Episode 4.0: The Abominable Bride (alias The Special)

[T.o.b.y]

 

 

 

I think I remember Mycroft saying something about prison or some other form of solitary confinement during the time before Sherlock got on the plane. Apparently, he somehow managed to get his hands on some drugs and took them to prevent himself going mad from boredom.

 

 

 

That kind of makes sense, except

 

Sherlock said he took the drugs in order to help him solve the mystery... At least that's how I remember it. But it went so quickly that I'm not sure I got it right.

 

 

 

:lol: Just wait until a certain lovely lady on the internet has done a transcript of this... We'll have a field day!

 

Then who

sends Mary the card with the embossed M and the word Immediately on the other side? Mycroft or Moriarty? And why does Sherlock refuse to consider the possibility of twins at first, which fits Moriarty as well, only to use it as an explanation of how a real, live Mrs Ricoletti could kill her husband, while her double lay in the morgue?

Also, why does Victorian Mycroft ask for the list, exactly like modern Mycroft on the plane?

 

 

 

 

1.) The card is from Mycroft.

2.) Emilia Ricoletti's double was not a twin. Just someone they found who looked a lot like her. Like the corpse Molly found to be Sherlock's double.

3.) Victorian Mycroft and modern Mycroft both ask for the list because they are the same person. Part of the action takes place inside Sherlock's head - possibly all of it.

 

 

 

T.o.b.y., I think your version is the most likely intention of the writers but for me,

 

 

The fact that all these oppressed women come to the 'clever' realisation that they can only become empowered through secret acts of murder, is to me so exactly more of that misguided BAMF- female character that they already have a tendency to go towards, i can't quite let them away with it. I did like the implication that he felt guilty about Janine and the use of the word 'brute' in that context.

 

 

:lol: Well, they are men. And Sherlock is the product of their brains. Of course they think like him. :lol:

 

Good that we have a whole year now to think about how this story changes the perspective of what we have seen in S1-3 and how it solves the Moriarty problem - or did I miss something?

 

Then: Victorian Watson was sooo much harder and more aggresive. I had almost the impression he is the one in charge. What does it tell about the inner world of Sherlock. Even though I'm not entirely sure which world was the real one.

 

 

 

For me, the way in which so many of the Victorian characters were "off" or different was the first clue that I was watching someone's version of the truth, or improvisation on the truth, not the real truth. Although there may be no real truth. Of course there really isn't - it's all fiction, duh. :D They kind of like breaking the walls. All of them.

 

 

 

My one big question mark is this, maybe you can help me to wrap my head around it:

 

Why is Sherlock convinced that the overdose and resulting "investigations" helped him prove Moriarty's death?

 

 

 

 

Sherlock thinks taking drugs improves his thinking. Which it probably does - short term.

 

 

[bedelia1984]

 

 

Then: Victorian Watson was sooo much harder and more aggresive. I had almost the impression he is the one in charge. What does it tell about the inner world of Sherlock. Even though I'm not entirely sure which world was the real one.

 

It will be really fascinating to consider the whole episode as Sherlock's view of people around him-

John and Mary were really distant from each other (but well-matched). Lestrade slightly more goofy than in our version, Mrs Hudson constantly needing validation, Molly disguised as a man, Mycroft- immobile and gluttonous...

 

[sherlockandjohn]

I thought it was pure fan service. Great fun, excellent cameo from Mollzers. A nice filler episode. It may not have advanced the overarching story, but neither did the Baskervilles episode, if I recall correctly.

 

Nor The Blind Banker or The Sign of Three - unless you count John getting married, which of course matters in the sense that he no longer lives at Baker Street.

[T.o.b.y]

 

 

 

Then: Victorian Watson was sooo much harder and more aggresive. I had almost the impression he is the one in charge. What does it tell about the inner world of Sherlock. Even though I'm not entirely sure which world was the real one.

 

It will be really fascinating to consider the whole episode as Sherlock's view of people around him-

John and Mary were really distant from each other (but well-matched). Lestrade slightly more goofy than in our version, Mrs Hudson constantly needing validation, Molly disguised as a man, Mycroft- immobile and gluttonous...

 

 

I know!

It was all about Sherlock - how he thinks, how he feels, how he sees the world. How he is seen, who others would like him to be, how he would like to be himself. That's why I loved it so much. Like I said earlier this week (I think...), I am primarily interested in Sherlock as a character. I love psycho-stuff (especially if it is a little messed up),

and I am the last person to complain about fan service, either. I am a fan. Serve me! (Not with naked people, though. I see enough of those in real life).

 

[T.o.b.y]

 

I thought it was pure fan service. Great fun, excellent cameo from Mollzers. A nice filler episode. It may not have advanced the overarching story, but neither did the Baskervilles episode, if I recall correctly.

 

Nor The Blind Banker or The Sign of Three - unless you count John getting married, which of course matters in the sense that he no longer lives at Baker Street.

 

 

There was the empty chair from The Sign of Three. And a Chinese-looking place.

[J.P.]

Toby: They kind of like breaking the walls. All of them.

 

Funny, watching the first teaser this was exactly how my brain reacted - I saw a kind of meta-meta-reality entangled in itself. Then I thought it was just my funny brain and its wishful thinking. But it turned out my brain was right. It is an entangled meta-meta-reality where you don't know who's creating whom, and where the walls are.

[J.P.]

And the whole "what made you like that" scene will give us some sleepless nights, I can tell you!

[T.o.b.y]

  meta-meta-reality entangled in itself

:lol: Fiction in a nutshell...

 

I cannot, cannot, cannot wait for the DVD and a proper rewatch. I am so in love all over again with this wonderful character and this crazy world of worlds inside worlds.

 

And I have a new favorite quote:

 

 

 

"There are two of us. There are always two of us". Sherlock always wins, and he will always win, because he is not alone. And Moriarty is. I nearly cried at that part.

 

 

[bedelia1984]

 

And the whole "what made you like that" scene will give us some sleepless nights, I can tell you!

 

 

 

 

That scene was masterful. It was worth going to see the whole episode. What I liked the most was that it articulates how John's version of Sherlock is the one in the blog/ stories, but its so possible there is a great deal more to the character than what he writes and observes. Which goes back a little to what T.o.b.y said about Moftiss' version of Sherlock being a certain way too, a reflection of the authors. And I loved that Sherlock's version of John told Molly that he noticed more than Sherlock does- it was pretty mind-bending, because it is actually Sherlock admitting that he notices more than he outwardly seems to notice. Every character in the special it was almost a portrait of Sherlock himself, it showed us about the things he chooses to see and focus on.

 

 

[T.o.b.y]

 

 

And the whole "what made you like that" scene will give us some sleepless nights, I can tell you!

 

 

 

 

That scene was masterful. It was worth going to see the whole episode. What I liked the most was that it articulates how John's version of Sherlock is the one in the blog/ stories, but its so possible there is a great deal more to the character than what he writes and observes. Which goes back a little to what T.o.b.y said about Moftiss' version of Sherlock being a certain way too, a reflection of the authors. And I loved that Sherlock's version of John told Molly that he noticed more than Sherlock does- it was pretty mind-bending, because it is actually Sherlock admitting that he notices more than he outwardly seems to notice. Every character in the special it was almost a portrait of Sherlock himself, it showed us about the things he chooses to see and focus on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I really knew what was up when I saw Molly. I said, wait - this isn't our Molly, this is Sherlock's mind palace Molly who slapped the shit out of him!

 

 

 

[J.P.]

You know what REALLY worries me?

 

 

That apparently Sherlock IS an addict. At least until in S4 we find out that it's all John's dream. :P

 

[bedelia1984]

You know what REALLY worries me?

 

 

 

Yeah I have to say, the portrayal of him as an addict I found quite disturbing. If the mind palace version of him is how he sees himself, he seems in pretty deep- the images with the syringe, and Mycroft's flashback, I found really sad to watch. And I had hoped that John, Mary and Molly's slight intervention had been the turning point. I'm hoping the drug thing was more of a plot device, because it would be so depressing to see him go further down that road in season 4.

 

[J.P.]

Actually I persuaded Arwel to post this:

https://twitter.com/arwelwjones/status/683098423818584065

 

Sadly, some fans are really fast. They answered the question. No chance to make a research on my own...

[bedelia1984]

Sadly, some fans are really fast. They answered the question. No chance to make a research on my own...

 

 

 

Moffat also explains the door in detail in the pre-feature segment where he gives a tour of 221B. Some nice little details on the set in there too.

[J.P.]

Have a link? I was avoiding any information for last weeks.

[J.P.]

BTW, is there any way to get rid of the voting at the top of the page? My vote isn't there: to overloaded to know it yet.

[bedelia1984]

 

Have a link? I was avoiding any information for last weeks.

 

 

Sorry, not yet, I just saw it in the cinema today. I was assuming it also aired on TV. It was purely details about the Victorian Set, and aired before the episode so no spoilers that I remember. There were also a range of behind the scenes cast interviews by Mark Gatiss, which aired at the end.

[J.P.]

Ah, that's the extra treat that was announced. Probably it will pop up on the net soon.

[Arcadia]

OMG OMG OMG, what did I just see!!!!!!!!!

 

Got to take a moment to breathe..............

 

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Initial thoughts: I loved it, Brilliant can't wait for the theater viewing on Tuesday and the replay on Jan 10.  

 

 

Loved the ear horn attached to the antlers of the deer head.
The jumps back and forth between modern and Victorian was mostly unexpected (more in how they did it than anything).
Loved Moriarty in it and all of the modern line references as well as the original story references.
Molly's costume in the morgue was brilliant.

 

 

Might post more of my thoughts after one of those 2.

 

How long til S4 (not including setlock in about 3 months)?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Whooooo!!!  Loved every minute of that!!

 

            

 

But as promised, I am going to avoid discussing the episode here until I have digested it a bit more on my own.  And before we get the DVD in a couple of weeks, I can rewatch TAB only twice -- on the 6th (in the theater) and the 10th (on PBS again).

 

For now, I will just say -- Banshee, it's great seeing your name on my New Content page again!

 

[Sacker]

No spoilers from me until it's aired everywhere.

 

Loved it!!! Man it's great to have Sherlock back. The end of a very long dry spell and a nice Christmas present. I really dug the handling of the Victorian time frame. Wasn't sure how or if it was going to be addressed (nor did I need it to be), but even that was a nice surprise. Top notch from everyone involved. Much to expand on in a day or so.

 

Even after this long break, I was right at home immediately. Just like a long-time friend. Instantly comfortable. I put a log in the fireplace, opened a nice Tempranillo, got comfy on the couch, and raised a glass. Welcome back 221B.

[sittything]

My brain is overloaded, and I'm going to watch it again tomorrow (DVR), but for now my initials thoughts:

 

 

 

Sherlolly is dead to me at the moment what with drugged Sherlock having Irene's photo in his dream/hallucination/whatever.

Mycroft does care about Sherlock! I want to yell "I told you so" at the world. lol

I'm taking this as Moriarty is dead. Although, I LOVED seeing Andrew Scott as him again. Such a great character and great portrayal by Scott. I'm wondering if this was his Moriarty swan song.

I adored the conversation between Watson and Sherlock waiting for the ghost/spectre.

 

 

Overall, I really enjoyed it.  And yes I think it was a lot of fan service and filler, but I always assumed it would be filler that didn't advance the overall story.  I was actually thrilled they managed to tie it into the modern day series.  I appreciated that connection.  If anything, I took it as a thank you and a gift to us the fans, for waiting and for being here.

 

ETA:  

 

 

OH! And I loved the reworked intro.

 

[Arcadia]

Actually I persuaded Arwel to post this:

https://twitter.com/arwelwjones/status/683098423818584065

 

Sadly, some fans are really fast. They answered the question. No chance to make a research on my own...

So, what was the answer? As usual, I couldn't make heads or tails of all the twits. Did Arwel actually answer?

 

 

Still processing the Special, I am sooooo going to have to watch this over and over again! I think it confused me even more than HLV, if such a thing is possible.  I got so lost when

 

they started switching back and forth between the past and the present

but I loved it! Wayyyyyyyyy out of the box, yoo hoo!!!!! 

 

Favorite bit:

 

Mycroft's big (and I do mean BIG :-) reveal. OMG, I almost died. That was brilliant!

 

 

Oh, and congrats to everyone who guessed right about

the story taking place in Sherlock's mind palace!

I've forgotten who you are, but you called it!

 

I really came into this with almost no expectations other than that I would hate Sherlock's Victorian hair (and I was right, I did -- can you loathe a hairdo and still love the man wearing it???) so everything was a surprise and I loved it that way. Yay Moftiss!!!!

 

This is how I feel right now:

​

[Arcadia]

And I'm with Toby, more fan service! (I loved TEH for that alone if nothing else....) Bring it on!