The finale to the grossly wonderful BBC series Sherlock, ‘The Great Game,’ has probably stirred a lot of speculation, rumours and interpretations of what is what and who is who—I’ve been chewing on my pen for the last few days, and, yesterday, I visited a friend who’s very much into the show, too, and we merrily speculated a bit more, with me taking a few more notes. (Yes, I actually, occasionally, take notes when I’m talking to her!) Anyway, here are our ideas… Warning: made of spoilers for the way things might be related to the original stories, so if you want to avoid those in order to be really and utterly surprised, don’t read this. If you don’t care: HIT THE JUMP 🙂
Sooo. First, the situation at hand: John and Sherlock are facing off with Moriarty, who strapped semtex to John’s chest, which Sherlock ripped off together with his clothes; and now Sherlock’s apparently going to fire a bullet into the semtex, blowing everything up, while there are snipers’ laser dots merrily dancing around on his and John’s bodies. Right. On to the good stuff.
Theory 1.
- the C4 isn’t actually real
- Sherlock knows this
- there’s gotta be back-up—either because Sherlock gave Lestrade information as to his whereabouts, or because Lestrade, in a sudden onslaught of genius, kept refreshing Sherlock’s blog until he saw the message. Also, Mycroft. Yes, flipping Mycroft! He’s shadowing them, after all. He must have been keeping tabs on them the whole time, he’d have seen the message on Sherlock’s blog, he would’ve known which pool Sherlock meant, since the latter’s been pestering him and his parents with it when they were teenagers. Goodness! Also, as M. pointed out to me, Mycroft must have been put on the scent by the fact that Sherlock sent his “best man” to talk to him. He knew Sherlock wouldn’t have done that without reason—and what if Sherlock gave Mycroft the real plans, and this was just a formatted, empty, USB stick?
- since Moriarty, of course, knows that the C4 isn’t real, there’s one big problem left: the snipers on the roof. If Sherlock hasn’t realized that the bomb wasn’t real, then it could be a really awkward moment when he shoots, nothing happens, and the snipers calmly take him and John out. (Which won’t bloody happen, but, you know. For the sake of argument.) So, the snipers: they could have been replaced by Mycroft’s or Lestrade’s people while Moriarty was busy getting on everyone else’s nerves. Thus, Sherlock could even shoot the fake semtex and Moriarty could gloat and then suddenly realize that the two were still alive. Oh, he could throw a lovely hissy fit! Until a bullet hits him square in the forehead. Or not. Anyway, he’d be getting arrested, or killed, and everything’s fine.
Dull? Well, here’s Theory 2.
- the bomb is, in fact, real
- so, Sherlock could be planning to sacrifice himself after putting John closer to the exit, giving him a good chance to escape—but, somehow, I don’t think that’s it. Not that I doubt Sherlock’s capacity to actually care, I just don’t think this situation is so very desperately hopeless that Sherlock sees no way of saving himself. There are too many factors we can’t be sure about, which leaves a lot of leeway for Sherlock to be very brilliant, more brilliant than Moriarty.
- that silent conversation Sherlock and John had: John nodded. Sherlock must have a plan, and I don’t think John would’ve nodded yes to a plan that involved Sherlock dying. Most popular hypothesis about that would be: Sherlock shoots the bomb, John tackles him into the pool to use the water as protection against the explosion. Then, they’d just have to manage avoiding the falling debris and drowning. Easy.
Theory 3.
- Sherlock fakes his own death. Which is what he does in the books—wait a minute, I hear you say, what about the Reichenbach Falls? Well. There’s a pool. There’s water. There’s a seemingly final confrontation after a good while of taunting and near assassination. Having the two simply strangle each other on a ledge wouldn’t really fit into the look and style of this contemporary Holmes, so why not have it out with semtex and guns? (Although I’m sure Sherlock would enjoy punching Jim in the face for nearly killing his Watson, but that’s another matter.) So, Sherlock could do that. But would he? More to that a bit further down…
“Then I’m sure my answer has crossed yours.”
Actually, this all depends on the titular ‘game’. Moriarty and Sherlock have a game similar to the one the cabbie presented: they have to figure out how the other is thinking, whether how they think the other’s thinking is correct, and whether the other wouldn’t anticipate that and, thus, do the exact opposite, or at least something different. This conundrum reminded me of the Naturally-I-suspected-war the Doctor and the Master have in this Comic Relief episode with Rowan Atkinson and Jonathan Pryce… Back to the point: It could all be very simple, but the thought process leading up to whatever conclusion Sherlock’s got in mind, correct or not, might just tie our brains in a knot. Just saying.
Also, it’s ironic, really: two sociopaths—though Moriarty doesn’t seem to be far from a psychopath, but I’m clearly no expert—are trying to understand another man’s thinking. Basically, empathy. Seriously? I mean, it’s mostly still based on logic, but they both have ambitions, they’re both driven by something. Feelings are a factor, and it makes the idea of the two analyzing away at each other rather hilarious, considering it’s life and death.
Anyway, this all revolves around how much Sherlock’s actually figured out before he went to the pool: he’s always had a habit of not telling Watson crucial things pertaining a case, as I’ve pointed out before—just look at The Hound of the Baskervilles for an example. Phew, wasn’t Watson pissed off. This could be where the new series picks up on this, showing how far Sherlock’s acting skills and propensity to manipulate really take him even with his closest friend. One question, though: Did he anticipate John being kidnapped to get at him? I’d say: nope. Sherlock knows that other people have emotional weaknesses, but I don’t think he’s realized how much John’s friendship means to him until this case came along, and I don’t think he would’ve factored in that Moriarty could already be prepared to use that weakness, one which he hasn’t even perceived as such yet.
Coming back to theory #3 and Sherlock faking his own death:
- It would be a nice way of working the Holmes canon into the new series. It would also give Moffat the opportunity to put us through agony and heartbreak, simply watching an unknowing John mourn, even though we KNOW Sherlock can’t be dead. I’d still be frightened of Freeman’s portrayal of a grieving John, simply because he’s so amazing, and sob into my cereal. But wouldn’t that be a tad, you know, dull? The writers could give a new spin to it, skip the part of finding out in the action proper…
- … and let John know that Sherlock’s only gone into hiding; going about his business while pretending to be devastated. Still depressing to watch, but it would make me feel a bit better. Oh, but, please, show us John’s anger when he finds out Sherlock’s been having him on (if only for a day, not for three damn years, as Holmes had in the original story)—such flashbacks can be fun!
- The only persons who know would be Mycroft, perhaps Moriarty’s henchmen, and, if we’re lucky, John. To keep up appearances, John could inherit Sherlock’s stuff and money—there must be a huge sum of money left from that cheque Sebastian had to write them after they found out about the bank’s security glitch—so he could stay in 221b Baker Street and everything.
- And Sherlock wouldn’t have to necessarily travel: he could stay in London, under a disguise; after all, we haven’t seen nu-Sherlock do that yet, you know, bring on the wigs and fake noses and beards. (With that hair, he’d really need a few very good wigs!) He could stay in touch with John, covertly still working on bringing the rest of Moriarty’s network down, while John just goes on working at the local surgery. Speaking of which: Sarah. They can’t tell her Sherlock’s still alive, too dangerous. Hmm. They could have a fall-out, what with John being annoyed with her fussing—she’ll think he’s lost his best friend, after all—and not being able to tell her he’s fine, really. Yes, I’m not that keen on Sarah, to be honest. She’d just get in the way, kinda, and canon!John’s supposed to be roaming free until he marries. Although, in today’s setting, that could just mean he’s got a girlfriend or two before settling down, but, well.
- Finally, M.’s idea of the next episode:
- explosion—John escapes—sits outside the building, watching the flames consuming it—he gets a shock blanket! -.-“
- next scene: opening of Sherlock’s last will—Sarah picks him up—they take a cab—John rambles to Sarah about missing Sherlock—the driver suddenly says something without turning around, but we all know that voice (and John will think he’s hearing things now, too)—but no-one ever looks at the cabbie, which is good, ’cause it’s Sherlock!
Who knows. It will be fun, that’s for sure.
Crime and Relative Dimension in Space 
Very tidy theorising!
I would love it if they somehow managed to weave Holmes faking his death into the resolution of the cliffhanger. It really would be a wonderful nod to canon, and would give us the opportunity to open season 2 with a Watson-centric episode, which would be terrific.
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Exactly! It would give us so much opportunity to see more of Watson’s character, to see him go about his day on his own, not always in correlation or immediate reaction to Sherlock and his weird ideas. A Watson-centric would be lovely.
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[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tim Liew: Sherlock: Series 2 — Snippets of Speculation, I.: http://wp.me/pEhBY-rv […]
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I have to admit, I didn’t see the parallel between the Falls and the Pool (I feel a bit dense at the moment, so don’t rub it in), but every bit of what you said made sense. The cliff-hanger is killing me at the moment (I only saw episode 3 last night) and it’ll drive me crazy until I actually see the next one. Thanks for the great ideas…
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Firstly, thanks for liking it and commenting 🙂
Secondly, yay for feeling dense at the moment! Good to know it’s not just me, then.
Aand, of course: Still drives me crazy, too. And, knowing Moffat and Gatiss, I’m quite sure the resolution of this is going to drive me even crazier, if that’s possible.
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In a good way or in a AARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!! way?
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Well, both 😀
First, I’ll go AARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!, why didn’t I think of that?!; and then I’ll love it to bits 🙂
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as i asume you know tomorrow will be the final problem (or the equivelent) and it’s at BART’S, for goodness sakes, why isn’t it in Switzerland? it’a always in Switzerland! so i’m guessing SH will go down for the count (well not really).
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My reaction to a lot of things.
It is annoying when you feel the “Why didn’t I think of that?” moment, though.
But then you hear the little Sherlock inside your head say, “Because you’re an idiot”.
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Yeah, ’cause, especially when Moffat writes it, it seems so crazy yet completely logical, just… right.
Teehee, love the little Sherlock! And then the little Moffat, who says: “You lot can speculate, I know everything. Obviously.”
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I wonder if he does. That’d probably be a problem I’d run into if I was a director or something.
I’d leave something at a cliff-hanger and wouldn’t have the guts to tell anyone it’s because I don’t know how to end it 😉
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Ha, yeah! 😉 I mean, it could be that they haven’t decided yet how exactly they’re gonna resolve it; but I do think they know the basics of it already. But a cliffhanger can be good, I think. Like, if you’re not sure, you can look at it later, with a fresh perspective and a few ideas in mind. Keeps your options open. 😉
(It can be awful to make such a decision–I had that in my German A-Levels. I was like, oh, God, how do I end this scene (we had to rewrite Goethe, basically), ’cause I had to, I couldn’t let it end on a cliffie. That was the most suspenseful piece I’ve ever written.^^)
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I’m still sticking with the theory that somehow Lestrade (by reading Sherlock’s blog) has a sudden stroke of genius and decides to go to the pool himself (with some back-up would be nice, because otherwise it’d be completely pointless). Then Sherlock can sort of admit that Lestrade isn’t as much of a good-for-nothing as he thought. (I have to admit I like this Lestrade; he’s not as stupid as I’ve seen in some other depictions).
Another thing I’d like to mention: this Moriarty is the craziest maniac I’ve ever seen. I regret having watched the last episode with my little brother- I think he had nightmares and doesn’t want to admit it.
You write? Like, plays and stuff? Awesome!
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Ooh yes, this Lestrade is great! Well, let’s face it, he’s also the most attractive *cough, Rupert bloody Graves, cough* But he really isn’t such a dimwit this time around, which is good. The old ones seemed to be slightly crooked deals, in terms of trying to appear in charge when they really weren’t. The drugs bust was a bit of a power game, but he did it nicely. He’s persistent and gritty, but not so pig-headed.
Yep, this Moriarty is one creepy bastard, I agree. Oh dear, really? How old is your brother?
Yeah, I write small things. These reviews and the blog are my playground, if you will, for practising essays. Then, two years ago, I co-wrote a play for drama class with a friend, and in December a crime short story I wrote will be published in an anthology. Just a tiny, regional production, but it’s a nice feeling 🙂
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I must admit, I didn’t know Rupert Graves was (well, I knew you were referring to the actor who played Lestrade) so I google-imaged him and whoa! the dude was hot when he was young (well, he still is, for an older guy). Except for those pictures of him with long hair; that’s just nasty.
My brother’s 12 and very sensitive towards movies and the like (though, like I said before, he never admits it).
Moriarty is *shudder* well, let’s just say I’d prefer to have someone else as my arch-enemy.
Your writing sounds really neat. I’ve only ever written short stories (I never have patience for long ones; and I can never figure out how to end them 😉 I co-wrote a play for drama class as a summative assignment, actually (weird that we’d both do that).
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Ha, yeah, the long hair was from the film “Death At a Funeral”. Wonderful movie, but the hair… nasty is the right word 😀
I hope Moriarty won’t dare to haunt your brother’s sleep!
True–Mycroft, for example, would make a charming arch-enemy. Much more laid back. And a gentleman.
Why, it’s like we live in a Parallel Writing Universe! 😉
What kinds of short stories do you write?
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Mycroft is the bomb. Great guy, although I’ll always prefer Sherlock (the rebel of the family ;))
My short stories usually take place in the Victorian times, though I’ve started writing in the modern world. The best thing ever though, is writing in a fantasy world, because then you don’t have to be historically, geographically etc. accurate 🙂
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Yeah, Sherlock’s the adventurous one of the two, Mycroft prefers it calm 😀
That’s true, fantasy world has its merits, clearly. That crime story I wrote, it’s set in the first century AD, during Roman occupation of the area that’s now Germany on the Western side of the Rhine. It was a region-bound story, so pin-pointing the exact location and fitting Roman stuff was a teensy (Moriarty’s favourite word! ;)) hassle.
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It’s funny to see how different they are, yet how alike…
actually, never mind. They aren’t alike whatsoever 🙂
Wow, you’re story sounds sweet. I love ancient history as well, so the Roman aspect of it sounds pretty awesome.
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Well, they are fascinating as brothers. 🙂
Thanks! Writing it was fun as soon it was figured out how the crime is going to be solved–creating the “perfect murder” can prove to be a problem 😀
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Exactly. Not all of us have the minds of criminals. Which brings up another interesting thought. Have you heard of the basic question that all psychologists ask to see if someone is a psychopath? If you haven’t, I’ll write it later; but anyway, my point is that a mutual friend got the question right and she was all like, “I’m not the only one! Look, I bet if I ask 5 or so other people, they’ll get it right too.” They didn’t. But she was sure it was completely normal to answer the question the way she did. Freaky. She doesn’t act like a psychopath, though. Although, you can never tell with that disorder (the whole “can lie no problem or live a double life” thing doesn’t help).
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No, I don’t know that question; what is it?
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Here it is:
“This is a story about a girl.
While at the funeral of her own mother, she met a guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing, so much the dream guy that she was searching for that she fell in love with him immediately.
However, she never asked for his name or number and afterward could not find anyone who knew who he was.
A few days later the girl killed her own sister.
Question: Why did she kill her sister?”
See if you can figure it out…
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Because she wanted to meet the guy again, suspecting there was a further connection to her family. — I came across this before, in a crime story book where they give these riddles and the other players have to guess.. and I figured it out back then^^
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Wow. You’re either intelligent or have a serious disorder 😀 Although, technically the answer is “because she wanted to meet him again and hought he’d come to another family funeral” but you basically got it right.
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Well, we were three players and asked questions to narrow it down, so it wasn’t just me, but I suppose I was the only one who found it somewhat logical–because of how the question was put/the story told (obviously a catch-22, so you might as well take the crazy route), not because I’d kill my sister to meet that guy again 😀
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HA I keep thinking that I would have gotten it right, given more time. Plus, I wasn’t really putting myself into a psychopaths brain, which would have helped me out. Guess what!! I imagined the whole ending to the pool scene for Sherlock. The problem is, there’s another character involved (who’s always in my stories) but she doesn’t even technically exist in the series. I wish she did, though.
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😀
Who is it, then? Irene? (Who would be lovely to have, by the way–just as long as they realize she’s not a love interest.)
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No, she’s a character I made up a long time ago. Her name is Beatrice Murray and she appears in any of the stories I’m currently obsessed with 🙂 I have to say, I’m dreading the appearance of Irene because I have this phobia of her and Sherlock liking each other too much. I wish Arthur C. Doyle had never invented her, but Doyle just couldn’t help himself (being a romance writer). Her character has been twisted in the stories far too much in the past (although it’s really the writer’s or director’s fault) so I always cringe when she’s mentioned. Is Moffat a icky-romantic-type guy who would twist it that way?
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Well, he’s good at romance, I daresay, but considering Cumberbatch’s Sherlock has been so gloriously close to his portrayal in CD’s books, along with Watson’s awesomeness and the brilliance that is Mycroft, that I doubt he would twist Irene into a love interest. I mean, yes, Doyle invented her perhaps because he couldn’t help himself, but it’s made very, very clear in A Scandal in Bohemia that Holmes admires her as an adversary, but that there’s no such thing as love or attraction. I can’t imagine Moffat and Gatiss would suddenly diverge from the path they have taken with their Sherlock, apart from all the innuendo about John being his “date” (which is, in fact, justified by what you can easily read into Doyle’s text, and the various film and TV adaptations, if you’ve got your slash goggles on–there are passages I read and just go, ‘Well, yeah, the slash writes itself’–it’s no news; and I think Doyle knew about these implications but simply didn’t give a crap :D).
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Unfortunately, I’ve never read any of Conan’s other works, so I can’t concur on his romance-writing abilities. As for Holmes’s admiration for Irene, he did admit she was hot (though not in those exact words; I think it was more like, “she has a face that men would die for”) and wanted to keep a picture of her. I have to say, I have a problem with all of the slash videos on YouTube etc. It kind of grosses me out because the idea that Sherlock was gay didn’t even enter my mind until I found out that quite a few people seem to think so. Just because the dude doesn’t want to “bias his opinion” by entering a relationship and because John is his best friend (who gets married, by the way) does not mean he was homosexual…
Sorry, I just realized I posted an entire rant (nothing against homosexuals, by the way) but it’s one of those things that ticks me off 😀 The odd joke is funny, but it’s downright unHolmes-like when they put John/Sherlock or Moriarty/Sherlock or Lestrade/Sherlock together etc.
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Yeah, but that’s because Holmes understands human’s ways (like when he figured out Molly’s huge crush on him, which was probably two seconds after they first met), he just doesn’t adopt them for himself. As Cumberbatch!Sherlock said, that he doesn’t know anything about the solar system doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate it.
Well, I suppose you should read Doyle’s works, then perhaps the slash goggles become a bit more understandable 😉
In a fandom, John can get married all he wants, fans dream, and they have ideas, and, as you said about Doyle, most of them are romance writers/shippers. And Sherlock’s just adorable, in his own, twisted kinda way, so why not pair him off in one’s own, basically “alternate universe.”
Don’t worry, rant away 😀 I understand that people might find it ridiculous to ship basically everyone and anyone, and in most of the cases it would be if it happened in canon, but fandom’s its own world, where fans can ship, I don’t know, Gibbs and Ducky (NCIS) if they want to. That’s what Moffat and Gatiss play with, especially since the fandom has been going wild with speculation and slash goggles ever since Basil Rathbone. There are film parodies in which Sherlock and Watson are, in fact, a couple; basically, that was fanfiction put on celluloid 😀
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All I’m saying is that if they make them a couple in the series (I’m back at talking about Irene because John obviously has a girlfriend in the show), I’ll be sincerely disappointed. Yes, Sherlock is adorable in “his own, twisted kinda way” as you say. What an amazing bugger 😉
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Well, I totally agree on No Irene Love Interest on the Show. (In fanfiction, too, to be honest. There’s not much material about her, as opposed to John, Moriarty, Lestrade, etc., so it’s much more fun pairing Sherlock off with one of them, there’s just more to relate to.) ’cause, in CANON, Sherlock really doesn’t give a crap. I doubt The Moff and The Gatiss would disregard that. In fact: NO WAY 😀
He’s awesome. (And Cumberbatch is too handsome for this world. As was Jeremy Brett, who probably came closest to Doyle’s imagination of Sherlock in the wonderful Granada series from the 80s.)
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I must admit the “He’s NOT my date” joke is pretty darn hilarious, but that’s funny, not slashy. I love how you speak about the directors as THE Moff and THE Gatiss. Sounds like you like them a whole lot. I wish I was more familiar with British television… Another point: where on earth does the whole alternate ending to Episode 1 come from? All I noticed is that one is more violent than the other and my first guess was that they were going to show the more violent one in America (they always make changes, it’s annoying) to please the viewers. There was a whole “scandal” about that sort of thing a few years ago. Hollywood-pleasers decided to change the poster to Pirates of the Caribbean to make Elizabeth have more of a chest. She was not happy.
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Yes, well, Moffat and Gatiss are, to put it in one extremely insufficient word, geniuses. Almost everyone in the fandom calls them THE Moff and THE Gatiss. Or ‘God,’ respectively 🙂
That’s not an alternate ending as it’s known from Hollywood. Originally, the series pilot was 45 minutes long, but they decided they’d rather make it 90 minutes, like ep 2 and 3, and they worked on the entire script, there are many changes. So, basically, there are two versions of ‘A Study in Pink’, but the unaired(!) pilot only went on the DVD release.
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Ooookay. Because I’ve been looking around and found a different beginning as well, which make sense now. I’m happy they went with the new beginning, there’s the alternate video on YouTube but I have yet to see it (I’m a bit afraid too, though. It looks kinda sucky).
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The unaired pilot is rather lovely, though! As a whole, I like the actual episode better, but there are some great moments/aspects in the pilot.
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Agreed. I like the whole speech between Sherlock and John after he shoots the cabbie better in the pilot, but I prefer it when Mycroft shows up at the end of the episode. I like the whole “I underestimated him” statement that Sherlock says in the pilot and…shoot, I have to go. Will finish later.
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Yep, Mycroft is just.. necessary.
Oh, yes, make a list; I’d love to know! 🙂
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Alrighty, I just saw Part 1 of 6 parts on YouTube so I can’t give you my overall impression until I see it all. So far: I don’t like it. Okay a bit more detail: you were completely right about the lighting and the settings changing everything around. I’m a big believer in music creating a mood and I missed the music that climaxed when Sherlock was whipping the body. Anderson looks like a freak and Lestrade is too dramatic. Sherlock sounds pleading (eww) when he tells Lestrade about needing an assistant and the first exchange between John and Sherlock is really too slow-paced; I had grown used to Sherlock talking really fast. I prefer the park-bench scene to the restaurant scene, and the lab instead of the computer room. Wow! There’s so much more! Ummm… the flat is too stylish and you were right about Mrs. Hudson’s blouse: it’s hideous. I find that Sherlock speaks to slowly and with too much emotion, Cumberbatch really refined his character in the episode. I could say a whole lot more but will end with just a few points. I find that all of the characters just seem to be waiting for the other characters to say their lines and then pausing and saying theirs. Is it just me? I suppose I just really like the new one…
Ps. I don’t know if I like Sherlock’s hair shorter or longer yet.
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Well, I guess we agree on a lot of stuff, then! 🙂
I’ve grown fond of the pilot, though, it’s already too adorable for words, but I agree, the acting and talking and timing got much better on the second go.
I liked his hair longer. Definitely 😀 Longer, it’s more of a bird’s nest, which suits him. (Although that’s quite in contrast to Jeremy Brett’s Holmes, for example, who was always very well-groomed, well, except for in the mornings, maybe, but there was only Watson to see, so why bother?^^)
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I suppose I like the hair longer as well. He seems more James Bond-y with it shorter I guess, but the I-don’t-care look is better. I was actually thinking about Anderson’s facial hair. I find it actually makes him look less annoying for some reason. Do you agree?
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I do, actually. With the beard (and the glasses), he doesn’t look as snide and condescending, I think. His icky-mean-face in the first ep when he calls Sherlock a psychopath wouldn’t have worked so well if he’d still had the beard.
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Yeah. He just doesn’t look as nasty. Moriarty, on the other hand, looks just as scary clean-shaved as when he has a bit of stubble. Sherlock would just look hot with stubble while I don’t think you could take Mycroft seriously if he had facial hair of any kind. I don’t know about John…
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Sherlock wouldn’t wear a beard, though. CD was kind of adamant about his grooming rituals (nevermind Robert Downey, Jr.) 😀 John would look great with stubble (there are pictures of scruffy!Martin online to prove it), and, back in the day, Watson always had a moustache; but, naah. Wouldn’t fit this special Watson so well, I think, simply because it’s 2010 now and the moustache is considered rather out-dated.
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I know Sherlock would never have a beard, but if he didn’t shave for a few days it be awesome. John would look okay I suppose *google-images him* Ookkkaay. I just saw a picture of him with a beard AND longish hair. Not pretty. And a moustache? No way that’s happening. I only like small moustaches and usually they only work on certain people…
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Jep, and I (edit, sorry) DON’T think Freeman!Watson would be one of them… Jude Law can make it work, but Martin.. nah 😀
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Hello…after sitting quietly reading your ongoing conversation, I finally feel compelled to say that I don’t share most fans’ opinion regarding the creepiness of Moriarity. He absolutely was NOT what I was expecting – a short, frail little man who looks like he couldn’t poke Sunday’s roast with a fork. Even when he was telling Sherlock he’d burn the heart out of him, he did it with a wry face as if saying, “You know I’m just kidding, right?” I don’t know who I was expecting. A Russian gangster maybe, since Eastern Europe was referenced several times in the last episode. Anyway, first, I like your idea of Sherlock saving Watson and then launching himself into the pool. Only problem I see with it is that an underwater explosion would blow out Sherlock’s ear drums, and probably concuss him also…not to mention the building falling on top of him. But hey, if our intrepid hero can survive the Reichenbach Falls, maybe he can survive this as well.
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Hello 🙂
Well, you’re right, Moriarty was a surprise–certainly not the way canon described him–and he seems an odd choice; but I don’t know whether the wry face is due to him being a psychopath, or weird acting. I took it as part of his creepiness, though.
Yeah, I guess the water isn’t the healthiest of all choices, but I supposed he might have better chances surviving that than bullets 😉
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Yeah, that’s it. I think they have to have a thinner face to pull it off. Hmmm. I think that’s a good theory because Martin’s head is more roundish…
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Exactly, he’s got a very square jaw, he would just look as if he had window blinds surgically attached to his face: eyebrows & ‘stache. |:-|) 😀
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*laughing hysterically* You can NOT imagine the mental image I just got there…
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*giggles*
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Ps. If you want I can email you because our comments are sort of taking over your blog…
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Yep, it’s getting kinda weird 😀 Wait, I can see your email here, I’ll start 🙂
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Hello there…
I hope it’s ok for me to share some of my brainstorming about the second series.
I’m dying of curiosity to see how Irene Adler will be portrayed when the second series airs this fall. I’m hoping against all hope that she is not portrayed as she has been in some past pastiches.
Irene Adler was not a slut and she wasn’t a crook. What she was, was an independent woman in a man’s time. Women had no place in the Victorian world at all. They were completely relegated to a subservient role. They couldn’t vote; they couldn’t work.
They were considered property. If they weren’t married by their mid-20s, they were more or less considered to be a burden on their families and society.
Irene Adler was referred to as an “adventuress,” ie., she was that rare case – an independent woman who was able to make her own way in the world as a singer and as an actress.
She had an affair with a king who later dumped her and whom she threatened to blackmail as a result, so he tries to get Holmes to disable her by stealing a photograph that would prove they were involved.
In the course of the investigation she actually gets married to a lawyer and realizes what Holmes is trying to do and heads him off and disappears with her new husband.
In a letter, she promises the king she won’t expose him and the king, knowing her to be a woman of her word, believes this, which would indicate to me that he felt her character to be of pretty high caliber.
He tells Holmes she’s a woman of her word and he doesn’t believe he has anything to fear from her. It doesn’t exactly come off like she’s some sleazy femme fatale, does it?
I hope they don’t portray her that way, because this new series desperately needs to get some intelligent women in it. There aren’t any right now, I mean it’s pretty much a man’s club and was, in the original Doyle stories.
As far as updating, they could really take it a lot farther than was possible in Victorian times. Obviously women are completely independent nowadays to the point where they really don’t need men at all. Let’s face it – it’s true.
So, I’ve worked out I’d like to have her dealt with. Obviously the issue wouldn’t revolve around her having an affair with a king, that’s far from feasible now.
But wouldn’t it be great fun to get Sherlock’s brother Mycroft and the British government involved. Maybe Sherlock’s client is one brought to him by his brother.
Maybe Irene has gotten hold of some sensitive information that would expose some Black Ops mission, for example, and that’s what they’re trying to get from her.
Better yet, maybe she could be a political activist who is against the government being involved in this program. Even more fun would be if she were a hacker, or a computer whiz who broke into the system to retrieve this information.
So, because Sherlock is computer savvy himself, they could set it up that he has a cyber network of his own, similar to the homeless network that we learn he maintains in the third episode.
That would put the focus on modern technology again, which is such a huge part of this new series. The idea of Sherlock being involved in a cyber war, so to speak, I find a very intriguing idea.
I can even see Sherlock changing camps, ultimately. In this new series, he and his brother do not get along at all, which wasn’t the case in the Doyle stories, but that’s how they’ve set it up this time.
Sherlock doesn’t approve of what his brother does, so he could be conflicted in terms of which side he really should be fighting on.
Maybe he and Irene end up corresponding a bit anonymously online. Maybe he sets it up that he’s sympathetic to her cause in an effort to trick her, but in the course of talking to her, realizes that his sympathies really lie on her side.
And since you have to get some action in there, maybe he learns where she’s hiding out and goes there, only to find Mycroft’s agents are there attempting to arrest her. Instead of helping the government agents, he actually helps her to escape.
I think that would an awesome scenario and furthermore it would set it up for her to reemerge in future episodes as a valuable informant to him. She becomes part of Sherlock’s online network and slips him info and tips occasionally.
That scenario totally appeals to me. That’s what I’d like to see. I don’t know what they’re going to do, but that’s what I’d like to see.
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Hiiya
Well, i love your blog because it just goes through all my favourite bits of the Sherlock episodes (which i am STILL completely in love with even though its been like six months since ‘The Great Game’) 😀
All of your theories for the series 2 opener are brilliant (i never saw the parallels between Reichenbach Falls and the Pool scene until now, and it just makes me love even more how many ‘references’ there are back to the original stories). Personally I believe the ‘C4 isn’t real’ theory is the most likely, but I think it’d be brilliant to have a ‘fake-death’ storyline for just a little bit, just to see what happens (poor John, yeah, but he’d be brilliantly happy when Sherlock finally came back :))
As for the first series, everyone MUST agree with me when I say it was absolutely suberbly amazingly ingeniously brilliant and I can not wait until series 2 🙂 I’m looking forward, obviously, to how they deal with the cliffhangar, but also just the fact that it will be on again. Every single character and actor in Sherlock was interesting and fantastic, the plotlines and puzzles where intricate enough to keep you guessing but clever enough to make sure you never quite got it right(which is the perfect time for Sherlock to step in and announce he knew it within seconds), and Steven Moffat and Mark Gatis are amazing.
Oh and I’d like to add that I REALLY hope they don’t bring in Irene Adler for more than a couple of minutes, because I simply just cant stand the thought of her interrupting Sherlock and John’s lives (somehow I imagine her (and Sherlock relationship with her) more like the Irene in the Sherlock Holmes movie (robert downey jr) and can’t get away from this characterisation). I don’t know how they’ll show her character in the series (if they do at all) but if they do, then I’ll have to rely on Moffat and Gatis’ brilliant writing to make her into a good character.
Anyway, so thank you for your blog, which has kept me interested and laughing at the quotes for the past half hour 🙂 and hope you keep it up for the next series too (whenever it decides to air)
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I realize this blog post is almost a year old, but I’d like to throw my own predictions/ideas at you and see what you think. Fresh perspective, etc.
Adam Worth, as you most likely are aware, is the real-life criminal on whom Moriarty is widely believed to have been based. Adam Worth, while serving in the Union Army was erroneously listed as KIA, and Worth used this fact to start a new life; several in fact, collecting pensions etc. It was really the start of his criminal career.
Being that Sherlock in the final scene of the Great Game was clearly surprised to see John, he must have been equally surprised to see him strapped with Semtex. Certainly the brilliant Holmes could have managed to formulate a plan to fake his own death on the fly, but what if it’s Moriarty, not Holmes, who would rather the world believe that he is dead?
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That is definitely interesting! Would be a nice twist–and infinitely creepy :O
Seeing as he’s so close to the Semtex, but that bothered… question is what they’ll do if they can’t scrape any bits of him off the walls, wouldn’t that tip them off that something’s going on?
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I thought about that. If it were me, I’d be counting on the fact that they won’t have anyone to compare DNA/dental records to. Just plant a body and you’re golden. The more I think about it, the more I doubt that’s going to be the route. More likely that Mycroft will step in or the Semtex will be fake. Or something along those lines.
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True, he won’t have his actual DNA/whatever stored somewhere… I think Mycroft will bring some snipers of his own along and then PEW, there goes the plan.
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I’ve been trying to consider all of the clear variables. For example, Moriarty couldn’t have controlled what Holmes did with the Semtex when he removed it from John. He could have thrown it into the pool as easily as slide it towards the door. Moriarty could control which door he re-entered from, however. You’d think if he were in communication with his sniper team they’d alert him that he was about to walk into a pile of Semtex. So either he wasn’t in contact with his sniper team (by design or because Mycroft had it replaced) or he wasn’t concerned about the Semtex at all.
Obviously I’ve been think about this WAY too much. Damn you Moffat!
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OBSESSING ABOUT THIS IS IN NO WAY UNHEALTHY OR INADVISEABLE. 😀 But, yes, Damn you Moffat is something I’ll subscribe to any day.
I know how you feel about the typo 😀
Well, we don’t know all Sherlock knows at this point, and I think Mycroft’s up to his elbows in this thing, but he decides not to let on; or they wouldn’t have set Sherlock’s “best man” onto it–meaning, John. Mycroft wouldn’t have let John into his office if it weren’t so damn important, so I think there’s much that we don’t know. You’re right, for the moment, Moriarty’s got the upper hand, but, knowing Sherlock, that can change within a second. I do think that Moriarty is mostly worried about Sherlock, since Mycroft rarely expends the energy to go crime solving, and the Home Office, while superior in rank to the Yard, would still need the tip-off, so to speak. They need Sherlock to get them on it, and while Mycroft is a deadlier enemy–there’s a reason why Sherlock calls him the most dangerous man in London in A Study in Pink–as such, Sherlock’s the channel/key. While Mycroft is a genius, he does need Sherlock to do the legwork, if nothing else, I think. Sherlock might not be able to arrest him, but he’s rarely ever wrong.
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I was going to put “I think about this too much” and then I changed the sentence without changing ‘think’. I’m telling you this because that sort of typo embarrasses me. 😀
Something that has been bothering me about The Great Game is the decided lack of investigation by the Home Office, which I assume Mycroft works for. Here is a series of bombings which, in today’s ‘war on terror’ mindset, would send up giant red flags and prompt the Home Office to take over the London Police Service’s investigation. Is it really Sherlock Holmes that Moriarty is worried about? Or is his ‘game’ with Sherlock just a disguise? Is it in fact Mycroft Holmes that has Moriarty spooked enough to risk getting caught? After all, for all his brilliance, Sherlock can’t actually arrest Moriarty. He’d have to prove, beyond conjecture and deductive reasoning, that Moriarty even existed and convince the authorities to pursue him. So again, is it really Sherlock that has Moriarty concerned? Because it seems, at least for the moment, that Moriarty- not Sherlock- holds all the cards.
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The brilliant team of Moffat-Gatiss already has tipped its hand RE: Series 2. The third ep will be “Reichenbach,” so obviously everyone lives this time around.
My personal theory RE: the cliffhanger is that Mycroft saves the day. We already know he has Sherlock-John under constant surveillance. Surely a red flag would go up in Mycroft’s mind when he sees a message on Sherlock’s web site that he’s giving away missile plans to an arch criminal! Mycroft and his team of snipers will show up and chase Moriarity off.
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Better yet, Moriarity gets arrested and imprisoned, but escapes.
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Anyway…the real cliffhanger is whether the second season will live up to expectations following the first season and whether there will be a THIRD season.
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While it’s fun to overthink all this, Moffat’s Sherlock has hardly proven himself infallible thus far. Episodes I & II were hardly no-fail scripts. I’m not sure why Moffat changed Ep. I the second time around. At least Sherlock figured out in the pilot it was the taxi driver. In the aired episode, even after his grand speech walking down the street about “who hunts in a crowd,” he didn’t figure out it was the taxi driver. Even the audience knew by then, after the cab was shown picking up all the victims at the beginning. I found myself screaming at the TV “It’s the cab driver, you git!”
While I don’t think Ep. II deserved all the bad press it got, I was left going “huh?” at Sherlock’s somehow figuring out Soo Lin was involved just because her phonebook had been left out for 3 days. I leave my phonebook out for 3 days. And how could the assassin sit in her flat for three days when the second killing took place during that time?
While IMO Gatiss’s Ep. 3 was leagues ahead of the other two in plot, I wonder if even he thought out how our heroes would get out of it. I still think Mycroft’s going to show up and save them.
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