Episode 2.2 ,"The Hounds Of Baskerville"

[Pseudonym]

 

So just to clarify, in the final scene at the Hollow, they shoot the real one and it falls to the ground, and Henry sees that it was just an ordinary dog.  Then after that, they hear another one and shoot at it (while Frankland takes the opportunity to run off), but that one is just a hallucination and not another real dog?

 

 

That's the way I took it. 

 

I don't find it hard to believe they had it all planned out at all, and actually it makes me cringe a bit how obviously they tried to make it all fit together as if it was planned. Though that shoe-horned in 'he's not a great man he's a good one' makes me cringe most of all. Though I know some of you like it. 

[Artemis]

^ Do you mean you *do* find it hard to believe they had it all planned out?  That's what I was trying to say, but maybe I was not clear.  :/  I agree that it seems they tried to fit it all together as if it were planned, when it wasn't.

 

I don't remember having feelings one way or the other about Greg's line there.  But by that point in the episode I had already cringed at so much that I was unfazed by one more thing, lol.  Plus I was too busy still trying to make logical sense of what I just saw.

 

 

[Pseudonym]

Yea, sorry, trying to do too many things at the same time. I agree with what you said.

[Arcadia]

 

1. There was the real one, kept by the inkeepers, that was getting 'bigged up' in people's minds by the drugs. There was also the one that was a pure hallucination, that, having been told there was a monstrous dog on the loose, everyone was prepped to imagine. So one real, one not.

 

So just to clarify, in the final scene at the Hollow, they shoot the real one and it falls to the ground, and Henry sees that it was just an ordinary dog.  Then after that, they hear another one and shoot at it (while Frankland takes the opportunity to run off), but that one is just a hallucination and not another real dog?

 

 

Nope, it's the same dog. John didn't quite kill it the first time, evidently.

 

I don't think there was an imaginary dog, ever. It was always the innkeeper's dog, "bigged up", as Pseud says. Or just simply leaving tracks and then people weaving stories about it.

 

Oh, wait ... there was John's imaginary dog, in the lab. Okay, so maybe other people imagined one too.

 

I don't think they had any plans for a backstory at this point, either. I wish I did, but I don't. :(

[T.o.b.y]

The thing with the howling noise after the dog has been shot at the end really freaks me out. If it's a hallucination, why is everyone having it at the same time? And why does it send Frankland running who is the most used to the place and the most likely to be aware that there is no real danger in that case?

[Pseudonym]

But the first (real) dog is dead, lying dead on the ground, when they see the second one isn't it?

[Pseudonym]

I thought he was just running to avoid being caught rather than because he was scared? Why everyone would hear the howl at the same time I really don't know. What moors are this episode set on again?

[T.o.b.y]

Do they really see a second one? I thought they just hear it howling.

[Pseudonym]

Hm, can't remember if they actually see it or not. 

[T.o.b.y]

I thought he was just running to avoid being caught rather than because he was scared? Why everyone would hear the howl at the same time I really don't know. What moors are this episode set on again?

Dartmoor.

 

If Frankland is trying to escape, why does he run mindlessly into a mine field, which he knew was there? Looks more like panic to me.

[Pseudonym]

I thought he went there deliberately, because he'd rather die than get locked up. 

 

Ah, yes. I was thinking if it was Bodmin I'd be more scared of the big cats. 

[Artemis]

Do they really see a second one? I thought they just hear it howling.

Yes, they see the outline of the second hound's head.  That's why I was wondering about the different ears, too.

 

But the first (real) dog is dead, lying dead on the ground, when they see the second one isn't it?

That's what I thought.  :/

 

I thought he was just running to avoid being caught rather than because he was scared?

Also what I thought.  Although I didn't think he ran into the mine field deliberately, judging by the look on his face when he stepped on one.  He was just trying to get away, he wasn't thinking about where he was going.

 

 

[Arcadia]

But the first (real) dog is dead, lying dead on the ground, when they see the second one isn't it?

 

Evidently not. They thought it was dead, but after Sherlock explains everything to Henry, it comes back to life (you can see it get up) and John shoots it again. Same dog. 

 

I thought he went there deliberately, because he'd rather die than get locked up.

I thought he just didn't realize where he was until too late, and then decided he'd rather die than get locked up. But I think other interpretations are just as valid ... it's not made clear in the script.

 

Ah, yes. I was thinking if it was Bodmin I'd be more scared of the big cats.

 

Huh?

[Artemis]

I don't see it get up...  :/

 

Also that's weird, and sad.  Poor dog.  :(  Would rather he'd been shot dead the first time.

 

 

[Pseudonym]

Something not clear in the script?!  :o  

 

Bodmin, among a couple of other places, is infamous for it's big cats (panthers etc). The Beast of Bodmin Moor is the most famous one, though no one is sure if it's real or not. Evidently we do have real big cats though since a kid got attacked by one. It's thought they were released into the countryside in the '70s when it became illegal/difficult to keep big cats. 

 

[Pseudonym]

I can't remember if I saw it get up or not. Maybe I'll rewatch it later. 

[Arcadia]

I don't see it get up...  :/

 

Also that's weird, and sad.  Poor dog.  :(  Would rather he'd been shot dead the first time.

 

​Checked the transcript, our dear Ariane says it gets up. No time to watch myself now. And yeah, I didn't like that bit ... it wasn't the dog's fault, it didn't need to suffer. Damn guns are too convenient for decent story resolution.

 

Bodmin, among a couple of other places, is infamous for it's big cats (panthers etc). The Beast of Bodmin Moor is the most famous one, though no one is sure if it's real or not. Evidently we do have real big cats though since a kid got attacked by one. It's thought they were released into the countryside in the '70s when it became illegal/difficult to keep big cats. 

 

:blink: !!!!!!

 

Okay, then ... stay away from Bodmin!

[Pseudonym]

If it hadn't been shot it would have been carted off by the RCSPA and put down... if that, er, makes anyone feel better...?

[Artemis]

I'm watching it now, and I'm not seeing it get up anywhere.  :/  (Granted, I am pretty tired at the moment.)  I see the dog lying down dead (or not?), and then the next I see of a dog is the outline of the head I was talking about, after they hear the snarl and start shooting again (right before Frankland takes off).  Maybe you guys can tell me where you see it get up, if you watch it later?  I'd really like to know now, lol.

 

 

[Pseudonym]

*sigh* Well, if you twist my arm... ;) I'll finish up the parcel I'm packing and give that bit a watch. 

[Arcadia]

Right after Henry accuses Frankland, you hear it snarl, they all whirl, you see it raise it's head. But you're right, you don't see the body. I agree they didn't do a good job of establishing that.

[Pseudonym]

I agree with you Artemis. You don't see it get up. You see a silhouetted head moving slightly upwards, which could be taken as the dog getting to it's feet, but the ears do look different. Anyone know what breed of dog the real one is? Does it have upright ears?

 

I really wish the dog SFX were better. 

 

Aw, that little snippet reminded me why I liked Sherlock, was starting to forget after the last season. Sherlock twirling and saying how brilliant the case is whilst everyone else is traumatised... aw.  

 

[Artemis]

Thanks for watching, helpful peeps!  :smile:  These mysteries must be solved, lol.

 

I can't seem to find any information about the real dog in the scene.  I know in the original story it was a bloodhound/mastiff mix, but that's hardly helpful here.

 

I agree about the SFX.  I would have preferred that they didn't show the hallucination version of the hound and just left it to our imaginations.  Or maybe a silhouette would have been okay, but nothing more.  They were doing fine with that the whole episode through, they really didn't need to show it at the end.

 

 

[Pseudonym]

Plus things are always scarier when it's just a dark flash in the shadows.

When I used to watch Supernatural their original budget was really low, and their monsters looked awful, but they got around it by never showing the creature other than the odd flash of a weird shape. There's an episode about wendigos, which is quite creepy, but the most you see is a silhouette which was pretty effective. I saw a photo of the actual prop/costume later and in full light it was terrible. If you don't have the budget to make something look good, don't show it. People can usually imagine something creepier anyway.  

 

 

[Artemis]

^ I completely agree!