Holiday-Special News ("Abominable Bride")

[Arcadia]

Well, I suppose it could be sloppiness, but movie-making is an intricate business, I think it's more likely that the real reason is much more complicated, having to do with timing and budgets and the like. I'm with Besleybean, given the trivial nature of the matter, I think I'll cut them some slack....
 
I don't actually have any Christmas special news, but I remember someone remarking they hoped to see Sherlock in a top hat. Lookee what I found!
http://tomandlorenzo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Martin-Freeman-Benedict-Cumberbatch-Sherlock-Christmas-Special-On-Set-Television-Series-Tom-Loenzo-Site-TLO-4.jpg

 

Sorry it's just a link, I can't seem to get the photo onto my Imgur account.....

[Pamela]

Well, I suppose it could be sloppiness, but movie-making is an intricate business, I think it's more likely that the real reason is much more complicated, having to do with timing and budgets and the like. I'm with Besleybean, given the trivial nature of the matter, I think I'll cut them some slack....

 

I don't actually have any Christmas special news, but I remember someone remarking they hoped to see Sherlock in a top hat. Lookee what I found!

http://tomandlorenzo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Martin-Freeman-Benedict-Cumberbatch-Sherlock-Christmas-Special-On-Set-Television-Series-Tom-Loenzo-Site-TLO-4.jpg

 

Sorry it's just a link, I can't seem to get the photo onto my Imgur account.....

That was me, and yay!  Thanks!

[Carol the Dabbler]

Well, he talks about the statistics of the first trimester, so how much slack can they be given? Let's hypothesise she had not yet missed her period, a pretty regular 27.5 day cycle, except in cases of hormonal trouble, so she would have got pregnant around the 25th of April, by SherlckedCamper's hypothesis, give or take a few days. She could not be still pregnant at Christmas, much less at the airport.

 

I'm struggling to see what the problem is -- assuming conception in late April or early May and a typical 8-1/2 month (measured from conception) gestation period, that puts Mary's due date somewhere in mid-January.  So the May 18th wedding date is perfectly believable, unless I've miscounted my fingers.

 

The date stamp on John's blog is notoriously unreliable. Besides, if they moved the wedding to August, there would have been different flowers blooming in the courtyard at the reception.  ;)

[besleybean]

:popcorn:

[Arcadia]

 

Well, he talks about the statistics of the first trimester, so how much slack can they be given? Let's hypothesise she had not yet missed her period, a pretty regular 27.5 day cycle, except in cases of hormonal trouble, so she would have got pregnant around the 25th of April, by SherlckedCamper's hypothesis, give or take a few days. She could not be still pregnant at Christmas, much less at the airport.

 

I'm struggling to see what the problem is -- assuming conception in late April or early May and a typical 8-1/2 month (measured from conception) gestation period, that puts Mary's due date somewhere in January.  So the May 18th wedding date is perfectly believable, unless I've miscounted my fingers.

 

The date stamp on John's blog is notoriously unreliable. Besides, if they moved the wedding to August, there would have been different flowers blooming in the courtyard at the reception.  ;)

 

 

Oh, you stickler you! :D Then why in the commentary do they say there's an inconsistency with the dates? Huh, huh? :D

 

I didn't even notice any flowers.......

[besleybean]

The flowers that bloom in the Spring tra la...

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, you stickler you! :D Then why in the commentary do they say there's an inconsistency with the dates? Huh, huh? :D

 

I didn't even notice any flowers.......

 

The yellow flowers by the fountain (in foreground of the brief long shot -- which also shows Molly talking with Greg, no Tom in sight!).  Don't ask me what they are, but since the episode was filmed in May, they must be flowers that bloom in May.

 

Riddle:  If April showers bring May flowers, then what do May flowers bring?

 

Answer: Pilgrims.

 

(link for those not familiar with American pop history)

 

Sorry about that.  :D

 

Hey, I'd lots rather wonder what the heck they meant in the commentary than wonder why the episode doesn't hang together (especially if it actually does).  The episode is Sherlock canon, whereas the commentary is merely meta-canon.

[besleybean]

The commentary is straight from the writers mouths, so is paramount.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I agree that if I'm torn between two interpretations, or if I have no idea what a scene is supposed to mean, I'll generally go with the writers' interpretation.

 

But in this case, the interpretation seems crystal clear to me -- until I listen to the commentary and read John's blog.  The only thing that makes sense to me is that I'm misunderstanding the commentary -- perhaps it's a reference to something I'm not aware of -- and John's blog software has got the date wrong again.

 

At the end of "Empty Hearse," Mary tells Mrs. Hudson that she and John are planning a May wedding.  The invitation we see in "Sign of Three" says May 18th.  Mary is maybe two or three weeks along in her pregnancy at the wedding and hugely pregnant at Christmas.  It all fits (presumably even the flowers).

 

[Arcadia]

The yellow flowers by the fountain (in foreground of the brief long shot -- which also shows Molly talking with Greg, no Tom in sight!).  Don't ask me what they are, but since the episode was filmed in May, they must be flowers that bloom in May.

 

Wow, no wonder I didn't notice any flowers. That looks more like mid-winter foliage to me. Or are those vines just dead? (How romantic!) Hmm, leafless trees too ... this was filmed in May? Just how late does Spring arrive in England?

 

Riddle:  If April showers bring May flowers, then what do May flowers bring?

 

Answer: Pilgrims.

 

(link for those not familiar with American pop history)

 

Sorry about that.  :D

Ugh. You should be. :P

[SherlockedCAMPer]

 

Oh, you stickler you! :D Then why in the commentary do they say there's an inconsistency with the dates? Huh, huh? :D

 

I didn't even notice any flowers.......

 

The yellow flowers by the fountain (in foreground of the brief long shot -- which also shows Molly talking with Greg, no Tom in sight!).  Don't ask me what they are, but since the episode was filmed in May, they must be flowers that bloom in May.

 

Riddle:  If April showers bring May flowers, then what do May flowers bring?

 

Answer: Pilgrims.

 

(link for those not familiar with American pop history)

 

Sorry about that.  :D

 

Hey, I'd lots rather wonder what the heck they meant in the commentary than wonder why the episode doesn't hang together (especially if it actually does).  The episode is Sherlock canon, whereas the commentary is merely meta-canon.

 

 

Don't forget the March winds that bring in the April showers & the Mayflower(s) so that everyone can arrive ;)

 

And I also need to re-watch TSOT to look at those flowers.   Hmmm maybe after my re-watch of STID tonight.

[Carol the Dabbler]

The yellow flowers by the fountain (in foreground of the brief long shot -- which also shows Molly talking with Greg, no Tom in sight!).  Don't ask me what they are, but since the episode was filmed in May, they must be flowers that bloom in May.

 

Wow, no wonder I didn't notice any flowers. That looks more like mid-winter foliage to me. Or are those vines just dead? (How romantic!) Hmm, leafless trees too ... this was filmed in May? Just how late does Spring arrive in England?

You need to scroll down to the very bottom of the frame and look near the left side. There's a clump of yellow flowers blooming in front of the low brick wall around the fountain. Unfortunately, they're a bit out of focus, but they're definitely flowers.

 

Here in Indiana, trees don't leaf out till May, and England is quite a lot further north. When we were in London in July of 2011, the catalpa ("Indian bean") trees behind Parliament were in full bloom, a month later than back home.  It happens that we were in London when John and Mary's wedding was being filmed in Bristol, and the weather was definitely not warm (around 50 F, I think).  I wore a fleece jacket with a windbreaker over it just about every day, and was comfortable when we did a lot of walking.  But when I had to stand in one place in the shade for very long (e.g., when they were filming on North Gower), I just about froze.

 

Whoever wrote "Oh, to be in England now that April's there" was made of far sturdier stuff than I am.

 

[Inge l-w]

The commentary is straight from the writers mouths, so is paramount.

That is a very interesting discussion! They had to cover for the fact that Mary is still pregnant and that she is having a daughter later on in January of next year, so they changed the date of the wedding!

Has anyone noticed the little continuity problem of Sherlock's hands as he is standing next to Janine just before the revelation of Johnathan Small? One frame hands folded in front, next frame hands behind his back, next frame hands folded in front, four consecutive times. I don't understand why, especially as he remains pretty stationary for the scene.

[Arcadia]

You need to scroll down to the very bottom of the frame and look near the left side. There's a clump of yellow flowers blooming in front of the low brick wall around the fountain. Unfortunately, they're a bit out of focus, but they're definitely flowers.

 

Here in Indiana, trees don't leaf out till May, and England is quite a lot further north. When we were in London in July of 2011, the catalpa ("Indian bean") trees behind Parliament were in full bloom, a month later than back home.  It happens that we were in London when John and Mary's wedding was being filmed in Bristol, and the weather was definitely not warm (around 50 F, I think).  I wore a fleece jacket with a windbreaker over it just about every day, and was comfortable when we did a lot of walking.  But when I had to stand in one place in the shade for very long (e.g., when they were filming on North Gower), I just about froze.

 

Whoever wrote "Oh, to be in England now that April's there" was made of far sturdier stuff than I am.

Oh, I saw the flowers, I just chose to regard them as fakes, given the rest of the scene.

 

So Sherlock wearing that coat all the time is not as far fetched as it may seem! I've been living in the south too long, the catalpas here will probably bloom ... oh, next week ... and it will seem perfectly normal. :P

 

Not really! Won't see catalpas (known as catawbas to the locals) for 2-3 months. But the daffodils have poked their snouts out of the ground already. Dopes.

 

What are catalpas doing at Parliament, anyway? Picketing? I thought they were North American trees.

[besleybean]

I think I've wandered into an episode of Gardener's World.

[sfmpco]

Mary and John got married on May 18th.  That's what the wedding invitation says.  Don't make me whip out that photo and show you.  Obviously the episode was not filmed at that time of year.  They could have dressed the vines a bit for the close up shots, though.  But the grass is clearly green.  Then again, I've seen winter shots in Britain and the grass was green.  But some of the trees have foliage.  

 

Nevertheless, what is the point of this discussion?  Mary will have her baby in the January that follows the wedding, and that will likely be covered in the special though perhaps only touched on or barely mentioned.  

[Inge l-w]

I rather think the point of the discussion is that BECAUSE the invitation says May 18th and Sherlock deduces symptoms not apparent in the first three weeks of pregnancy, she should have had the child by December. That is probably the discrepancy the creators mentioned in the commentary.

[besleybean]

Well, we left her pregnant...I'm happy to wait and see what happens next time around.

[sfmpco]

Baby girl Watson coming soon!

[Arcadia]

Okay then, maybe the third time is the charm......

 

WIM =

 

Women Intimidating Men?

Watson Is Mad?

William Is Myfirstname?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, I saw the flowers, I just chose to regard them as fakes, given the rest of the scene.

They look real to me, probably some sort of swamp flower since they're basically growing in water, and those do tend to bloom early. But their prominent position in the frame is certainly no accident -- they were the only bloomin' thing in sight!

 

What are catalpas doing at Parliament, anyway? Picketing? I thought they were North American trees.

Yup, they're North Americans. I'm pretty sure they were specifically Catalpa bignonioides, or Southern catalpa. The ones behind Big Ben really took me by surprise, but after that I also saw them in several parks, where they appeared to be lovingly tended.

  

Mary and John got married on May 18th.  That's what the wedding invitation says.  Don't make me whip out that photo and show you.  Obviously the episode was not filmed at that time of year.

Actually, "Sign of Three" really was filmed in May. I know it's not their usual style to film an episode the same month it's set in, but hey, everybody slips up once in a while.  ;)

 

I linked to that forum post because I can't find a specific date on the Sherlockology item itself, merely "1 year ago."  Can someone who knows more about Tumblr than I do (i.e., just about anyone!) please tell me how to find the date of an item?

  

I rather think the point of the discussion is that BECAUSE the invitation says May 18th and Sherlock deduces symptoms not apparent in the first three weeks of pregnancy, she should have had the child by December. That is probably the discrepancy the creators mentioned in the commentary.

OK, so the problem is the specific symptoms mentioned? Here's the list:

 

SHERLOCK: Increased appetite ...

MARY (in flashback): Starving.

SHERLOCK: ... change of taste perception ...

MARY (in flashback): Urgh. I chose this wine. It’s bloody awful.

SHERLOCK: ... and you were sick this morning. You assumed it was just wedding nerves.

 

I've been looking online, and an increased appetite is not typical until the second trimester -- but Mary had an alternative explanation for that anyhow:

 

MARY: Had to lose so much weight to get into this dress.

 

... which seems like a perfectly plausible reason for her to be extra-hungry.

 

The change in taste perception(technically known as dysgeusia) is indeed a first-trimester symptom due to fluctuating hormone levels.  One woman here said it started in week 5 for her.  And morning sickness is a classic first-trimester symptom that this site says can begin as early as week 4.

 

So that's two out of three, with an alternative explanation for the other one.  And even if Sherlock was mistaken about the cause of Mary's appetite, he still got the deduction right.  I find it far easier to believe that's what happened (and Mary is about four weeks along) than to believe that Mary was three months pregnant without either her or John suspecting a thing.  And if she was only four weeks along at the wedding, then the wedding had to be in May or thereabouts -- certainly not August, or she'd have been just starting to show in December.

 

[Arcadia]

Week In Manchester?

Welcome Into Mymindpalace?

[Carol the Dabbler]

I just noticed your signature line, Arcadia:

 

It's this, or Cluedo.

 

That does just about sum up the mood around here!  Is it new or am I ridiculously unobservant?

 

[Arcadia]

Nope, you are far more observant than I would be! Just changed it this morning. It seemed appropriate. :p

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, right -- you used to have that great quote from your father.  Maybe that's why I thought this one might be new -- I subconsciously noticed it wasn't the other one.