Episode 4.0: The Abominable Bride (alias The Special)

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oddly enough, before Freeman was cast in Sherlock, many people thought of him as only a comic actor, due to his great success in The Office.

 

I read somewhere (or maybe in my mind) similar thing happened with Bryan Cranston. He is a comic actor and cast as Walter White in Breaking Bad (for those who don’t know, the show is not funny at all, but great) and he was brilliant. I think skill in comedy is probably greater than other genre?

 

Quite possibly.  I suspect that the people who denigrate comedy as an art form have their heads stuck back in the pie-in-the-face era (though even slapstick can be done either poorly or superbly).  And if a dramatic actor thinks of comedy as a lesser form, then s/he is bound to do comedy poorly, for lack of effort if nothing else, which turns their opinion into a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

Above all, well-done comedy relies on timing, and if you can do exquisite comic timing (as Martin Freeman clearly can), then you can do exquisite dramatic timing as well.  I just don't see the dichotomy.

 

... I beat up my big fat honey bee soft toy, I swear.

Not rage, excitement. I was giddy.

Giddy -- yup, that's precisely the word!    The episode was such a roller-coaster ride that I didn't have time to calm down in between exciting parts.

 

This is the man who retains only knowledge he deems relevant, and consequently didn't know the earth goes round the sun or that England has a queen, not a king.  Would you really be surprised that he didn't know, as one Amazon reviewer complained, that female property owners could vote in local elections by 1895?  And would it have made any difference to the story if he did?

Sounds like s/he's talking about the Representation of the People Act, "... the first to include practically all men in the political system and began the inclusion of women," but that wasn't passed till 1918 -- a bit post-Victorian, and more than twenty years after the setting of TAB.

 

Added:  Oh, wait -- you said local elections -- so yeah, probably true.  But so what?  How many women were able to own property in those days?  And even those who did could not vote for the MPs.

 

As for the reviewer who said Martin Freeman is a terrible actor and incapable of portraying Watson...Were they watching a different programme?  The man was born to be John Watson!

 

He was also born to play Bilbo Baggins.  And Tim Canterbury too, I think.  And probably quite a number of others.  I am utterly dumbfounded by the thought of all those different people living inside one man's head.  Mr. Freeman simply astounds me.

 

How were your audience reactions?  Our theatre was packed and the audience was really laughing and into it.  But the funny part was at the end the guy next to me said "I'm just here because The Force Awakens was sold out but this was really good."   :lol:

 

I'll be able to tell you about the local audience after tomorrow night.  Did that fellow in the next seat happen to mention whether he'd seen Sherlock on television at all?

 

A female lab tech like Molly could never have existed in ACD's Sherlock, but I'm glad she can in ours. And if they let Mary survive, because modern medicine would give her a much better chance, I would applaud them for that too. If Holmes was a man ahead of his time, to me it is a brilliant concept to show how he lives when he's in a time a bit more in keeping with his ideas.

I originally assumed that Molly was a lab tech, but then there were clues that she's actually a pathologist (i.e., a doctor), and most recently, Victorian Holmes addressed her at "Doctor Hooper" -- which is of course not actual proof of anything, so the question is still open.  Could you share your reasons for thinking of her as a lab tech?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Well, there are theories out in fandom right now that because of the conversation and bet with fat Mycroft that it's foreshadowing Mycroft will die in S4.  Not sure how I feel about it that theory except that I hope it's not true.

 

Yup, he'll die in 1897.

Shit……noooooooooooooooooooooo.

Not after the plane scene. Noooooo, no, NO!

Who, Mycroft? Then that's the discussion about his last days was alluding to this... somebody has the numbers? (sorry if I repeat something) (and please NO - even if I thought about the possibility myself)

 

Hey, guys, calm down!  That was just a joke, extrapolating from the bet that Victorian Holmes was making with his brother.  "Our" Mycroft is presumably quite safe -- he is physically incapable of dying in 1897.  *off to add a winking face to my original post*

[sittything]

If Mycroft Holmes dies... I'm going to fly to Britain and riot.  

 

I saw this (Mycroft dying) mentioned a ton on tumblr earlier today, but I'm not buying into it.  Some people saw it as foreshadowing or something.  Obviously, he'd die in our time from something other than eating himself to death.

 

Can I just say, I LOVE when Sherlock tells Mycroft to eat another plum pudding as a condition of his doing the "legwork" and then he reduces his wager odds to  and Mycroft is all "It's getting exciting now!"   lol   Also, when Watson is guessing all of these different groups as the "enemy" and Mycroft asks if he's heard of this new theory of paranoia and Watson is "Oh, sounds Serbian."  lol

 

I didn't think I could already love Mycroft more, and this episode proved me very, very wrong.

 

[sfmpco]

I listened to the Baker Street Babes podcast of the episode last night, and although they pointed out many canon references in the episode (those things go over my head because I am not canon savvy), they also missed many of the things that have been mentioned here. 

[sfmpco]

If Mycroft Holmes dies... I'm going to fly to Britain and riot.  

 

I saw this (Mycroft dying) mentioned a ton on tumblr earlier today, but I'm not buying into it.  Some people saw it as foreshadowing or something.  Obviously, he'd die in our time from something other than eating himself to death.

 

Can I just say, I LOVE when Sherlock tells Mycroft to eat another plum pudding as a condition of his doing the "legwork" and then he reduces his wager odds to  and Mycroft is all "It's getting exciting now!"   lol   Also, when Watson is guessing all of these different groups as the "enemy" and Mycroft asks if he's heard of this new theory of paranoia and Watson is "Oh, sounds Serbian."  lol

 

I didn't think I could already love Mycroft more, and this episode proved me very, very wrong.

 

Oh I loved fat and snarky Mycroft.  I also loved that Sherlock read up on something dealing with astronomy just so that Mycroft wouldn't be able to trump him with it when our modern Sherlock can't be bothered with the solar system!

[sittything]

Ha!  If it's Molly that  crawls out of that window as the bride at the end... out of THAT window, then Molly killed Sir Eustace.  

 

I actually assumed we were left to think it was Lady Carmichael who killed her husband.  That was the conclusion Sherlock came to.  The person who was dressed as a bride was originally outside (the whole glass trick) and is only seen coming up behind Watson (presumably through the broken window).  

[Boton]

 

Ha!  If it's Molly that  crawls out of that window as the bride at the end... out of THAT window, then Molly killed Sir Eustace.  

 

I actually assumed we were left to think it was Lady Carmichael who killed her husband.  That was the conclusion Sherlock came to.  The person who was dressed as a bride was originally outside (the whole glass trick) and is only seen coming up behind Watson (presumably through the broken window).  

 

 

I think we have to assume that in "real life" Lady C killed Sir Eustace, because, of course, Molly could not have done so since she's of the modern era.  That said, I think we were intended to see that any one of these ladies could have that power:  if you discount them, any woman, including Molly and Janine, can be the "bride" that brings vengeance. 

 

So, then, there's an interesting little idea brewing here that of all the women in Sherlock's life, the only one that he doesn't fear has murderous intent is Mary, who is, of course, the one bride that actually almost killed him.

 

(Do Moftiss have a latent fear of women in wedding dresses?  Just askin'.)

[sittything]

Janine also didn't annoy me in this.  The more she's sidelined the more I like her.  

 

Hmmm... it just occurred to me... is the Irene photo the Victorian equivalent of the phone he keeps?  

 

And the way Molly says "Holmes" as she stands there gazing at him with heart eyes in the soft glow of candlelight... 

[sittything]

 

 

Ha!  If it's Molly that  crawls out of that window as the bride at the end... out of THAT window, then Molly killed Sir Eustace.  

 

I actually assumed we were left to think it was Lady Carmichael who killed her husband.  That was the conclusion Sherlock came to.  The person who was dressed as a bride was originally outside (the whole glass trick) and is only seen coming up behind Watson (presumably through the broken window).  

 

 

I think we have to assume that in "real life" Lady C killed Sir Eustace, because, of course, Molly could not have done so since she's of the modern era.  That said, I think we were intended to see that any one of these ladies could have that power:  if you discount them, any woman, including Molly and Janine, can be the "bride" that brings vengeance. 

 

So, then, there's an interesting little idea brewing here that of all the women in Sherlock's life, the only one that he doesn't fear has murderous intent is Mary, who is, of course, the one bride that actually almost killed him.

 

(Do Moftiss have a latent fear of women in wedding dresses?  Just askin'.)

 

 

Right, and certainly Janine and Molly weren't there originally anywho... Sherlock's mind just inserted them as wronged women... women he's wronged.

[bedelia1984]

A female lab tech like Molly could never have existed in ACD's Sherlock, but I'm glad she can in ours. And if they let Mary survive, because modern medicine would give her a much better chance, I would applaud them for that too. If Holmes was a man ahead of his time, to me it is a brilliant concept to show how he lives when he's in a time a bit more in keeping with his ideas.

I originally assumed that Molly was a lab tech, but then there were clues that she's actually a pathologist (i.e., a doctor), and most recently, Victorian Holmes addressed her at "Doctor Hooper" -- which is of course not actual proof of anything, so the question is still open.  Could you share your reasons for thinking of her as a lab tech?

 

 

I'd hate to be the one to demote present-day Molly but it is this video that made me think so. Should I not be taking Cumberbatch's word for it? 

ETA: Just realised how capable I am of total brainwashing by BC as before I would have said lab tech or Doctor, but in my mind it is now assistant.

[sittything]

 

A female lab tech like Molly could never have existed in ACD's Sherlock, but I'm glad she can in ours. And if they let Mary survive, because modern medicine would give her a much better chance, I would applaud them for that too. If Holmes was a man ahead of his time, to me it is a brilliant concept to show how he lives when he's in a time a bit more in keeping with his ideas.

I originally assumed that Molly was a lab tech, but then there were clues that she's actually a pathologist (i.e., a doctor), and most recently, Victorian Holmes addressed her at "Doctor Hooper" -- which is of course not actual proof of anything, so the question is still open.  Could you share your reasons for thinking of her as a lab tech?

 

 

I'd hate to be the one to demote present-day Molly but it is this video that made me think so. Should I not be taking Cumberbatch's word for it? 

 

 

I look at it like this... other than the writer's intent and that one badge photo from wellingtongoose, it's never directly addressed in the show.  So I dunno that I would cast members would know what she is one way or the other anymore than fans would.  It's not entirely relevant to the plot of the show and honestly doesn't matter.  Unless it was written on the script....

[Arcadia]

Don't most men have a latent fear of women in wedding dresses? :p (Because they're afraid they'll be the groom.... )

 

So much good stuff and I barely have time to read it, let alone reply to it! But one thing I have to know ... he really said "Dr. Hooper" ? I missed that. And no one else heard Sherlock say that he knew Moriarty was dead because he was alone? I must have really dreamed that.. (you know you're obsessed when ... )

 

Alas, I have six new classes starting this week, barely have time to eat and breath, so I'll just keep reading when I can and comment more after I've seen it a few times ... I hope. I'm so jealous of everyone who's seen it several times already!

[sittything]

I just looked at Ariana Devere's transcript.  Apparently, it's Lestrade that calls her Doctor Hooper.

[bedelia1984]

 

I look at it like this... other than the writer's intent and that one badge photo from wellingtongoose, it's never directly addressed in the show.  So I dunno that I would cast members would know what she is one way or the other anymore than fans would.  It's not entirely relevant to the plot of the show and honestly doesn't matter.  Unless it was written on the script....

 

 

I still like that in Sherlock's Mind Palace she is a doctor, regardless. I am totally ignorant of the hierarchy of her profession- is it possible a Lab Assistant is like a trainee doctor in her field? Or even the equivalent of a doctor. Like you say, I don't think it matters, I like the character as much either way. She might have a PhD rather than a medical qualification, and therefore technically be a doctor. 

 

The mention in the script might be a hint this will be brought up again in some context next year. A promotion/ acknowledgement of professional achievement for Molly would be a nice bonus.

 

 

Don't most men have a latent fear of women in wedding dresses? :P (Because they're afraid they'll be the groom.... )

 

 

Ha! Sherlock certainly has that fear... a whole terrifying, cult-like army of potential brides, and worst of all, they hide their faces, so you never know who you may end up stuck with for all eternity. The fun Freud would have with this guy.

[sfmpco]

 

 

Ha! Sherlock certainly has that fear... a whole terrifying, cult-like army of potential brides, and worst of all, they hide their faces, so you never know who you may end up stuck with for all eternity. The fun Freud would have with this guy.

 

 

I was actually thinking that he made that comment about being in a room full of brides, and of course Molly and Janine were both there - Molly who'd nearly been a bride for meat dagger and Janine who had a fake proposal from Sherlock.  

[bedelia1984]

 

I was actually thinking that he made that comment about being in a room full of brides, and of course Molly and Janine were both there - Molly who'd nearly been a bride for meat dagger and Janine who had a fake proposal from Sherlock.  

 

 

It's still strange to me that Irene wasn't in the room (though that could have been a scheduling thing with the actress). He also says something to the effect that anyone could be the bride, once the persona has been set up- and then that great line to Molly: 'Once the idea exists, it cannot be killed'.

 

There is a sense in this episode that almost every woman in it is in disguise- Mary as a widow, Molly, as a man, Lady Carmichael, as a victim, and all the other women in purple... but maybe this is more a hint that Sherlock doesn't trust his own understanding of women? Or does he truly feel there is something a little treacherous at the heart of most females? I always remember that look of total distrust he gave Molly early one when she said she'd just refreshed her lipstick a bit. 

 

Mrs. Hudson, he seems to find trustworthy, but women around his own age? Maybe not.

 

ETA: Just one more thing from that group scene, when we find out Emelia was sick, it seemed to me from early on that we could find out that Moriarty was sick and that's why suicide was more an option for him, or that he hired a terminally ill actor- the Moriarty we see on screen, this making the death more logical. I wonder could this be a hint to one of those scenarios.

[Shadow Dweller]

Maybe Sherlock had succumbed to the stereotype that all women are like, when they say no it means yes and vice versa. That they wish to be understood but refuse to say what they want and instead loves to lead their men into a wild goose chase. Deceitful by nature. ;)

[sfmpco]

Off to see Sherlock in the theater tonight.  I see some theater goers in other places have a bit of Sherlock paraphernalia that came with the tickets.  Not sure if my theater will get that kind of stuff.  I hope so!

[Carol the Dabbler]

Hmmm... it just occurred to me... is the Irene photo the Victorian equivalent of the phone he keeps?

 

Yes, it is -- well, actually, the other way around.  In the original story, Holmes keeps a photo of Irene as a memento, and her camera phone is Moftiss's idea of the modern equivalent.

 

I'd hate to be the one to demote present-day Molly but it is this video that made me think so. Should I not be taking Cumberbatch's word for it? 

ETA: Just realised how capable I am of total brainwashing by BC as before I would have said lab tech or Doctor, but in my mind it is now assistant.

 

He may be just assuming, same as a lot of us.  I'd like to know how Louise Brealey sees her.  And/or the Moftisses.  The only time that any title or job description has been mentioned so far was in this episode, when Victorian Lestrade addresses her as "Doctor Hooper."  More on that below.

 

I just looked at Ariana Devere's transcript.  Apparently, it's Lestrade that calls her Doctor Hooper.

 

Right.  (I had just checked the transcript when I read your post.)  The next question is, do we take that at face value?  Probably not.  Victorian police were pretty low on the social totem pole, so Lestrade would consider Hooper to be his superior, and would instinctively use a title.  Maybe he doesn't know what Hooper's actual status is, but doesn't want to risk insulting "him" by accident, so he says "Doctor."

 

I still like that in Sherlock's Mind Palace she is a doctor, regardless. I am totally ignorant of the hierarchy of her profession- is it possible a Lab Assistant is like a trainee doctor in her field? Or even the equivalent of a doctor. [....] She might have a PhD rather than a medical qualification, and therefore technically be a doctor.

I suppose the modern Molly could be a PhD, someone doing medical research.  I've known a few PhD's who work in hospital research facilities.  Of course, they were all in the US, and the situation could be different in the UK.

 

Good point about the mind palace, though.  It isn't really Victorian Lestrade who calls her "Doctor," it's modern Sherlock imagining Victorian Lestrade -- whatever that may imply!

 

[sittything]

 

Hmmm... it just occurred to me... is the Irene photo the Victorian equivalent of the phone he keeps?

 

Yes, it is -- well, actually, the other way around.  In the original story, Holmes keeps a photo of Irene as a memento, and her camera phone is Moftiss's idea of the modern equivalent.

 

 

Oh!  I didn't know that was directly from the books.   Well then, my Sherlolly hopes may naively sail again.

 

[sfmpco]

Just back from seeing TAB in the cinema (will go again tomorrow).  That's the 6th viewing.  Nice to be able to see things a lot better that are harder to see on my TV.  And the first time that plane landed, the sound sent shockwaves and chills through me in the theater.  Wow.

[Inge l-w]

Because they are desperately trying to link HLV, a controversial episode, if there was one, with the Special? That might be called cheating at BC's old school! The Mind Palace 221B shaking as the plane landed was straight from Inception!

[T.o.b.y]

The fun Freud would have with this guy

 

:D Indeed... But since Freud is dead, the fun will have to be had by us. I for one am very happy to step in. :P

 

Ariane DeVere's transcript of "The Abominable Bride" is now online! 

 

Oh bless her heart. I will go check it out right now, might help me organize my thoughts...

[Boton]

Just back from seeing TAB in the cinema (will go again tomorrow).  That's the 6th viewing.  Nice to be able to see things a lot better that are harder to see on my TV.  And the first time that plane landed, the sound sent shockwaves and chills through me in the theater.  Wow.

 

Wasn't it a great experience in the theater?  I purposely watched scenery and costuming and listened to the music, since nothing I have for home viewing is nearly as good as the big screen.

 

One thing I noticed this time out is that when Holmes says that Watson has been wounded in the war, Watson kind of looks surprised and then glances at his shoulder and then his cane.  It's the wrong shoulder, I think, but I'll take that as another nod to what someone (on Tumblr?) called "Arthur 'Continuity' Doyle."   :D

 

Ironically, I thought our audience was about 1/3 hard core fans who'd seen it before, 1/3 fans who either hadn't seen this episode or hadn't seen an episode in a while, and 1/3 friends and family who got dragged along.  It made for some interesting laughter patterns.

 

 

 

 

 

I was actually thinking that he made that comment about being in a room full of brides, and of course Molly and Janine were both there - Molly who'd nearly been a bride for meat dagger and Janine who had a fake proposal from Sherlock.  

 

 

It's still strange to me that Irene wasn't in the room (though that could have been a scheduling thing with the actress). He also says something to the effect that anyone could be the bride, once the persona has been set up- and then that great line to Molly: 'Once the idea exists, it cannot be killed'.

 

 

I think marriage is very much on Sherlock's mind, and that there is a very literal level here that he realizes he could have married either Molly or Janine if he had behaved differently.  I don't think Irene was really a possibility in this way, and that's part of why she isn't in the secret society line-up.

 

During the greenhouse scene in which Holmes and Watson discuss why Sherlock is so bent on being alone, it's Holmes that escalates the talk to marriage as something that John is the expert in.  I think that conversation could well have stayed in the realm of "experiences" and "impulses" if Holmes hadn't thrown in marriage.

 

In any event, this is, IMHO, an important step in Sherlock's knowledge of himself.  Once the idea of women (in general; perhaps Molly or Janine in particular) as wives is brought up, he can't forget it.  Marriage is now a possibility for him, at least in his own mind, and Mr. Sex-Doesn't-Alarm-Me will have to grapple with that.

 

(Let me note that I don't think that Sherlock will marry; that would go too far against canon.  But I do think it is now a possibility in his own mind, which is a more realistic portrayal of a modern Holmes than one that simply doesn't acknowledge that that side of life even exists.  In modern times, he can't consign women to the domestic realm and leave them to it, like he would have done in Victorian times.)

[Arcadia]

I was thinking something along those lines as well (although, as usual, without your clarity ) -- for whatever reason, for the very first time it seemed possible to me that updating Sherlock could, after all, include a romantic relationship (I won't go so far as marriage!) After all, in this age that would be a far more likely scenario than him remaining alone. Maybe because this is the first indication that he's realizing his attitude/behavior towards women is a bit not good?