Episode 2.2 ,"The Hounds Of Baskerville"

[tonnaree]

Rewatched just tonight.

 

The Mind Palace scene is one of my favorites in the episode.  I think it would be very interesting to see how they rehearsed and filmed this.  

Was BC very involved with the "choreography."?    Did the director shout out the specific words that Sherlock was suppose to be imagining as they filmed?

Any mention of this on the DVD commentary?

[Carol the Dabbler]

I don't recall what (if anything) they said in the commentary (you might check Ariane DeVere's semi-transcript of it).  But one forum member has recreated the special effects in his own "mind palace" video.

 

[besleybean]

What they did say in the commentary is that they like the idea so much, they hope to use it again.

I applaud that decision!

[Carol the Dabbler]

Agreed!

 

I think that tonnaree was asking about the actual filming, though, the "choreography" rather than the special effects.  Does anyone recall any info on that?

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

From Sherlockology:
 
http://vimeo.com/71936493
 

We missed this on Tuesday. Scientists breed glow-in-the-dark rabbits… #BlueBell is that you?

You can read the full story here.

[bowlwoman]

Just completed a rewatch of all six episodes this weekend, and this is the only one I fell asleep watching and didn't necessarily feel like attempting to finish. The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of my favorite Doyle stories, but seeing it in all its gristly glory on-screen just isn't for me. Too many of the characters' neuroses and fears hit a bit too close to home, I suppose. But then again, I've never been a fan of the horror genre (Buffy/Angel excepted, but those shows are more camp anyway).

 

And every time I saw Russell Tovey on screen, all I could think was, "Budgie!"

 

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

  I suppose having a few glow in the dark bunnies in the house might save on electricity if you use them for night lights.

[bowlwoman]

  I suppose having a few glow in the dark bunnies in the house might save on electricity if you use them for night lights.

 

Didn't Sheldon also have that idea in The Big Bang Theory?

 

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

  Knowing Sheldon, he probably did.

[Earendil]

See, I've always thought he potentially could have been drugged - you see him in the offices and then they specifically have him looking at what appear to be some very leaky pipes. Maybe it was just steam or something else innocuous that was escaping, but maybe it wasn't? ....

That's also what Sherlock claimed (in the scene outside the inn at the very end), but it sounded to me like he was grasping at straws there, thinking, "Well, it wasn't the sugar -- so it HAD to be something else!" But if it really was the leaky pipes, how come everyone who works in the lab wasn't violently paranoid due to their long-term exposure?

 

If I remember correctly, when we first meet Dr Bob Frankland, he has a breathing mask on as he enters the lab. He takes off when he steps closer to Sherlock and John. So I'm pretty sure, aely is right: the drug was in the smoke coming from the leaky pipes.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Carol the Dabbler
removed black "spoiler" background (not necessary here)

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Yup, I think so too.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I had never really thought about it before, but I do believe you're right about Frankland wearing some sort of mask when we first see him.  I'm trying to recall what it looked like -- so I'm going to have a look in Aithine's screen caps, and aha! here he is:

 

 

It's shown only briefly, but yes, it's a full-face mask of some sort, could be a gas mask.  And son-of-a-bitch! if you look closely at the door behind him, you'll see the same hand-printed sign that we saw later --

 

KEEP OUT

UNLESS YOU WANT

A COLD!

 

-- he's coming out of the room with the leaky pipes!

 

Wow, I missed that completely.  Guess I was supposed to, but I must say I prefer clues that I do notice but don't understand till that face-palm moment later on.

 

So apparently that was supposed to be the actual explanation.  Apparently Frankland was the only one who ever went into that room, and he never kept the door open long enough for a problematic amount of gas to escape.

 

[T.o.b.y]

I had never really thought about it before, but I do believe you're right about Frankland wearing some sort of mask when we first see him.  I'm trying to recall what it looked like -- so I'm going to have a look in Aithine's screen caps, and aha! here he is:

 

 

It's shown only briefly, but yes, it's a full-face mask of some sort, could be a gas mask.  And son-of-a-bitch! if you look closely at the door behind him, you'll see the same hand-printed sign that we saw later --

 

KEEP OUT

UNLESS YOU WANT

A COLD!

 

-- he's coming out of the room with the leaky pipes!

 

Wow, I missed that completely.  Guess I was supposed to, but I must say I prefer clues that I do notice but don't understand till that face-palm moment later on.

 

So apparently that was supposed to be the actual explanation.  Apparently Frankland was the only one who ever went into that room, and he never kept the door open long enough for a problematic amount of gas to escape.

 

Brilliant! That's how John was drugged - I had wondered and wondered, too. Because he had to be actually drugged, otherwise the episode does not make sense. John putting on an act to make his friend feel better is a sweet idea, but I don't think he'd do it, he's not that clever / ahead of Sherlock's plans and besides, in the original Watson is supposed to be a terrible actor - which is why Holmes does not trust him with vital information like being alive after supposedly having plunged to his death or wanting to fake a deadly viral infection to force a confession out of someone.

 

Btw., wouldn't an evil virologist be a good future villain? That has a pretty modern feeling.

 

I felt so angry on John's behalf when I found out what Sherlock had done to him in the lab and at the same time I thought it was such a great illustration of Sherlock's character and how it differs from that of the literary Holmes. It is one of my favorite plot twists on the show so far.

 

 

[besleybean]

I really don't get why people are so angry with Sherlock over this.

It was a fairly confined situation, I'm sure he knew John wouldn't suffer that much or permanently...

[T.o.b.y]

Just imagine your best friend did something like that to you - and told you the reason was he wanted to see how the drug would work on your "ordinary mind" as opposed to his brilliant one. If you still see no problem with this, you might have a lot in common with our favorite consulting detective... I don't think he had any qualms before, during or after.

[besleybean]

Well he was obviously very concerned for John after...

But that's the point, we are dealing with Sherlock.

But I agree, he could have handled it better.

[T.o.b.y]

Exactly! We're dealing with Sherlock, so was he really concerned or was the way he acted after he "found" him in the lab just part of an act so John would not suspect what had really happened?

 

When we later see him conducting the experiment, he has his feet on the table and shows no concern whatsoever. He might have thought his idea was pretty funny. And I'm sure he wanted to get back at John because his friend had been so dismissive about his own fear. Sherlock is not quite so dispassionate as he would have people believe...

[besleybean]

I don't think Sherlock 'getting back at John', will ever be written into BBC Sherlock.

Yes Sherlock was playing a role when he was dealing with John in the lab.

But when he 'rescues him', his concern is genuine.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Poor John, but yeah, living with Sherlock Holmes can never be said to be dull and boring and in the canon, "A Study In Scarlet", John Watson was forewarned by Stamford, that Holmes was not above slipping himself or a friend a little something just to gauge the results.

[T.o.b.y]

I don't think Sherlock 'getting back at John', will ever be written into BBC Sherlock.

 

Do you think because John would never do anything that merits revenge? Not on purpose, probably, no... But if I had had a huge fright and a friend of mine told me I was just "wired" and dismissed the whole thing as a product of my weak nerves, I would probably have a kind of malicious pleasure in watching that person experience the same thing and going: "See what I mean? This is scary!"

 

I probably read way too much subtext into characters' actions and words... It's just a story, I know. But it's a damn good story and there's no harm in a little interpretation, is there? I don't expect you to agree with me, of course. And maybe Sherlock did feel a little badly when he saw just how disturbing the experience had been for John. You never know with Sherlock, that's what makes this series so much fun to watch: You're constantly left wondering what might go on in that funny brain.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Brilliant! That's how John was drugged - I had wondered and wondered, too. Because he had to be actually drugged, otherwise the episode does not make sense.

 

Glad to hear I wasn't the only one wondering!  And you're absolutely right, I couldn't get the episode to make sense, either, otherwise.  Sherlock did comment on the leaky pipes at the end, but that sounded like he was just grasping at straws.  Seems like they could have made that clue just a tad bit easier to spot -- though of course not the significance.

 

[T.o.b.y]

 

Yes Sherlock was playing a role when he was dealing with John in the lab.

But when he 'rescues him', his concern is genuine.

 

I think I do full-heartedly disagree with you here. I have just watched the episode again and if that is supposed to be genuine concern, then it is badly acted (or directed) - would be very unusual for this series. Sherlock, who is a superb actor and can feign "human" feeling really well (see his face when he offers the coffee that was meant to be drugged), doesn't even seem to be pretending to be overly worried about John in the lab - if anything, he appears to be a little smug.

[besleybean]

Oh no, I meant before that.

We see the Sherlock guard down, just for a moment.

His face and hand on shoulder...he cared.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Not disputing that, but not sure exactly which fleeting moment you're talking about.  Could you pin it down specifically?

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Is she talking about when John first gets out of the cage?