I like your initial question of what the grammar-confounded murderer was doing in Minsk - if it hadn't been for the girlfriend, I would have said: sextourism.
He's not going to get a guilty man off a murder charge. Sherlock isn't like those hateful lawyers of defense who know that there is nothing that they can do for their client as they know that he is guilty and therefore try to boost their ego by trying to make the trial as complex and long as possible, shaming everybody involved. Ultimately, Sherlock's interest always lies with the truth and not with showing off.
This is another instance, though, where it's evident that Mycroft has a relatively low opinion of Sherlock. He's got a low opinion of Sherlock's life in general: the flat (too bohemian), the job (clearly he doesn't take Sherlock's detecting business seriously, since he feels free to command him around) and of course the friend (the way he says 'pals' is in my opinion not confusion on Sherlock's sexual orientation but pure disdain for Sherlock's choice of a companion who isn't his intellectual equal). Basically, that's because he doesn't understand Sherlock's longing for love and happiness.
John HUMANIZES Sherlock for others. I know popular interpretation is that John humanizes Sherlock PERIOD...but Sherlock was already human before he met John. So true. Everybody goes on about how Sherlock was this inhuman machine before he met John. But he has been able to form meaningful relationships to other people before he met John and his face is just so emotional all the time that I'm amazed how other people could possibly miss this! So what John changes is other people's opinions of Sherlock because he sees what's always been there. Mostly, anyway. Sometimes he's too determined to view Sherlock as this robotic, alien genius himself.
This is interesting, because at this point Molly doesn't know John enough to remember his name. Have the even met before? Considering that this takes place roughly two months after Sherlock and John met, I'd wager that they'd been to the morgue several times in the meantime. But Molly's just to focussed on Sherlock to pay any attention to John. If Jim weren't Moriarty but just any ordinary boyfriend, this would be the point for him to realise that he'd better go looking for somebody else...
That's what Sherlock's deductions do - they spoil things. Thenorwoodbuilder has done an interesting post on this topic on her tumblr, pointing out that the more Sherlock cares about a person, the more likely he is to break any illusions they might harbour. So yes, I think he's hurting people to prevent them getting hurt because coming from his own past experiences (I have this headcanon where Mummy was suffering from depression and it was all hush-hush because they were supposed to be this perfect family), that actually is kinder.The tragic thing is that Molly doesn't realise that Sherlock is trying to be a good friend. Well, it's not quite the typical declaration of friendship, is it?
Sherlock might not understand "sentiment" but he does understand emotions and he knows how to recognize them and respond to them...at least in other people. It might be a different story when it comes to himself. There are so many fics where Sherlock is being presented like a freak, while all the normal people understand emotions perfectly, but that's just not true. We all mess up our relationships, we continually misunderstand each other and we sometimes react in a completely wrong way. It's just a little more pronounced in Sherlock because very often he can't be bothered.
I think he's actually Mycroft's counter-point. Seconding this enthusiastically! Both Mycroft and Moriarty are the ruthless centre of a powerful organisation, whereas Sherlock operates as an individual citizen - he merely works with the police.
There's this pervasive idea that he shouldn't ENJOY the work John didn't just become a doctor in order to heal people - he enjoys the thrill of life and death. And Lestrade also admits in "Hounds" that he's having fun. So it's not just Sherlock, it's also the "good" guys who derive pleasure from terrible things that are happening to other people.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2013-07-07 09:15 am (UTC)He's not going to get a guilty man off a murder charge.
Sherlock isn't like those hateful lawyers of defense who know that there is nothing that they can do for their client as they know that he is guilty and therefore try to boost their ego by trying to make the trial as complex and long as possible, shaming everybody involved. Ultimately, Sherlock's interest always lies with the truth and not with showing off.
This is another instance, though, where it's evident that Mycroft has a relatively low opinion of Sherlock.
He's got a low opinion of Sherlock's life in general: the flat (too bohemian), the job (clearly he doesn't take Sherlock's detecting business seriously, since he feels free to command him around) and of course the friend (the way he says 'pals' is in my opinion not confusion on Sherlock's sexual orientation but pure disdain for Sherlock's choice of a companion who isn't his intellectual equal). Basically, that's because he doesn't understand Sherlock's longing for love and happiness.
John HUMANIZES Sherlock for others. I know popular interpretation is that John humanizes Sherlock PERIOD...but Sherlock was already human before he met John.
So true. Everybody goes on about how Sherlock was this inhuman machine before he met John. But he has been able to form meaningful relationships to other people before he met John and his face is just so emotional all the time that I'm amazed how other people could possibly miss this! So what John changes is other people's opinions of Sherlock because he sees what's always been there. Mostly, anyway. Sometimes he's too determined to view Sherlock as this robotic, alien genius himself.
This is interesting, because at this point Molly doesn't know John enough to remember his name. Have the even met before?
Considering that this takes place roughly two months after Sherlock and John met, I'd wager that they'd been to the morgue several times in the meantime. But Molly's just to focussed on Sherlock to pay any attention to John. If Jim weren't Moriarty but just any ordinary boyfriend, this would be the point for him to realise that he'd better go looking for somebody else...
That's what Sherlock's deductions do - they spoil things.
Thenorwoodbuilder has done an interesting post on this topic on her tumblr, pointing out that the more Sherlock cares about a person, the more likely he is to break any illusions they might harbour. So yes, I think he's hurting people to prevent them getting hurt because coming from his own past experiences (I have this headcanon where Mummy was suffering from depression and it was all hush-hush because they were supposed to be this perfect family), that actually is kinder.The tragic thing is that Molly doesn't realise that Sherlock is trying to be a good friend. Well, it's not quite the typical declaration of friendship, is it?
Sherlock might not understand "sentiment" but he does understand emotions and he knows how to recognize them and respond to them...at least in other people. It might be a different story when it comes to himself.
There are so many fics where Sherlock is being presented like a freak, while all the normal people understand emotions perfectly, but that's just not true. We all mess up our relationships, we continually misunderstand each other and we sometimes react in a completely wrong way. It's just a little more pronounced in Sherlock because very often he can't be bothered.
I think he's actually Mycroft's counter-point.
Seconding this enthusiastically! Both Mycroft and Moriarty are the ruthless centre of a powerful organisation, whereas Sherlock operates as an individual citizen - he merely works with the police.
There's this pervasive idea that he shouldn't ENJOY the work
John didn't just become a doctor in order to heal people - he enjoys the thrill of life and death. And Lestrade also admits in "Hounds" that he's having fun. So it's not just Sherlock, it's also the "good" guys who derive pleasure from terrible things that are happening to other people.