Subtext Interpretation... What Do You See?

[Carol the Dabbler]

... I am being forced to conclude I would never want John Watson as my doctor ... he's more likely to kill me than heal me.....

Only if he had an overwhelmingly good reason for wanting you dead, I should think. (Is there something you're not telling us?)

[Arcadia]

 

... I am being forced to conclude I would never want John Watson as my doctor ... he's more likely to kill me than heal me.....

Only if he had an overwhelmingly good reason for wanting you dead, I should think. (Is there something you're not telling us?)

 

 

Like I'm going to reveal all my secrets here. Nice try, Dabbler! :d

[SherlockedCAMPer]

 

... I am being forced to conclude I would never want John Watson as my doctor ... he's more likely to kill me than heal me.....

Only if he had an overwhelmingly good reason for wanting you dead, I should think. (Is there something you're not telling us?)

 

 

 

 

 

... I am being forced to conclude I would never want John Watson as my doctor ... he's more likely to kill me than heal me.....

Only if he had an overwhelmingly good reason for wanting you dead, I should think. (Is there something you're not telling us?)

 

 

Like I'm going to reveal all my secrets here. Nice try, Dabbler! :D

 

 

To quote Stewart Menzies in The Imitation Game: "I know a lot of spies, Alan. You’re holding on to more secrets than the best of them."

 

That was the first thing to come to my mind as I saw these 2 posts.

[Inge l-w]

Of course it wasn't his first kill! The others were all legitimised by his being in the armed forces of his country, serving Queen and country! What's Mary Dear's sweet excuse, especially since she went freelance?

[Arcadia]

We don't know yet, but I'm willing to bet she has one. Something along the lines of "my country paid me to do it".

[Inge l-w]

Which country would that be, in her freelance status? Gun for hire, more likely.

[Arcadia]

What's the difference?

 

Okay, okay, I know. I just prefer to withhold judgement until I know what she's actually guilty of (aside from shooting Sherlock).

[Boton]

Which country would that be, in her freelance status? Gun for hire, more likely.

 

 

What's the difference?

 

Okay, okay, I know. I just prefer to withhold judgement until I know what she's actually guilty of (aside from shooting Sherlock).

 

Hey, it's the Mary discussion again!   :P

 

I'm pretty pro-Mary, although I have my periods of worry about how she will affect the Sherlock and John narrative dynamic.  But as far as her "freelance" activities, remember that we just have CAM's word on this, and he doesn't have to prove it, he just has to print it.   ;) He has something that looks to him like activity perhaps not sanctioned by her government, but he doesn't know everything.  And, most important to me, he doesn't know her reasoning behind taking the jobs.

 

We, on the other hand, have two clues.  We know that she is willing to kill people who are harming others but who are technically inside the law, like CAM.  ("People like Magnussen should be killed; that's why there are people like me.")  And, we know that she has an internal code that she will take action to protect the people she loves and the life she is building.  ("Sherlock, there is nothing I won't do to keep that from happening.")

 

OK, so she was willing to shoot Sherlock.  I mean, I love Sherlock (as a character) more than anything, but that doesn't mean that Mary is a horrible person for being willing to prioritize John and her relationship with him above her friend.  I actually have respect for a person who has a clearly defined sense of what they are willing to kill and die for; hopefully, in real life, you never have to act on that knowledge, but this is fiction, and it makes for some very clear exposition about Mary's priorities (IMHO).

 

But she shot him, you say!  Couldn't she have reasoned with him or shot him in the leg or something?  Well, to my mind, there are two factors in play in the altercation in CAM's office:  First, she is standing there between CAM and Sherlock, and Sherlock loves a public exposition.  He's already started in with the "No, you won't, Mrs. Watson."  God only knows how much blabbing he's going to do in front of CAM, and we don't know at this point how much Mary knows CAM knows.  Yes, he knows that she's "Mrs. Watson" because he sent the telegram to the wedding, but what the heck else is going to come spilling out of Sherlock's mouth if Mary just shoots him in the thigh and goes to deal with CAM, who she's probably increasingly concluding that she has to leave alive at this point?  She doesn't just need to take Sherlock down, she needs to shut the big drama queen up.  

 

And second, Mary may well be someone who only has a hammer and sees every problem as a nail.  If she's just spent the last 15 years of her life (assuming she's 40 and got into the CIA after college) as an intelligence agent with a license to kill, she's pretty much going to fall back on those skills when she's under pressure.  

 

(And, for the record, we actually have witnessed Mary decline to kill someone three times: she pistol whipped CAM, she surgically shot but didn't kill Sherlock, and she didn't follow through on her threat in Leinster Gardens.  Mary is much better at threatening and bluffing than she is at cold-blooded murder.)

 

Thus endeth the Mary defense for the day.   ;)

[Carol the Dabbler]

Couldn't she have reasoned with him or shot him in the leg or something?  Well, to my mind, there are two factors in play in the altercation in CAM's office:  First, she is standing there between CAM and Sherlock, and Sherlock loves a public exposition.  He's already started in with the "No, you won't, Mrs. Watson."  God only knows how much blabbing he's going to do in front of CAM, and we don't know at this point how much Mary knows CAM knows.  Yes, he knows that she's "Mrs. Watson" because he sent the telegram to the wedding, but what the heck else is going to come spilling out of Sherlock's mouth if Mary just shoots him in the thigh and goes to deal with CAM, who she's probably increasingly concluding that she has to leave alive at this point?  She doesn't just need to take Sherlock down, she needs to shut the big drama queen up.  

 

And second, Mary may well be someone who only has a hammer and sees every problem as a nail....

 

Two very good points.

 

And Sherlock's not only blabbing, he's threatening to take the gun away from Mary.  He's bigger and stronger (and she's aware that he knows some form of judo), so if she loses the gun, she's at his mercy.  Sure, he's offering to help her, but his idea of help may not agree with her idea.  As you say, she presumably doesn't want him to elaborate in front of CAM, but more pressingly, she can't take the time to discuss the matter, because he's about to grab for her gun.

[Caya]

(And, for the record, we actually have witnessed Mary decline to kill someone three times: she pistol whipped CAM, she surgically shot but didn't kill Sherlock, and she didn't follow through on her threat in Leinster Gardens.  Mary is much better at threatening and bluffing than she is at cold-blooded murder.)

 

For the record, Mary did kill Sherlock. He flatlined, and that he came back surprised even the ER team. I'd call it manslaughter not cold-blooded murder, but kill him she did.

[Boton]

 

(And, for the record, we actually have witnessed Mary decline to kill someone three times: she pistol whipped CAM, she surgically shot but didn't kill Sherlock, and she didn't follow through on her threat in Leinster Gardens.  Mary is much better at threatening and bluffing than she is at cold-blooded murder.)

 

For the record, Mary did kill Sherlock. He flatlined, and that he came back surprised even the ER team. I'd call it manslaughter not cold-blooded murder, but kill him she did.

 

 

I understand that POV.  To me, she tried not to kill him, there was enough damage that he did, indeed, flatline and the docs were in the process of calling it, but he revived.  I know I'm splitting hairs here, but I call that "nearly killing" without the intent to kill.  Which, actually, is what you mean by manslaughter, but hey, I'm feeling like reiterating today!

[Inge l-w]

Mary Dear is a loose cannon, whichever way we see her! She must be neutralised, in whatever form, and there are plenty of medical Sherlock fans on Tumblr who explained in depth HOW she "killed" him, including anatomical analyses and attention to detail, way above the Abominable Scotsman's head, and no matter how likeable she is made to look, THIS Mary, much more than Irene, needs to disappear, and in Leinster Gardens, granted he provoked her, but she was too gun-happy in order to get what she presumed to be Sherlock out of her life as Mrs Watson. Of course, if she had done so, she would have become his widow, but still...All in my humble opinion, of course!

[Arcadia]

For the record, Mary did kill Sherlock. He flatlined, and that he came back surprised even the ER team. I'd call it manslaughter not cold-blooded murder, but kill him she did.

Well, you know there's some debate about that too, right? Flat-lining does not a death make unless it's permanent, after all. Sherlock was bouncing all over London a short time later; I'm pretty sure if he'd attempted to accuse her of murdering (or manslaughter-ing) himself, he'd have been laughed out of court. Attempted murder, on the other hand, he's got a pretty good case for ... one he declined to make. I think that's a pretty significant point, actually ... the most observant man in the world has concluded it was not an attempt to kill. Of course, he could be lying for his own reasons but I'm willing to bet it will turn out that he's not.

 

That doesn't mean I like it, or that it makes any sense. I think I've accepted Mary because Sherlock has; but I don't think I've forgiven her. Or him either, for that matter. He's the one who truly committed murder (pre-meditated, to boot, in my opinion) and doesn't show any remorse for that, and I. Don't. Like. It. But I still adore him. Really, I'm a mess.

 

Anyway, in my opinion, what it all really comes down to is ... using a gun on someone is not something to be taken as lightly as The Moftisses do, and I really wish they would excise the f*****g things from this show and let Sherlock use his brain to defeat enemies instead.     *Huff.*

[Inge l-w]

Oh, dear teddy bear, using his brains to solve cases would have been ideal, ACD compliant and very, very entertaining, but apparently not enough for the masses in China, Russia and other fan girl infested places in order to get the benefits of all the merchandising. It's flipping Star Wars all over again, in this last respect!

[Arcadia]

Mary Dear is a loose cannon, whichever way we see her!

 

So is Sherlock. That's part of what makes him so interesting ... you can't anticipate how far he will go to get what he wants. And I think it's been amply demonstrated that he's not a "good" person. (I wish, I wish, but apparently it is not to be... ) I can think of a number of reasons to wish Mary away, but her unpredictability isn't one of them ... that's just sauce for the goose!

[Arcadia]

Oh, dear teddy bear, using his brains to solve cases would have been ideal, ACD compliant and very, very entertaining, but apparently not enough for the masses in China, Russia and other fan girl infested places in order to get the benefits of all the merchandising. It's flipping Star Wars all over again, in this last respect!

It would be nice to see them try, though.

 

Go on, Moftiss, be bold, daring and original -- forget the stupid, boring guns and give us a hero who can win without them!

[Boton]

 

Oh, dear teddy bear, using his brains to solve cases would have been ideal, ACD compliant and very, very entertaining, but apparently not enough for the masses in China, Russia and other fan girl infested places in order to get the benefits of all the merchandising. It's flipping Star Wars all over again, in this last respect!

It would be nice to see them try, though.

 

Go on, Moftiss, be bold, daring and original -- forget the stupid, boring guns and give us a hero who can win without them!

 

 

You know, although most of the gun play doesn't bother me in a fictional setting like this, I honestly don't expect to see it as a solution to a problem for at least a couple of seasons.  I expect to see someone carrying a gun, but I really don't expect it used to solve the problem at hand. 

 

Moftiss just are not that repetitive with their story telling while remaining more or less within the bounds of ACD canon (in a broad way).  It's the same reason I don't expect to see a problem solved by Sherlock spending a lot of time in his Mind Palace; they've done that twice now, and I don't think they'll keep going back to it.  Likewise, John has shot someone for Sherlock, and Sherlock has shot someone for John (and Mary, Janine, and CAM), so the parallelism is complete, and they don't really need that solution from a narrative standpoint, in my opinion.

[Arcadia]

They never did, in my opinion. But then, I prefer asymmetry in my art. :P

Anyway, I hope you're right. But boys loooove guns, for some reason.

[Bluebell]

Maybe they should watch more MacGyver for inspiration. :D Actually there is yet only one series where I think the writers defintely had, which is 'Scorpion'. Especially in season 2 now it's so obvious that besides the characters are cyber-geniusses and all that, they must have watched a hell lot of MacGyver...

[Arcadia]

That's so weird, I actually wrote a post mentioning MacGyver but somehow lost it and changed my mind what I wanted to say anyway. But yeah, that was a very successful show that explicitly had their hero refusing to use guns.
 
Is Scorpion like MacGyver? And here I thought it was just a Sherlock ripoff and stopped watching after a couple of episodes ... the characters didn't engage me at all. :( But if they're actively non-gun I might have to give them some love, just because.....

[Van Buren Supernova]

MacGyver is very intriguing and all but I can't help to always curse the enemies...idiots! Why do they have to always go to all that troubles to kill him thus provide him a chance to escape? Why don't they just shoot... oh...oh...ooopppssss...hey there, just remember that you guys talk about MacGyver as alternative to shooting....XD

 

I'm just an innocent bystander who remember someone's grandma's advice: Don't hit. But if you have to hit, hit hard. :p

Remember famous Indiana Jones's scene? :p

 

Oh and yes, I want Sherlock to solve his problem with his brain also, that is what makes me love him. Of course.

[Arcadia]

You mean the scene where he shoots the swordsman? In cold blood? I used to always laugh my head off at that scene, not so much anymore ... and I'm wondering if they would film it today. Things have happened since then that make it a little, um ... well, I know someone will object to this phrase, but it's rather politically incorrect, now, to get a laugh out of shooting a "primitive tribesman" like that.

 

Oh, and MacGyver's enemies never just shot him when they had the chance because he was just that cool. :p

[Arcadia]

Okay, this was labelled "More proof that TAB was the gayest thing ever."

That's a joke, right?

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Some people just can't let a bromance be a bromance.  They insist the relationship needs to be on the same level as spouses and won't let to people be really close friends with a bond that is like or closer than that between brothers.  I see a bromance between the 2 characters nothing romantic between John and Sherlock.

[J.P.]

 

That's a joke, right?

Depends who you ask. :P

 

 

I see a bromance between the 2 characters nothing romantic between John and Sherlock.

To me it IS romantic. Because it's not hormonal. :D