Speculation: How Did Sherlock Do It?

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Welcome to Sherlock Forum RV0889. The more the merrier.

[wildrose]

 

Sherlock was looking down the building and is that Molly Hooper????

 

I know it's a bit of a long shot, but why not?

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Her hair is brownish and long. Of course from that height it might be hard to tell color, not sure. But the shoulders look broad and masculine to me. She is a tiny little thing.

[Julia Mae]

 

Sherlock was looking down the building and is that Molly Hooper????

 

I know it's a bit of a long shot, but why not?

 

I don't think it can be ruled out from the photo.  But what I'm interested in is, if it were her, what would she be doing there, do you think?

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I think you've got a point, wildrose -- surely Molly will be keeping an eye on things somehow.

 

And welcome to Sherlock Forum!      We hope to see you here often!

 

[AdrynBliss]

The key to any trick is misdirection. Remember how he specifically tells Watson to 'stand right there' and then he's hit by the cyclist.

 

I believe there was a similer trick pulled in a ep of CSI, i think. A previous poster pointed out the ground had been marked, the patch of ground replaced by a softer substance, obviously and in the few moments John is distracted a lid or cover placed over the top (most likely by his version of the irregulars, the homeless network) and of course the whole post mortum aspect, well, it's handy having a pathologist as a friend.

 

edit: also if i had to make a guess the soft material he landed on would be a rubber sheet over a hole, ergo the bouncy rubber ball.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

A seventy foot drop onto a mere rubber sheet....it would have to be a whole lot thicker then that. And there would be no time to fill a hole on a tarmac sidewalk before John got there and when they role Sherlock's body, there is no hole. It is solid sidewalk. Even a drop of two or three feet onto something as solid as stone hurts and leaves injuries.

 

It would have had to be a quick fill and deflating air bag or something like it to cushion that kind of impact. I agree that the grid on the sidewalk is a clue for either such an air bag or plastic bags filled with something soft and cushioning.

[Julia Mae]

The key to any trick is misdirection. Remember how he specifically tells Watson to 'stand right there' and then he's hit by the cyclist.

 

I believe there was a similer trick pulled in a ep of CSI, i think. A previous poster pointed out the ground had been marked, the patch of ground replaced by a softer substance, obviously and in the few moments John is distracted a lid or cover placed over the top (most likely by his version of the irregulars, the homeless network) and of course the whole post mortum aspect, well, it's handy having a pathologist as a friend.

 

edit: also if i had to make a guess the soft material he landed on would be a rubber sheet over a hole, ergo the bouncy rubber ball.

 

Problem is, we see him hit the ground.  Or, we see something hit the ground representing his body.  No bounce, no give.  Also, I think Moffat addressed this one, and he is not using the same trick again.

 

[bborchar]

A seventy foot drop onto a mere rubber sheet....it would have to be a whole lot thicker then that. And there would be no time to fill a hole on a tarmac sidewalk before John got there and when they role Sherlock's body, there is no hole. It is solid sidewalk. Even a drop of two or three feet onto something as solid as stone hurts and leaves injuries.

 

It would have had to be a quick fill and deflating air bag or something like it to cushion that kind of impact. I agree that the grid on the sidewalk is a clue for either such an air bag or plastic bags filled with something soft and cushioning.

 

Yeah, you have to have something that can absorb the impact of your fall.  Air is about the only substance that can do it without injury (if done properly).  Even a fall into water from that distance could break bones if you don't have the proper training.  A rubber sheet (or any kind of sheet) without enough give and distance would be no better than hitting the ground.

[Carol the Dabbler]

The rectangle isn't faked up for the show, it's really there, and the area inside is made of concrete, just like the rest of the sidewalk.  Nevertheless, Sherlock's accomplices could have used the rectangle as a convenient marker for where to place the -- whatever.  And/or I suppose that in the story (unlike real life), the part inside the rectangle could be removable.

 

When we were at St. Bart's last week, Alex & I were examining that rectangle, wondering why it's there.  The edges are formed by small stone blocks set at the same level as the rest of the sidewalk.  He thought perhaps it's what's left of a bus shelter made of stone, now replaced by the metal and plastic one that you can in the episode.  I have no better idea.

 

And hello, AdrynBliss -- welcome to Sherlock Forum!  Thanks for jumping right in with your ideas.  It sounds like some posters are misreading your comment about the rubber sheet, missing the bit about a hole under it.  After all, a rubber (or similar substance) sheet stretched tightly over air would be basically a trampoline, and circus performers sometimes jump quite some distance onto trampolines.

 

[Julia Mae]

 

When we were at St. Bart's last week, Alex & I were examining that rectangle, wondering why it's there.  The edges are formed by small stone blocks set at the same level as the rest of the sidewalk.  He thought perhaps it's what's left of a bus shelter made of stone, now replaced by the metal and plastic one that you can in the episode.  I have no better idea.

 

I wonder if it could be sealed up underground access.  Years ago, buildings had like platforms at sidewalk level that lowered into the ground to take deliveries of coal or oil or other big stuff.     

 

[bborchar]

Olympians on a trampoline can go as high as 33 feet, but usually only around 20 feet. They have incredibly large trampolines (7' by 14') with over one hundred springs. The rebound is also incredibly powerful. The problem with a trampoline is that if the distance is too high, the rebound would be uncontrollable, the springs could break or, most likely, the fabric doesn't have enough give to slow down the fall and the body absorbs too much of the impact. I've broken my nose landing face down on an Olympic size trampoline by landing face down (and I was only a few feet high). You can break bones, concuss yourself or even get killed if you try jumping from too high of a distance and without any proper training.

 

Now, falling onto something that can absorb the impact without rebound will work.

[IQ192]

Has anyone said they think it was done with mirrors ? Apart from me ....heh

 

I do think it was the magic mirror trick , but can't expand on it .

[Julia Mae]

Has anyone said they think it was done with mirrors ? Apart from me ....heh

 

I do think it was the magic mirror trick , but can't expand on it .

 

I have a theory that includes mirrors, but I replaced it with a theory that includes a laptop and a camera in the fauxSherlock.

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Especially tells John it is a trick...a magic trick. Smoke and mirrors always with Sherlock but how mirrors would work in this case where John finally can see and touch the body.....it's beyond me as well.

[Carol the Dabbler]

But he also told John that he's a fraud.  

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Because he felt to keep John safe, John had to believe the lies. (Which he did not). He also told John to tell Molly...everyone who would believe...and we know that Molly already knew that Sherlock was not a fraud.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Right.  But I'm saying you might not want to put too much faith in what Sherlock said about its being a magic trick, because that was part of his "I'm a fraud" speech.

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

But wasn't it? And I do just mean this as a question. John was going to be made to believe Sherlock had actually died. Not only by Sherlock but by Molly and any of the hospital staff and Homeless Network that were in on it. The trick, at least as far as I can see it, was the how of Sherlock surviving the fall in the first place. And that was what John was seeing the trick that Sherlock was being forced to pull, not only on John but on Mrs. Hudson...and maybe Lestrade....as well. Not to mention the papers, the English public, Moriarty's organization, and any one else out there who wasn't in the know.

[Julia Mae]

There's no embed code for this, but Benedict made a video for ComicCon and it has hints about the Fall:

 

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/18/sherlock-comic-con-benedict-cumberbatch/

 

[Ember]

Hi all! I enjoyed reading speculation and it got me thinking about Sherlocks Fall again. I noticed something that is probably totally irrelevant in every way, but it is definitely OOC. Sherlock never calls anyone. The only time i've seen him talk on the phone is in The Great Game when Moriarty called him. He even said in the first episode that he prefers to text, and he always texts John. Then again you are not likely to text your last dying words, but could the call have some purpose?

[Carol the Dabbler]

You're right, that is a bit unusual for Sherlock.  (He does phone Mycroft in "Hounds," though.)

 

Purpose -- let's see -- he and John are both using cell phones, so someone could theoretically listen in on the conversation.  For example, if Sherlock wanted Molly to hear it.

 

Oh, and welcome to Sherlock Forum!     I hope you have fun here!

 

[Julia Mae]

. Then again you are not likely to text your last dying words, but could the call have some purpose?

 

 

I like Carol's idea about a third party being able to listen in.  But my theory would be as part of the plan to convince any of Moriarty's people still hanging around that he did what he was supposed to.  Also, Sherlock carefully leaves his phone on the roof before he falls.  Why do you think he did that?

 

It's still a possible plot device that Moriarty dies so far back on the roof it wouldn't be visible to his henchmen and there could be value in convincing them he is still alive by using his phone to send them text messages.

In fact, all that Sherlock walking around in distress after Moriarty dies might have been an act to convince Moriarty's men he is upset about having to jump, as if Jim just finally convinced him.  

 

[SarahJayne96]

Has anyone figured out how he did it yet? I have read many theories online and my Brother has a few good ones......Do you think we will find out in Series 3?

 

What do you guys think

[besleybean]

Yes. It'll be handled very quickly, I think before the titles run in S3.

I am not as interested in this as I am Sherlock and John's reunion.