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hells_half_acreDear Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch,
You are both wonderful actors who have made me cry.
Congratulations,
Alix
Okay, well, my version of crying anyway...but I'll get to that later.
Let us begin, and the beginning, which is also the end.
Because BAM! They hit you with it right away. The opening scene was absolutely gorgeous in it's heartbreak. The water running down the window pane behind John's head like a waterfall - the way John can't even say Sherlock's name, can't say any of it...yet, before we even get to that, we have John treating his therapist like Sherlock treats/treated everyone "don't ask stupid questions" was the tone - of course she knows what's going on, of course she watches the telly, reads the paper...has heard all about The Great Sherlock Holmes...or, rather, the Reichenbach Detective.
Because we find out that Sherlock solved a very high profile case - and now he really is the darling of the press. No longer just a detective for small cases...he's finding paintings, and rescuing the Prime Ministers kids (or something)...and I loved these bits, with Sherlock trying to play along with social convention. With John trying to coach him through it. I loved Sherlock commenting on all the gifts to John.
At first, I thought I liked the gag-gift from Lestrade, because at least it wasn't something impersonal like cuff-links (all his cuff's have buttons) or tie pins (he doesn't wear ties)...no, it was a tease from Sally and Anderson in the back...and then later, I couldn't help but reinterpret it not as a friendly tease, but rather a cruel one. A lack of respect...though, I guess the point was that Sherlock never gave them respect either.
I liked Sherlock not understanding why SHERLOCK'S reputation would bother John...still not quite understanding the depth of how John cares for him, or perhaps not understanding what that depth MEANS.
Maybe it's because we knew what was coming, but Sherlock and John's domesticity scenes this episode were tinged with that feeling of "you'll regret that when he's dead..." or, not as strongly, "don't complain about each other, you have such little time." I think, though, that both John and Sherlock value honesty and the trust that comes with it...which, well, is another theme of the episode...so I don't think they'll regret these "domestics" or at least, they shouldn't. Though, I'm sure they both wish they had more time together...
Ugh, okay, sorry, not starting in on the depressing stuff yet. Let's do the ominous stuff...
The Moriarty Sequence - from the Tower of London ballet to the blues tune as we went to trial - was absolutely beautiful and amazingly well done. I especially like the song choice for that blue number.
The reporter - Kitty. Goddamn, I kind of wanted her to be of some help, but no...she was, of course, just as Sherlock said. Now, I must admit to being pulled a LITTLE bit out of the action here, and I feel really bad about it...but I'm a huge fan of the IT Crowd, so seeing Jen was sort of well...I said "JEN!" and then started thinking about Roy...and...yeah...but the actress was great, really, it's my own fault for having watched the IT Crowd way too much.
I did like her trailing after him saying "You and John Watson - just platonic?!" It IS so weird in today's society how men just can't be flatmates and best friends without people talking...in the 1800s, there was such things as "romantic friendships" and no one would bat an eyelash at some nice non-sexual cuddling...of course, that led to the backlash...and yeah, then we get today.
I'm getting way off topic here...where was I?
Oh, Moriarty to Baker St. I liked how Sherlock knew what would happen, knew he was coming. I like how Sherlock sets up a full tea service, extremely proper and according to social custom. Tea is a social ritual. I liked the unfinished piece and the discussion of Bach. The fact that Moriarty took Sherlock's chair, even though Sherlock pointed at John's. I'm actually kind of glad that Moriarty didn't sit in John's chair. Besides being blasphemous, it's completely the wrong aesthetic. Sherlock can sit in both his chair (modern) and John's chair (old-fashioned), because Sherlock is both these things. Moriarty doesn't have any of the old-fashioned qualities that Sherlock has.
I'm digressing again...
Although it was cruel and condescending...I DID like Moriarty's line about how maybe he should get a "live-in" ordinary person too.
I loved John walking into the Diogenes Club and talking at full volume trying to find Mycroft! Hilarious - but honestly, what was Mycroft thinking?
And then the assassins moving in...interesting...and I was thinking "Why is Mycroft telling John this, OF COURSE John is going to look out for Sherlock. IT'S WHAT JOHN DOES!"
John found the envelope, and just opened it, and I thought it was sawdust or something, but my first reaction was ANTHRAX! Haha, you can tell what era I grew up in :P
And then the kidnapping case....it was cool. I felt so bad for those kids.
But let's talk about MOLLY!
Molly is AWESOME! Just...the fact that she's noticed that Sherlock looks sad when John's not looking at him. It means that Sherlock is already worried...already suspicious that he won't be able to outwit Moriarty this time...already aware that he is playing into Moriarty's game exactly the way Moriarty wants him to, and he can't stop.
And I loved Molly for noticing...and I loved her for being Sherlock's friend, even though Sherlock says such mean things, always always...and I love Sherlock for looking at Molly and finally SEEING her, and understanding just how valuable a friend she is.
But, yeah, I also love the fact that Sherlock is already trying to protect John...always trying to protect John, even if it's just from Sherlock's doubt. John always has faith in Sherlock, and Sherlock doesn't want to do anything to change that. For all Sherlock's talk in The Great Game about John not making him into a hero - in this episode, Sherlock is desperately trying to be a hero for John.
And of course, as soon as he solves the kidnapping - I realize that he's being framed. And Sally suddenly decides to fulfill her prophecy, because she hates being wrong....and I hate her for it.
Sherlock still doesn't understand what John's problem is...and part of me can't believe that Sherlock could actually believe that John would think Sherlock was a criminal...(that was a confusing sentence on my part)... that is to say, that Sherlock should know by now that John would never - COULD never - think that of him. And I think he gets that by the time the scene is over, but still... I do like the fact that John never comes right out and says "I can't have people thinking you're a fraud, because you are the best and wisest man I have ever known, and I just want everyone else to see how brilliant and wonderful you are - I want everyone else to see what I see." But, I DID Like his version (the one that he can get away with and not bring horrid FEELINGS into things)..."no one can fake being such an annoying dick all of the time."
Handcuffs!! I love John punching the chief of police (or, whatever that guy's title was) because he called Sherlock names. And I love their escape...John holding onto Sherlock's sleeve in the alley was adorable, and them having to coordinate getting over that fence was also great (how DID John manage it?)...
And ..John picking up the newspaper and saying "kiss and tell with Rich Brook" and I was like "Whoa wait...does Sherlock actually have an old lover?"
Actually, while were on the subject...did anyone else find it a little weird that Sherlock and Mycroft weren't talking AT ALL?! I mean, geez...what happened between Hounds and now? Sherlock was able to call in a favour with Mycroft in Hounds, yet now Mycroft won't speak directly to him at all. Maybe just because he's guilty for what he did? I'm wondering if Mycroft made the classic mistake in this one...he gave John the information, thinking that John would tell Sherlock and give Sherlock a jump start at figuring out Moriarty's game. Only, Mycroft didn't realize that John doesn't actually tell Sherlock anything about their meetings...or anything at all unless Sherlock asks, or JOHN thinks it's important. So he tells about the assassins, but he doesn't give the name Rich Brook.
I had a pair of friends who were in a couple, and at the time, I lived with my best friend...our friends who were in the couple, would tell my best friend something, or tell me something, and then get mad when they found out that we didn't pass along the information to each other. Like, they just assumed that if they told me something, I'd immediately tell my best friend. Which, wasn't the case at all...and vice versa for my best friend. Anyway...yeah, couples (all sorts of couples) don't necessarily tell each other every single conversation they have in a day - even if that conversation is with the other person's brother. (Coincidentally, I once slept with my friend's brother, and I only told him about it 3 years later.)
I've gotten off topic again...
When they get to the reporters house and Moriarty is there! MAN! THAT BLEW MY MIND. Also, it was REALLY TRIPPY...because you KNOW it's all lies, but there's absolutely nothing in Andrew Scott's performance that's inauthentic to THAT moment. He doesn't let Moriarty bleed back in...there are no secret evil looks to Sherlock...no, he's playing Rich Brook.
Also, I was so focused on the other translation of Reich(=Empire), that I didn't even put the name-play together until Sherlock stated it at the end. :P
And then Sherlock takes off, and who is the last person (other than John) that he can trust? Molly.
If you are going to fake your own death, it helps to have friends at the morgue.
Molly is awesome yet again, of course, because she doesn't ask questions - she doesn't even want to hear Sherlock's explanation. He tells her that he thinks he might be dying, and she just says "what do you need?" and THAT my friends is how to be a friend.
Which brings me to another point: In so many Reichenbach/Empty House fics, it's Mycroft that's known the whole time that Sherlock is alive...and yet, in this version, does he? Does Mycroft know that he didn't kill his own brother?
Speaking of Mycroft - I love that John put it together that MYCROFT was the one that sold Sherlock up the river. It's a brilliant confrontation.
And when John got the call about Mrs. Hudson, I knew it was a fake...because we KNOW that Sherlock would fly into a rage/sadness/madness if anything were to happen to Mrs. Hudson...so, I do think John falls a little here, because he should have realized that Sherlock was playing him...and I think he does, as soon as he sees Mrs. Hudson perfectly healthy. But still, it hurt my heart as I watched, to think that John calling Sherlock a "machine" could be the last words he ever said to him.
And then the rooftop.
The whole scene was amazing...the battle of wits, and the round and round, and trying to figure out who is on top - who has the ace up their sleeve - who is acting distressed when they aren't? For how many contingencies has Sherlock planned?
Moriarty's suicide...I did NOT see coming. There's some joke I should make here about the look of surprise on my face or something...but, for some reason I think it'd be in poor taste.
And then everything that follows KILLS me:
Sherlock's distressed noises. Seriously, LISTEN to him. One thing I love about this version of Sherlock (and the thing that sets him apart from all other versions of Sherlock) is the fact that they weave in this slight autism to him...and those distressed noises strike at the core of that.
The Note - For days, weeks, months, I've been wondering how they were going to do "the note" - would it be a letter, would it be a text, would it be an email, would it be a comment on the blog? ...I never pictured a phone-call. I never pictured a version in which John can talk back...and it ripped my heart out. They REACHED for each other, and John's repeated use of "stop it. stop it." and "no, no, no" and just...I love how NATURAL it was, especially from John's end, because John didn't have a lie that he needed to spread, and he didn't have a ruse that he needed to carry out even though it broke his heart. John just had his best friend telling him lies from the edge of a building and asking him to believe them. The whole thing was gorgeous. Sherlock was CRYING, so much that it was dripping off his chin...and yeah...
The cyclist - was he part of the homeless network? It couldn't have been coincidence...the choreographed knock to the ground, that would delay John getting to the body...was the hit on the head lucky?
John...oh John..."he's my friend"...them prying his hand off the wrist...John just collapsing. Sitting in an empty flat with no shoes...and no, he's not going to tell his therapist all the things he would have liked to have said to Sherlock Holmes...because he CAN'T, because there's only one Sherlock Holmes.
Mrs Hudson...Sherlock's stuff is in boxes, and John won't return to the flat...can't. And John says he's angry, so she lists off all the things that drove her crazy about Sherlock, but they both loved him...and those are the things they would give anything to have to put up with again...
Interestingly, they did not put in "the best and wisest man I have ever know" - but I like what they did better, because it's more realistic that John would be a little in-eloquent...and it's MORE of a compliment to this Sherlock to call him human, not a freak, not a weirdo...a human with a heart.
"I was so alone and I owe you so much." - and this is where I swallow. Why does Holmes need Watson? (he's a doctor, he's normal, he's his only friend)...why does Watson need Holmes? This is what this version of Sherlock addresses: Sherlock and John were BOTH "so alone"...and then they found each other, and it doesn't have to be sexual to be love. And now, John's alone again...
"Could you stop being dead...could you just stop this," - and here we see as far as John Watson will get to a breakdown...because he's a British soldier. And this is done brilliantly, the way he swallows his words, whispers them, because he can't let the sobs sneak out behind the words. He covers his eyes when he tears up, because crying is something that is not done openly. He takes a deep breath, presses it all down, becomes the soldier he was and is - he does a military turn, and then he exits.
A family member of mine once complained to me about her British upbringing - British Protestant - where you aren't supposed to feel emotions, and you certainly aren't supposed to show them. I was raised much the same way...so, on this blog, I like to joke and say, "that would have made me cry, if I had a soul" or "I would have cried, except my heart is nothing more than an engine formed from the remnants of a dead star"...but the truth of the matter is that I very seldom cry about anything...and for that reason, when I do show an emotion other than happiness, my friends tend to freak out. So, when I say off the top, that Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch made me cry - I mean that they made my throat tight, and perhaps I blinked more often. And the fact that Martin Freeman made my throat tight just by making his own throat tight is really saying something for how amazingly accurately the emotions in this episode were written and acted.
So I love, I absolutely love, the last shot of John, mask in place, walking away as though his best friend wasn't buried in the ground. It's so goddamn British.
I loved it just as much as the shot of Sherlock, alive, watching as his best friend walks away.
So...how long do we have to wait for Series 3, so that we can all be happy again?
You are both wonderful actors who have made me cry.
Congratulations,
Alix
Okay, well, my version of crying anyway...but I'll get to that later.
Let us begin, and the beginning, which is also the end.
Because BAM! They hit you with it right away. The opening scene was absolutely gorgeous in it's heartbreak. The water running down the window pane behind John's head like a waterfall - the way John can't even say Sherlock's name, can't say any of it...yet, before we even get to that, we have John treating his therapist like Sherlock treats/treated everyone "don't ask stupid questions" was the tone - of course she knows what's going on, of course she watches the telly, reads the paper...has heard all about The Great Sherlock Holmes...or, rather, the Reichenbach Detective.
Because we find out that Sherlock solved a very high profile case - and now he really is the darling of the press. No longer just a detective for small cases...he's finding paintings, and rescuing the Prime Ministers kids (or something)...and I loved these bits, with Sherlock trying to play along with social convention. With John trying to coach him through it. I loved Sherlock commenting on all the gifts to John.
At first, I thought I liked the gag-gift from Lestrade, because at least it wasn't something impersonal like cuff-links (all his cuff's have buttons) or tie pins (he doesn't wear ties)...no, it was a tease from Sally and Anderson in the back...and then later, I couldn't help but reinterpret it not as a friendly tease, but rather a cruel one. A lack of respect...though, I guess the point was that Sherlock never gave them respect either.
I liked Sherlock not understanding why SHERLOCK'S reputation would bother John...still not quite understanding the depth of how John cares for him, or perhaps not understanding what that depth MEANS.
Maybe it's because we knew what was coming, but Sherlock and John's domesticity scenes this episode were tinged with that feeling of "you'll regret that when he's dead..." or, not as strongly, "don't complain about each other, you have such little time." I think, though, that both John and Sherlock value honesty and the trust that comes with it...which, well, is another theme of the episode...so I don't think they'll regret these "domestics" or at least, they shouldn't. Though, I'm sure they both wish they had more time together...
Ugh, okay, sorry, not starting in on the depressing stuff yet. Let's do the ominous stuff...
The Moriarty Sequence - from the Tower of London ballet to the blues tune as we went to trial - was absolutely beautiful and amazingly well done. I especially like the song choice for that blue number.
The reporter - Kitty. Goddamn, I kind of wanted her to be of some help, but no...she was, of course, just as Sherlock said. Now, I must admit to being pulled a LITTLE bit out of the action here, and I feel really bad about it...but I'm a huge fan of the IT Crowd, so seeing Jen was sort of well...I said "JEN!" and then started thinking about Roy...and...yeah...but the actress was great, really, it's my own fault for having watched the IT Crowd way too much.
I did like her trailing after him saying "You and John Watson - just platonic?!" It IS so weird in today's society how men just can't be flatmates and best friends without people talking...in the 1800s, there was such things as "romantic friendships" and no one would bat an eyelash at some nice non-sexual cuddling...of course, that led to the backlash...and yeah, then we get today.
I'm getting way off topic here...where was I?
Oh, Moriarty to Baker St. I liked how Sherlock knew what would happen, knew he was coming. I like how Sherlock sets up a full tea service, extremely proper and according to social custom. Tea is a social ritual. I liked the unfinished piece and the discussion of Bach. The fact that Moriarty took Sherlock's chair, even though Sherlock pointed at John's. I'm actually kind of glad that Moriarty didn't sit in John's chair. Besides being blasphemous, it's completely the wrong aesthetic. Sherlock can sit in both his chair (modern) and John's chair (old-fashioned), because Sherlock is both these things. Moriarty doesn't have any of the old-fashioned qualities that Sherlock has.
I'm digressing again...
Although it was cruel and condescending...I DID like Moriarty's line about how maybe he should get a "live-in" ordinary person too.
I loved John walking into the Diogenes Club and talking at full volume trying to find Mycroft! Hilarious - but honestly, what was Mycroft thinking?
And then the assassins moving in...interesting...and I was thinking "Why is Mycroft telling John this, OF COURSE John is going to look out for Sherlock. IT'S WHAT JOHN DOES!"
John found the envelope, and just opened it, and I thought it was sawdust or something, but my first reaction was ANTHRAX! Haha, you can tell what era I grew up in :P
And then the kidnapping case....it was cool. I felt so bad for those kids.
But let's talk about MOLLY!
Molly is AWESOME! Just...the fact that she's noticed that Sherlock looks sad when John's not looking at him. It means that Sherlock is already worried...already suspicious that he won't be able to outwit Moriarty this time...already aware that he is playing into Moriarty's game exactly the way Moriarty wants him to, and he can't stop.
And I loved Molly for noticing...and I loved her for being Sherlock's friend, even though Sherlock says such mean things, always always...and I love Sherlock for looking at Molly and finally SEEING her, and understanding just how valuable a friend she is.
But, yeah, I also love the fact that Sherlock is already trying to protect John...always trying to protect John, even if it's just from Sherlock's doubt. John always has faith in Sherlock, and Sherlock doesn't want to do anything to change that. For all Sherlock's talk in The Great Game about John not making him into a hero - in this episode, Sherlock is desperately trying to be a hero for John.
And of course, as soon as he solves the kidnapping - I realize that he's being framed. And Sally suddenly decides to fulfill her prophecy, because she hates being wrong....and I hate her for it.
Sherlock still doesn't understand what John's problem is...and part of me can't believe that Sherlock could actually believe that John would think Sherlock was a criminal...(that was a confusing sentence on my part)... that is to say, that Sherlock should know by now that John would never - COULD never - think that of him. And I think he gets that by the time the scene is over, but still... I do like the fact that John never comes right out and says "I can't have people thinking you're a fraud, because you are the best and wisest man I have ever known, and I just want everyone else to see how brilliant and wonderful you are - I want everyone else to see what I see." But, I DID Like his version (the one that he can get away with and not bring horrid FEELINGS into things)..."no one can fake being such an annoying dick all of the time."
Handcuffs!! I love John punching the chief of police (or, whatever that guy's title was) because he called Sherlock names. And I love their escape...John holding onto Sherlock's sleeve in the alley was adorable, and them having to coordinate getting over that fence was also great (how DID John manage it?)...
And ..John picking up the newspaper and saying "kiss and tell with Rich Brook" and I was like "Whoa wait...does Sherlock actually have an old lover?"
Actually, while were on the subject...did anyone else find it a little weird that Sherlock and Mycroft weren't talking AT ALL?! I mean, geez...what happened between Hounds and now? Sherlock was able to call in a favour with Mycroft in Hounds, yet now Mycroft won't speak directly to him at all. Maybe just because he's guilty for what he did? I'm wondering if Mycroft made the classic mistake in this one...he gave John the information, thinking that John would tell Sherlock and give Sherlock a jump start at figuring out Moriarty's game. Only, Mycroft didn't realize that John doesn't actually tell Sherlock anything about their meetings...or anything at all unless Sherlock asks, or JOHN thinks it's important. So he tells about the assassins, but he doesn't give the name Rich Brook.
I had a pair of friends who were in a couple, and at the time, I lived with my best friend...our friends who were in the couple, would tell my best friend something, or tell me something, and then get mad when they found out that we didn't pass along the information to each other. Like, they just assumed that if they told me something, I'd immediately tell my best friend. Which, wasn't the case at all...and vice versa for my best friend. Anyway...yeah, couples (all sorts of couples) don't necessarily tell each other every single conversation they have in a day - even if that conversation is with the other person's brother. (Coincidentally, I once slept with my friend's brother, and I only told him about it 3 years later.)
I've gotten off topic again...
When they get to the reporters house and Moriarty is there! MAN! THAT BLEW MY MIND. Also, it was REALLY TRIPPY...because you KNOW it's all lies, but there's absolutely nothing in Andrew Scott's performance that's inauthentic to THAT moment. He doesn't let Moriarty bleed back in...there are no secret evil looks to Sherlock...no, he's playing Rich Brook.
Also, I was so focused on the other translation of Reich(=Empire), that I didn't even put the name-play together until Sherlock stated it at the end. :P
And then Sherlock takes off, and who is the last person (other than John) that he can trust? Molly.
If you are going to fake your own death, it helps to have friends at the morgue.
Molly is awesome yet again, of course, because she doesn't ask questions - she doesn't even want to hear Sherlock's explanation. He tells her that he thinks he might be dying, and she just says "what do you need?" and THAT my friends is how to be a friend.
Which brings me to another point: In so many Reichenbach/Empty House fics, it's Mycroft that's known the whole time that Sherlock is alive...and yet, in this version, does he? Does Mycroft know that he didn't kill his own brother?
Speaking of Mycroft - I love that John put it together that MYCROFT was the one that sold Sherlock up the river. It's a brilliant confrontation.
And when John got the call about Mrs. Hudson, I knew it was a fake...because we KNOW that Sherlock would fly into a rage/sadness/madness if anything were to happen to Mrs. Hudson...so, I do think John falls a little here, because he should have realized that Sherlock was playing him...and I think he does, as soon as he sees Mrs. Hudson perfectly healthy. But still, it hurt my heart as I watched, to think that John calling Sherlock a "machine" could be the last words he ever said to him.
And then the rooftop.
The whole scene was amazing...the battle of wits, and the round and round, and trying to figure out who is on top - who has the ace up their sleeve - who is acting distressed when they aren't? For how many contingencies has Sherlock planned?
Moriarty's suicide...I did NOT see coming. There's some joke I should make here about the look of surprise on my face or something...but, for some reason I think it'd be in poor taste.
And then everything that follows KILLS me:
Sherlock's distressed noises. Seriously, LISTEN to him. One thing I love about this version of Sherlock (and the thing that sets him apart from all other versions of Sherlock) is the fact that they weave in this slight autism to him...and those distressed noises strike at the core of that.
The Note - For days, weeks, months, I've been wondering how they were going to do "the note" - would it be a letter, would it be a text, would it be an email, would it be a comment on the blog? ...I never pictured a phone-call. I never pictured a version in which John can talk back...and it ripped my heart out. They REACHED for each other, and John's repeated use of "stop it. stop it." and "no, no, no" and just...I love how NATURAL it was, especially from John's end, because John didn't have a lie that he needed to spread, and he didn't have a ruse that he needed to carry out even though it broke his heart. John just had his best friend telling him lies from the edge of a building and asking him to believe them. The whole thing was gorgeous. Sherlock was CRYING, so much that it was dripping off his chin...and yeah...
The cyclist - was he part of the homeless network? It couldn't have been coincidence...the choreographed knock to the ground, that would delay John getting to the body...was the hit on the head lucky?
John...oh John..."he's my friend"...them prying his hand off the wrist...John just collapsing. Sitting in an empty flat with no shoes...and no, he's not going to tell his therapist all the things he would have liked to have said to Sherlock Holmes...because he CAN'T, because there's only one Sherlock Holmes.
Mrs Hudson...Sherlock's stuff is in boxes, and John won't return to the flat...can't. And John says he's angry, so she lists off all the things that drove her crazy about Sherlock, but they both loved him...and those are the things they would give anything to have to put up with again...
Interestingly, they did not put in "the best and wisest man I have ever know" - but I like what they did better, because it's more realistic that John would be a little in-eloquent...and it's MORE of a compliment to this Sherlock to call him human, not a freak, not a weirdo...a human with a heart.
"I was so alone and I owe you so much." - and this is where I swallow. Why does Holmes need Watson? (he's a doctor, he's normal, he's his only friend)...why does Watson need Holmes? This is what this version of Sherlock addresses: Sherlock and John were BOTH "so alone"...and then they found each other, and it doesn't have to be sexual to be love. And now, John's alone again...
"Could you stop being dead...could you just stop this," - and here we see as far as John Watson will get to a breakdown...because he's a British soldier. And this is done brilliantly, the way he swallows his words, whispers them, because he can't let the sobs sneak out behind the words. He covers his eyes when he tears up, because crying is something that is not done openly. He takes a deep breath, presses it all down, becomes the soldier he was and is - he does a military turn, and then he exits.
A family member of mine once complained to me about her British upbringing - British Protestant - where you aren't supposed to feel emotions, and you certainly aren't supposed to show them. I was raised much the same way...so, on this blog, I like to joke and say, "that would have made me cry, if I had a soul" or "I would have cried, except my heart is nothing more than an engine formed from the remnants of a dead star"...but the truth of the matter is that I very seldom cry about anything...and for that reason, when I do show an emotion other than happiness, my friends tend to freak out. So, when I say off the top, that Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch made me cry - I mean that they made my throat tight, and perhaps I blinked more often. And the fact that Martin Freeman made my throat tight just by making his own throat tight is really saying something for how amazingly accurately the emotions in this episode were written and acted.
So I love, I absolutely love, the last shot of John, mask in place, walking away as though his best friend wasn't buried in the ground. It's so goddamn British.
I loved it just as much as the shot of Sherlock, alive, watching as his best friend walks away.
So...how long do we have to wait for Series 3, so that we can all be happy again?
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Date: 2012-01-16 11:46 am (UTC)I got the feeling that Moriarty will be acquitted, because how else are they going to orchestrate everything with him behind bars and the red tape of bureaucracy? And I was spoiled for the location of the final confrontation as well, so yeah, I thought it's highly unlikely he would be found guilty.
I admit that I was a little confused when they brought Mycroft into the picture, and I couldn't quite get the part about the assassins. Who hired them? Moriarty? Some rival gangs that wanted to get their hands on the so-called code? We found out later that the code is a red herring, but does that mean that he hired them just to take the other out, or something? And I never knew there are many hired guns in London at the same time! Now I'm wondering if Mycroft would just group them together and eliminate them all.
You know how I feel about Donovan and Anderson and Lestrade LOL
Molly is such a BAMF in this episode, and she doesn't even have to hit anyone to get that title. I like how she deals with Sherlock for the past 2 seasons; she uses the soft approach, and I think eventually Sherlock, as shown in this episode, finally sees her for who she is. Adorable.
Sherlock's distressed noises. Seriously, LISTEN to him. One thing I love about this version of Sherlock (and the thing that sets him apart from all other versions of Sherlock) is the fact that they weave in this slight autism to him...and those distressed noises strike at the core of that.
Exactly, the little details. And yes, I do love this part, the whole part of the rooftop to be honest. It was real, it was highly charged, full of suspense (that seems to be my fave word for the week :p) and that unexpected twist for Moriarty committing suicide, brilliant!
.....This is beginningto sound like a review and not a comment LOL
And the fact that Martin Freeman made my throat tight just by making his own throat tight is really saying something for how amazingly accurately the emotions in this episode were written and acted.
Oh yes! I was discussing with a friend that Martin Freeman, in Sherlock, always let his sentence trail off at the perfect moment, so much so that you could believe that he was actually surprised/shocked/emotional etc This is something that I don't often see in the US shows, where they left the words (not sentences, but words) unfinished. In Supernatural Jensen likes to cut off his sentences in emotional scenes by swallowing, or breaking his voice, but I can't really remember if he has ever let his voice trailed off, leaving silence to fill in his reactions.
Just something I noticed :)
I can't wait for S3 too!!!!! Is it here yet???
PS: Sorry for the extremely long comment!
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Date: 2012-01-16 12:03 pm (UTC)Yes, same here.
I admit that I was a little confused when they brought Mycroft into the picture, and I couldn't quite get the part about the assassins. Who hired them? Moriarty? Some rival gangs that wanted to get their hands on the so-called code? We found out later that the code is a red herring, but does that mean that he hired them just to take the other out, or something?
The code was a redherring to EVERYONE though, and that's the thing. Moriarty advertises that he has the code - then he advertises that he left it in Sherlock's flat (or in Sherlock's brain)...and so people who want the code (and don't realize it exists) stalk Sherlock. But none of them can touch him, none of them can HURT him, because they need him in order to get the code (hence spying on him instead)...and if they see one of the other assassins talking to him, they kill him, because they don't want that other assassin getting the code before they do.
At least, that's how I understood it.
I like how she deals with Sherlock for the past 2 seasons; she uses the soft approach, and I think eventually Sherlock, as shown in this episode, finally sees her for who she is. Adorable.
Agreed.
Oh yes! I was discussing with a friend that Martin Freeman, in Sherlock, always let his sentence trail off at the perfect moment, so much so that you could believe that he was actually surprised/shocked/emotional etc This is something that I don't often see in the US shows, where they left the words (not sentences, but words) unfinished.
I was thinking about this too. There's something so amazingly NATURAL about Martin Freeman's acting. I was trying to figure out if it was the writing, or the acting, or a perfect combination of both...but in a lot of US shows (and other British shows), if you REALLY listen and think about it, it's not actually natural speech...but with Martin Freeman it is (and Benedict really...I'm amazed at how he can say his lines so fast and make it sound like it's not an effort at all.)
I can't wait for S3 too!!!!! Is it here yet???
Will we have to wait another 18 months?!!?! (Also, did you catch that line by the therapist - "it's been 18 months since I last saw you, why did you come back now?")
PS: Sorry for the extremely long comment!
No worries! But now I really am going to bed. It's 4am. :P
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Date: 2012-01-16 12:44 pm (UTC)Jim Moriarty's scene in the Tower of London was fantastic! From the icons on the phone he used to unleash his plan (and their animation changes) to the very unexpected ending (sitting on the throne wearing the crown jewels), it was well executed. And to discover he mounted no defense at his trial, I wondered what the heck? And then when he was acquited--what is going on?
The confrontation scene at the flat was well done. I wondered about Jim's fingers pounding a beat at his knee as well. Looking back on this scene after knowing how the episode turned out, Jim really pushed Sherlock to draw the inference he wanted the consulting detective to do.
I did not like that reporter disguised as a fan and the second scene with her cemented it. Of course, I knew she would show up again but in the company of the man we knew to be Moriarty but acted so well, I could start wondering about the truth of the situation myself.
The linseed oil that tracked the kidnappers was an interesting idea. I agree about Molly--she was fantastic. In earlier episodes, she comes off as weak and allowing herself to be trod on by Sherlock but here, she shines as someone who sees the worry Sherlock is under and makes a point to tell him she sees it and offer her help in any way he needs it.
I thought the same thing about the powder in the envelope (anthrax) so was therefore, relieved to learn it was breadcrumbs. And solving the case did not end well. The juxaposition of Jim's narration in the cab with Donovan and Anderson confronting Lestrade was well done. (And I liked that Lestrade was the king as well.)
I was not sure what to make of Mycroft informing John about all the assassins on Baker Street and even more confused by them helping Sherlock and then being shot. We did however, learn why they were interested in Sherlock and the picture begins to coalesce. And while John may not have seen the Mrs. Hudson ploy for what it was, he did figure out Mycroft. And thus, we have an explanation for the scene at the end of Hounds.
I love that Sherlock goes to Molly to take her up on her offer and ends up in a confrontation with Jim Moriarty on the roof of St. Bart's (teaching hospital and morgue). Jim Moriarty creeps me out (so well acted I do not want to see the man in any other roles or a well lit street) and calling Sherlock ordinary when he reveals the game. I wondered if there was any way out for Sherlock but when Jim unexpectedly killed himself (he was validated by Sherlock so what else did he have to live for besides screwing over Sherlock?), I could not see any way but down. And the scene between John and Sherlock--tears and denial--heartbreaking. And John just trying to get to his friend (I was pretty suspicious of the bicyclist as well even thought it might be Molly) and barely able to touch him, more emotional distress. And finally, that stark headstone: black with white writing just reflecting the scene was a fascinating choice. John's begging and military turn were just incredible. And then we see Sherlock alive. While I am glad he is, I wondered how the heck he survived the fall (or how the illusion of the fall was executed).
Fantastic episode and I really want a series three!
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Date: 2012-01-17 12:16 am (UTC)So: Agreed!
I wonder how long we will have to wait for series three. I wonder how John will react... In my opinion, series two was absolutely perfect. I really do think this is the best television I have ever seen.
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Date: 2012-01-16 01:03 pm (UTC)I agree I agree I agree. I have nothing to add because I AGREE. So here are some non-related bits.
John found the envelope, and just opened it, and I thought it was sawdust or something,
Is it weird that my immediate thought was that it was someone's ashes?
I lived with my best friend...our friends who were in the couple, would tell my best friend something, or tell me something, and then get mad when they found out that we didn't pass along the information to each other.
In a similar way, one of my flatmates would tell my other flatmate things, and then assume that I would know too. Not because she expacted my other flatmate to tell me, more that she thought of me and my flatmate as the same person and forget which one she'd been telling that particular thing to. It was amusing. :P
Oh, actually Sherlock related, Andrew Scott in a crown was FABULOUS. Haha. He's freaky as shit as Moriarty.
You know, I thought it was weird that when Moriarty said "I'll kill your friends" or whatever, Sherlock thought John, then Mrs Hudson then Lestrade. Lestrade? I mean, I like Lestrade, but I'd've never thought that Sherlock would consider him a friend. I'm glad he does, but when he said it I thought it was unusual. Though I loved how Lestrade didn't really believe Sally and Anderson. Not really, not even when he was arresting Sherlock.
"Could you stop being dead...could you just stop this,"
My mum laughed here. And I get why but I was also this close to saying MUM SHUT UP NO THIS IS SAD SHUT UP NOT FUNNY. Oh my God, John/Martin broke my heart here. Everything, EVERYTHING about that little bit made me want to SMISH HIM TO MY (NOT AT ALL AMPLE) BOSOM. Arrgh! In fact, after watching it, I sort of forced down everything I felt about it just so I could not sit in my bed weeping hysterically and not being able to sleep (though it did instead manifest itself in a very weird dream about a psychotic 13 year old girl who was trying to kill my dad. WHICH WAS HORRIBLE. :/)
Um. Yes.
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Date: 2012-01-17 12:24 am (UTC)Given this show? No. :P
Oh, actually Sherlock related, Andrew Scott in a crown was FABULOUS. Haha. He's freaky as shit as Moriarty.
Agreed! Andrew Scott is one of the rare actors that is so good at acting that I DON'T want to meet him in real life. :P
You know, I thought it was weird that when Moriarty said "I'll kill your friends" or whatever, Sherlock thought John, then Mrs Hudson then Lestrade. Lestrade? I mean, I like Lestrade, but I'd've never thought that Sherlock would consider him a friend. I'm glad he does, but when he said it I thought it was unusual. Though I loved how Lestrade didn't really believe Sally and Anderson. Not really, not even when he was arresting Sherlock.
I always thought of Lestrade as a friend to Sherlock. I actually don't think he protested ENOUGH at Sally and Anderson... I'm actually quite a bit angry with him. I mean, I'm sure he doesn't actually believe Sherlock is a fraud, but even the fact that he could doubt Sherlock enough to get a warrant...annoys me. I kind of want a scene where we see how guilty he feels now that Sherlock is dead, or a scene where John punches him or yells at him or something. I'd feel better after that.
Everything, EVERYTHING about that little bit made me want to SMISH HIM TO MY (NOT AT ALL AMPLE) BOSOM.
ME TOO!
Arrgh! In fact, after watching it, I sort of forced down everything I felt about it just so I could not sit in my bed weeping hysterically and not being able to sleep (though it did instead manifest itself in a very weird dream about a psychotic 13 year old girl who was trying to kill my dad. WHICH WAS HORRIBLE. :/)
YIKES!
I had weird dreams too - but now I can't remember them. Oh! NO WAIT! I dreamt that me and my best friend went to a zoo/circus thing that had these huge bison/buffalo creatures...and then the ring-master/zoo-keeper made my best friend BURST INTO TEARS about how goddamn miserable he is in life and how there's no point in living...oh god. It was horrible. Not to self: Do not watch shows just before bed where someone's best friend commits suicide (even if it's faked).
That being said, there were these adorable birdies that I got to play with in the dream, and that was cool. I like birds.
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Date: 2012-01-17 04:25 pm (UTC)And concernig Lestrade... well, I think that if Sally and Anderson actually lodged a formal complaint, there would be very little that Lestrade could do. I think it's more of a betrayal of Lestrade by Sally and Anderson rather than Sherlock by Sally and Anderson. I think he should feel guilty or whatever, but I don't really blame him all that much. I think in situations like that, he's pushed into a corner by bureaucracy and that. And I don't think it could have been Lestrade who put in the complaint or whatever. Because what was he going to say? "Oh yeah, I made this really bad decision and I think I've been consulting a criminal"? But yeah, that's me. *shrugs*
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Date: 2012-01-17 06:40 pm (UTC)And yeah...okay, you are making me feel better about Lestrade. It's true that Sally and Anderson could have easily backed him into an bureaucratic corner if they launched a formal complaint...perhaps jeopardize his job (well, I'm sure this has jeopardized his job anyway), but maybe Lestrade hoped that once they got Sherlock to the station, they'd be able to prove he was innocent.
It'll be interesting to see how series 3 plays out. Because I'm not sure Sherlock can work with the police anymore...unless he's able to clear his name somehow.
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Date: 2012-01-17 09:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-17 10:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-17 10:44 pm (UTC)(I'll throw metaphorical pennies at your feet! *entices*)
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Date: 2012-01-17 10:48 pm (UTC)Completely off-topic question: Does Lestrade (Rupert Graves) have a particular localized accent (ie: are there other people that sound like him in Britian)? Because, goddamn, I love that man's accent.
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Date: 2012-01-17 11:02 pm (UTC)... Oh my God everything is slash vids on YouTube. Eeww. No.
Broke out the DVDs. Easier that way. Really, I think it's his voice more than his accent? Wikipedia says he's from Somerset, but it's not a stereotypical Somerset accent (i.e. farmer). I'm going to say it's a soft Somerset accent that has probably been sort of... eroded over time. So Somerset/London but nothing strong. It sounds like a pretty standard British TV accent to me. But I'm not great at accents and I guess the difference wouldn't be that pronounced to me anyway.
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Date: 2012-01-17 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-17 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-17 11:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-17 11:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-18 10:15 pm (UTC)However, I'm pretty sure Lestrade's voice/accent was constructed for the series (i.e. it's not RG's everyday voice). RG has been in London since he was 18, so there's no way he'd have a 'natural' Somerset accent by now; also, he's from near Bristol (different accent from Somerset farmers). I've seen one interview where he claimed that when he first came to London he had a 'really bad, fake cockney accent' but with Bristol vowels ('foive' for five, etc). So maybe that feeds into Lestrade's way of speaking!
Last, the surname 'Lestrade' fits with the east London/Essex/'estuary English' idea, as it could easily be a Huguenot name (= French Protestant emigres who settled in east London in the 17thC due to persecution).
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Date: 2012-01-18 10:23 pm (UTC)Thanks so much for chiming in on this! It just really struck me this series how much I enjoy hearing Lestrade talk.
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Date: 2012-01-16 04:35 pm (UTC)I'm pretty reserved, normally, when it comes to TV shows affecting me- but I had tears in my eyes when John was at the graveside. My heart; broken. Tears; everywhere.
I have to rewatch it, but I'm half afraid to. Lol.
One point though- when Mycroft talks to John, does he say 'Rich Brook' or does he just say 'Brook(e)'? I only heard Brook, implying a girl and therefore leaving John with less reason to say anything. Must rewatch and find out.
Can't be anymore coherent than that, I'm afraid. :)
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Date: 2012-01-17 12:28 am (UTC)He just says "Brook(e)" - in my mind, I pictured Brooke, and thought it was a girl, because I'm used to Brooke as a first name.
Such a good episode. I don't think anyone should expect us to be coherent.
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Date: 2012-01-16 06:30 pm (UTC)And as usual I had a lot of the other same thoughts/reactions you talked about.
This may have been my favorite episode despite the anger and heartbreak.
I loved how they did the grave scene. John going into military form at the end was striking because you know he would have broken down sobbing otherwise.
I really hope they don't make us wait to long before the next series.
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Date: 2012-01-17 12:31 am (UTC)John going into military form actually makes it more heartbreaking, in my opinion - because you see John fall back on the only coping mechanism he has, and also, it's a mark of the respect that John has for Sherlock as well.
I don't even know what to do with my feelings now that series 2 is over. I really hope that it's only a year until the next series, I don't see it being any shorter than that, but I also don't see how it needs to be longer.
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Date: 2012-01-17 01:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-17 01:18 am (UTC)Very true.
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Date: 2012-01-16 07:32 pm (UTC)Ahahah, IKR? that's exactly what I was thinking. I guess it makes it apparent where and when we've lived.
Molly was amazing. I don't know how fandom feels about her anymore, since I haven't been in fandom since S1, but I love her character(always have), because she has such potential that hasn't come out, until now.
Actually, while were on the subject...did anyone else find it a little weird that Sherlock and Mycroft weren't talking AT ALL?! I mean, geez...what happened between Hounds and now? Sherlock was able to call in a favour with Mycroft in Hounds, yet now Mycroft won't speak directly to him at all. Maybe just because he's guilty for what he did? I'm wondering if Mycroft made the classic mistake in this one...he gave John the information, thinking that John would tell Sherlock and give Sherlock a jump start at figuring out Moriarty's game. Only, Mycroft didn't realize that John doesn't actually tell Sherlock anything about their meetings...or anything at all unless Sherlock asks, or JOHN thinks it's important. So he tells about the assassins, but he doesn't give the name Rich Brook.
I'm betting that it was because Mycroft felt guilty, and knew if he actually talked to Sherlock, he would be able to dissect his guilt and get to the bottom of it. So, Mycroft was hoping that John would sterilize the information enough to be safely passed on, incorrectly assuming that John would just repeat what Mycroft had said.
When they get to the reporters house and Moriarty is there! MAN! THAT BLEW MY MIND. Also, it was REALLY TRIPPY...because you KNOW it's all lies, but there's absolutely nothing in Andrew Scott's performance that's inauthentic to THAT moment. He doesn't let Moriarty bleed back in...there are no secret evil looks to Sherlock...no, he's playing Rich Brook.
As much as I hate Moriarty, the actor is pretty skilled at making him exactly who he needs to be as the situation calls for it. So I can appreciate that.
Moriarty's suicide...I did NOT see coming. There's some joke I should make here about the look of surprise on my face or something...but, for some reason I think it'd be in poor taste.
Once he said that bit about it never being called off while he was alive, I knew he was going to end it himself to gain the ultimate upper hand. It all makes sense, though, looking back, because a lot of the rooftop scene was him moping that he had no challengers anymore, life was too boring, etc, typical signs of a person considering suicide.
A family member of mine once complained to me about her British upbringing - British Protestant - where you aren't supposed to feel emotions, and you certainly aren't supposed to show them. I was raised much the same way...so, on this blog, I like to joke and say, "that would have made me cry, if I had a soul" or "I would have cried, except my heart is nothing more than an engine formed from the remnants of a dead star"...but the truth of the matter is that I very seldom cry about anything...and for that reason, when I do show an emotion other than happiness, my friends tend to freak out. So, when I say off the top, that Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch made me cry - I mean that they made my throat tight, and perhaps I blinked more often. And the fact that Martin Freeman made my throat tight just by making his own throat tight is really saying something for how amazingly accurately the emotions in this episode were written and acted.
It's interesting that I often find myself in a similar situation. My lack of ability to show physical emotions is more because of my own internally created emotional shut-down I picked up thanks to childhood trauma and the fact that I don't like to make connections that are deep enough to make me cry, but this episode had my eyes watering and I was making whimpery noises. And like you said; the fact that they could elicit that kind of reaction from someone who doesn't do reactions, that makes it all the more amazing and heartbreaking.
But this episode was so gorgeous in that way that only excellently acted television can be. And I loved it for it.
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Date: 2012-01-17 12:39 am (UTC)I don't really know either, because I stay away from all discussions about female characters in my TV shows, as they tend to ENRAGE ME :P But yes, Molly was just astounding, I'm so happy they wrote her the way they did. Understated, yet awesome - and very much the hero and friend that Sherlock didn't even realize that he needed.
I'm betting that it was because Mycroft felt guilty, and knew if he actually talked to Sherlock, he would be able to dissect his guilt and get to the bottom of it. So, Mycroft was hoping that John would sterilize the information enough to be safely passed on, incorrectly assuming that John would just repeat what Mycroft had said.
Yes, the more I think about it, the more I think you are right.
As much as I hate Moriarty, the actor is pretty skilled at making him exactly who he needs to be as the situation calls for it. So I can appreciate that
Yes! That guy is amazing. I don't know if I've ever seen him in anything else - but he should be getting an award somewhere.
. It all makes sense, though, looking back, because a lot of the rooftop scene was him moping that he had no challengers anymore, life was too boring, etc, typical signs of a person considering suicide.
True - "the final problem" should have been my first clue - but then, it WAS 1am...and I was a bit wrapped up in trying to figure out if Sherlock was acting on a plan or winging it...and how the hell he was going to pull off not-dying.
...and the fact that I don't like to make connections that are deep enough to make me cry...
Oh man, same here. See my Sherlock story "The Switches."
And like you said; the fact that they could elicit that kind of reaction from someone who doesn't do reactions, that makes it all the more amazing and heartbreaking.
Exactly. I've sat stone-faced through things that have made the grown men beside me weep...so, yes, effective acting is effective.
Absolutely gorgeous episode. I feel like I should send production team a fruit basket.