Molly Hooper

[Carol the Dabbler]

Right.  If Sherlock were purely selfish and thoughtless at heart, it would be nearly impossible for him to learn otherwise, at his age.  Most people start to learn those lessons at around age three, when their brains are far more receptive.  A grown man, entering middle age, would likely need some sort of immersion therapy if he were starting from scratch.  So right, I think there's already a start, hidden though it may be.

[gerry]

I can see why that aspect is troublesome, but if the show comes back, I do believe it will be addressed somehow. I'm more confident that we'll see it in nuances of the performances than in the dialogue, but I do have hopes for the dialogue!

Supposedly Moffat said TAB was about Sherlock beating himself up about how he treats the women in his life but there is no change in his behavior towards women in season 4 so I don't think anything will be addressed in a small or significant way after the ILY scene.

[gerry]

Anyway I never really saw how Molly fitted well into Sherlock's plan in The Reichenbach Fall. I've always founded her inclusion to just be a forced attempt at making her important. Sherlock said that he needed her to find the corpse of the doppelganger that Moriarty used to kidnap those children. However Sherlock had all of MI6 helping him. He didn't need Molly's help to find one corpse.

I agree which is why I thought it was Sherlock's attempt to counteract her "I don't matter" admission. He later references that again in TEH.

[Carol the Dabbler]

 

Anyway I never really saw how Molly fitted well into Sherlock's plan in The Reichenbach Fall. I've always founded her inclusion to just be a forced attempt at making her important. Sherlock said that he needed her to find the corpse of the doppelganger that Moriarty used to kidnap those children. However Sherlock had all of MI6 helping him. He didn't need Molly's help to find one corpse.

I agree which is why I thought it was Sherlock's attempt to counteract her "I don't matter" admission. He later references that again in TEH.

 

Meanwhile, I've been assuming that she actually did far more than that.  (And I'm not sure how much credence to give Sherlock's account of TRF, either.  Did that scene with Anderson even "really" happen?)  Molly works in a hospital, and apparently has a fairly responsible position, so I figure that she did at least this much:  1. faked the death certificate and autopsy paperwork, 2. Got the medical garb, stethoscopes, etc. for the Homeless Network to use, 3. trained the HN on how to act enough like doctors and nurses to fool a real doctor, 4. got a pint of expired blood from the blood bank for sidewalk and cosmetic use, 5. arranged for an ambulance to block John's view of Big Blue -- and possibly also 6. arranged for the street to be blocked off, and 7. taught Sherlock the squash-ball trick.  (Note that I have not included corpse procurement, because I still don't see how that was even needed.)

[gerry]

 

 

 

Anyway I never really saw how Molly fitted well into Sherlock's plan in The Reichenbach Fall. I've always founded her inclusion to just be a forced attempt at making her important. Sherlock said that he needed her to find the corpse of the doppelganger that Moriarty used to kidnap those children. However Sherlock had all of MI6 helping him. He didn't need Molly's help to find one corpse.

I agree which is why I thought it was Sherlock's attempt to counteract her "I don't matter" admission. He later references that again in TEH.

Meanwhile, I've been assuming that she actually did far more than that. (And I'm not sure how much credence to give Sherlock's account of TRF, either. Did that scene with Anderson even "really" happen?) Molly works in a hospital, and apparently has a fairly responsible position, so I figure that she did at least this much: 1. faked the death certificate and autopsy paperwork, 2. Got the medical garb, stethoscopes, etc. for the Homeless Network to use, 3. trained the HN on how to act enough like doctors and nurses to fool a real doctor, 4. got a pint of expired blood from the blood bank for sidewalk and cosmetic use, 5. arranged for an ambulance to block John's view of Big Blue -- and possibly also 6. arranged for the street to be blocked off, and 7. taught Sherlock the squash-ball trick. (Note that I have not included corpse procurement, because I still don't see how that was even needed.)

All of which could have been done using Mycroft's government contacts under the guise of a classified operation as well. Technically John could have helped with #2, #3, #4, #5 given he's a doctor but Sherlock chose those who assisted in his and Mycroft's plan.

[Arcadia]

I agree Molly must have done the paperwork, at the very least. But I also agree that the inclusion of the Almighty Mycroft in the TEH explanation pretty much wiped out the need for anyone else to be involved. Although I did posit a theory that Sherlock preferred to use his own people to the extent possible, and that's why he included Molly and the homeless network, even though Mycroft's people probably could have taken care of everything themselves.

 

 

I can see why that aspect is troublesome, but if the show comes back, I do believe it will be addressed somehow. I'm more confident that we'll see it in nuances of the performances than in the dialogue, but I do have hopes for the dialogue!

Supposedly Moffat said TAB was about Sherlock beating himself up about how he treats the women in his life but there is no change in his behavior towards women in season 4 so I don't think anything will be addressed in a small or significant way after the ILY scene.

 

 

Oh yeah. I'd forgotten that little detail. Still ... he treats Mary with respect and affection, but then, he always did. But I don't recall him being particularly rude with Mrs. H, like he was in the first couple of seasons. And he's quite lovely with Faith. It's only Molly he "mistreats", by mocking her concern when he's high. And it hurts more with Molly because we know she cares. But the few other scenes he has with Molly, they're fine, until the ILY scene.

 

So while I agree they didn't remark on, in a direct manner, how he treats women in general, and Molly in particular, I think they did show him taking a little more care in that regard. But I suspect you're right ... that may be the most we're going to get.

[gerry]

It's true that John said that Molly had learnt to look past Sherlock but I'm not sure what he was referring to. Honestly that sounded to me like another forced line to make Molly sound important. It's like Moffat doesn't know what to do with her character. I think he loves Molly as a character but maybe he just can't figure out what kind of role she should have in the story.

What makes you think he loves Molly as a character? His interviews?

[bedelia1984]

 

....I find Molly to be somewhat difficult to understand because the writing around her seems to be inconsistent. 

 

For example I'm not sure if Sherlock is actually supposed to be aware of Molly's infatuation for him. It's true that he seemed to manipulate her by taking advantage of her feelings for him in The Blind Banker. However in A Scandal in Belgravia, he did this deduction of how Molly bought a present for someone she has feelings for but he didn't consider that person may have been him. Sherlock ended up unintentionally hurting Molly's feelings. However how could he have made a mistake like that if he was aware of her feelings for him?

 

The way I read that, is that Sherlock thinks he can use the fact she finds him attractive to get favours from her, in TBB. But, in Scandal, he talks more about somebody she really likes/ even loves, and I totally don't think Sherlock sees himself as the sort of person someone would have warm fuzzy feelings about. So, basically, up till Scandal, he thought she only wanted him for this body, but that moment of realisation in Scandal is that she actually likes him as a person and would like to have a relationship with him?

 

The problem with The Reichenbach Fall is that Sherlock was acting out a plan during the entire episode so it's difficult to tell how much of his actions were genuine character moments and how many of them were just pretense. 

 

I always thought Sherlock's plan was constructed after his conversation with Molly, and actually inspired by her? The main reason why is that he went away to think, after she made her offer. If he's been tricking her into offering to help him, wouldn't he have just seized the moment, and gone forward with his plan? And then also, why say to her later that she had been the part that mattered the most, because Moriarty hadn't expected her to help (which suggests to me Sherlock hadn't either, as in most things he and Moriarty have equal perception)? I couldn't really assume that the writers just want to make her seem important, because to me if the writers have their lead say a character is important, then she is, because their words are saying so. If he was lying to her, he would need a really good reason, and I can't think of any. Why would he let Molly risk so much in helping him, if he didn't really need her to?

 

Here is the original dialogue from HLV, it is from the shooting script, not the episode. The BBC have it on their writer's room page I think if you fancy a download of it.

 

MOLLY: Clean? 

(She rounds on Sherlock.)

MOLLY: What do you want me to tell them?

(He fixes her with a look.)

SHERLOCK: Whatever you feel you ought to tell

them.

MOLLY: Oh, I see! You give me the big dark eyes, and the deep, deep voice, and I’m supposed to lie for you. 

 

I don't think Sherlock was actually trying manipulate Molly but he didn't seem very appreciative of her when they were solving cases.

 

 

He did show appreciation, in my view, when he asked her if she wanted to go for chips with him afterwards. I know it might seem like nothing coming from most people, but it is actually very rare for Sherlock to suggest anything social with anybody apart from John, for any reason. Even Irene's repeated invitations to dinner get declined.

 

 

...I think it's important to remember that Sherlock is not meant to be a decent man. We don't watch him to learn how to treat people; we're watching him learn how to treat people.

 

Whereas Benedict, from everything I've seen and read about him, seems utterly decent. Of course, that could all be acting and PR, but I hope not. :( At any rate, I think that's what a lot of us see peeking through Sherlock's often haughty demeanor; basic decency. Which I agree, probably isn't in the scripts per se. But as I said before, Moftiss chose the actor, so they must have wanted that aspect of Sherlock's character to be there, however hidden it may be much of the time.

 

 

Yes, this is a thing, Benedict's character influencing Sherlock's. Though also, I do think chemistry is kind of an unpredicatble beast of it's own too- I think they saw that in the first scene in Study in Pink, unexpectedly, and that's what kept Louise in the show. They are also basing Sherlock off an original character who was fundamentally decent, so there is that, too.

 

 

I can see why that aspect is troublesome, but if the show comes back, I do believe it will be addressed somehow. I'm more confident that we'll see it in nuances of the performances than in the dialogue, but I do have hopes for the dialogue!

Supposedly Moffat said TAB was about Sherlock beating himself up about how he treats the women in his life but there is no change in his behavior towards women in season 4 so I don't think anything will be addressed in a small or significant way after the ILY scene.

 

 

I actually think he was better this season? I didn't see him batting his eyelashes to get privileges in the Morgue or getting engaged to get into CAM's office... Now admittedly, the bar had been set appallingly low...

[Surelock]

 

Supposedly Moffat said TAB was about Sherlock beating himself up about how he treats the women in his life but there is no change in his behavior towards women in season 4 so I don't think anything will be addressed in a small or significant way after the ILY scene.

 

 

True but remember The Abominable Bride was written after Season 4 was plotted (that's why it was able to foreshadow events in Season 4 so well). The Abominable Bride was a special episode and wasn't initially planned. According to the interviews, Moffatiss had Season 4 and 5 plotted as far back as 2013 but The Abominable Bride was first announced in mid-2014. 

 

 

Meanwhile, I've been assuming that she actually did far more than that.  (And I'm not sure how much credence to give Sherlock's account of TRF, either.  Did that scene with Anderson even "really" happen?)  Molly works in a hospital, and apparently has a fairly responsible position, so I figure that she did at least this much:  1. faked the death certificate and autopsy paperwork, 2. Got the medical garb, stethoscopes, etc. for the Homeless Network to use, 3. trained the HN on how to act enough like doctors and nurses to fool a real doctor, 4. got a pint of expired blood from the blood bank for sidewalk and cosmetic use, 5. arranged for an ambulance to block John's view of Big Blue -- and possibly also 6. arranged for the street to be blocked off, and 7. taught Sherlock the squash-ball trick.  (Note that I have not included corpse procurement, because I still don't see how that was even needed.)

 

 

Here's the problem: I don't see Molly being that good of an actor to pull all of this off.

 

Honestly if Sherlock died, I would expect Molly to be more grief stricken than John. I'd expect her to be crying all the time. I would expect her to take weeks off work. That's what I believe anyone who knew her would expect her to do.

 

However I'm supposed to believe that Molly was able to forge paperwork etc without arousing suspicion of anyone around her? Wouldn't anyone say, 'The guy you liked died. You shouldn't be working. Just go home.' I don't see Molly as being clever enough to talk herself out of these situations.

 

I just don't see Molly as being a capable actor. I don't think she's someone who can lie with a straight face. I don't think she'd be able to tell John, Lestrade etc that Sherlock is really dead.

 

Honestly that's one thing I dislike about how Moffatiss depicted Sherlock's 2 year absence in London. I don't think they ever showed us what was going on with Molly. 

 

This is why Molly's inclusion in the plan always sounded forced to me. Mycroft's's inclusion made sense. He was part of an intelligence agency. Obviously he would be a capable actor. Molly, on the other hand, has none of his skills in subterfuge. 

 

 

What makes you think he loves Molly as a character? His interviews?

 

 

Yes

 

 

The way I read that, is that Sherlock thinks he can use the fact she finds him attractive to get favours from her, in TBB. But, in Scandal, he talks more about somebody she really likes/ even loves, and I totally don't think Sherlock sees himself as the sort of person someone would have warm fuzzy feelings about. So, basically, up till Scandal, he thought she only wanted him for this body, but that moment of realisation in Scandal is that she actually likes him as a person and would like to have a relationship with him?

 

 

Is it possible to be attracted to a person and also really like/love another person? 

 

 

 

I always thought Sherlock's plan was constructed after his conversation with Molly, and actually inspired by her? The main reason why is that he went away to think, after she made her offer. If he's been tricking her into offering to help him, wouldn't he have just seized the moment, and gone forward with his plan? And then also, why say to her later that she had been the part that mattered the most, because Moriarty hadn't expected her to help (which suggests to me Sherlock hadn't either, as in most things he and Moriarty have equal perception)? I couldn't really assume that the writers just want to make her seem important, because to me if the writers have their lead say a character is important, then she is, because their words are saying so. If he was lying to her, he would need a really good reason, and I can't think of any. Why would he let Molly risk so much in helping him, if he didn't really need her to?

 

You're probably right about when Sherlock had constructed his plan. However remember in The Empty Hearse, Sherlock said this about Moriarty:

 

 

SHERLOCK (voiceover): Mycroft fed Moriarty information about me.

(Flashback to Mycroft walking into Jim’s cell, and Jim closing his eyes delightedly.)

SHERLOCK (part voiceover, part into the camera): Moriarty in turn gave us hints – just hints – as to the extent of his web. We let him go ...

(Flashback to Jim being taken into court for his trial.)

SHERLOCK (voiceover): ... because it was important to let him believe he had the upper hand. (Into camera) And then I sat back and watched Moriarty destroy my reputation bit by bit.

(Flashback to Sherlock sitting on the floor in the lab at Bart’s, repeatedly bouncing a small ball off the cupboard in front of him.)

SHERLOCK (voiceover): I had to make him believe he’d beaten me, utterly defeated me, and then he’d show his hand.

 

 

In other words, Sherlock was always acting out that he was being beaten by Moriarty. Now you could argue that he may not have been acting when he was around Molly but remember when Molly said that stuff about how Sherlock looks worried like her father, John was also with them. I'm sure Sherlock was always pretending to be worried when he was around John.

 

So in hindsight it looks like Sherlock was pretending to be genuinely worried all along and he only responded to what Molly said about her father because it helped with his act. I thought that scene of Molly making a comparison between Sherlock and her father was a good character moment but it looks like it got nullified with the I-was-acting-all-along plot twist.

 

 

 

Here is the original dialogue from HLV, it is from the shooting script, not the episode. The BBC have it on their writer's room page I think if you fancy a download of it.

 

MOLLY: Clean? 

(She rounds on Sherlock.)

MOLLY: What do you want me to tell them?

(He fixes her with a look.)

SHERLOCK: Whatever you feel you ought to tell

them.

MOLLY: Oh, I see! You give me the big dark eyes, and the deep, deep voice, and I’m supposed to lie for you. 

 

Okay but I'm not sure if this line indicated a clear acknowledgement of Sherlock taking advantage of her crush for him to manipulate her in the past. It could just be a reference to how Sherlock asked Molly to cooperate with him in The Reichenbach Fall to enact his plan. Molly wasn't being manipulated then. She was just in on the plan. 

 

 

 

He did show appreciation, in my view, when he asked her if she wanted to go for chips with him afterwards. I know it might seem like nothing coming from most people, but it is actually very rare for Sherlock to suggest anything social with anybody apart from John, for any reason. Even Irene's repeated invitations to dinner get declined.

 

Was that really appreciation? Remember Sherlock often went out to eat with John as well. He was using Molly to act as John. You could argue him inviting Molly to go get some chips with him afterwards was just another way for him to use Molly to fill in the void in his heart due to John's absence.

[bedelia1984]

 

 

 

The way I read that, is that Sherlock thinks he can use the fact she finds him attractive to get favours from her, in TBB. But, in Scandal, he talks more about somebody she really likes/ even loves, and I totally don't think Sherlock sees himself as the sort of person someone would have warm fuzzy feelings about. So, basically, up till Scandal, he thought she only wanted him for this body, but that moment of realisation in Scandal is that she actually likes him as a person and would like to have a relationship with him?

 

 

Is it possible to be attracted to a person and also really like/love another person? 

 

 

Well, yes I think it is, personally but my point was more that Sherlock at first sees it as just a physical attraction (to him) but when he sees the present he only sees it as more at that point. So when you were saying he seemed surprised- my point was that I think he was surprised at how deeply she felt for him, that he had considered her crush as superficial before. I think when viewed in that way, the writing for him, and how BC plays it makes more sense.

 

 

 

 

He did show appreciation, in my view, when he asked her if she wanted to go for chips with him afterwards. I know it might seem like nothing coming from most people, but it is actually very rare for Sherlock to suggest anything social with anybody apart from John, for any reason. Even Irene's repeated invitations to dinner get declined.

 

Was that really appreciation? Remember Sherlock often went out to eat with John as well. He was using Molly to act as John. You could argue him inviting Molly to go get some chips with him afterwards was just another way for him to use Molly to fill in the void in his heart due to John's absence.

 

This totally depends on your own point of view, and it is certainly possible to see it the way you describe too. The reason I saw it as a thank you was because of Sherlock describing it that way here:

 

(From Ariana DeVere's Transcripts)

 

MOLLY: What was today about?

SHERLOCK: Saying thank you.

MOLLY: For what?

SHERLOCK: Everything you did for me.

MOLLY: It’s okay. It was my pleasure.

(She reaches the bottom of the stairs and starts towards the door but turns back as he speaks.)

SHERLOCK: No, I mean it.

MOLLY: I don’t mean ‘pleasure.’ I mean, I didn’t mind. I wanted to.

SHERLOCK (stepping closer and speaking intensely but softly): Moriarty slipped up. He made a mistake. Because the one person he thought didn’t matter at all to me was the one person that mattered the most. You made it all possible

 

 

Though I do believe he wanted her company as well, I don't think it was just as a thank you. I don't know why Sherlock would say it was meant as a thank you if it wasn't, I'm not sure what he would gain from that? 

[gerry]

Oh yeah. I'd forgotten that little detail. Still ... he treats Mary with respect and affection, but then, he always did. But I don't recall him being particularly rude with Mrs. H, like he was in the first couple of seasons. And he's quite lovely with Faith. It's only Molly he "mistreats", by mocking her concern when he's high. And it hurts more with Molly because we know she cares. But the few other scenes he has with Molly, they're fine, until the ILY scene.

 

So while I agree they didn't remark on, in a direct manner, how he treats women in general, and Molly in particular, I think they did show him taking a little more care in that regard. But I suspect you're right ... that may be the most we're going to get.

I agree that he was nice to Faith but she wasn't someone close to him or so he knew anyway nor did he have a reason to "mistreat" her. He was basically the same with Mrs Hudson and Molly to me as in prior seasons.

[Arcadia]

Okay, I'm starting to merge the character threads, starting with dear Molly. Hope I've done this right, it's my first merge! (And now that doesn't sound right.... :p) Posting this comment here so this thread will pop up on the "new contents" page, hope everyone finds it okay.

[bedelia1984]

Just wondering, does anyone think it is weird that Molly didn't seem to know about how Baker Street had exploded during the phone call? Wouldn't that be headline news? Or was it hushed up?

[Arcadia]

What makes you think she didn't know? (I can't remember exactly how that conversation goes...)

[bedelia1984]

I just remember that when Sherlock called she seemed pretty unconcerned about him, which seems odd if your friend's flat has just been blown up? Maybe she did know, but it didn't come across that way.

[Arcadia]

Oh, okay, I see. Well, it seemed to me she's sort of part of the inner circle now, based on the way she and Sherlock were interacting at Rosie's christening, etc. So my reasoning goes ... she heard all about the explosion, called around to check everyone was okay, knows that Sherlock is now staying at John's or whatever, knows they're safe but off on a trip somewhere, etc. Also I assume several days, if not weeks, have lapsed between the explosion and the rest of the episode, because that's how I explain why John & Sherlock don't have any glass shards sticking out of them.  ;)
 
'Zat work for you? (And yes, I can rationalize almost anything, given enough time ... :D)

[bedelia1984]

Well yes it does, thank you!

 

I still feel like Molly should be a little more alert, given the fact someone has apparently been trying to kill him quite recently, and he then calls with a really odd request, but I'm willing to hand-wave it away. 

[Arcadia]

Yeah, I agree with that, you'd think she would have realized he was in some kind of trouble. But she was already upset about something before he called, so I put it down to her distraught state of mind. For Molly, I will move heaven and earth to excuse her behavior.... :d

[T.o.b.y]

I think by the time Molly appears in the final montage, she has been filled in on recent events. Pretty sure that once he was home, Sherlock sought her out and explained what was behind that phone call.

 

It's a little sad we didn't get to witness this conversation, I am sure it was sweetly awkward. But no big deal. Anyway, I am sure it happened.

[Redbeard]

Oh, okay, I see. Well, it seemed to me she's sort of part of the inner circle now, based on the way she and Sherlock were interacting at Rosie's christening, etc. So my reasoning goes ... she heard all about the explosion, called around to check everyone was okay, knows that Sherlock is now staying at John's or whatever, knows they're safe but off on a trip somewhere, etc. Also I assume several days, if not weeks, have lapsed between the explosion and the rest of the episode, because that's how I explain why John & Sherlock don't have any glass shards sticking out of them.  ;)

 

'Zat work for you? (And yes, I can rationalize almost anything, given enough time ... :D)

 

I never thought of where Sherlock stayed after the explosion...I love the idea he stayed at John's though.  Now I wish they would have shown us some of that dynamic I'm sure it would have been funny, Sherlock intruding on John and Rosie's space.  Or would Sherlock have stayed with Mycroft?

[gerry]

I think by the time Molly appears in the final montage, she has been filled in on recent events. Pretty sure that once he was home, Sherlock sought her out and explained what was behind that phone call.

 

It's a little sad we didn't get to witness this conversation, I am sure it was sweetly awkward. But no big deal. Anyway, I am sure it happened.

If it was no big deal, then the emotional impact of the ILY scene was nonexistant which would make that scene pointless and manipulative in retrospect. Very disappointing actually.

[Arcadia]

I think Toby meant it's no big deal that we didn't get to witness the conversation, not that the conversation itself was no big deal. I like to think the conversation was a very big deal indeed, if it resulted in her smiling like that at the end. ;)

 

It might be more likely that Sherlock stayed with Mycroft after the explosion, but given how annoyed Sherlock was with him at that time, I'd choose John and Rosie. Or a nice quiet hotel room.

 

Or given that it's Sherlock "just transport" Holmes, and assuming his bedroom was undamaged, he may have just stayed at Baker Street. Or kipped on Mrs. Hudson's couch. Or at Molly's. The possibilities are endless, now that I think about it. He might have borrowed a mattress from Wiggins.

[T.o.b.y]

I think Toby meant it's no big deal that we didn't get to witness the conversation, not that the conversation itself was no big deal. I like to think the conversation was a very big deal indeed, if it resulted in her smiling like that at the end. ;)

 

Thanks Arcadia, that was indeed what I meant.

 

As for what actually was discussed between them, maybe it's good that the conversation happened off screen because that way, those who would like to think of Sherlock and Molly as a couple have a good opening there but those who don't are free to believe they are still just friends.

 

 

[bedelia1984]

 

I think Toby meant it's no big deal that we didn't get to witness the conversation, not that the conversation itself was no big deal. I like to think the conversation was a very big deal indeed, if it resulted in her smiling like that at the end. ;)

 

Thanks Arcadia, that was indeed what I meant.

 

As for what actually was discussed between them, maybe it's good that the conversation happened off screen because that way, those who would like to think of Sherlock and Molly as a couple have a good opening there but those who don't are free to believe they are still just friends.

 

 

I totally agree about the benefits of it happening offscreen. To me it is almost more romantic in that way, because their dynamic has always had that element of 'maybe there is more here than they are showing onscreen', and season 4 was the epitome of this. It started off with things like the conversation Molly mentions in Scandal about Sherlock not liking John going away at Christmas, through the way Molly helped in TRF of which we never see the particulars, and then finding out in HLV that Sherlock sometimes stays over in her place... 

 

The nicest thing about leaving the options open is that its not rubbed in anyones faces that their idea of how Sherlock should be or who he should be with isn't happening. I do think some of TJLC goes way too far, but I also feel bad for the young people who would love to see Sherlock/ John represent them onscreen. I can see why that would mean a lot for them, and it's nice it doesn't have to be trampled all over.

 

Plus, I have this feeling that whatever Moftiss could or would write between Sherlock and Molly onscreen could never match up to the sort of shenanigans going on in the imagination of the fans!

[T.o.b.y]

Exactly. As Sherlock's love life (or lack thereof) is not really important to the series or his character arc but very important to many fans in many different ways, it is really wisest and kindest to just leave that aspect open to many different interpretations.

 

Personally, I think that Sherlock was sincere when he said he loves her as a friend. I don't believe he has repressed interest in her body. But his feelings for her are very tender and he has learned to appreciate and respect her love for him and if he maybe doesn't quite know how to tread lightly around her yet, at least he's at a point where he'd like to and considers hurting her in such a vulnerable place as much more upsetting than killing people, or so Euros "experiment" would suggest.

 

Really, the only character where I see any kind of on-screen indicators for a sexual attraction towards them on Sherlock's part is Irene Adler. But maybe that's what I want to see because "it's canon" (she's the Woman after all). Sherlock, the way I see him, is unlikely to settle down with one person for the rest of his life; the needs, likings and desires on his part that usually make up the kind of relationship that ends in marriage or a similar arrangement seem to be divided up between Irene, Molly and John and besides, I just can't imagine him as anything but a bachelor and, to a degree, loner.