Speculation: What Would You Like To See In Series 3?

[T.o.b.y]

This is not necessarily what I desperately want to see, but what my brain came up with based on the few hints I've picked up about the next series - insomnia leads to strange creativity. And the beauty of the internet is that you can then spew all this out in the morning without annoying your household, so here it goes:

 

We know for sure that

- the new villain is the great Charles Augustus Milverton (here called Magnussen)

- the original Milverton is "the king of blackmailers" and specializes in ruining the reputations and relationships of women

- Mary appears and gets married to John

- the ACD stories feature a lot of marriages that are endangered by the past of one of the partners

- the actress has said that her character has some "great secrets"

- the original Mary only just missed being a very rich heiress and the money that was supposed to go to her was gained under pretty extraordinary circumstances

 

So. Blackmailer + woman about to get married or just married + an inheritance waiting for that woman, that sounds like Magnussen might dig up something about Mary and put pressure on her to get her money together and pay him a large share. Maybe she didn't even know before that there was a fortune waiting for her, maybe she wants nothing to do with it because of how it was gained. In any case, she could certainly use the help of a detective to get at it. Which brings Sherlock in very nicely, who of course would not need long to find out what was behind her request and would take it up with Magnussen and / or try to find out what he is threatening her with (interesting idea, because this would be something she does not want John to know).

 

Now, what could you use nowadays to blackmail her with? Old love affairs wouldn't bother anybody and certainly not John, who has had plenty himself.

 

I really liked that scene in the story where the two men hide in Milverton's room and come to witness how one of his victims shoots him at close range - sounds pretty spectacular. Now imagine that woman weren't a stranger but your own wife...

 

Can't wait for series 3. I'll be sitting there shouting at the screen: "did I get it right? Did I?" and be very happy when I find that they wrote something a lot better.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I've been thinking that they need a woman on the Sherlock writing staff ....

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I wonder if they would take applications from any of us?

[Carol the Dabbler]

If the above outline is representative of her warped imagination, I'm nominating T.o.b.y!

 

[T.o.b.y]

If the above outline is representative of her warped imagination, I'm nominating T.o.b.y!

 

Awwwww........... "warped imagination", that's like the nicest thing anybody has ever said about me....

 

Maybe we should form a creative team - I'm sure you could save my characters from continuously taking drugs, breaking the law, swearing, cheating on one another and being overall totally messed up.

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

A team, I like that. We have some very talented people on this forum.

[T.o.b.y]

You do! I've even read some fan fiction here that I thought was pretty good and I usually keep far, far away from that.

 

I keep changing my mind on whether I want them to tell us more about Sherlock's past. I saw an interview with the cast and the creators a while ago where Moffat said that he did not have any particular background in mind for the character and Benedict Cumberbatch said he had, needed to in order to play him convincingly, but wouldn't tell what it was in case the writers ever wanted to do anything different.

 

On the one hand, being somewhat mysterious is an essential part of Sherlock Holmes and it is a lot of fun to speculate. On the other hand, it would be so interesting to know what the actor draws on to portray him. I think if I could kidnap that guy I would force him to tell me all about Sherlock and then let him go.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Well, it would be an interesting change of pace to see "Sherlock" kidnapped for once, rather than John!

 

Anyhow, do let us know what he says. 

[T.o.b.y]

Whew, I'm glad you didn't tell me off for making such a tasteless joke about a man who actually has been abducted at one point in his life -  a bit of information I of course remembered 5 seconds after I had posted.

 

You are right, poor John has had to fill in for the damsel in distress a few times. But he did get to shoot the cabbie and I am sure his attacking Moriarty turned the tables in the pool scene. I think he's a lot less easy to poke fun at than the original Dr. Watson - although he is a lot more "manly" than he appears at first glance, too.

[Carol the Dabbler]

That didn't occur to me at all till you mentioned it -- guess I had my feet firmly planted on Baker Street.  Besides, I suspect that if you were to "kidnap" Mr. Cumberbatch, he'd take it as a well-intentioned prank -- slightly annoying at the very worst.  Having lived through the real thing, he'd know the difference.

 

And regarding John -- right on all counts!

 

[T.o.b.y]

Feet firmly planted on Baker St is a good thing. I find it very helpful for getting through daily life...

 

Another issue I can not agree with myself on concerning the future of that wonderful little world is whether I want Irene to show up again. She was so great (have obviously watched A Scandal in Belgravia not long ago), and so beautiful and fueled so much delectable acting and humor. And her voice would be nice to hear again (I also obviously have a thing for voices). But if she comes back, what becomes of the sad romance of "Good bye, Mr Holmes"? It is bad enough that people keep popping up from the dead on this show (although I'd be devastated if Sherlock were really deceased). 

 

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

  Victorian England went into deep mourning when Doyle killed off Holmes the first time. Men wore black crape ribbons on their hats and as arm bands I very much expect that the same would happen around the world if Moffat and Gatiss did the same with their Sherlock. But Gatiss has said that Sherlock Holmes has lived at 221B for over a hundred years. He's immortal someone else would resurrect him and Holmes and Watson would once again be off to solve some crime or other.

 

  As for Irene, that's yet to be seen, but one never knows with Moffat and Gatiss.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Lara Pulver has strongly hinted that she'd be available.  If.

 

[T.o.b.y]

I wonder whether it would be possible to keep John, Mrs Hudson and Lestrade partially in the dark about what really happened at the end of The Reichenbach Fall. I can't exactly envision Sherlock saying outright "I had to do it or he would have killed you all", even if it would do a lot to palliate his friends' anger. He seems a bit too proud for that. And I would find it sort of touching if he just told them he needed to disappear and they would only have given him away if they had known.

[Carol the Dabbler]

John may eventually -- uh persuade him to be a bit more forthcoming. 

[T.o.b.y]

If you mean by swearing or punching him, I think that is just the kind of behavior that would make somebody like Sherlock keep any motivation remotely akin to sentiment to himself. He gives me the impression of having an "if you won't acknowledge my always being right in whatever I do, I won't condescend to explain myself" attitude.

 

I'm not a great believer in perfect understanding and harmony between people (just like perfect endings - though happy endings are a must for me). I think it would be more realistic if Sherlock's friends just stayed mad at him for a while and then simply let it go because they're glad he's back - without ever getting behind the full truth of what he did for them. (This might be a terrible comparison, but it has the same appeal to me as the Hobbits' return in Lord of the Rings, where Rosie asks Sam whether they can get married now after he's "wasted a year" saving the world).

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I think it has been hinted at that things will not be good between John and Sherlock on his return. No fainting Watson who just accepts that he has returned, listens to Sherlock's account of what happened at the Falls and then runs out the door to bring down Moran. It's going to take some doing before this Sherlock is in John's good graces again. Which to me, seems more realistic then Doyle's version.  In the original, Sherlock's return sends Mrs. Hudson "into violent hysterics". I can imagine no less for John Watson....the violence, not the hysterics.

[T.o.b.y]

Yeah, "The Empty House" is hilarious that way. As I've gone on about before, it reads like a Holmesian daydream.

 

I wonder how they will make Mrs Hudson respond in the modern version. Maybe she'll take the fainting part. I can much better imagine "our" Sherlock loosening her collar and feeding her brandy than doing that for John...

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I don't know. I wrote a fanfic piece where she slapped him then pounded him, before desolving into tears. I can see her doing that.

[T.o.b.y]

Don't you think one person giving him a bloody nose is enough?

What did you let John do?

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Well, he didn't faint that's for sure....and he didn't grab his hand and say something...."It's you old boy! How ever did you ever survive the falls!"  He did some avoidance and a whole lot of shouting....

 

  

[T.o.b.y]

I have a strong feeling that you will be proven right about the avoidance bit at the very least.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

And the yelling, at some point.

[T.o.b.y]

Very likely. I do hope the writers refrain from letting hugging and crying follow suit, but from what I've seen so far, there is hope.

[T.o.b.y]

If they ever do more on the characters' background, I'd like to learn how Sherlock came to work with Lestrade and what role Lestrade played in getting him off drugs (if any, but I did get the impression that he was involved in that somehow).