Series 4 (and Special) Speculation

[J.P.]

I'm neutral about killing her off. Better her as Mycroft. :D

But she's definitely not written as someone who hangs around in the background.

[Carol the Dabbler]

That's why I say occasional rather than background. If she's in a scene or an episode, it should be because she's contributing something unique. But I doubt that'll be a problem, because Moftiss do not tend to include characters who do nothing to advance the plot (no matter what Mrs. Hudson may claim).

[Pseudonym]

:o 

 

It inevitably changes the relationship between John and Sherlock,” says Freeman. “For John, as you’d imagine, there can be nobody more important than his wife and child.

—  Martin Freeman on Sherlock S4 - New interview in Empire magazine 

 

[Arcadia]

And just as obvious I don't So those of you who do like Mary are you hoping she'll still be around at the end of season 4? (Not taking into account the likelihood of it.)

What Carol said. Although I think killing her off in S4 would be too soon; we haven't even gotten to know her yet, so what's the big deal if she dies? But for the sake of John's character, if they do kill her off, it had better be a big deal. It would be a great injustice to his character arc if she doesn't change him profoundly, imo, either by her life and/or by her death. So if she's doomed, I'm hoping it's further down the road.

 

I'm also hoping postponing her death will mitigate the effect of the celebrations that will take place in some quarters when she does die. That's going to leave a bad taste in my mouth as far as the fandom is concerned if it takes place under current circumstances.

 

As for the relationship between John and Sherlock ... well, to me it would be boring if that doesn't evolve either. It's all okay, I don't mind seeing how Sherlock copes without being the center of John's attention. It might even be good for him. :p

[T.o.b.y]

:o

It inevitably changes the relationship between John and Sherlock,” says Freeman. “For John, as you’d imagine, there can be nobody more important than his wife and child.

— Martin Freeman on Sherlock S4 - New interview in Empire magazine

"It"? What it? The baby? In which case, duh. John would be a pretty weird and unlikable father if that weren't the case.

 

Sherlock knows that, too. In fact, I think he wouldn't respect John as much if it were any different.

 

But the show is not called "John and his family", it's "Sherlock" and we all know that it would never have been so successful without the relationship between the title character and his best friend and colleague. Changing that relationship drastically would be a big mistake - that I don't really expect the creators to make.

[Pseudonym]

I took 'it' to be season 4, but maybe it's just having a family. 

 

If they kill her off I'm sure they'll make an effort to get everyone really caring about her in the first episode or two so that they can be sure to sufficiently rip people's hearts out. 

[T.o.b.y]

I don't believe they will kill her. That's really the last thing I expect.

[Arcadia]

I'm like Sherlock ... I prefer to think of it as the start of a new chapter, not the end of an era. Also I want to see that smug look wiped off Mycroft's face when he realizes his baby brother can function just fine without a keeper. (If he can..... )

[besleybean]

It's canonical.

Mary will go.

[T.o.b.y]

I'm like Sherlock ... I prefer to think of it as the start of a new chapter, not the end of an era.

But does Sherlock really see it that way? At the very least, he knows it is both. Which is why he is so sad during The Sign of Three - because he knows Mary is pregnant and what that means for the future.

[besleybean]

Really?

I don't see it that way at all.

I think he genuinely likes Mary and is pleased for John...but he does miss him.

[Arcadia]

I took 'it' to be season 4, but maybe it's just having a family. 

 

If they kill her off I'm sure they'll make an effort to get everyone really caring about her in the first episode or two so that they can be sure to sufficiently rip people's hearts out.

 

Oops, we're crossing posting here, but in my statement above, I take "it" to mean John's change in marital status/fatherhood.

 

And I believe you're right, Pseud, otherwise there wouldn't be much point to killing her. They'd be better off killing Molly. :P

 

I don't believe they will kill her. That's really the last thing I expect.

You do realize that's the kind of statement that will guarantee they kill her off, right? :d

[Arcadia]

 

I'm like Sherlock ... I prefer to think of it as the start of a new chapter, not the end of an era.

But does Sherlock really see it that way? At the very least, he knows it is both. Which is why he is so sad during The Sign of Three - because he knows Mary is pregnant and what that means for the future.

 

 

Well, I'll put it this way ... I think both Sherlock and I prefer to think of it as something positive. That doesn't mean it will be positive, or that we'll always see the rosy side.

[T.o.b.y]

It's canonical.

Mary will go.

 

But this Mary has almost nothing to do with canon. In fact, she isn't even really Mary Morstan - Mary Morstan in this version is long since dead and buried, "Mary" just took her name. She's basically an original character.

 

[besleybean]

John's wife dies.

[Carol the Dabbler]

John's wife dies.

It's canonical.

Mary will go.

Please note that Moftiss have already changed a few things from canon. ;)

 

However I do suspect that Mary will indeed "go" sooner or later, but that doesn't necessarily mean death.

 

In fact, the "sad bereavement" that Watson alludes to in The Empty House may actually have been divorce. When my uncle was doing genealogical research, he found his grandmother listed in an old city directory as a widow, so of course he assumed his grandfather had died -- till he noticed thst Grandpa was also listed, at a different. Further research confirmed that they were divorced. Apparently that was a standard Victorian euphemism.

[besleybean]

I don't think it will be divorce in this case.

I think it will be death.

[T.o.b.y]

John's wife dies.

 

Supposedly... but that's never explicitly stated. He just had a "sad bereavement" or something along those lines and the next thing we know, he's living at Baker St again. For a while. Then suddenly, Holmes was "abandoned" for a wife again some time during the 1890s. And a year later he, was retired and keeping bees. I never could quite fathom what was going on and frankly, I doubt Doyle could or that he cared much.

 

I too think that Watson was a widower when Holmes came back from the dead. But he could just as well have been divorced or separated.

 

And the baby? That's as un-canonical as anything. There were never any Watson children mentioned in a single Doyle story. They've left canon pretty far behind already.

 

 

I'm not saying I don't want Mary to die. I think it would be hard to write that part well, but they could do it, they're pretty good. I just don't expect it to happen. My impression is they really like Mary (better than the majority of the audience likes her, probably) and even if the next hiatus will be long, nobody has claimed it's to be forever, so they might want to revive her character along with the rest some day.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I don't think it will be divorce in this case.

I think it will be death.

Maybe, if it's a meaningful death. Or maybe she has to go on the lam again. Or into a witness protection program.

[besleybean]

I really believe next season is going to be fairly final...

if I am right, there has to be something pretty traumatic to end things, at least as Benedict says, for a very long time.

My predictions are: Mary dies.  Then, either Sherlock is responsible, or is somehow seen to be responsible.  Or, he could be so traumatised himself, he retires.

[besleybean]

Carol, something like that is possible...if Mary can only be kept safe if Sherlock stops investigating...or maybe she is held hostage or something.

But my gut instinct is that she dies.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Could be just about anything, really. This *is* Moftiss we're talking about, after all!

[T.o.b.y]

Sorry, Carol, I think we just cross-posted.

 

Ugh, I hope the Watsons won't get divorced. That would be too fan-fic-y for my taste.

 

If Mary dies, that's okay with me, I'm just concerned about putting John through that kind of loss again so soon. And what would they do with the child? They can't kill the baby. This is Sherlock, not Game of Thrones. No dead babies, please. And bereaving the baby of its mother, that's pretty cruel too. Actually, as soon as I knew there was actually going to be a child, I thought, that's it, then Mary is safe.

 

 

So, Freeman says the relationship changes because there's nothing more important for John than his wife and child. That's understandable, I just wonder what's the most important for Sherlock. Either they'll force him into a romance with either Molly or Janine or somebody else (in which case I will most likely get angry and stop watching) or he'll continue to be a kind of a dark guardian angel for the Watson family, moodily looking on from the outside and pretending that this is how he wants it to be because he's a sociopath and doesn't need anybody. So there. And maybe this is how he wants it to be - although I do think Sherlock would much rather just be bachelors at Baker St again and chase criminals at all hours. Only he's matured enough to understand John has different needs and wants different things out of life.

[besleybean]

I don't think there's any danger of us seeing any romance for Sherlock, well at least no more than he's had already.  They did that with Irene and I hope to go we never see her again.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I kinda like the "dark guardian" idea.