Series 4 (and Special) Speculation

[T.o.b.y]

I have been reading over "The Dying Detective" and oh man... Everybody, if you don't read Sherlock Holmes stories, that's totally fine, but please have a look at it, it's hilarious. Very short, so don't worry. And you can find it for free all over the internet. I can't help thinking that the characters on the BBC show were heavily influenced by how Holmes and Watson appear here.

 

Anyway. Culverton Smith. We know for sure that he's going to show up next series, right? I've been trying to come up with some theory on what they'll make of him, but haven't gotten very far.

 

From the story, we learn that:

- He lived in Sumatra for a long time

- He is a planter, so basically a businessman

- He is also an amateur microbiologist (and this is more important for his role as a villain, since he basically uses germs as murder weapons)

- He is physically deformed (Watson's medical opinion is that he must have suffered from rickets)

 

And that's it. There's nothing about his motivation, his larger goals, his personality even. I'd argue that for the story of The Dying Detective, he isn't all that important, just a plot device to justify Holmes' elaborate (and rather self-destructive) practical joke.

 

I think if I had to decide what to do with him, I'd make him a scientist / microbiologist who experiments with bioweapons. Maybe even link him to Baskerville (because I like to tie things together).

 

As for the rest of the story, they have already had Sherlock fake suicide in front of John, so I doubt they'll repeat themselves with a fake fatal illness now. What they could do is borrow from The Illustrious Client and have Watson in on the plan and helping Holmes to deceive the villain this time. Seems more likely to me, because I am pretty sure that Mary has an extremely good bullshit detector and even if Sherlock managed to fool John again, she would certainly figure out what was going on and give him what for.

[Carol the Dabbler]

... I am pretty sure that Mary has an extremely high bullshit detector....

 

Interesting analysis -- thank you! Now I suppose I'll have to read that story again.

[Arcadia]

I started to read it, then realized ... I don't really want to know! I'll read it after S4 airs (maybe).

[T.o.b.y]

I started to read it, then realized ... I don't really want to know! I'll read it after S4 airs (maybe).

I doubt it would spoil you much for the next series... They seem to only very loosely base their plots on the original. And they have used a lot of The Dying Detective already in my opinion, so I doubt they'll borrow much more than the villain's name this time. But of course, you do what's best for you..

[Arcadia]

Yeah, I think I prefer to be a (mostly) blank slate with no (few) expectations. I've already read/heard enough to guess that

Sherlock is faking being ill.

But given who he is, I would probably guess that anyway, wouldn't I?

[Carol the Dabbler]

I don't want to know what's going to happen, either. But I don't think there's much danger of being truly spoilt by Setlock. It's like watching a trailer, in that we see a bunch of actual scenes, but we have no idea what they mean or even how they fit together. And we certainly don't know what crucial pieces are missing. Even if we do happen to guess right, that guess is only one of (conservatively) dozens, so we still don't know until we see the actual episode.

 

And sometimes we don't know even then!

[Arcadia]

Yeah, I haven't seen much in setlock that gives me any particular insight! But reading an actual plot ... nah, I choose to remain in ignorance. Makes me feel more like the common people. :p

[Carol the Dabbler]

Doubt that you're likely to get the episode's plot by reading Conan Doyle! In particular, I can't offhand think of a single episode where the Big Reveal was lifted from the story.

[Arcadia]

Study in Pink? It was

the cab driver?

 

 

TRF?

Sherlock falls?

 

 

TEH?

Sherlock's alive after all?

Wait, I guess we knew that already, never mind....

 

:p

[Carol the Dabbler]

Those are kinda more like Big Anticlimaxes, though, aren't they?  Well, OK, not ASiP, that was more like

 

the butler did it.

 

But with the other two, it was right there in the title.

 

That's one thing that puzzles me about this show, how it can be so consistently interesting, fascinating, and even exciting, while having very few real shockers (other than what they've done with the female characters).  Not complaining!  (Other than what they've done with the female characters.)

[Pamela]

Really interesting question, Carol. I'd say it's all about the details. Every single detail, every single minute, every character, every line ... not one second goes by that hasn't been thought out and analyzed and sweated out. At least that's what I see. And totally appreciate. That's why I keep watching.

[Arcadia]

Those are kinda more like Big Anticlimaxes, though, aren't they?  Well, OK, not ASiP, that was more like

 

the butler did it.

 

But with the other two, it was right there in the title.

 

Only if you know what Reichenbach means in the Holmes universe though, right? I mean, if you'd never heard of Sherlock Holmes, the title wouldn't tip you off. I'd heard of it, but it didn't really mean anything to me until I saw the episode ... it certainly wouldn't have occurred to me that he would jump at the end. But then, I didn't spend two years wondering what S2 would be about (since I'd never even heard of the show until a few months before S3 came out.)

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Only if you know what Reichenbach means in the Holmes universe though, right? I mean, if you'd never heard of Sherlock Holmes, the title wouldn't tip you off.

 

Well, "fall" might be something of a clue, in any case.

[J.P.]

But... it's Reichenbach Fall. Not Reichenbach's Fall. And - above all - not Sherlock's Fall.

 

In German it could also mean Reichenbach Case (Fall in Ger. means case and waterfall, fall, decrease, slope)

 

Just saying.

[T.o.b.y]

So... of course I've been wondering about this:
 

...(Moffat) said that the third episode of Sherlock’s upcoming Series Four, which he co-wrote with Mark Gatiss, is “insane wish fulfillment” and they “lost their minds

 

What could they mean? What would I most wish for in a TV adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories set in modern times? Well... it seems to me as if most of that has already been done on the show.

 

I doubt it's anything related to romance... The creators don't seem one tenth as obsessed with that as a lot of fans are. I suspect it's one particular clever spin on something they really liked in the original, and I'm breaking my mind trying to guess what.

 

(If romantic, my bet - not my wishes, just my bet! - would be on Sherlock / Molly. But I doubt they'd get speak quite so excitedly about that.)

[T.o.b.y]

...and now we have a trailer! Wow.

 

I think I need to watch it a lot more times before I can discuss it in detail, but what about Mary with dark hair and a gun in her hand, huh? Flashback of some sort? Maybe we are going to learn more about her story!

 

I am so excited.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, right -- could be a flashback. Or not....

[T.o.b.y]

If not a flashback, why the dark hair? We know from the setlock pics that she's still blond and has curls. Why would she get a knew haircut and - color just for a job / a mission?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Good point! Or maybe she dyes her hair during Episode 3?

[J.P.]

Could be a wig.

[Carol the Dabbler]

That too.  Or she's in Sherlock's Mind Palace?  (Hope not -- let's give that a rest, OK?)

[T.o.b.y]

Why would he see her differently inside the mind palace? And why would she wear a wig but not bother two hide or change her face, which is instantly recognizable?

[T.o.b.y]

About the three clue words:

 

1.) Thatcher: I have absolutely no idea. I suppose it could refer to a person of that name, perhaps a character we haven't met yet. Could be a reference to Margaret Thatcher, but why? Something to do with the past, for example Mycroft's past as a civil servant? Or it could mean a thatcher of roofs. Hmmm... there's a Doyle story called "The Norwood Builder". Maybe they have changed that to "The Norwood Thatcher" for whatever reason?

 

Like I said, no idea. 'Tis a mystery to me.

 

2.) Smith: Culverton Smith, obviously. We already knew he was coming. Creepy  bastard. Wonder in which direction they will go with him.

 

3.) Sherrinford: Was the name Doyle originally had planned for his detective character, then changed it to Sherlock. Long-standing fan lore that there's a third Holmes brother of this name. Possible scenarios I can imagine are:

- He's alive, and a villain (perhaps the villain since series 1, perhaps Moriarty, perhaps a force behind Moriarty).

- He's dead. In which case, his death may be the reason why the Holmes brothers feel the need to distance themselves from emotions; perhaps it was too tragic, perhaps one or both of them was (partially) responsible. Some kind of dark secret has been hinted at for the Holmes family.

Of course theoretically, they could just be messing with us. Sherrinford could simply be the name of a place, for example. It wouldn't be the first time they borrowed a word from the original and used it in a different context. But something tells me they are going for a big reveal of sorts.

[Carol the Dabbler]

They've already mentioned "the other one," and in a context where Mycroft was talking about siblings. So I see no reason NOT to believe that there's either a third Holmes brother or else a sister. That being the case, we'll undoubtedly find out more, sooner or later.

[Van Buren Supernova]

Saw trailer yesterday, wasn't aware and accidentally stumbled on it.

 

I don't know how to organize my mind yet, only saw it once and haven't had time to ponder over it.. Maybe you guys had discussed about it in Setlock thread which I haven't had chance to check as well sonce months ago

 

But to be honest, from the brief view:

 

This looks.... a bit terrible imho, I don't know why. That guy (he is very familiar but I can't recall!) and Mary look 'cartoony', they look sort like cheesy villain character and very non BBC Sherlock, and bits of the action too.

 

I only like what looks like the prison and the last scene with Mycroft are more to the Sherlock I think I know. And geez, it seems like what I fear, someone is going to die and crush Sherlock?

 

And I hate John's hair.