Episode 1.3, "The Great Game"

[Arcadia]

We do all know that Moftiss sometimes just make s**t up, right? :-)

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

The last recorded hanging in Belarus, that comes up in a search, was in 1941.

[Carol the Dabbler]

According to various websites, hanging is particularly popular in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East -- all much warmer places than Belarus, which the cast and crew would surely have appreciated.

 

[Pamela]

So I wonder why they chose Belarus.  I would think they would want to be accurate and choose someplace where hanging was the execution method of the day.  And I thought it was.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

They many have chosen Belarus because it is the only UN European State that still has the death penalty.

[Carol the Dabbler]

They many have chosen Belarus because it is the only UN European State that still has the death penalty.

 

Oh -- so it is.  So they apparently used Belarus for the same reason that Frank Hudson moved to Florida.

 

Wonder why they didn't use one of the few-dozen countries where they do still hang people, though?  Maybe because most (perhaps all) of those are "exotic" locales, not as easy for a European production company to fake.  But still, one room?!  They did it for "Many Happy Returns."

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Maybe their budget has grown since they filmed "TGG"?

[Caya]

I think they mentioned (in the commentary) that this was filmed during a cold spell and that room was like a meat freezer. Would've been hard to pretend that taking place in the Carribean when you could see Sherlock's breath as he talked .

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Maybe Wales doesn't look much like Belarus. They might have thought if there were any outside shots to many people would recognize the local.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I think they mentioned (in the commentary) that this was filmed during a cold spell and that room was like a meat freezer. Would've been hard to pretend that taking place in the Carribean when you could see Sherlock's breath as he talked .

 

Hey, it worked for In the Heat of the Night!

 

But didn't they purposely make it cold, so it would look like Belarus?  Surely they could have set-decorated a nice warm room to look like the Caribbean?

 

Maybe Wales doesn't look much like Belarus. They might have thought if there were any outside shots to many people would recognize the local.

 

It was just that one indoor set, though.  I don't recall whether there were windows, but even if so, we didn't see much through them.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

There were windows on the wall to Sherlock's left. Seems there was mesh screening or something so no, there was nothing to see that I recall.

[sherlockandjohn]

"Not much cop this caring lark" has just been brought up in another thread, and it's a line I've always loved. Besides just sounding poetic, the meaning of it has such truth to it, that even though you are a 'caring lark' you would have to concede.

 

That whole scene is excellent. For me, the most poignant moments are when Sherlock says "I've disappointed you" and "Ah, you angry with me, so you won't help" (the latter one is also great because of the way Sherlock looks up from his laptop to see John hanging his head in disappointment). But every single line in this scene is brilliant:

 

"Heroes don't exist, and if they did I wouldn't be one of them."

"Will caring about them help save them?" "No." "Then I'll continue not to make that mistake." "And you find that easy, do you?" "Yes, very. Is that news to you?"

 

Love it.

[T.o.b.y]

I love it too. It is one of my favorite scenes - perhaps my favorite scene, period. And it has my favorite quote about crying at people's bedsides. This was the point where I began to get really interested in this show.

[Caya]

Found this on tumblr :

 

 

 

 

 

 

[T.o.b.y]

... and since The Sign of Three, we know that not all Sherlock's knowledge was acquired for the sake of more efficient crime solving, either

 

Serves him right to get made fun of, the "Jim is gay because" deduction must be by far the stupidest they wrote. But I think Sherlock was trying to put Molly off more than anything else. He doesn't seem to like it one bit when she goes out with other guys, in spite of not finding her attractive himself.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Do we actually have any indication that he doesn't find her attractive?

 

He says he's married to his work, so maybe he's just being faithful.

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Even in "A Study in Pink" he notices her use of lipstick.....yes, he's Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes notices everything....but he even went so far as to comment on how it made her look....with and without it.  And in both "TRF" and "TEH" he tells her how much she always mattered and how he had always trusted her.

 

  So I'm of the mind that he did notice her....even liked her enough to be jealous of the carefully wrapped Christmas present.  So yeah, he noticed...even likes her...but is "married to his work"....what ever that actually means.   "How do we deduce his heart?"

[Dragonslayer]

Probably the best episode after The Fall.

 

The beginning is just hilarious - perhaps the most funny openings among the episodes. Where Sherlock is concerned more about the guy murdering English grammar than murdering her gf.

"You gotta help me Mr.Holmes. Without you, I'll be hung for this!"
"No,no,no, not at all. Hanged? Yes."

Priceless!
 

And then there's the head in the fridge (I adore Freeman's reaction here. He opens it and initially is shocked like any of us. Then he has the courage to open it and see the head clearly, because he is a doctor.)

 

I love the way the cases rise in intensity with time. And all the deduction about the dead man washed up on the shores of Thames (related to the case of the Vermeer painting) is one of my favorite deductions in the series.

The second case was a bit ridiculous I think. The man strapped to the explosives standing on the pavement for 8 hours and no one noticing and suspecting him, especially when he looks so tense? They could have done it another way, by simply changing his location.
 

I could literally hear my heart pounding in the fourth case, when the little boy starts counting down to 10 and Sherlock has to find the flaw in the painting. Phew!

And of course, The Moriarty. I admit I didn't really take him as a villain seriously. But when he says "I'll burn the heart out of you!" the expression and the manner of speaking was scary enough to send chills through my spine. And to think he outdid this performance in The Fall.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Probably the best episode after The Fall.

I'd throw "Study in Pink" into the mix too, but I agree, this one is definitely in contention.

 

And then there's the head in the fridge (I adore Freeman's reaction here. He opens it and initially is shocked like any of us. Then he has the courage to open it and see the head clearly, because he is a doctor.)

Good point about John's two reactions -- that hadn't occurred to me. My favorite part is Sherlock's response -- he hasn't actually heard a word that John's said, just noticed that he's standing at the open fridge, talking. So of course he (like any good husband!) assumes that John is offering him something to eat.

 

I'm not a Johnlocker, but I definitely see their relationship as somewhat similar to an old married couple's. Another example would be John's yelling at Sherlock in the bomb train, "Why don't you ever call the police!" That sounds like me (and "Just tea for me, thanks" would be Alex).

 

The second case was a bit ridiculous I think. The man strapped to the explosives standing on the pavement for 8 hours and no one noticing and suspecting him, especially when he looks so tense? They could have done it another way, by simply changing his location.

I dunno -- there's so much foot (and vehicular) traffic in Piccadilly Circus that I think it seems unlikely anyone would realize the same man had been standing there for a while.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Oh, John and Sherlock are not a couple.

But they definitely behave like one!

[sherlockandjohn]

Just some thoughts I had upon watching TGG again not long ago:

 

After a couple of episodes in which things are going pretty much swimmingly between Sherlock and John, they here have their first real crisis. Throughout the episode they clash. There is a clash of personalities and of ideals. The clashes are brought to an end, or at least a stand-by, after the row that ends up with Sherlock's words, "Not much cop, this caring lark," and shortly thereafter a scene in which John praises Sherlock's deduction skills. The events at the pool are what finally turn things around, though. John demonstrates how much Sherlock means to him by risking his own life for Sherlock. Sherlock is completely taken aback, clearly touched by John's actions, and terrified at the prospect of him coming to harm. Their disagreements aren't really resolved; just accepted, and fall into the background when their lives are at stake.

Mycroft turns to John when he can't get Sherlock to respond to his call for assistance. I wonder: What does Mycroft actually think of John? Here, and so many other times, he seems to think he can reason with John. Later in the same episode, John lies to him about Sherlock's investment in solving the case of West, but Mycroft doesn't buy it. We also know that Mycroft considers himself living 'in a world of goldfish'. John is clearly one of those.

In the end of ASiP, Mycroft says, "He could be the making of my brother - or make him worse than ever." Meaning...? What about John could make Sherlock better - or worse? John is a lot more socially adept than Sherlock, no doubt about it, but does Mycroft care about that? Doubtful. 'Caring is not at advantage.' He wants Sherlock to stay sharp, alive, and maybe free from emotional hurt. Perhaps the latter is the key to answering my question. John could indeed provide emotional comfort by being Sherlock's friend, but could also hurt him more deeply than anyone; make him more compromised. Is it the emotional pain Mycroft is worried about, though, or does he think it beneath both him and Sherlock to even feel that?

 

Just wondering...

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

A real possibility in light of Sherlock and Mycroft's conversation on John's wedding day and code word, "Redbeard". 

[sherlockandjohn]

Ah, yes, good point. He does seem genuinely concerned, or at least convinced, that Sherlock is too emotionally involved, which doesn't please him one bit. Doesn't seem to make him disappointed either, though - he just sort of gives up, it seems. Maybe thinking sadly: "You should have listened to me. Now it's too late; the damage has been done."

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Mycroft may have had to admit the jig was up as early as Sherlock's return. His demanding to know where John was and what restaurant he was going to be that night. After saying that Sherlock planned to surprise him...maybe even jumping out of a cake for him.  Mycroft could protest....but he couldn't present a strong enough front to persuade Sherlock to give it up. Not for John.

[sherlockandjohn]

Mhm, not to mention Mycroft's mocking words, "Oh, yes. Friends! Of course, you go in for that sort of thing now."