John Watson

[J.P.]

The ultimate EMP theory: the whole beeping show takes place in Mofftiss' Mind Twin-House. No wonder it makes no sense at all.

[Arcadia]

It sounds like something House would dream up! :d

[Pseudonym]

Yea I don't believe the EMP stuff either, to be honest most of those long drawn out theories bore the life out of me so I don't read them. I'm not saying I believe it, I'm saying a couple of the points actually make more sense that TFP, but that's likely because I dislike TFP so much. If it was a bad episode from the middle of the series somewhere I'd just shrug it off, but it bugs me as a last episode. 

[J.P.]

It sounds like something House would dream up! :D

 

… after a load of Vicodine! :D

[Carol the Dabbler]

I must say, the EMP theory sounded a lot more interesting before I knew that much about it!
 
 

As for Sherlock being alive and all, I'm not sure I understand your question, but will endeavor to answer it nonetheless. What I think Sherlock thought was that if John truly believed that he (Sherlock) was dead, then he would of course act convincingly heartbroken,...

This is my question. Unless the baddies are talking to John directly how would he be shown as heartbroken or not in those two years? JOhn's not exactly a crier so it's not going to be puffy eyes or something. He still goes to a therapist before and after the "death" and in those two years he met Mary and fell in love with her so it's not like he stopped living because of his grief. I guess without Sherlock being around, I have a hard time picturing how John would have to act much of anything.

Well, for starters, there's John's blog (which is apparently still going in the Sherlock Universe, even though the new posts are no longer accessible via our internet).  Anyone assigned to keep an eye on John would surely read that.  And Sherlock would have no way of knowing how close an eye they'd be keeping on John himself -- possibly tailing him, at least part of the time, and/or bugging his home and office.  I assume he was mostly worried about things John might say, either in his blog or in person, not realizing that he was being scrutinized.

 

Just as an example (from a different plotline), we know that John casually referred to Sherlock shooting Magnussen when he was talking to Greg.  Oops -- so much for Top Secret!

 

[Caya]

Well you can always assign your own meaning to EMP and go from there - say, the Extraordinarily Manly Presence (of John Watson, natch) theory, which states that any and all events in the show were caused by John's uncontrollable charisma. There, improved already, imo.

[gerry]

Carol minor but didn't Mycroft tell Lestrade about Magnussen? I could be totally wrong but for some reason I thought he already knew before John said anything to Lestrade.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Maybe he did -- John's comment certainly didn't seem to be news to Greg. But why in heaven's name would he? What happened to only the four people in this room know about it -- oh, and the secretary (but she doesn't count) and the helicopter assault team (but they do as they're told) and Magnussen's staff (but we've had a "talk" with them). I don't think that Appledore was even in Greg's jurisdiction.

[gerry]

I never understood how it was top secret either given how many people knew but I just remember thinking Greg was in on it based on how that conversation went. Who knows who told Greg, could have been John, Sherlock or Mycroft. I just never saw that scene as John can't keep a secret type of thing though maybe he did tell Lestrade previously and we just didn't see it?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Who knows who told Greg, could have been John, Sherlock or Mycroft. I just never saw that scene as John can't keep a secret type of thing though maybe he did tell Lestrade previously and we just didn't see it?

Who knows? So maybe a good example, maybe not. However I do stand by the "he's investigating away" scene as an excellent example of John is a lousy liar, which is just as good as can't keep a secret.

 

Mind you, I'm not saying that John would ever intentionally betray Sherlock (or anyone else), merely that he's not a convincing liar.

[gerry]

Sadly the only people one the show you could say likely aren't good liars is John and Molly. Everyone else seems to be pretty good at it. Even though we don't see Lestrade lie, he's a cop and most cops lie (well according to all the ID channel shows I've watched anyway...).

 

ETA I also still don't think John's being a bad liar justifies Sherlock lying to him for two years so on that I will always sympathize with John.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, I sympathize with John as well. But I can also understand why Sherlock made the choice he did. It may seem like an extreme measure, but when someone's life has been threatened, extreme measures may sometimes be called for. And fortunately the baddies didn't kill John, so at least the extreme measure didn't backfire.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Anyway, it stands for Extended Mind Palace theory. I've glanced at it a few times and to me it's even more unfounded than TJLC, but hey. There seems to be several different versions, but the essence of it is: everything that happens after Sherlock gets shot by Mary takes place in his mind palace. Some people seem to have backed it up to everything after TRF is in his mind palace. The whole point of the theory (imo) is to wish away anything that gets in the way of TJLC (i.e., Mary's existence). But to be fair, I run screaming in the other direction every time I encounter it, so there may be more to it than that.

 

Bing delivered this as the top response. Brief overview on the landing page.

http://gosherlocked.tumblr.com/post/137622767856/emp-theory-or-the-extended-mind-palace-theory

 

And our "rival" forum has this. I haven't read any of it; those people scare me. Enter at your own risk. :D

http://sherlock.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=7023&p=1

 

OK, so I read through some of those, and it's actually an interesting theory -- or assortment of theories, since there are a number of different flavors.  As you mention, several of the sub-theories bundle it with TJLC, but in my opinion that isn't a requirement.  Looks to me like the main problem with EMP, though, is the same problem as with TJLC -- namely, they were developed around the time of TAB, and each hoped to predict how future episodes would unfold, but neither appears to have done so, at least not yet.

 

Still, it's interesting.  And considering how bewildered I am by large chunks of both HLV and TFP, I'm certainly willing to ponder how EMP might make more sense than a literal interpretation.  Gives me something to do while waiting for Series 5.

 

I'm not saying I believe it, I'm saying a couple of the points actually make more sense that TFP, but that's likely because I dislike TFP so much. If it was a bad episode from the middle of the series somewhere I'd just shrug it off, but it bugs me as a last episode. 

 

Potential last episode.   ;) 

[Pseudonym]

If it does come back (I think it'd be for a special rather than a season) I hope they are back to the good old days of Sherlock being clever and solving crimes. Were there any of Sherlock's floating thought deductions in this last season? I can't remember any.

[T.o.b.y]

If it does come back (I think it'd be for a special rather than a season) I hope they are back to the good old days of Sherlock being clever and solving crimes. Were there any of Sherlock's floating thought deductions in this last season? I can't remember any.

Yes, there were - in The Lying Detective, when he was talking to "Faith" (that whole encounter is among my favorite bits from the last season, btw).

[Pseudonym]

Oh when they are sitting in the living room?

[T.o.b.y]

Oh when they are sitting in the living room?

 

Yes. Sherlock is so high and beside himself though that the words are foggy and unstable. It's really nicely done imo.

 

[Pseudonym]

Ah good, it would have been a shame not to have any, I think I vaguely remember now that you've said. I remembered the handbag bit but not the actual deductions.

[Arcadia]

TLD also had that fabulous deduction in the street with the imaginary window. One of my favorite scenes of all time, it was gorgeous. Oh wait ... by "floating thoughts", do you mean the word clouds? Hm, can't recall if that scene had any. Had a floating window, does that count?

 

I liked the whole sequence with Faith too, Toby. Sherlock really was kind of sweet with her, wasn't he? At least, once he got interested in her. They had chips!

 

I loved the deduction with the tombstones in TFP, too. The one time in the whole episode when Sherlock was on familiar ground, and he acted like it. He was brilliant again for a moment. ;) Come to think of it, those were floating words, weren't they? Can't quite remember.

[Arcadia]

Oh, and I loved the handbag bit, that was cool too.

[Pseudonym]

Yea, I loved the window too, but I meant more when he looks at someone and you see his deductions coming up as words. I did feel the window scene was detracted from though when she said she set up all the little clues in it. 

 

The scenes of him walking with Faith make me so sad. It's like he is so desperate for some sort of connection now he doesn't have John that he just latches onto this stranger. I hope Eurus really meant it when she said she thought he was kind (or nice? Can't remember exact word). I love the way he talks to her once he decides to join her. 

[gerry]

Oh, I sympathize with John as well. But I can also understand why Sherlock made the choice he did. It may seem like an extreme measure, but when someone's life has been threatened, extreme measures may sometimes be called for. And fortunately the baddies didn't kill John, so at least the extreme measure didn't backfire.

Didn't he make the plan to exclude keep John, Mrs H and Lestrade before Moriarty threatened them on the roof? He planned the fake suicide before going up to the roof and he had already kept John out of the loop by then.

[gerry]

Holding himself in his flat being high all the time was part of Sherlock's plan wasn't it? So the lack of connection from everyone was his choice and intentional.

[Arcadia]

The scenes of him walking with Faith make me so sad. It's like he is so desperate for some sort of connection now he doesn't have John that he just latches onto this stranger. I hope Eurus really meant it when she said she thought he was kind (or nice? Can't remember exact word). I love the way he talks to her once he decides to join her. 

 

It was a surprise, because we've never seen him do that with anyone else. But I really liked it. Too bad she turns out not to be real.

[Pseudonym]

I meant lack of connection with John.