hells_half_acre (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hells_half_acre) wrote2012-01-01 06:12 pm
hells_half_acre) wrote2012-01-01 06:12 pm
Entry tags:
Quick Reaction: Sherlock - A Scandal in Belgravia
Watching it live may have failed me, but my IP mask came through brilliantly afterward and I was able to watch it on the BBC iPlayer. Yay!
The showdown at the pool
Well, this turned out to be a non-event! That was a surprise. In the past year, I've been picturing bombs and diving into pools - I've been picturing Mycroft swooping in like a Deus Ex Machina....I did NOT picture a cheesy ringtone. I, however, am not disappointed in the slightest. I wanted the unexpected, and even though I had over a year to come up with every scenario possible, they still managed to surprise me.
Also, they still managed to have Moriarty be terrifying. Seriously...if I ever ran into Andrew Scott on the street, I would probably run away out of instinct before my rational brain kicked in and reminded me that he's just a very good actor.
And that slow walk by Irene into the room....man, that woman really is sex on legs.
But, let's move on from the teaser....
I love the passage of time, and seeing John's blog take off, and Sherlock's annoyance with it.
I also love how they worked in the deerstalker!! Brilliant!
The main plot...
I love how brilliantly WITTY this show is. Seriously...it's GOLDEN. The lines are so quick, you almost miss them - but they are absolutely brilliant.
I love John and Sherlock giggling in Buckingham palace. I think where a lot of shows fall down (and I'm not just talking about Sherlock adaptations) but all shows...is that they forget to show the audience why two people love each other so much...but to actually just have the two main characters trading childish jokes and both laughing at them...it's just, refreshing to see. Especially since they could have written John being scandalized that Sherlock wasn't wearing any pants - but instead he finds it hilarious, and OF COURSE he would find it hilarious, Sherlock is his best mate...they HAVE to get along on this level, or else John would have left eons ago. The fact of the matter is that John LOVES Sherlock's insolence just as much as Mycroft hates it.
Oh and Mycroft...such good moments with Mycroft here..."the queen" and
"I'll be mother"
"There's a childhood summed up in a sentence"
Not to mention the other lines "Get off my sheet, Mycroft!" and the line about how Sherlock looks tall because he has a good suit and a short friend. Brilliant.
And then Sherlock actually steals an ashtray for John...oh friendship. Like I said, I love the fact that we SEE it with this series.
And the PUNCHING SCENE!
This is what I love about John Watson - he was both a soldier and a doctor, and most people forget the first part. "You ought to remember, Sherlock, I was a soldier, I killed people." "You were a doctor" "I had bad days!"
John just didn't kill people in the war though - he killed someone the very first night that he met Sherlock, and with absolutely no remorse, I may add. I mean, I know it "wasn't a very NICE man", but I think even killing a bad guy would have SOME effect on most people - but not on John Watson.
And then we get to Irene...
And I like the fact that they kept true to the book, with Sherlock trying to fool her into thinking he's a poor attacked man...and her seeing through the "disguise"...I also like the fact that she doesn't play along.
Also, I love that he can't deduce a naked woman...or, rather, a naked Irene - because he can still deduce John from the state of the skin on his face.
I also love her line "somebody loves you" about how John avoided his nose and teeth when he punched him in the face.
So far (I'm typing this up whenever I have to pause for a bit for the iPlayer to load more) I like what they've done with Irene. They've kept her true to the original Irene, who did not act with any particular malice, nor was she a criminal...they've also made, her, I think, a good reflection of the audience - smart is sexy. Though, I do which I looked like her - at least when it comes to her ass.
And she's dead. Ouch. Well - now I'm sad. Poor Sherlock.
Mycroft and Sherlock...I love the scene in the morgue, the cigarette - the conversation about whether there is something wrong with them because they don't care.
But first let's talk about Christmas...Sherlock not remembering the John's girlfriend's names - awesome. Lestrade! Yay! And then Sherlock tears into Molly...Molly's quite the poor whipping boy in this series, I find. I do like the fact that he apologizes sincerely afterward. I like the fact that his infatuation with Irene (which, at this point, I don't think is sexual - I think it's the same as his infatuation with John or Moriarty - only, Moriarty turned Sherlock off by being evil, whereas Irene was just protecting herself and being brilliant in the meantime)...sorry, that was a long brackety bit...what I was saying was: I like the fact that his infatuation with Irene has broadened his horizons a little bit, I think. He has John, but Irene is someone he cannot hang out with, even though he very much wants to - and I think, because of that, he did understand Molly in that instant. Molly can't have Sherlock, because Sherlock doesn't want Molly - and Sherlock can't have Irene, because of her profession and his brother's disapproval, and the fact that, deep down, Sherlock wouldn't mean the same to Irene as Irene would mean to Sherlock, I don't think. Irene is lovely and brilliant, and I think she does fancy Sherlock's mind a little - but unlike Sherlock, she doesn't ONLY fancy the mind, and she could hold other partners in just as much esteem.
Anyway...I'm getting completely off topic.
I love the fact that Mycroft, John, and Mrs. Hudson have a plan for "danger nights" for Sherlock. I love the fact that in this adaptation, the drugs are an addiction that is fought against, rather than an acceptable tool.
As a complete side note: Benedict has to work on his fake violin playing a little. As a violin player, I did cringe a bit. For the most part he's good though, and it's remarkably hard to fake, so I do give him points for the effort.
John loses another girlfriend to all this of course. These girls just have to get used to the fact that they're always going to be second fiddle to Sherlock Holmes. I wouldn't have a problem with it, personally...I do wish John weren't fictional, I'd be off to England on the next plane.
And Irene's Alive!!
Yay! Not sad anymore...also, AWESOME that they used a fake Mycroft kidnapping - haha, I've seen that done once or twice in fics, but never thought that they'd do it on the show. I know I said at the beginning that I was happy they didn't do a solution that I'd read in fics, but I kind of love this ploy, so I don't mind this one.
Also, heartbreaking that John just wants Irene to tell Sherlock that she's alive so that he won't be sad anymore. *hugs them*
Oh man...
I just...Sherlock....
Mrs Hudson
I love how they do this - the way Sherlock sees it all unfolding. The way he walks in and immediately upon seeing that Mrs. Hudson has been hurt, he doesn't deduce the American's occupation and lifestyle, he instead imagines the ways in which Sherlock can injure him.
And I love that John leaves Sherlock alone with the man, probably knowing full well what's about to happen.
Man, I love how much Sherlock cares for Mrs. Hudson - did I talk about that scene earlier when Mycroft told her to shut-up and they both got mad at him? That was brilliant too.
So, I have this thing where it's very hard for me to recognize women if they change their hair style - especially if they are white brunettes. When Sherlock discovers Irene in his bed, my reaction was not "Oh, it's Irene" it was "Who's that?...Um...maybe Irene? Is it? Ok, next scene...and yes, yes it is. Okay." I really hate that fault in my face-recognition ability. It makes for very awkward times, I basically become like Sherlock with John's girlfriends :P
Oh man...Moriarty's been playing with Mycroft.
Man, okay...just watched straight through to the end without break...so, Irene is KIND of a criminal? Not really? I'm still not sure what her motivations are - she wanted protection, but she only needed protection because of the information. She wanted to get the email decoded and give the information to Moriarty? Terrorists? Why? That part I didn't get. She was playing Sherlock...only, not very well.
And I KNEW when we overheard that bit of Mycroft's conversation that it would be important, but then I was all dazzled and I forgot about it!
Sherlock was indeed played, and it hurt his feelings...but then he got the upper-hand as always. Nicely done. I also love how in the end it's Sherlock who gets the dominatrix to beg.
I also like Mycroft trying to spare Sherlock's feelings...I like that John and him are partners in caring for Sherlock. I also like the fact that Sherlock LETS them. John is a horrible liar, by the way.
I also love that before Sherlock wanted to be a detective, he wanted to be a pirate! SO CUTE!
Also - how the hell did Sherlock get to the middle-east and infiltrate a terrorist cell? Who cares! That was awesome!
I like the end "The Woman...THE Woman."
I love the fact Sherlock's sexuality is still an unanswered question. He obviously is *stimulated* by Irene, but it's intellectual. I have the feeling though, that no woman will ever measure up to Irene, so that's probably it for him for the female gender.
Of course, I also think that Irene's sexuality is a larger unanswered question - as it should be. I did believe her when she said she was gay. Which, by the way, I loved that exchange between John and Irene. I love how Irene tells John flat out that it doesn't matter whether he's gay or not, he and Sherlock are a couple. I think that's how partnerships SHOULD work, nevermind the labels or what people do or do not do in the bedrooms.
I should say something about the cinematography and direction.....it was GORGEOUS. I love the way this show is shot - I really do. I love the use of slow motion, and the text on the screen when people use computers/phones...lovely...it's just a visually stunning show, as well as being amazingly well written and well acted.
I think what I loved about this episode - and I touched on it earlier - is that we got to see domesticity as much as we got to see action and adventure. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is great and all, but the very heart of the story is this odd domestic partnership between these two men.
I'm sure there's TONS more for me to talk about - I have a feeling I'll be watching this episode all again this evening, even though I spend the entire day on it. Seriously. Woke up at 10 so that I could try to watch it at 12...didn't work at 12, so I napped until 2pm...took me 2.5 hours to watch it, due to load times and internet disruptions....now I'm typing this up while I'm on the phone, hoping that my typing isn't obnoxious enough for the person on the other end of the line to notice...so, it's taking me a bit longer...
So, I'm still not quite sure what to make of Irene...but I liked her overall. I like that she's not a clear-cut criminal, though, yeah, I'd wish I understood her motivations...
Again, I love the domesticity and the fact that we get to see what Sherlock's relationships are like. In the first series, he was very isolated - but now we get to see the intricate relationships he does have. I loved LOVED seeing more of him and Mycroft together.
Anyway...yeah...superb. LOVELY show. And I will watch it again and again and again....
Let me know if there's anything I missed that you desperately want to talk about.
For non-Sherlock fans, who follow me for Supernatural: Last night I had a dream that Sam was possessed by Ellen (though she wasn't a demon, so I don't know how that worked) and it was hilarious and awesome...also, Sam needed reading glasses. He was adorable.
The showdown at the pool
Well, this turned out to be a non-event! That was a surprise. In the past year, I've been picturing bombs and diving into pools - I've been picturing Mycroft swooping in like a Deus Ex Machina....I did NOT picture a cheesy ringtone. I, however, am not disappointed in the slightest. I wanted the unexpected, and even though I had over a year to come up with every scenario possible, they still managed to surprise me.
Also, they still managed to have Moriarty be terrifying. Seriously...if I ever ran into Andrew Scott on the street, I would probably run away out of instinct before my rational brain kicked in and reminded me that he's just a very good actor.
And that slow walk by Irene into the room....man, that woman really is sex on legs.
But, let's move on from the teaser....
I love the passage of time, and seeing John's blog take off, and Sherlock's annoyance with it.
I also love how they worked in the deerstalker!! Brilliant!
The main plot...
I love how brilliantly WITTY this show is. Seriously...it's GOLDEN. The lines are so quick, you almost miss them - but they are absolutely brilliant.
I love John and Sherlock giggling in Buckingham palace. I think where a lot of shows fall down (and I'm not just talking about Sherlock adaptations) but all shows...is that they forget to show the audience why two people love each other so much...but to actually just have the two main characters trading childish jokes and both laughing at them...it's just, refreshing to see. Especially since they could have written John being scandalized that Sherlock wasn't wearing any pants - but instead he finds it hilarious, and OF COURSE he would find it hilarious, Sherlock is his best mate...they HAVE to get along on this level, or else John would have left eons ago. The fact of the matter is that John LOVES Sherlock's insolence just as much as Mycroft hates it.
Oh and Mycroft...such good moments with Mycroft here..."the queen" and
"I'll be mother"
"There's a childhood summed up in a sentence"
Not to mention the other lines "Get off my sheet, Mycroft!" and the line about how Sherlock looks tall because he has a good suit and a short friend. Brilliant.
And then Sherlock actually steals an ashtray for John...oh friendship. Like I said, I love the fact that we SEE it with this series.
And the PUNCHING SCENE!
This is what I love about John Watson - he was both a soldier and a doctor, and most people forget the first part. "You ought to remember, Sherlock, I was a soldier, I killed people." "You were a doctor" "I had bad days!"
John just didn't kill people in the war though - he killed someone the very first night that he met Sherlock, and with absolutely no remorse, I may add. I mean, I know it "wasn't a very NICE man", but I think even killing a bad guy would have SOME effect on most people - but not on John Watson.
And then we get to Irene...
And I like the fact that they kept true to the book, with Sherlock trying to fool her into thinking he's a poor attacked man...and her seeing through the "disguise"...I also like the fact that she doesn't play along.
Also, I love that he can't deduce a naked woman...or, rather, a naked Irene - because he can still deduce John from the state of the skin on his face.
I also love her line "somebody loves you" about how John avoided his nose and teeth when he punched him in the face.
So far (I'm typing this up whenever I have to pause for a bit for the iPlayer to load more) I like what they've done with Irene. They've kept her true to the original Irene, who did not act with any particular malice, nor was she a criminal...they've also made, her, I think, a good reflection of the audience - smart is sexy. Though, I do which I looked like her - at least when it comes to her ass.
And she's dead. Ouch. Well - now I'm sad. Poor Sherlock.
Mycroft and Sherlock...I love the scene in the morgue, the cigarette - the conversation about whether there is something wrong with them because they don't care.
But first let's talk about Christmas...Sherlock not remembering the John's girlfriend's names - awesome. Lestrade! Yay! And then Sherlock tears into Molly...Molly's quite the poor whipping boy in this series, I find. I do like the fact that he apologizes sincerely afterward. I like the fact that his infatuation with Irene (which, at this point, I don't think is sexual - I think it's the same as his infatuation with John or Moriarty - only, Moriarty turned Sherlock off by being evil, whereas Irene was just protecting herself and being brilliant in the meantime)...sorry, that was a long brackety bit...what I was saying was: I like the fact that his infatuation with Irene has broadened his horizons a little bit, I think. He has John, but Irene is someone he cannot hang out with, even though he very much wants to - and I think, because of that, he did understand Molly in that instant. Molly can't have Sherlock, because Sherlock doesn't want Molly - and Sherlock can't have Irene, because of her profession and his brother's disapproval, and the fact that, deep down, Sherlock wouldn't mean the same to Irene as Irene would mean to Sherlock, I don't think. Irene is lovely and brilliant, and I think she does fancy Sherlock's mind a little - but unlike Sherlock, she doesn't ONLY fancy the mind, and she could hold other partners in just as much esteem.
Anyway...I'm getting completely off topic.
I love the fact that Mycroft, John, and Mrs. Hudson have a plan for "danger nights" for Sherlock. I love the fact that in this adaptation, the drugs are an addiction that is fought against, rather than an acceptable tool.
As a complete side note: Benedict has to work on his fake violin playing a little. As a violin player, I did cringe a bit. For the most part he's good though, and it's remarkably hard to fake, so I do give him points for the effort.
John loses another girlfriend to all this of course. These girls just have to get used to the fact that they're always going to be second fiddle to Sherlock Holmes. I wouldn't have a problem with it, personally...I do wish John weren't fictional, I'd be off to England on the next plane.
And Irene's Alive!!
Yay! Not sad anymore...also, AWESOME that they used a fake Mycroft kidnapping - haha, I've seen that done once or twice in fics, but never thought that they'd do it on the show. I know I said at the beginning that I was happy they didn't do a solution that I'd read in fics, but I kind of love this ploy, so I don't mind this one.
Also, heartbreaking that John just wants Irene to tell Sherlock that she's alive so that he won't be sad anymore. *hugs them*
Oh man...
I just...Sherlock....
Mrs Hudson
I love how they do this - the way Sherlock sees it all unfolding. The way he walks in and immediately upon seeing that Mrs. Hudson has been hurt, he doesn't deduce the American's occupation and lifestyle, he instead imagines the ways in which Sherlock can injure him.
And I love that John leaves Sherlock alone with the man, probably knowing full well what's about to happen.
Man, I love how much Sherlock cares for Mrs. Hudson - did I talk about that scene earlier when Mycroft told her to shut-up and they both got mad at him? That was brilliant too.
So, I have this thing where it's very hard for me to recognize women if they change their hair style - especially if they are white brunettes. When Sherlock discovers Irene in his bed, my reaction was not "Oh, it's Irene" it was "Who's that?...Um...maybe Irene? Is it? Ok, next scene...and yes, yes it is. Okay." I really hate that fault in my face-recognition ability. It makes for very awkward times, I basically become like Sherlock with John's girlfriends :P
Oh man...Moriarty's been playing with Mycroft.
Man, okay...just watched straight through to the end without break...so, Irene is KIND of a criminal? Not really? I'm still not sure what her motivations are - she wanted protection, but she only needed protection because of the information. She wanted to get the email decoded and give the information to Moriarty? Terrorists? Why? That part I didn't get. She was playing Sherlock...only, not very well.
And I KNEW when we overheard that bit of Mycroft's conversation that it would be important, but then I was all dazzled and I forgot about it!
Sherlock was indeed played, and it hurt his feelings...but then he got the upper-hand as always. Nicely done. I also love how in the end it's Sherlock who gets the dominatrix to beg.
I also like Mycroft trying to spare Sherlock's feelings...I like that John and him are partners in caring for Sherlock. I also like the fact that Sherlock LETS them. John is a horrible liar, by the way.
I also love that before Sherlock wanted to be a detective, he wanted to be a pirate! SO CUTE!
Also - how the hell did Sherlock get to the middle-east and infiltrate a terrorist cell? Who cares! That was awesome!
I like the end "The Woman...THE Woman."
I love the fact Sherlock's sexuality is still an unanswered question. He obviously is *stimulated* by Irene, but it's intellectual. I have the feeling though, that no woman will ever measure up to Irene, so that's probably it for him for the female gender.
Of course, I also think that Irene's sexuality is a larger unanswered question - as it should be. I did believe her when she said she was gay. Which, by the way, I loved that exchange between John and Irene. I love how Irene tells John flat out that it doesn't matter whether he's gay or not, he and Sherlock are a couple. I think that's how partnerships SHOULD work, nevermind the labels or what people do or do not do in the bedrooms.
I should say something about the cinematography and direction.....it was GORGEOUS. I love the way this show is shot - I really do. I love the use of slow motion, and the text on the screen when people use computers/phones...lovely...it's just a visually stunning show, as well as being amazingly well written and well acted.
I think what I loved about this episode - and I touched on it earlier - is that we got to see domesticity as much as we got to see action and adventure. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is great and all, but the very heart of the story is this odd domestic partnership between these two men.
I'm sure there's TONS more for me to talk about - I have a feeling I'll be watching this episode all again this evening, even though I spend the entire day on it. Seriously. Woke up at 10 so that I could try to watch it at 12...didn't work at 12, so I napped until 2pm...took me 2.5 hours to watch it, due to load times and internet disruptions....now I'm typing this up while I'm on the phone, hoping that my typing isn't obnoxious enough for the person on the other end of the line to notice...so, it's taking me a bit longer...
So, I'm still not quite sure what to make of Irene...but I liked her overall. I like that she's not a clear-cut criminal, though, yeah, I'd wish I understood her motivations...
Again, I love the domesticity and the fact that we get to see what Sherlock's relationships are like. In the first series, he was very isolated - but now we get to see the intricate relationships he does have. I loved LOVED seeing more of him and Mycroft together.
Anyway...yeah...superb. LOVELY show. And I will watch it again and again and again....
Let me know if there's anything I missed that you desperately want to talk about.
For non-Sherlock fans, who follow me for Supernatural: Last night I had a dream that Sam was possessed by Ellen (though she wasn't a demon, so I don't know how that worked) and it was hilarious and awesome...also, Sam needed reading glasses. He was adorable.
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You're about the get the full download of my thoughts on it because I'm just not in the right Comms- I don't know where to turn! :D
Firstly, I was worried that S2 wouldn't match up to S1- but the second that the Moriarty's phone rang... I was gone; hooked; won over completely. I *loved* the time-passing-case-solving montage and all the shout outs to fandom and to ACD canon (a Geek translation, ftw!- if you haven't checked that out on John's blog, go do it right now!).
I *love* how easy they are with each other- we really get to see that they're a year on from where we left them. Like you said- the laughter and the joking about, they're all real signs of friendship and proper relationships.
The Hudson/Holmes/Watson dynamic is wonderful- showing us that they've become a family, of sorts. And the Christmas party, reiterating that fact- Molly, Lestrade, etc. They all *know* each other. (Plus, Lestrade was *totally* checking out poor Molly... hello, new OTP).
Re: Irene... there's been some not-happy reactions with her portrayal here, but I loved it. I thought she was wonderful. There's so much ambiguity in the Sherlock/Irene relationship and it was so *charged*, though not necessarily sexually motivated. Like... two cats, circling one another and wondering if they should fight. :D Centering her around the Moriarty over-arc was interesting and I think it works- everyone else so far has been in bed with him. Leaving her out of that would have hurt the plot progression, amongst other things.
I loved the John/Irene conversation- and I loved it even more that Sherlock followed, especially given the 'he doesn't follow me everywhere' comment. Obviously, John, he watches when you leave to make sure you haven't been kidnapped again- just because you don't see him, doesn't mean he isn't there. John was just so... GAH. I love that he was going to tell Sherlock the truth, because it mirrors the ending where he decides the lie would be kinder- even though I'm pretty sure he thinks that Sherlock already knows that she's dead.
I'm also pretty sure that Mycroft knows that she's *not* dead- the 'only Sherlock Holmes could have fooled me' felt too deliberate. (On second watching, that is!).
What else, what else? Oh, yes. The Sherlock/Mycroft interactions... priceless. 'PUT ON YOUR PANTS'. Hilarious. Interesting to see that Mycroft has people that he reports to- so much of fandom has Mycroft as the be-all-and-end-all so it's interesting to see that he has people watching him, too. Also, not trusting the secret service because they're paid to spy on people? LOL.
And... finally... it took me watching it twice to realize that the guy who kidnaps Sherlock is covered in dog hair because he *works for the Queen, and they're her yappy dogs*. That, combined with the implication that the young, female royal was Kate Middleton... my brain is exploding.
And now I'm really, really looking forward to all the fic. Lol. And next week! OMG. Can I survive?! Not sure. Might die of squee first.
Finally, apologies for the rambling. I've been on my own all evening with no-one to squee at. :)
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I agree with pretty much everything you said! I really loved the domesticity we got to see. How they incorporated Sherlock's trademark hat was neat.
I was actually afraid that they had killed Mrs. Hudson for a moment, but I loved that scene.
I don't think Sherlock was sexually attracted to Irene, but he definitely was 'attracted' to her mind and her deviousness. If it's true that Sherlock has never had sex I'm sure Irene was one of the few who tempted him to try it.
I really thought she was dead at the end, and I'm not sure exactly why Sherlock saved her life, but he is great to have done so.
I can't wait to see what the rest of the episodes bring!
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this! Like I also watch Merlin and my main problem with the canon couple is that they always talk about their Epic Love (tm), but I can never see them just enjoying each others presence. With John and Sherlock you see how much they like each other (not only here also the reaction to the blog entries the way Sherlock wants to seem not interested and John is just so adorably amused by it all)
oh my god the Mycroft - Sherlock interactions so much gold. Mycroft is always so collected, but they truly bring out the worst in each other. I mean Sherlock is normally not that bratty and Mycroft not so much a nag, but together? that shows so much interesting stuff happened in their childhood. Because they do love each other in their way. The scene in the morgue was beautiful and the way that Mycroft was sort of slumming it (meeting John in the dingy cafe) just so they could talk about Sherlock.
which leads me to: John - Mycroft friendship! this made me so happy on so many levels. I just love the idea that those very different people get together regulary, because they just love this one person so much and have no-one else to really rely on in this topic.
oh god, I didn't think I had such strong feelings for Molly, but I honest to god squealed when she came on screen. I love her to itty bits. I felt so bad for her and I really liked that Moffat didn't play her humilation for laughs, but actually had Sherlock apologize and show empathy, wow (also I now ship Molly/Lestrad like burning)
I loved Irene, I loved their relationship. I think Benedict did such a good job showing Sherlocks fascination with her, but also that he just couldn't respond on the same level.
I loved Irene being badass and confident and beautiful, but also human enough, enough of a real person. I know some people don't like that at the end her "love" for Sherlock was her downfall and she had to beg, but I actually liked the way they did it. I'm the first to cry foul at bad gender representations, but that's not what this is. In a way, if Irene wouldn't have been like that she would have been the gender fiction stereotype of perfect action girl. I like that she can't resist this man, who must be so interesting and new for her. Just as Sherlock has never met someone like Irene she hasn't met anyone like Sherlock.
I do believe Sherlock that at the beginning the password was like a bit of a joke for her, something to secretly smile at. But she kept it out of sentimentality for this weird relationship they managed to build. And just like Sherlock made a mistake because of it, she made one too. And thats neither male or female that's just human. Sherlock making her beg at the end is also human. It's mean and spiteful, but he was hurt, in a way his tentative tries at real human relationship building was thrown in his face there and he doesn't know how to healthily deal with that hurt.
So tl;dr I enjoyed everything about Irene.
and last but not least John and Sherlock were perfect and poignant and funny and depressing and everything a relationship (be it romantic or platonic) should be
basically I loved every second of it, all the jokes were perfect, Moriarty was super creepy, my heart broke for devastated Mycroft and I now need ALL THE FIC! ALL OF IT!(but especially the pirate!AU with marine officer John being Sherlocks part of the booty...because)
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However! This is what I am going to comment on: As a complete side note: Benedict has to work on his fake violin playing a little. As a violin player, I did cringe a bit. For the most part he's good though, and it's remarkably hard to fake, so I do give him points for the effort.
I can tell you now, his acting in this bit was THE BEST THING EVER if the last fake playing of an instument you saw was done by a Bollywood actor. I love Shahrukh Khan a lot, but nothing is worse than seeing him fake-play an instrument, especially a violin. :P
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