Episode 2.1, "A Scandal In Belgravia"

[Boton]

Random question that arose for me this weekend when I rewatched SiB:  When we find out that Irene uses her measurements as her safe combination, the measurements are in inches (Was it 34-24-36?).  Since the U.K. uses the metric system normally, is there some cultural convention where things like bodily measurements are still done in inches?  

[Inge l-w]

Sorry Boton, her measurements near perfection: he punches in 34:24:34. And she is an American from New Jersey even in SiB, so she would use her own system, not the European one.

Which he had registered either during the viewing of her photos in the palace sequence or when she stood right in front of him and called his bluff, because when he looks around in desperation, she gives him a meaningful look by casting her eyes down on herself. I DO love Irene Adler in all her incarnations, and am prepared to buy into that story that Nero Wolfe was their child! If only!

[Shadow Dweller]

:O Irene is American?

 

@Inge: Go check the Speedy's Cafe thread, would you. See if you can get Granada's Sherlock ;)

[Arcadia]

From Ariane DeVere: Sherlock’s gaze becomes distant while his mind works frantically, then he slowly turns towards the safe and lowers his hands. As Neilson watches him closely, he slowly reaches out a finger towards the keypad and punches the ‘3’ and then the ‘2’. Hesitating for a moment, he then punches ‘2’ and ‘4’. Pausing again, he hits ‘3’ and ‘4’. The safe beeps and noisily unlocks.

 

Inge, was there something in the show that indicated Irene was from New Jersey? I didn't find any reference to Irene being an American in the transcript, and to this American ear she sounds distinctly British. Just wondering.

 

Boton, didn't the UK switch to metric only recently (relatively speaking)? Maybe that accounts for it? Where are our British cousins on this forum when you need them? :D

[Inge l-w]

Dear friends, thanks for the friendly advice.

I have the complete boxed Granada collection already, and you're right, he punches in 32:24:34. ^_^

And New Jersey is SO Close to Massachusetts and Boston and their posh British-sounding accent.

The fact that she's not British comes up in their conversation in the palace, when they talk about her current residence in London.

Where's besleybean when you need a British subject?

Dear ShadowDweller, I went to the Speedy's thread and you have my sincere congratulations! You are Jeremy Brett! I flunked it and turned out to be Basil Rathbone. Oh well, who said life was fair, anyway?

Update: That thing is as trustworthy as Mr Moffat's declarations! The second time I took it, the answer came back that I was Benedict. Close, about anti-social behaviour, but I do wish it would make up its mind!

[J.P.]

Random question that arose for me this weekend when I rewatched SiB:  When we find out that Irene uses her measurements as her safe combination, the measurements are in inches (Was it 34-24-36?).  Since the U.K. uses the metric system normally, is there some cultural convention where things like bodily measurements are still done in inches?  

 

 

Sherlock gets the hint a second before Neilson & Co storm the room:

 

 

SHERLOCK: Hmm. Should always use gloves with these things, you know. Heaviest oil deposit’s always on the first key used – that’s quite clearly the three – but after that the sequence is almost impossible to read.

[Shadow Dweller]

@Inge: Your result and Arcadia's make the famous triplet of Sherlock Holmes' portrayals in English version. Wonder if we would get Christopher Lee's later ^_-

[Boton]

 

Inge, was there something in the show that indicated Irene was from New Jersey? I didn't find any reference to Irene being an American in the transcript, and to this American ear she sounds distinctly British. Just wondering.

 

Boton, didn't the UK switch to metric only recently (relatively speaking)? Maybe that accounts for it? Where are our British cousins on this forum when you need them? :D

 

Yeah, good question.  I thought they had switched within my lifetime, but that would also be within Irene's lifetime, so no help there.  I like the idea of her originally being from New Jersey and therefore that's why she programmed her safe in inches rather than centimeters.  And kudos to Sherlock for being able to look at a woman and not only identify her measurements but be able to do so in either of two different systems of measurement and while under gunpoint!  

[Carol the Dabbler]

From what I've seen, the UK's switch to metric is kinda patchy.  For example, road signs are still posted in miles (or were in 2013, anyhow).  So it's perfectly believable that body measurements would still be in inches.

 

Conan Doyle's original Irene was from New Jersey.  Moftiss's Irene could be from New Jersey -- or from just about anywhere, including the UK.  The remark about her "current" residence might mean that she's not from London, or merely that she moves frequently.

 

[Inge l-w]

Dear ShadowDweller,

I would have SO liked to turn out to be Jeremy Brett, but once it came up as Basil Rathbone and once as Benedict, and the analysis was pretty near to my behaviour in private each time, but they claim they have not used psychological profiling, so go figure.

As for measurements, dear Carol and Boton, the metrication system was introduced in 1965 and became mandatory in 1980, except for road signage and loose goods, but because of EU law, it has been imposed on the retail industry, but when it comes to clothes in Europe, it's an absolute nightmare: for women sizes start at 6 and end at 22 in the UK, in France they start at 32 and end at 58, in Germany they start at 34 and go to 64, and they are not comparable, because they are not actual centimetres, just a convention of the clothing industry.

[Shadow Dweller]

Still the result offer good advice, at least in both of mine's (am I really that predictable? ) But since this is the BBC section, further talk about the comparison between versions that according to fans are the closest to Conan Doyle's in spirit of the portrayal could be resumed in the General Sherlock Holmes Discussion area. I definitely curious about what your Basil Rathbone said. ^^

[Carol the Dabbler]

As for measurements, dear Carol and Boton, the metrication system was introduced in 1965 and became mandatory in 1980, except for road signage and loose goods....

 

That may be the case on the continent, but apparently things aren't quite so uniform in the UK.  According to Wikipedia:

 

Metrication in the United Kingdom remains equivocal and varies by context. Most of government, industry and commerce use metric units, but imperial units are officially used to specify journey distances, vehicle speeds and the sizes of returnable milk containers, beer and cider glasses (though fresh milk is still sold in multiples of pints, with the metric equivalent marked). Imperial units are also often used informally to describe body measurements and vehicle fuel economy. At school, the use of metric units is the norm.  [emphasis added]

 

Also, see this BBC News article.

[Boton]

when it comes to clothes in Europe, it's an absolute nightmare: for women sizes start at 6 and end at 22 in the UK, in France they start at 32 and end at 58, in Germany they start at 34 and go to 64, and they are not comparable, because they are not actual centimetres, just a convention of the clothing industry.

 

It's no better in the U.S.  I'm a size 10 but can be an 8 or a 12 depending on manufacturer, and I promise I'm not 8, 10, or 12 of anything, least of all units of measurement that make sense.

 

 

 

That may be the case on the continent, but apparently things aren't quite so uniform in the UK.  According to Wikipedia:

 

 

Metrication in the United Kingdom remains equivocal and varies by context. Most of government, industry and commerce use metric units, but imperial units are officially used to specify journey distances, vehicle speeds and the sizes of returnable milk containers, beer and cider glasses (though fresh milk is still sold in multiples of pints, with the metric equivalent marked). Imperial units are also often used informally to describe body measurements and vehicle fuel economy. At school, the use of metric units is the norm.  [emphasis added]

 

Also, see this BBC News article.

 

 

Ah, there we go!  Thank you, Carol!  I should have hit Wikipedia Friday night during my rewatch.  In my defense, I was still enjoying a fair amount of post-surgical haze and pretty much just wanted to watch Sherlock in a sheet.   ;)

[Carol the Dabbler]

You're welcome!

 

Regarding US sizes for women, I have heard that Misses' sizes were originally intended for girls -- size 8 would fit the average 8-year-old girl, size 14 would fit the average 14-year-old, and so on.  Clearly, that has changed!

 

Not only can I wear anywhere between an 8 and a 12, depending on God-knows-what -- in clothing that doesn't have numbered sizes, I can wear a Small, Medium, or Large.  Moral of story: Try before you buy!  (I always get nightgowns and pajamas in Large, by the way -- who wants a snug fit in bed?)

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I have heard that Misses' sizes were originally intended for girls -- size 8 would fit the average 8-year-old girl, size 14 would fit the average 14-year-old, and so on.

 

 

Apparently that applied primarily to paper sewing patterns, from 1930 to 1967 (see this book page).

[Van Buren Supernova]

 

Re: boomerang. Someone somewhere wrote a whole long text about it. If it's painted like the one we see in the film, it is a tourist gift... *goes to look for the source*

 

It's a whole thread. HERE

 

 

Anyway, curiosity gets the best of me. I asked my Oz friend about it, and he doesn't aware of that.

I remember seeing a lot of similar SIB boomerangs in tourist market, there were also specialized boomerang shops where they sell all sorts of boomerang, some very nice artistic pattern design with matte finish (looks more professional than the shinny ones indeed).

Might have a chance to go there again in couple of months, will try to buy both versions if available and report back should we are all still here for discussion.

 

A promise is a promise.

If anyone remembers this discussion.

 

Got a chance to travel back there and chat up a local about boomerang.

Apparently, there are indeed non returning boomerangs, merely for decorations, however, they are much more costly (at least in couple of shops that I went it costs 4 X the normal returning boomerang). It is stated very clearly whether they are returning or not. So while I think it's unlikely that the seasoned traveller in SIB buys the wrong one, especially when he intends to play it. However, I also remember years ago I didn't notice that there are signs about it in the boomerang display. (Maybe I was less observant, or, obsessed XD). So it's also possible if a tourist buy without asking and get decorative one when signs are not existent.

 

Anyway..

decorative boomerang

 

returning boomerang

 

What matters is the one behind, this cut is the reason why a boomerang returns

[Carol the Dabbler]

... I think it's unlikely that the seasoned traveller in SIB buys the wrong one, especially when he intends to play it....

And Irene describes him as "an accomplished sportsman" (though of course that's a deduction, and not necessarily accurate).

 

But yeah, why would he take it out and fling it if he thought it was a non-returning type -- how was he planning to find it, or alternatively, why would he literally throw away such an expensive souvenir?  It obviously was the returning type (because unfortunately it did return), and it seems reasonably clear that he knew it was.

 

Thanks for that tutorial on boomerangs!

 

[Arcadia]

Awesome.

[Van Buren Supernova]

Disclaimer.. it's half-ass research/researcher. XD

In no way anyone should use the infomation to turn around when a car backfire while playing with whatever boomerang shape, especially when there is no wifi coverage in that area, because the case would be lower than seven for Sherlock Holmes.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I read "The Illustrious Client" last night (after watching the Jeremy Brett episode), and even though Moftiss didn't lift the actual plot of that story, they certainly borrowed one major theme for "Scandal in Belgravia" -- namely, the "who is my client" question (which in the original story isn't answered till the very end, when Watson discovers that it's King Edward VII).  As in the original, the monarch hires Holmes to protect a young woman.  They even adapted a complete sentence of Holmes's dialog:

 

From ACD:  "I am accustomed to having a mystery at one end of my cases, but to have it at both ends is too confusing."

 

From SiB:  I’m used to mystery at one end of my cases. Both ends is too much work."  [quotation from Ariane DeVere's transcript.]

 

 

I am appalled at myself for not noticing (until just the other day) another line this episode adapted from "The Illustrious Client" -- namely the original story's very title:

 

SHERLOCK:  And my client is?

EQUERRY:  Illustrious -- in the extreme.

Shame on me!  :P

 

[Inge l-w]

The whole Palace scene from the moment Mycroft intervenes is lifted from the Illustrius Client, that's obvious!

And Van Buren, that was wonderful research! It reinforces my argument on the Special about the overall quality. They just grabbed any old prop available, and to heck with accuracy! It's like J.P.'s meticulous research of Mycroft's screen pointing to a place in Poland, which Mr Gatiss had no idea about. It is like their own admission of forgetting the poppies in TEH.

Thank you for all your effort!

[Carol the Dabbler]

Inge, I'm reasonably certain that most of us here think the show is actually pretty good (or even, to quote John Watson, very good) -- otherwise why would we bother with this forum?  Sure, we enjoy finding little discrepancies, but that's because it's a challenge.  If we truly found the show's overall quality to be poor, it wouldn't be any fun hunting for goofs -- it'd be too darn easy!

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

...It reinforces my argument on the Special about the overall quality. They just grabbed any old prop available, and to heck with accuracy!

Inge, I don't know if you misunderstand or even refer to my post.

About the boomerang, technically they are not wrong. Returning/not returning boomerangs don't depend on designs, but on the special cutting at the back of the boomerang, as shown in my post. Yes, probability is higher that the design and pattern shown in SIB is just decorative boomerang, as found in the market, but there are still good percentage that it's a returning one.

 

In fact, I found a shop whose seller tried to convince me that their boomerangs are returning ones. They do look pretty much like returning ones I found in earlier shop, pattern, stylish matte finish etc. However, the cut behind is decorative and I pointed to them. Well, they sell all sort of knick knack and apparently don't really know about the products. After many confirmations, they admit yes, I was right, it's decorative. So pattern and colors are not the reliable deciding factor. Unless they show us the back of the boomerang, I would say there is nothing wrong with the prop they use in SIB.

 

If we truly found the show's overall quality to be poor, it wouldn't be any fun hunting for goofs -- it'd be too darn easy!

Agree, I think that what makes this show fun too. Of course there are goof, storyline aside, it's pretty minor compared to other shows. Some crap telly had me biting at the edge of table because there are too many. Even good show, I remember one in House that I can't really make peace with until now. And House is a good show.

 

 

There is a mystery sickness on the plane, where a guy is in so much pain but nothing seems wrong. House finds a scuba-diving certification card and points it to Cuddy (sp?), which she replies,"So what? I have those too."

This is a fatal mistake, because Cuddy is a doctor and scuba diver, multiple license from what I can conclude. Every scuba diver, including the patient has to know that flying after scuba diving, not allowing sufficient no-flight time is almost a death sentence. Even when you only dive once or only hold the lowest certification level, you have to know. Seriously Cuddy.

 

[Arcadia]

 

..... Every scuba diver, including the patient has to know that flying after scuba diving, not allowing sufficient no-flight time is almost a death sentence. Even when you only dive once or only hold the lowest certification level, you have to know. Seriously Cuddy.

 

 

Really?!!! I had no idea, I've never heard that before. Not surprising, I guess, since I can barely survive in a bathtub, let alone go scuba diving. Is it something to do with the change in pressure?

Edited November 6, 2015 by Carol the Dabbler
repaired spoiler box inside quote

[Van Buren Supernova]

I guess you quoted me when I was still struggling with the spoiler, but if it's fine, it's okay.

 

Yes, we need surface time to 'degas' the amount of nitrogen in the body.

When scuba dive, we breath compressed air (usual 21%Oxygen 79%Nitrogen), and the air that we breath on depth with different atmosphere pressure could be deadly if we ascend too fast, because pressure is different underwater, sea level and high altitude, and nitrogen is inept.

 

Clumsy attempt to explain:

For example, I have a full breath at 10 meter underwater..The pressure at that depth is 2 atm.

If I hold my breath and ascend to surface where the pressure is 1 atm, the volume in my lung would expand twice and they would explode or burst. So I need sometime to degas, slow ascend and never ever hold my breath.

After scuba diving, depends on how long is the scuba trip and how long you stay underwater, there are amount of undissolved gas bubble in the blood stream. 24 hours is a good time to allow not-flying period. If you fly without degassing, the lower atm at high altitude would make the bubble expand. Bubble in bloodstream can paralyze or kill.

 

Anyway, eventhough those physiology are not taught in detail on early certification level, the first knowledge they put into scuba diver student is never hold your breath and don't fly/go to high altitude after sscubadive for at least 18/24 hours depends on intensity of activity

 

Sorry, nerd alert.

 

 

Add: Bathtub is nasty. That thing almost kill me many times as well.