Episode 4.0: The Abominable Bride (alias The Special)

[Carol the Dabbler]

... I just feel like they presented psycho-social stuff to us but "in a fog" or "through a mirror darkly". I'm distressed that I can't figure it out!

 

and distressed that I can't figure out ANYTHING about what "exactly" Moriarity is going to do "next"! Arugh

Well, if they always just went with the obvious, the show would be pretty boring after a little while. Not saying that they need to knock themselves out to make everything crazy and totally unpredictable -- in fact, I hope they always leave room for some wish fulfilment. But a nice mix keeps things interesting.

[Miss Brook]

If we realize the meaning of the name "James" ... it is actually "he who supplants". 

My theory takes shape (but I don't think this theory is correct xD).

I feel like...   in the wedding...

Anyway, I just hope that Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) appears in the series 4 

[Miss Brook]

I don't understand one little thing: If Moriarty is dead, why at the end of the credits he appears alive saying "Miss me?"??

I don't know if your answer this question before, but I need that someone explain me.

 

 

#MORIARTYLIVES

[clavery111]

He's proved to be SO popular that they'd be fools not to have Moriarity come back in one way or another... flashback, memory palace, etcetc.  Andrew Scott is SO fantastically creeeepy as M.

 

 

as to "Moriarity Lives" --- I've always taken his appearance at the end of Epi 3 to be the videotape of him.  As Mary says in TAB, "he's on all the tv screens in England"

[Arcadia]

If we realize the meaning of the name "James" ... it is actually "he who supplants".

Oh, now that's interesting!

 

I don't understand one little thing: If Moriarty is dead, why at the end of the credits he appears alive saying "Miss me?"??

I don't know if your answer this question before, but I need that someone explain me.

I don't know, but I always thought that moment was what they call "breaking the fourth wall", meaning when an actor addresses the audience, not the other characters in the story. But why they would choose to do that, I have no idea.

[clavery111]

You don't think it was just the "Moriarity video" that we saw at the end of the credtis?  The same one that was on "all the tv sets through England"?

[Carol the Dabbler]

You don't think it was just the "Moriarity video" that we saw at the end of the credtis? The same one that was on "all the tv sets through England"?

I don't think so. When we see Mrs. Hudson reacting to the broadcast, for example, we hear the sillified "miss me," not the realistic version. So I assume she's seeing the GIF.

[Arcadia]

I was going to facetiously wonder how much Andrew Scott got paid for those two words, then I remembered he had a scene earlier in the same episode. So I guess while they had him around they just cleaned him up and had him say hi to the audience. :p

[SherlockedCAMPer]

I was going to facetiously wonder how much Andrew Scott got paid for those two words, then I remembered he had a scene earlier in the same episode. So I guess while they had him around they just cleaned him up and had him say hi to the audience. :P

 

It wouldn't surprise me if he filmed that bit first.

[sfmpco]

His live-action  "Miss me?" at the end of HLV may have simply been a clue to him being back in the special (albeit in Sherlock's MP).  His scenes were all filmed on sets, however, so his participation in TAB was a highly guarded secret.

[Miss Brook]

He's proved to be SO popular that they'd be fools not to have Moriarity come back in one way or another... flashback, memory palace, etcetc.  Andrew Scott is SO fantastically creeeepy as M.

 

 

as to "Moriarity Lives" --- I've always taken his appearance at the end of Epi 3 to be the videotape of him.  As Mary says in TAB, "he's on all the tv screens in England"

 

Yeah, but I mean after the credits, just finished at the end of all...

[clavery111]

 

You don't think it was just the "Moriarity video" that we saw at the end of the credtis? The same one that was on "all the tv sets through England"?

I don't think so. When we see Mrs. Hudson reacting to the broadcast, for example, we hear the sillified "miss me," not the realistic version. So I assume she's seeing the GIF.

 

 

I don't get much importance to the different sound of M's "miss me"  In the gifs on the tv screens the sound has been altered, just like the visuals were altered (broadcast snow, wavy lines).  At the end of credits is the tape of M w/out those visual/audio edits.  But it is just the same video clip IMHO

[Carol the Dabbler]

You're saying that the clip at the very end is the original, unmodified footage that they made the GIF from? Could be, but that's not my impression. For one thing, the GIF says, "Did you miss me?" whereas the video just says, "Miss me?" and does not appear to have been cut in the middle of a sentence.

[Arcadia]

More than that ... the pose is different. In the gif he's full face on, with a goofy smile

 
... in the snippet after the credits, he's looking over his shoulder into the camera, sort of wistful.

[J.P.]

I see the last bit as a wink towards viewer, not necessarily part of the story.

 

It's clearly breaking the 4th wall. Like "did you miss me, dear fans?" and maybe an "I'll be back". :D

[Carol the Dabbler]

That's my take as well. Like it's more of an advertisement for Series 4 than an actual part of Series 3.

 

Thanks for those screen caps, Arcadia. I've been mostly on my cell phone lately, and looking up pictures doesn't seem to work well (let alone posting 'em).

[Carol the Dabbler]

I just noticed, though, that the background is the same. Whatever that might mean. (Probably just that they're from the same filming session.)

 

I believe I've heard / read where Moftiss said they just had that clip left over, and decided to stick it at the end. So perhaps it means nothing in particular.

[clavery111]

Yeah, I just don't think it means anything to the show.  

 

That could be wrong, of course, no way to know until we see S4 and S5.  Funny to think they might bring him back for S5 eh - and then they could be like "Well, we told you so, we showed you the clip of him at the end"?   Thanks for the caps!

[sfmpco]

Woo hoo!  Six Emmy nominations for TAB:

 

Outstanding TV movie

Outstanding lead actor in a limited series or movie - Benedict Cumberbatch

Outstanding cinematography - Suzie Lavelle, ISC, Director of Photography

Outstanding sound editing for a limited series, movie or special

Outstanding sound mixing for a limited series or movie

Outstanding special visual effects - Danny Hargreaves & company

[sfmpco]

Carol, when will this thread not be a spoilers thread but just a TAB thread?

[Carol the Dabbler]

I've been wondering the same thing.  Has the special aired everywhere that it's gonna air?  Probably -- and if there are any countries left, the fans there have probably sent for British DVDs already, anyhow.

 

OK, off come the Spoiler tags.  So beware! 

[J.P.]

Okay, I'm still trying to fight my way through ACD. Just lately I found the quotation with the crack/grit in the lens as representation of emotions. Somehow didn't get this very clearly from the films, sometimes I have to look at the words on a paper to inhale them properly... Funnily enough in the book it's more a contrasting juxtaposition (hope it's the right term) "emotions are worse than the crack... " while in the show emotions are the crack... And in TAB the crack is also Moriarty.

 

From ACD:

But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results. Grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his.

 

From Hounds:

Interesting, yes? Emotions. (He slams the glass down onto the table.) The grit on the lens, the fly in the ointment.

 

From Bride:

HOLMES: If you are referring to romantic entanglement, Watson – which I rather fear you are – as I have often explained before, all emotion is abhorrent to me. It is the grit in a sensitive instrument ...
(Watson joins in with what he says next.)
HOLMES and WATSON (almost simultaneously): ... the crack in the lens.

 

And this turns out to be what Watson wrote in his story - so why isn't it an exact quotation from canon, if Watson is actually Doyle? Or isn't he?

 

and again:

MYCROFT HOLMES: Yes. He’s the crack in the lens, the fly in the ointment ... the virus in the data.

 

So we are again at Moriarty as a representation of suppressed emotions...

I don't know why I write this... again, there is something that seems important but hides in plain sight.

 

I'm a hopeless case...

 

ETA: how would you exactly translate the fly in the ointment in this context? There are a bunch of possibilities...

 

[clavery111]

Still to this day, doctors are taught that they cannot have emotions in their dealings w/ patients, that it will detract from their thinking ability and their competence.  Further carried out by the proscription against treating family members (and in some places  even codified into law) as having a loved one as a patient will effect the doctoring abilities and competency negatively.  ACD was a doctor, his favorite med school professor was the example for Sherlock.  Does that help explain anything? 

[Arcadia]

And this turns out to be what Watson wrote in his story - so why isn't it an exact quotation from canon, if Watson is actually Doyle? Or isn't he?

I don't think Watson is Doyle. And I think it's not an exact quote because that's not how Moftiss works ... the show isn't really an adaptation of Doyle so much as it is an homage to all the Sherlock Holmes' ever. Or to put it the other way round, they are writing new Holmes stories, with an occasional nod to the original, and occasional nods to some of the other adaptations.

 

ETA: how would you exactly translate the fly in the ointment in this context? There are a bunch of possibilities

 

"Fly in the ointment" is one of those phrases I've heard all my life without ever thinking much about its literal meaning, while at the same time knowing exactly what it means, when heard in context. That is, an imperfection, an irritant, an obstacle, a flaw.

 

I've never had an actual fly in actual ointment, but I have had those tiny gnats get stuck in my paint. You either spend a lot of time fussing around trying to get them out (often making a worse mess) or you ignore them and keep painting. I have more than one painting with a bit of gnat incorporated into it. You can tell, because that's where the bumps ("flaws") are. Unlike Sherlock, though, :P I don't demand perfection of myself.

 

ETA: In fact, many consider "imperfections" to be part of what makes art (and people) unique and beautiful and worthwhile. As opposed to science, which needs to be "perfect" (pure) to be valid.

[J.P.]

Ah... just noticed something:

I think this gif is from the TAB additions, isn't it?

 

 

Well, what you see in the background is actually the airplane set from outside.

My brain might be thorough, but the reaction time could be a bit better... :P