Series 4 (and Special) Speculation

[Arcadia]

On another subject ... based on TAB, I have concluded that Sherlock was "using" throughout most of HLV, if not most of S3. I've had that thought before, especially about HLV, but it seems even more likely to me now. I may even prefer to believe it ... it could explain a lot of Sherlock's actions.

 

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

[Carol the Dabbler]

... based on TAB, I have concluded that Sherlock was "using" throughout most of HLV, if not most of S3....

 

Interesting statement.  Could you explain the connection that you see (for those of us who don't immediately get it)?

[Arcadia]

Well, I had the thought initially, after S3 aired, because it seemed like an explanation for Sherlock's failure to out-think Magnussen.

 

Then I sort of forgot about it for awhile, I guess because it hasn't been discussed much. (?)

 

But after the assertion that he was high at the end of HLV, and the way they portray him as being largely functional at the end of TAB, in spite of a cocktail of drugs in his system -- I take from that that he can be using and not necessarily show it in obvious ways. Which suggests he's familiar with the sensation. So I go back to my first thoughts ... maybe he's been using quite awhile. Maybe that's why CAM beat him, maybe that's why he didn't deduce Mary sooner, etc.

 

I don't know if it matters, it just is something I wondered about.

[J.P.]

Well, a man who is able to stay away from sex, could also stay away from drugs, knowing that they destroy his brain. :P

 

I think it is another problem with its roots in the canon, because back then drug use wasn't seen as destructive or "bad". There is one apparent dissonance, which still bothers me in the whole story: why the heck Mycroft started smoking, knowing the price (even if it wasn't officially uncool yet, back in the seventies). I for my part never ever had a thought about trying. Why should I? The only reason I can think of, is peer pressure, but wouldn't Mycroft be above that?

 

And Sherlock - I bet he learned smoking from his brother... :P but then, again, having all the data about consequences, why try?

 

... because it's in the canon. Unfortunately. :D

[Arcadia]

Sherlock's often rather self-delusional, though. From the dialog on the plane, it appears he's told himself that he has the drugs thing under control, therefore his brain's not in any danger from his occasional forays into usage.

 

I know so little about it, that may even be possible ... to use drugs occasionally without harm to oneself. But I'm conditioned to doubt it.

 

Now that I think about it, is there any scientific evidence to show that having sex detracts from "brain work"? Well, while IN the act, of course, but I mean, overall? Would an occasional roll in the hay cause Sherlock to be less observant the rest of the time?

 

Perhaps he is old-fashioned/honorable enough to believe it's wrong to have sex without emotional commitment. Really, the man is a mess. :d

[Boton]

On another subject ... based on TAB, I have concluded that Sherlock was "using" throughout most of HLV, if not most of S3. I've had that thought before, especially about HLV, but it seems even more likely to me now. I may even prefer to believe it ... it could explain a lot of Sherlock's actions.

 

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

 

 

I think it depends on your definition of "using."  This is just my own head canon, but I really do think he was using "for the case" throughout most of HLV until the hospital started giving him morphine.  I think the fact that he didn't have his own supply (or had a supply small enough that he could burn through it quickly) and had to ask Mrs. Hudson for morphine "from her kitchen" argues against him using regularly in situations where he was alone and was truly doing it recreationally (that is, when alone and purely for the high).

 

 

Now that I think about it, is there any scientific evidence to show that having sex detracts from "brain work"? Well, while IN the act, of course, but I mean, overall? Would an occasional roll in the hay cause Sherlock to be less observant the rest of the time?

 

Perhaps he is old-fashioned/honorable enough to believe it's wrong to have sex without emotional commitment. Really, the man is a mess. :D

 

I've always thought that Sherlock mostly didn't want to risk the emotional commitment, which means that he knows that he's capable of such a thing.  And I think TAB suggests that Sherlock may indeed realize that he deals with women by having a literal "Victorian attitude" toward them.  I tend to think that he cloaks his fear in the belief that he's being noble, which is partly why he pulled out the "I was waiting til we got married" excuse with Janine.  He wasn't, but it was the first excuse that popped to mind.

 

And who knows?  Maybe if he really views everything as a chemical reaction, then sex seems scarier than drugs.  One argument is that, with drugs, he can ingest a known amount that theoretically would change his brain chemistry in a certain, controlled way over a known period of time. With sex, there's oxytocin and endorphins and it is all cascading out in an unknown amount that he can't control.  To go even a step further, there is research out there that suggests that some kinds of relationships (I'm thinking of mother-child relationships, but who knows about if they've extended it to sexual relationships) release hormones and chemicals that actually change the chemistry and structure of your brain permanently.  I've always found that idea positively terrifying, so maybe Sherlock does too?

[J.P.]

Everything that you experience changes your brain structure. :P

But I know what you mean.

 

Well, talking about the noble side - it also could be that doing drugs is a one man show. You take it, you pay the price alone (I'm not including the social impact of drug use of normal people, because it doesn't apply here, at least not from Sherlock's POV)

Sex + the possible inclinations are always about (at least) two people.

 

I have read somewhere that the act itself causes oxitocine(?) (the binding hormone) flooding the brain - but only women's. Men get their fix while actually trying to get there. So Sherlock knowing this, didn't even wanted to think about wanting to try. :D

 

But actually (as stated before) he should have had this attitude towards drugs too.

[Arcadia]

I think it depends on your definition of "using."

I mean whatever Sherlock means by it, which seems to be: whenever he thinks he can justify it. For a case, or to enhance his thought processes ... whatever the excuse of the moment is.

[Boton]

 

I think it depends on your definition of "using."

I mean whatever Sherlock means by it, which seems to be: whenever he thinks he can justify it. For a case, or to enhance his thought processes ... whatever the excuse of the moment is.

 

 

Yeah, that's pretty much my feeling too.  I just don't think he's caught in any kind of a cycle of physiological or psychological addiction until he meets with Magnussen in the cafe near the hospital and he's clearly swaying in his seat but still hitting the button for more.  And, I guess I believe that he managed to kick whatever addiction he had (although he may still have been using, so fine line) between that moment and Christmas, so that the near-overdose on the plane in TAB constitutes something of a one-time freak out.

[Arcadia]

Two thoughts on that.

I thought he was acting for Magnussen's benefit in the café, so I don't know whether to believe he was "addicted" at that moment, or just taking a calculated risk.

The "going deeper than I've ever gone before" remark is another reason I think he may have been "using" more than we knew prior to TAB. So I'm more inclined now to believe he was under the influence of something when he went to confront CAM.

Another thought: if Sherlock really only uses for a case, why does Mycroft think there are danger nights?
 

[Van Buren Supernova]

Perhaps he is old-fashioned/honorable enough to believe it's wrong to have sex without emotional commitment. Really, the man is a mess.  :D

You mean, perfect gentleman?

 

Good God, you guys!

Instead of working, with looming deadlines, I decided to read about…sex.

 

This is messy read but I have a couple of reasons for Sherlock:

 

- He watches Seinfeld. There are at least two references about sex and brain connection. The main one is when one of the male characters abstains from sex, he gradually gets smarter, much smarter to genius level, I believe the reason is he frees his brain and fills it with useful knowledge instead. However, the female character experiences the opposite, she gets dumber because apparently having sex is like garbage day, it cleans up all the garbage in female brain. :D Well, don’t ask me to explain.

 

- Many studies find out that sex indeed helps brain growing new cells. While it seems true, keeping the cells alive is another matter, you still need to do those brainy things. I think for Sherlock, he already have plethora of brain cells and just focus on keeping them alive and well-fed.

 

- If you have ‘mind-blowing’ one, sex can wipe or affect your working memory, called transient global amnesia and can cause brain aneurysm, and Sherlock had met Jeff Hope. I imagine Sherlock always wants to be the best at anything, so it is risky business for him. :P

 

- Study says that people with average intelligence have more sex and also, for the male, have significantly higher testosterone level than intellectually gifted and mentally challenged (with around same level for the latter two groups).

 

- sex is intoxicating, there is a dopamine involved, a neurotransmitter associated with positive feeling like excitement, pleasure and some case, addiction. (Well he has other addiction to take care of). Oxytocin, the same hormone released between mother and child bonding, as mentioned, makes you feel attached. Orgasm releases oxytocin, as the result, it makes you feel more attached to the partner. This could mess up with your brain logic because oxytocin may keep us attached in ways we normally wouldn’t want to be.

Sherlock would never let it happen if he could help it.

 

 

Serve you right, guys, for making me lost valuable time at work. XD

[Arcadia]

Good lord.

 

I think they should have a moment in the show where they cover all of this. For educational purposes, of course.

[Van Buren Supernova]

Of course. :P

 

Regarding drug usage, I also believe Sherlock calculate the details thoroughly, (just like alcohol consumption for stag night) the furthest point he could go before it is dangerous or uncontrollable. A bit of 'risk' is fine, he would push it to get result.

 

I'm not sure but I think there is probably something scientific or measurable  about it, but enough nerd from me today. Not that I don't want to torture you guys, but I really shouldn't play right now.

[J.P.]

...which makes me wonder - again.
If TAB was all calculated (ok, maybe going deeper was about going beyond the calculated risk), why Sherlock acts so guilty and caught-in-the-act in the plane scenes?

Assuming they are not a part of his trance: no matter if he was a bit high in the tarmac scene, he gets the call from Mycroft, takes more, goes to his MP trying to solve the case, takes more. He had to know he would be caught and that Mycroft will see it, so why the whole "oh, I might be a bit playful with it this time" game?

 

Crazy thought: What if the tarmac scene from HLV is not real either? What if Sherlock is still in prison and hallucinating after taking some stuff from unchecked source? <- the idea might be triggered by the pictures of Mark with the clap and something like prison bars behind him. Funny - watching your brain work :D

[Arcadia]

I think I've seen that idea somewhere before. I hope it's not true! The tarmac scene is one of my favorites, I don't want it to be a dream.

 

For all his brilliance, I think Sherlock is capable of miscalculating. And he probably thinks he's more in control of the drugs than he actually is; he didn't start acting guilty until Mycroft deduced he was high, I don't think.

 

Hmmmm... maybe his guilty behavior was more related to embarrassment at having John find out he was high?

 

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

Yes, agree with miscalculating and guilty. He knows well how Mycroft and John react to his addiction.

When he got the call from Mycroft, he learned about Moriarty. At that moment, he has his doubt about Moriarty dead-or-alive and he wants to solve it. And everytime, he needs to push further and further, he takes it as calculated risk.

 

I think I'm willing to bet a lot that tarmac and plane scenes are real (except the one that leads to grave digging) for couple of reasons, strongest one being you can only do so much dream/memory before it becomes crappy writing. What they did is the right dose, imo, pushing beyond that is not. And I believe Moffiss is way better than that.

 

Regarding prison, it could be interesting to see Sherlock spending some time there, maybe. For formalities before proper pardon is obtained or justified. Imagine in that short time he could kick some a**es and free innocent inmates.

 

Prison scene could also mean he only meets someone there, sort of what he did in Belarus. He cleared up Moriarty's network, I don't think it means killing them, but disabling them and send some figure heads to prison. And what does he need to solve at the end of TAB? Something related to Moriarty, these people in prison could be valuable resources for that.

[Arcadia]

That's one thing we haven't seen much of that I wouldn't mind seeing more of ... Sherlock kicking ass. I can only think of two instances; at the start of TBB, and at Irene's. Am I missing one? (I don't count his tussles with John.)

[Van Buren Supernova]

Does this one count?

 

He kicks plethora of asses in Karachi, but it's off screen.

Yessss, we need much more of that.

[Arcadia]

Does this one count?

 

No. :p

 

[J.P.]

I think I've seen that idea somewhere before. I hope it's not true! The tarmac scene is one of my favorites, I don't want it to be a dream.

 

Personally I could live with it (if it was a dream it doesn't mean it's not true in showing the relationship), even better than with knowing Sherlock was high at this moment.

It wouldn't even feel like lame writing or deus ex machina moment, because TAB was about mixing realities.

[J.P.]

This is interesting.

http://anindoorkitty.tumblr.com/post/144011760709/sussexbound-sussexbound-mollydobby

[Arcadia]

[J.P.]

I cannot stop asking myself who did they kill.

[Arcadia]

Someone Mycroft would wear that for? That rules out all but immediate family, imo. Or the royal family.

[J.P.]

Or it is another red (ehm, in this case - black) herring.

 

And yes, I checked. Mycroft seems to wear a different watch chain (or what is that called) in at least TEH photoshoot.