Things that make today simultaneously pretty okay and pretty awful, all at the same time:
FALL is on PBS tonight.
I feel both
and
Okay. So I deleted all the crazy notes that used to appear in this description (because it’s my blog and I do what I want).
But.
Watch this video.
You know, the more I watch this bit - or see GIFs of it - the more I can tell he was actually shocked to hear her say that. It’s as if he always thought she counted before he told her later, and he just assumed she knew it. So when she said she didn’t, maybe it clicked in his head that the way he’d treated her/acted towards her had made her feel like he didn’t value her. But when it was really just Sherlock being Sherlock, with his previous inability to see emotional things until they’re pointed out to him.
There are two things I love about this moment.
First of all, Sherlock protects John. By pointing a gun at his head, yes, but think about it. Sherlock’s name is already being dragged through the mud. Scotland Yard already thinks he’s a psychopath and a possible murderer. Even before the Moriarty debacle, his name and reputation were already tarnished with people like Sally Donovan, and it’s only getting worse.
John’s isn’t. The most John gets from outsiders is a bit of confusion. People figure he’s either a bit daft or touched for sticking with Sherlock or that he’s too kind-hearted to leave him because he’s all Sherlock’s got (supposedly). But he isn’t judged or looked at with disdain in the way Sherlock is.
Sherlock obviously knows this and when he finds himself having to drag John into this mess with him, he doesn’t hesitate to protect John’s name. He makes himself look even worse in the eyes of the Yarders by pretending to take John hostage, which also keeps John’s good name somewhat intact (he did just punch the Chief Superintendent, but that’s a far cry from pulling a gun on a bunch of cops and fleeing an arrest).
Second, John completely and unwaveringly trusts Sherlock. Wild, unpredictable, reckless Sherlock who throws himself into danger’s path again and again, points a gun at a crowd of police officers and then turns and points it at John’s head, his finger on the trigger and John doesn’t so much as flinch. In fact, he seems far less uncomfortable with Sherlock pointing a gun at him than with Sherlock pointing a gun at other people, because he knows he’s safe. There are no questions asked and no hesitations. No “Maybe we should think this through,” no “Why are we running when we both know you’re innocent?”, no “Be careful with that deadly weapon you’re waving around”. There’s a “What are we doing?” but it’s spoken more in the tone of “Let me in on your plan so I can work with you” rather than suspicion or apprehension.
Yes, we know that Sherlock would never do anything to seriously hurt John and John knows that, too, but accidents do happen. High stress situations, people panic, get a bit jumpy, fingers slip… But John trusts that Sherlock knows what he’s doing, trusts him not to make a mistake with John’s life in his hands, and trusts that he has a plan and that it’ll work. In all this mess, with Moriarty worming his way into the heads of everyone around them, planting doubts and twisting truths, John still trusts Sherlock wholeheartedly.
Because that’s what John and Sherlock do. They protect each other and they trust each other, no matter what.
/end lyrical waxing.
This is what I thought before, when I saw tons of people speculating that maybe Moriarty isn’t dead because we didn’t see enough *brains*. It’s nice to see Mr. Gatiss confirm my suspicions.
re: the rhododendron theory
Just my two cents, but I don’t think they’ll go this route. Or at least I really hope they don’t go this route.
I read somewhere (can’t find it now) that Moffat said Sherlock would never cry, it’s very out of character for him, so therefore rhododendron must be the answer as one of its side-effects are teary eyes.
I don’t believe it.
Before we remember that Moffat has also said that he’ll be teasing us at every turn, John said that Sherlock was the most human human he’d ever met. I don’t know if I’d go that far, but he’s not a machine. We’ve seen him affected on an emotional level throughout the show, especially in this series — Sherlock is not incapable of intense emotion.
I’ve been talking to Casey, and I think we’re both of the opinion that Sherlock thought there was a chance that he wouldn’t survive the encounter on the rooftop, even after Moriarty was dead. And, if his plan (whatever that is) worked, he’d be in self-exile from his best friend for an undefined period of time. He’s about to do whatever he has planned without his constant companion, not to mention any of his other friends. On top of that, he’s also about to ‘commit suicide’ in front of said best friend, and he KNOWS John won’t take that easily.
So, Sherlock only cried because he took the rhododendron toxin? I don’t believe it.
Now available in my Etsy shop:
Handcuffed Sherlock and John!
Crocheted with super-soft acrylic yarn, stuffed with polyester fiberfill, and (the best part) with teeny tiny magnets in the wrists, Sherlock and John will hold hands, even when the handcuffs are removed.
The handcuffs and Sherlock’s scarf are entirely removable.
When I saw the behind-the-scenes photos for “The Reichenbach Fall,” I knew I had to do something. These dolls are a long time coming!
Check out the listing on Etsy here or just take a look at the other items I have for sale here. Thanks! :)
