Speculation: How Did Sherlock Do It?

[Caya]

Well, one of the kids round here once had to read a pastiche for English class where Sherlock Holmes was Jack the Ripper (the name of that book mercifully eludes me). So yes, stuff like this has been done before (nothing new under the sun and all that).

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Yup, and there was one written where if Dr. J. H. Watson wasn't Jack the Ripper, he was suspected of it. And yes, I suppose it would be easy to see Sherlock Holmes as Jack the Ripper because the Ripper was never caught. The perfect, perfect crime that Sherlock Holmes could be seen pulling off.

 

  Or it was the perfect cover up in protecting Dr. J. H. Watson..or..maybe even someone else in the Holmes Family.

[Caya]

Now I want to read your version .

 

Really, that sounds a lot better than that book I spoke of, The Last Sherlock Holmes Story (googled the name, since it's been a while - link leads to a spoiler heavy review). The ending was touching, the rest I've pretty much forgotten.

 

Watson, mentally torn by the horrors of the war, however, slipping into schizophrenia, and Holmes stopping at nothing to protect his only friend ... that could be an interesting, if harrowing, read.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Like as if there will ever, ever be "The Last Sherlock Holmes Story" how pretentious and ambitious of them, ha!

 

Hmmm....have never written a Victorian Sherlock Holmes story....will see what my plot bunnies say about that.

[T.o.b.y]

Has somebody already pointed out here that the ending of the episode "The Reichenbach Fall" seems to be based on "The Adventure of the Dying Detective"?

 

If the plot of that story was used, it would mean that:

- it is Sherlock's own body that John sees as "dead"

- the emotion Sherlock shows during his "final phone call" is mostly fake and displayed to get John to act a certain way

 

I love how he says nonchalantly in the original: "You won't be offended, Watson?" Conan Doyle's doctor put up with it, but I doubt very much that Freeman's version of the character will be quite so understanding...

[Carol the Dabbler]

Having just watched Jeremy Brett's "Dying Detective," I think you've raised a very interesting point (and no, no one has mentioned that on here before).  None of the Sherlock episodes to date seem to derive solely from a single Conan Doyle story.  Even the nominal adaptations do some borrowing (e.g., I believe that "A Study in Pink" has some quotes from "The Sign of the Four"), and even though Moftiss have said that "The Blind Banker" is loosely based on "The Dancing Men," it seems to owe just as much to "The Sign of the Four."  (Now that they're actually doing "The Sign of Three," what do they have left to use?)

 

So yes, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they've used some bits of "The Dying Detective" in "Reichenbach" / "Empty Hearse," especially since, as you say, both it and "The Empty House" feature the feigned death (or impending death) of Holmes.  Just one more thing to watch for in December / January!  (And I do think you're right about John -- I doubt that he'll faint, either!)

 

[T.o.b.y]

Having just watched Jeremy Brett's "Dying Detective," I think you've raised a very interesting point (and no, no one has mentioned that on here before).  None of the Sherlock episodes to date seem to derive solely from a single Conan Doyle story.  Even the nominal adaptations do some borrowing (e.g., I believe that "A Study in Pink" has some quotes from "The Sign of the Four"), and even though Moftiss have said that "The Blind Banker" is loosely based on "The Dancing Men," it seems to owe just as much to "The Sign of the Four."  (Now that they're actually doing "The Sign of Three," what do they have left to use?)

 

So yes, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they've used some bits of "The Dying Detective" in "Reichenbach" / "Empty Hearse," especially since, as you say, both it and "The Empty House" feature the feigned death (or impending death) of Holmes.  Just one more thing to watch for in December / January!  (And I do think you're right about John -- I doubt that he'll faint, either!)

 

Of course you are right, they have never followed a single story closely. But it is amazing how much of the original text they managed to fit in and how many other references to the source. The phone conversation can be largely traced to what Holmes says to Watson on his supposed deathbed, especially about Watson having to keep at a distance from him / stand in a certain place and being told to tell exactly what he saw as he perceived it. Even the sound that Holmes makes: "between a cough and a sob" is mentioned.

 

"The Sign of Three" I think may be a hint of an alliance between John, Mary and Sherlock. I agree that they have already used most of the material in The Sign of Four and therefore, the case in that episode will be based on something else.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, right, the "stay where you are" is in "Dying Detective" too, and the tell everybody (though the latter is also implicit in "Final Problem" / "Empty House").  Very good point!

 

And you may well be right about who "the three" are -- though I hope this doesn't mean that John, Mary, and Sherlock will become jewel thieves!  It'll be interesting to see if the writers can wring anything more out of the original story, or if, as you say, they'll have to resort to something else.

 

[T.o.b.y]

Sorry, this has probably been already talked about here, but I'll ask anyway:

 

- What do you think the rubber ball was all about? If Sherlock used it to stop his pulse, why did one of the "nurses" (who are probably Sherlock's helpers, right?) pull John's hand away when he tried to feel for it?

 

- Does anybody agree that the kidnapped girl screamed at Sherlock's voice more than his looks? Moriarty could have got a sound file of Sherlock saying "you repel me" in a very sinister voice from Kitty, after all.

 

- The "bug" in Watsons's ear may just be there so the actor could hear what Sherlock / B.C. was saying on the roof. I don't think they were actually speaking on the phone and the dialogue must be easier to do if you're answered in real time.

 

- Has anybody pointed out here yet that the gifts Sherlock receives at he beginning of the episode would have been perfect for Moriarty? He wears a tie pin and the diamond he uses to break the glass is about the shape and size of a cuff link.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Sorry, this has probably been already talked about here, but I'll ask anyway:

 

We certainly don't expect you to read all 300-some prior posts on the thread I moved this here from (since we're veering into spoiler territory), plus the 200-some in this thread (to say nothing of other threads where this episode has been discussed).  So please ask away!

 

- What do you think the rubber ball was all about? If Sherlock used it to stop his pulse, why did one of the "nurses" (who are probably Sherlock's helpers, right?) pull John's hand away when he tried to feel for it?

 

I assume the "nurses" are part of the plot, right.  I doubt that using the ball to stop one's pulse, especially in such a hurry, is going to work 100% -- so they didn't dare let John get a good reading, nor for any length of time -- just enough to give him the impression of no pulse.

 

- Does anybody agree that the kidnapped girl screamed at Sherlock's voice more than his looks? Moriarty could have got a sound file of Sherlock saying "you repel me" in a very sinister voice from Kitty, after all.

 

Hadn't thought about that, but you're right -- she doesn't start to scream till Sherlock starts talking.  Hmm, don't quite know what to make of that, but the recording (and/or recordings from tv interviews) could have something to do with it.

 

- The "bug" in Watsons's ear may just be there so the actor could hear what Sherlock / B.C. was saying on the roof. I don't think they were actually speaking on the phone and the dialogue must be easier to do if you're answered in real time.

 

This one has been discussed at some length on its own thread, q.v.

 

- Has anybody pointed out here yet that the gifts Sherlock receives at he beginning of the episode would have been perfect for Moriarty? He wears a tie pin and the diamond he uses to break the glass is about the shape and size of a cuff link.

 

True.  So if Sherlock put them out in the trash, then maybe ....

 

[T.o.b.y]

 

"Hadn't thought about that, but you're right -- she doesn't start to scream till Sherlock starts talking.  Hmm, don't quite know what to make of that, but the recording (and/or recordings from tv interviews) could have something to do with it."

 

What I make of that is that Moriarty hired a kidnapper who remotely resembled Sherlock, maybe even dressed him in a coat and scarf. It was dark, so no closer resemblance was needed (no mask or similar). The kidnapper never spoke to the children himself, he just "talked to them" by using the recorded message. That would freak me out even as an adult and I would certainly scream if I heard that voice again.

 

"True.  So if Sherlock put them out in the trash, then maybe ...."

 

Um... I wasn't suggesting they actually passed from Sherlock to Moriarty, I think it's just a little joke on the part of the writer. Although the image of Moriarty going through Sherlock's trash is pretty appealing.

 

[T.o.b.y]

There are a lot of theories out there, but they tend to focus on how Sherlock tricked John / John's sniper into believing he really died. There are indeed a ton of possibilities on how to do this, because John

- is not on scene until the end

- does not get close to the building

- can be navigated and manipulated by Sherlock through the phone conversation

 

Now, I got the strong impression that Sherlock was not sure of what Moriarty was ultimately planning until after the visit to Kitty's flat (specifically until he stands in the street going "oh...!"). So he didn't have a lot of time to prepare. Also, I am pretty sure from the way he acted when Moriarty shot himself, that he did not expect Moriarty to die on the roof.

 

So, his original plan must have involved Moriarty, alive, on the roof when he falls. The real goal would have been to trick Moriarty, not good old gullible John! That limits Sherlock's options considerably. Any ideas?

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

There are a lot of theories out there, but they tend to focus on how Sherlock tricked John / John's sniper into believing he really died....

 

... his original plan must have involved Moriarty, alive, on the roof when he falls. The real goal would have been to trick Moriarty, not good old gullible John!

 

I suppose it's only natural that the theories would focus on how Sherlock fooled the people that he ended up actually needing to fool, so most people (myself included) haven't really looked at the larger picture.  But you're right, he would have planned some way of dealing with Moriarty.

 

Of course, he might have planned to kill Moriarty himself (though The Good Guy isn't supposed to do things like that, and is not generally allowed to on American broadcast tv).  The argument against that theory is that, as you say, Moriarty's death does seem to rattle him.  So his plan may have relied on Moriarty being alive -- or perhaps it relied on Moriarty dying in another way or dying a little later.  We have very few clues as to what Sherlock's aborted Plan A might have been.

 

But in any case, of course he had a Plan B -- something doable but not his first choice by a long shot -- and that's what Moriarty's death seems to have forced him into.  I see his near-panic as a frantic last-minute attempt to think of a way to avoid that option.  But once he realizes there's no other way, he really has to go through with it, he calms down and just does it.

 

Sorry I couldn't answer your question.  Maybe someone else has some ideas.

 

[T.o.b.y]

 

Of course, he might have planned to kill Moriarty himself (though The Good Guy isn't supposed to do things like that, and is not generally allowed to on American broadcast tv). 

 

I thought killing people was basically the only thing allowed on American broadcast TV as long as they are "evil" (a term I think was invented to turn murder into heroism) and the killer is neither naked nor smokes.

 

I am so glad you also think what happened in the end was not plan A! Because that's exactly what I see happening and so far, nobody has agreed with me. Plan A was probably just getting Moriarty to confess, then making him back off and letting Mycroft's people catch him once more. Plan B was faking suicide in front of Moriarty. And plan C (or not planned at all) was what we saw.

 

I don't expect anybody to fully answer my question except the show itself. But I think if you have to add the possibility of Moriarty standing there and exulting to your idea of what might have happened, you can exclude a lot from your stock of theories, like a fireman's net or a body switch or Sherlock not jumping at all.

 

I think he must have planned it so that something would block the sight of the landing from above. But what? The truck?

 

I also wonder whether the phone call was premeditated. Sherlock had John called away, so maybe he wasn't supposed to show up until everything was over. In that case, the plan would have been somewhat less cruel.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

We may never know all of the what-if's -- I rather expect them to explain what did happen in a fairly efficient manner, then get on with whatever comes next.  Which means that we may have the opportunity to carry on debating the various scenarios ad infinitum. 

 

[T.o.b.y]

we may have the opportunity to carry on debating the various scenarios ad infinitum. 

 

Yes! I like that prospect. Oh, did I already mention that I have no problem with the cliffhanger endings? I think that is very appropriate for a show about a master of deduction. It's like saying to the audience: Okay, we've showed you how, now go ahead and figure this out.

 

It would bother me if the story (what I consider to be the story) was not finished, but it always has been, so far. At the end of season 1, Sherlock chose his side. At the end of season 2, he became the "good man" Lestrade spoke about in A Study in Pink (and we know he survived). The story, as it stands to date, is very satisfying for me and if, for some reason, they ruin the show later (which seems to be bound to happen, because I've never come across a serial where the creators found the right moment to stop), I can just go back to the first 6 episodes and tell myself, this is it.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yeah, like three of the Star Trek movies simply Do Not Exist.  (In those cases, though, the Franchise did finally work its way past the rough spots.)

 

Neither of the 3rd episodes to date are the sort of cliffhangers where we don't know what happens (which I would NOT like!), but rather the sort where we don't know HOW it happens -- which has been great fun to gnaw on, but I'd like a new bone really, really soon, please!

 

But there are bound to be be enough loose ends left over to spark alternative-timeline fan fiction for years to come.

 

[T.o.b.y]

I just had another thought, though -- John knows that Sherlock can fake tears, because he saw him do it while questioning the wife of the man who was supposedly dead but had actually gone to South America (in "The Great Game"). And Sherlock knows that John knows it. That would argue against any kind of "he's trying to fool John" theory.

 

John might know that his friend is a superb actor, but this would not be the first time he has fallen for one of his acts. Remember Hounds of Baskerville? Remember he bought Sherlock not caring about Mrs Hudson, even though John himself called to mind how outraged Sherlock had been when the Americans hurt her? John is gullible. Very gullible, at least when it comes to Sherlock. I think it's heartbreaking when he says at the grave that he will never believe Sherlock told him a lie and actually, the last he heard from him was a huge pack of lies.

 

Sherlock's talent for dissimulation makes it so hard for us to spot the alleged "out of character" moment. If that's really a hint at all.

 

The only moment I can think of where I thought Sherlock was not behaving like his usual self and I could not spot an obvious reason for that behavior was when he told Anderson he could deduce the kidnapper's height, gait and walking pace from the footprints but did not elaborate on that in his usual show-off fashion. But what would this have to do with faking a deadly fall?

[Carol the Dabbler]

John might know that his friend is a superb actor, but this would not be the first time he has fallen for one of his acts. Remember Hounds of Baskerville? Remember he bought Sherlock not caring about Mrs Hudson, even though John himself called to mind how outraged Sherlock had been when the Americans hurt her? John is gullible. Very gullible, at least when it comes to Sherlock. I think it's heartbreaking when he says at the grave that he will never believe Sherlock told him a lie and actually, the last he heard from him was a huge pack of lies.

 

People tend to assume that other people (especially their friends) are a lot like them, so I think that John's ability to trust Sherlock says a lot about his own trustworthiness.  (I know, you and Mycroft would say, "Trust is by far the kindest word for gullibility," but I prefer my own vocabulary.)

 

John must realize that Sherlock did lie to him -- either implicitly during their entire 18 months together, or explicitly when he said "I'm a fraud."  He chooses to believe that the latter was the lie, and I agree with him.

 

[T.o.b.y]

John must realize that Sherlock did lie to him -- either implicitly during their entire 18 months together, or explicitly when he said "I'm a fraud."  He chooses to believe that the latter was the lie, and I agree with him.

 

 

Of course. Who wouldn't make that choice. But I don't think he has the faintest idea of the size and scope of the "lie" he chose to accept.

 

I think he really bought it that Sherlock was somehow not himself on the roof. He probably thought he'd "gone mad", just like in "The Dying Detective", Watson thinks Holmes is delirious.

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

That's a nice tie-in to canon, and I'm sure that "delirious" was one thought that passed through the medical portion of his mind, but to me John looked more bewildered than anything.  It'll probably take him a while to make any sense of it -- and along about then, Sherlock will show up and disprove his entire theory!

 

And you're right about the hidden scope of the big lie.  I wouldn't be too surprised to find out in December / January that the entire second season was a hoax!

 

[T.o.b.y]

Oh please, no. If we're going to have "all you've watched the last hour(s) never actually happened" plots, I'm definitely stopping at the end of Reichenbach.

 

I guess if I were in John's position, I would assume Moriarty held Sherlock at gunpoint and made him act the way he did.

 

By the way, what do you suppose became of Sherlock's phone? I'm pretty sure he must have used it to record Moriarty's confession (what else would that meeting have been for?), maybe also used the camera found in Baker St.

 

And did he leave Moriarty's body on the roof to be found?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, no, I didn't mean they might say Series 3 never happened (Sherlock isn't Dallas, thank heaven!), but rather that an awful lot of things may have been faked by Sherlock or Moriarty as part of their plans.  That may have started a while back, possibly even in the first two episodes -- and I sure as hell wouldn't put too much credence in anything from "Reichenbach."  It's obvious that some things were a hoax, just not clear which parts.

 

As far as John knows, Moriarty is still alive, so yeah, he probably assumes that Moriarty somehow forced Sherlock to jump (which is true, after all, just not quite in the way that John probably thinks).

 

I'm virtually certain that Molly was very heavily in cahoots with Sherlock on this, so she presumably retrieved the phone and the body.  As for what she did with them -- well, she would have saved the phone for Sherlock to use in clearing his reputation and proving Moriarty's guilt.  I'm not even gonna get into what happened to the body -- an awful lot of people are fiercely wedded to theories that make absolutely no sense to me, so let's just all wait another couple of months and see what happened.

 

[T.o.b.y]

I don't see why Moriarty's body would have to disappear at all. I would have thought it was just left on the roof to be found by the police. But his death does not figure in the newspaper headlines we see at the end, so I suppose I must be wrong.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Right.  For whatever reason, Moriarty isn't officially dead.