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Episode 1.2, "The Blind Banker"


Undead Medic

What Did You Think Of "The Blind Banker?"  

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    • 10/10 Excellent.
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    • 8/10 Certainly Worth Watching Again.
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    • 7/10 Slightly Above The Norm.
      9
    • 6/10 Average.
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The similarity between Mary & Sarah didn't occur to me until after I had finished reading the story. (Technically, it didn't "occur" to me at all -- someone pointed it out. I thought it through, and agreed.) So I can't say how detailled the similarity is. See what you think -- then we can discuss it!

 

 

And yes, they definitely should focus on John and his life as a doctor and on his private life as well. Even though I like Sherlock and John working together, you soon get the impression that John is just Sherlock's assistant. And I think there's much more in John than that. :)

 

Much, much more!

 

 

(And if I were John I would like to make my OWN money. Currently he's totally dependent on Sherlock.

 

Well, there's also John's army pension. But you can't live in London on an army pension.

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I think most people try to achieve something in life. Something they can achieve on their own, like in his job as a doctor. Of course Sherlock helps people too and John helps him do his job, but I think you know what I mean. John is an individual person and he should be able to develop and do his own things.

 

I'd also like to see Sherlock react to that. ;)

 

What I really hate is when Sherlock pushes John around. Like e.g. when he wants John to give him his mobile even though it is within his (Sherlock's) reach. I always ask myself why the hell does John do that for him?

No, he definitely needs to become a little more independent.

 

 

(And concerning Mary & Sarah - I hope I will find time to read it, then I'd love to discuss it with you :) )

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I believe John is what you might call servitude.

He has the capacity for individualism but does not act on this.

He goes along with Sherlock because Sherlock is interesting. John misses the "action" of the war (thus his intermediate tremor), Sherlock gives him this action thereby John feels that if he is too resistant to Sherlock than Sherlock might just abandon him.

 

Then again this servitile attitude could stem from two other things.

John was in the army. The army teaches that you must follow orders, although Sherlock is not John's military superior, somewhere in his mind he may prefer to take orders. He may find it difficult to make his own, something lingering from his army days.

 

The other thing may be that John is Sherlock's mother. He may have fallen into that role, as Sherlock acts a lot like a child and John is often the reasonable one, preforming such acts as handing him his cell phone.

 

One other thing is that John may just have given up. Why resist anymore? He may just feel its easier to just go along with Sherlock.

 

Of course these are all just assumptions, guesses and deductions.

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... John is an individual person and he should be able to develop and do his own things. I'd also like to see Sherlock react to that.

Sherlock does notice how very capable John is -- but only in fits and starts. When Sherlock realizes that it was John who shot the cabbie, he is clearly impressed -- but the next time we see them, he's treating John like a gofer again. Hopefully, John's competence will eventually make a more permanent impression!

 

(And concerning Mary & Sarah - I hope I will find time to read it, then I'd love to discuss it with you :) )

 

I believe you mentioned on another thread that you've just recently started reading "A Study in Scarlet" -- and that will take you a while! I had the same reaction as you when I read the first part of that story, by the way, because it sounded so much like "our" Sherlock and John in "A Study in Pink." Then came the interminable middle part (set in the American West), which seems to serve mostly to make the story longer. But bear with it! The story does eventually return to London, and once again bears an interesting resemblance to the Sherlock episode.

 

Let me know when you start reading "The Sign of the Four" and I'll have another look at it myself.

 

I believe John ... goes along with Sherlock because Sherlock is interesting. John misses the "action" of the war ... this servitile attitude could stem from two other things. .... The army teaches that you must follow orders ... The other thing may be that John is Sherlock's mother. He may have fallen into that role, as Sherlock acts a lot like a child ....

I basically agree with your "mother" theory. I believe John became a doctor because he needs to be needed. I think the reason that he misses the war (despite the horrors that haunt his dreams) is not for the excitement, but rather because he was undeniably needed there. And he stays with Sherlock because Sherlock needs him. He responds to Sherlock's "could be dangerous" text message not because he craves danger, but simply because he fears (rightly, as it turns out) that Sherlock needs to be protected from himself.

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When Sherlock realizes that it was John who shot the cabbie, he is clearly impressed -- but the next time we see them, he's treating John like a gofer again.

 

I guess it's just hard for him to accept that someone other than him can be good at his job :P

But I love those scenes (also at the pool where John throws himself on Moriarty). I love that weird look of him when he realizes what other people do for him and he doesn't know how to handle the situation.

 

Then came the interminable middle part (set in the American West), which seems to serve mostly to make the story longer. But bear with it!

 

I'll try. ;) So far it's a really good read.

 

but rather because he was undeniably needed there

 

and because he could help other people.. if you think of that scene with 'Rachel' or all those people in danger of dying in The Great Game. That's again this empathy-thing. Sherlock doesn't understand why people 'care'. Because for him and his work, this is a hindrance. SherLOCKED221, I think you're right as well. It's a little bit like in a family.. John takes over the part of the mother whereas Sherlock is either the 'father' (in terms of rationalism) or the 'child' (because he acts childishly and has to learn how life normally works and that caring for other people normally is part of that).
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I probably shouldn't write off the middle section of "Study in Scarlet" so abruptly, because it does set up the motive for what happens later in London. However, that section falls flat for me on several counts: 1) Holmes and Watson are not in it. (I don't particularly care for the opening scenes of Perry Mason stories, either, for the analogous reason.) 2) I don't get the feeling of "being there" that I do in the London scenes. I suspect that Conan Doyle had spent little or no time in the American West. And 3) it seems to be far longer than necessary. I seriously suspect that Conan Doyle was paid by the word!

 

On the DVD, Moftiss mentioned that their adaptation follows the original story fairly closely, but without that middle part (and therefore, of course, with a different motive). Good move!

 

... at the pool where John throws himself on Moriarty ... I love that weird look of him when he realizes what other people do for him and he doesn't know how to handle the situation.

Yes! I hadn't thought of that scene, but you're right. It's so touching / hilarious when the befuddled Sherlock massages his own head with the loaded gun!

 

... if you think of that scene with 'Rachel' or all those people in danger of dying in The Great Game. That's again this empathy-thing. Sherlock doesn't understand why people 'care'....

Right. But to John, that's the most important thing. It's the old Spock-and-McCoy argument -- except it seems to me that Sherlock isn't just Spock, but more like a weird combination of Spock and Kirk. Everybody says he's like Spock, so that aspect must be obvious. Moftiss on the DVD compared the Sherlock-and-John duo to Kirk and McCoy because of the "command structure," and that's clearly a factor too -- Sherlock is nominally in charge, but John (like McCoy) can overrule him under certain circumstances ("Bit not good, yeah"). But I also see in Sherlock some of the original-series Kirk's "it's all about me" attitude.

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Oh Carol! I couldn't agree more with you. Actually, when I read "A Study in Scarlet" for the first time it was a bad quality TEXT document and when I began the "middle section" I feared that someone had mixed two stories up! Somehow confusing Sherlock with some American story. It didn't FEEL like the part before!

After I finished the darn thing and started the next part I did realise that it was the "motive" however I thought it was too complicated. Why did we need to know all that? Couldn't he, like BBC Sherlock, give a motive that was explained in a few lines of text, instead of roughly 2 entire pages? (I'm estimating here).

 

Oh and referencing back to my earlier post

"John may just have given up. Why resist anymore? He may just feel it’s easier to just go along with Sherlock."

When I wrote this I was thinking of Big Bang Theory. In the show Sheldon has his quirks (just like Sherlock) however everyone feels the need to "correct" him (much like the RACHEL scene in Sherlock) however I wonder why they bother...why not give up and go along with hisquirks? John, may have to some extent, begun to give up.

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... when I read "A Study in Scarlet" for the first time it was a bad quality TEXT document and when I began the "middle section" I feared that someone had mixed two stories up! Somehow confusing Sherlock with some American story.

That's so funny! I honestly had a similar reaction partway through The Sign of the Four, thinking that it was a short story, and was over. Then I looked again and saw that there was another chapter -- a lengthy backstory. I think that at least part of our difficulty is that the novel is an evolving art form, and the concept was noticeably different in Conan Doyle's day.

 

 

... [in] Big Bang Theory ... Sheldon has his quirks (just like Sherlock) however everyone feels the need to "correct" him (much like the RACHEL scene in Sherlock) however I wonder why they bother...why not give up and go along with his quirks? John, may have to some extent, begun to give up.

My mother took that approach to dealing with my father, though I wouldn't say that she had given up -- she simply chose her battles carefully, rather than wasting her energy on nitpicking. This seems like one reasonable way of dealing with Sherlock as well, but I can't offhand think of any scenes where John ignores his quirks. Can you give us an example?

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Closer to the Fall, thats when John had started to go along more with him (although I can't think of any individual instances, its more of a feeling)

 

I also realise I'm making a statement without evidence, however it's not like I'm trying to get my dissertation though a hard edged professor!

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have yet to find anybody who cites this as their favourite episode.

In fact it drew some hostility and the personal criticism of the writer was dreadful: he certainly redeemed himself with Reichenbach.

It is my least favourite episode, but then that is out of a good bunch!

It also does have a number of positive features.

I really liked Sarah and was disappointed she wasn't a sticker.

I also really liked Sebastian, but also don't know if we'll see anymore of him.

Some of the scenes are classic: all of the domestic scenes and The Staircase scene is vital to understanding Sherlock's asexuality.

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Agreed about Sarah!

 

I just watched this episode yesterday, but there sure were a lot of staircases in it! Do you mean Sherlock's conversation with John on their way into the "circus"?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Took me a minute to understand what you meant by "they mixed it up." At first I thought you meant they had mixed another episode up with "The Blind Banker," but actually it sounds like you think they "messed up," in American parlance, and I won't argue. I haven't yet read "The Dancing Men," which is apparently what they based "The Blind Banker" on, so I can't comment on similarities or lack thereof -- but I would rank it as number 5 or 6 out of the 6 merely because of all the plot holes.

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Actually, in watching "The Blind Banker" I am more put in mind of the "Sign of Four" what with the enterance through the sky light and small foot and fingerprints found in Soo Lin Yao's apartment reminds me of the pigmy islander, Tonga.

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... in watching "The Blind Banker" I am ... put in mind of the "Sign of Four" what with the enterance through the sky light and small foot and fingerprints found in Soo Lin Yao's apartment reminds me of the pigmy islander, Tonga.

That had never occurred to me, but you're absolutely right! And priceless artifacts being smuggled out of an Asian country by Westerners, and one of the smugglers cheating on the others, and being killed for it.

 

Also, it's already been noted (earlier in this thread, I think) that Sarah Sawyer bears a striking resemblance to Mary Morstan -- John Watson is instantly attracted to a pretty woman with an alliterative name, who assists in the case with her keen observations (Mary realizes the importance of certain papers, and Sarah spots Soo Lin's notes). As someone said, Sarah may be as close to Mary as we're ever gonna see on this show, and now I'm wondering if they might be right. Poor John!

 

This is fascinating. Moftiss have said that "Blind Banker" is loosely based on "The Dancing Men," but it's looking to me like it has more in common with "Sign of the Four."

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Moftiss have said that "Blind Banker" is loosely based on "The Dancing Men," but it's looking to me like it has more in common with "Sign of the Four."

It's probably got more in there as well, they know their source well enough to throw in a lot of references into one episode and make it work in sort of weird conglomeration - not that I'd notice (though the fun thing today was that I could pinpoint a reference to a book that my friend couldn't and she has read all of them - from the age of 11 and onwards).

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I suspect you're right about it (and probably most of the episodes, actually) being quite a potpourri. Would love to hear anyone point out more of the various bits.

 

So OK, tell us all about your reference!

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It was with regards to The Empty House - she couldn't remember the name of the book where they'd used a 'false Sherlock' by the window of 221b to make it seem as if he was there. I probably have Jeremy Brett and Granada to thank for that.

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Took me a minute to understand what you meant by "they mixed it up." At first I thought you meant they had mixed another episode up with "The Blind Banker," but actually it sounds like you think they "messed up," in American parlance, and I won't argue. I haven't yet read "The Dancing Men," which is apparently what they based "The Blind Banker" on, so I can't comment on similarities or lack thereof -- but I would rank it as number 5 or 6 out of the 6 merely because of all the plot holes.

 

Messed up in the UK means to have got it wrong. Mixing something up is to change the format. I meant that they went away from the canon/played with the format/didn't just base it on one book.

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Same meanings over here, so I understood you the first time, after all. I've gotten so used to tripping over trans-Atlantic language differences that I'm apparently starting to see them under the bed!

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  • 5 months later...

Loved John in this episode (always do), the way he just accepts all the crazy that Sherlock throws at him. Loved how Sherlock ruined Johns and Sarahs date, the shipper in me was more than happy.

 

Agree with everyone above though, not the strongest episode by far. Especially agree with @I-Spy about Sherlock being daft in this ep. He's better than that. What also really bugged me was the scene where Sarahs life was supposed to be at stake, all she had to do was flip the chair over. Ridiculous.

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Well people do stupid things in stress situations; I wouldn't hold that against her too much.

 

That wasn't a life and death situation by any means, but the best example I can offer occurred during a backstage tour we took at Sea World many years ago. We were standing close to the killer whale tank, maybe two metres from the edge, and the guide was pointing out some of the technical features, so everybody was looking away from the water, when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye - turning, I noticed a large black fin heading straight towards us.

 

Before I could put a meaning to this, the killer whale surfaced directly in front of our group, mouth open. Now the first thing I noticed were his many, many huge, white teeth - and in the middle of them, a large, perfectly pink tongue. While my brain still was busy thinking how cute that tongue looked for such a huge, fierce mammal, I suddenly registered that it was submerged below a considerable amount of water in his mouth. That's when it finally hit me what he was up to.

 

You'd think that I would finally have been able to react at that point. Well, I did - mind you, I didn't manage to move, but I did utter an inarticulate warning cry ... which caused everybody else to jump away from the pool instinctively, and so I was the only target left for the mouthful of salt water he spit in our direction :P.

 

Now the situation was completely harmless and the whale was only having fun with us stupid visitors (I swear the way he watched me standing there dripping, he was laughing). But if my life were a B-movie, I would have been that stupid girl just standing there screaming and getting mauled instead of running away when she saw the beast approach :D. So I can completely empathize with Sarah just staring at the crossbow and whimpering, I for one would have fared no better in her situation.

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  • 2 months later...

Despite all our discussion of the plot holes in "The Blind Banker," I see that no one has posted a link to "The Partially Sighted Postman."   ;)   Till now.

 

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