sherlocky..... *swoon*

 

Though I shouldn't forget there are many other reasons to like Sherlock too!

[Surelock]

Well if Molly is socially awkward then maybe it's somehow linked with her working in a morgue? I mean if you're working on dead bodies all day, I'm guessing you're not a very social person.

 

Why is a girl like Molly even interested in dead bodies?

 

I mean she usually acts like a teenager who's experiencing love for the first time. That's not the kind of person I expect to see working in a morgue.

[gerry]

 

I just don't find what she wears most of the time to really flatter her figure. She's a petite woman but the clothes she wears are oversized almost for her size. Those pants she was wearing in that last scene was Exhibit A of that.

Exactly. Look at what the actress wears ... nothing fancy, they simply fit her properly. It's not Molly's style that bugs me, it's the fit. And they do it because poorly fitting clothes make her look dorkier.

I agree the intent is to make her dorkier but it's a shame. I just hope that if the character grows, her wardrobe improves!

[bedelia1984]

It is kind of interesting that Molly has some oversized clothes that don't make much of her appearance as a woman, and that Sherlock imagined her actually in drag as a man in TAB. It's almost like taking it to the extreme! Not that I don't think some of her clothes are cute. The oversize trousers are very menswear as womenswear, which I don't mind myself.

 

But then also, to dress so you may not get as much male attention is a kind of a disguise too. There are some aspects to Molly that say she probably doesn't want to be noticed, now I'm not sure that is deliberate- but it's worth considering that it could be. Also, she's chosen somebody extremely remote to fall in love with- it is possible that that aspect of Sherlock is part of his charm for her, that she prefers to be at some distance from people, even those she is close to.

 

I wouldn't want her to start dressing alarmingly differently, anymore that I'd like to see John strutting about in Gucci. It would throw me completely off kilter.

 

[gerry]

I'm not advocating that she start dressing like a fashion model all of a sudden. No that wouldn't suit the character however I'm sure there are clothes that would suit mollys character while also fit her figure. The examples of her christening outfit is what I'm talking about. It's the everyday clothes not the special occasion outfits that could use work.

[J.P.]

Maybe Mrs Hudson helped her with the outfit?

[bedelia1984]

Yes, J.P., or Mary, in which case her fashion sense is now doomed forever. :(

 

But really I wouldn't change much about Molly at all. And I want her kitchen, I am very jealous of her flat, actually.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I wouldn't want her to start dressing alarmingly differently, anymore that I'd like to see John strutting about in Gucci. It would throw me completely off kilter.

... or John wearing his hair in a stylish, high- maintenance pompadour? ;)

 

I still suspect that Molly pays more attention to comfort than she does to a "proper" fit. Am I the only one here who buys their pajamas and nightgowns a size or two too large?

[bedelia1984]

 

I wouldn't want her to start dressing alarmingly differently, anymore that I'd like to see John strutting about in Gucci. It would throw me completely off kilter.

... or John wearing his hair in a stylish, high- maintenance pompadour? ;)

 

I still suspect that Molly pays more attention to comfort than she does to a "proper" fit. Am I the only one here who buys their pajamas and nightgowns a size or two too large?

 

 

I actually never knew what a pompadour was (or at least pictured it being a bit more dramatic), but if that is what was on John's head then it is a bit not good. 

 

Yeah, I totally see her as practical and not wearing clothes for their sex appeal or even attractiveness. She's mostly working with the dead, probably has to lift bodies and body parts. Some of her gear is probably more like scrubs than fashionable daywear.

[Arcadia]

Well if Molly is socially awkward then maybe it's somehow linked with her working in a morgue? I mean if you're working on dead bodies all day, I'm guessing you're not a very social person.

 

Why is a girl like Molly even interested in dead bodies?

 

I mean she usually acts like a teenager who's experiencing love for the first time. That's not the kind of person I expect to see working in a morgue.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by a girl like Molly, but one of my younger students just went off to college with plans to become a forensic pathologist. She's smart, cute, outgoing, traditional, etc. When we asked her why she chose that career, she said she just found the science really fascinating.

[Surelock]

 

Well if Molly is socially awkward then maybe it's somehow linked with her working in a morgue? I mean if you're working on dead bodies all day, I'm guessing you're not a very social person.

 

Why is a girl like Molly even interested in dead bodies?

 

I mean she usually acts like a teenager who's experiencing love for the first time. That's not the kind of person I expect to see working in a morgue.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by a girl like Molly, but one of my younger students just went off to college with plans to become a forensic pathologist. She's smart, cute, outgoing, traditional, etc. When we asked her why she chose that career, she said she just found the science really fascinating.

 

 

I mean that Molly, in many ways, acts like a teenage girl. She doesn't act that much like a woman in her 30s.

 

However teenage girls are usually afraid of dead bodies or anything related to them. However Molly isn't.

 

I find it strange that someone with a teenage girl personality is also interested in dead bodies. It feels like an inconsistency in her character. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I don't think I'd say that she's "interested in dead bodies" as such. More like she's not grossed out by them, and like Arcadia's student, she enjoys doing the scientific analysis.

[T.o.b.y]

Forensic Pathology is an awesome career path. Unfortunately, here in Germany, there are not many jobs in that field and you have to be rocket smart to get one of them. The really big forensic pathologists often have PhDs in both medicine and law. I have the highest respect for Molly and I don't think her job is at odds with her personality at all. She doesn't appear to be teaching students much or giving lectures, so who cares about her social skills. She seems perfectly competent at her job to me.

 

Believe me, I have met great scientists who were much more awkward than Molly outside of their labs...

[bedelia1984]

I like that Molly dresses like somebody actually going to work, now I think about it.

 

One of my pet hates, for example, is female detectives teetering about dangerous crime scenes in high heels.

 

About her seeming immature- I think she's a bit like Sherlock as in she has very specific interests to which she devotes a lot of time, focus and energy (for both of them, that is their work), so she is not so focused on having a personal life, or so experienced at relationships, that part of her life hasn't developed to the same degree. I think it's a shame that when men like Sherlock are like that people say its a choice, but for a woman people are more apt to say there must be something wrong with her.  It's a good thing for anyone to love their job that much, in my opinion.

 

Of course, I'm biased, as I like the character just the way she is.

[Arcadia]

I think of her as socially awkward rather than immature. I know what you mean, Surelock, about inconsistent, but I prefer the term "exaggerated". Her awkwardness is comparable to Sherlock's social cluelessness, and I think the writers use those traits to mine their characters for humor. So I don't find it truly inconsistent.

[gerry]

One of my pet hates, for example, is female detectives teetering about dangerous crime scenes in high heels.

The show Castle is really guilty of that. Beckett, a detective, dressed in all scenes like she was dressed as a model in designer clothes.

 

As far as immaturity, both Molly and Sherlock have behaved immaturely/socially awkward at times. Usually, it is intended to be funny. Many times Molly's obvious interest in Sherlock and his indifference to it was played for comedy. Her dating Tom was played for comedy. Their behavior at the christening was played for comedy. Sherlock's behavior at Buckingham Palace in SiB was also immature but funny. I don't think it's unique to any character, it's a writing choice or reflective of writers' sense of humor in my opinion.