Sherlock Rewatch: The Great Game (Season One Cliffhanger Finale)

Can we agree that Moffat and Gatiss LOVE a good pun? Can we at least all agree on that?

Every good British schoolchild knows that the Great Game refers to British-Russian strategic battle over "the jewel in the crown" - basically Russian attempts to invade India.

So, it's cleverly cute that this episode, also dubbed "The Great Game" begins with Sherlock in Russia (okay, fine, Minsk/Belarus, but close enough, yes?), fielding the dubious story of a man imprisoned there, quite correctly, for murder. Sherlock being Sherlock is more keen to push the client's buttons by repeatedly correcting his grammar until his anger erupts and the case is "solved."

Anglo-Russian relations, indeed.

Of course, if we extend the metaphor, because we like to do that here, we have to look at the deeper implications of "our little game" here. Obviously, Sherlock is England; he's so British it hurts. That's got to put Moriarty in the role of Russia, the invading force, threatening Sherlock's "jewels".

Figuratively speaking, although, the fact that he uses John as one of his blow-up-dolls (see what I did there???) might make those jewels slightly more literal.

The bigger question, of course, is whether or not this introductory episode means anything in terms of the larger thread of the narrative (aside from the extended Great Game metaphor, of course). I mean, yes, it's cute and funny (gallows humor, quite literally here), but the scene doesn't serve much of a purpose in the grand scheme of the narrative, unless it's meant to reiterate the "boredom" of Sherlock's existence (considering he doesn't leave the house for anything less than a 7 in later episodes, one needs to consider Sherlock's motives for traveling to Belarus for what really appears to be a fairly straightforward case). Barry Berwick isn't a particularly clever criminal; he seems to have no connection to the Moriarty storyline (there's no way this guy's murder of his wife would require a consulting criminal mastermind). So what's the deal?

Barry's story is that he flirted with his waitress, much to the chagrin of his wife Karen, leading to a "ding dong" (domestic squabble) and his wife saying he wasn't a "real man". That's interesting. And connects to a larger and ever-growing motif of reality versus illusion in the text. I'd argue it's less the notion of emasculation that's of note here and more the idea that someone was imaginary or fictional that is key.

Again, Moffat and Gatiss love a good pun.

Of course, ding-dongs could reference doorbells which always seem to be dangerous at 221B, so let's also keep our eyes on that one as well, shall we?

Let's put that on hold for a minute.

And just remind ourselves of Sherlock's oft-repeated mantra, we see but we do not observe.

Observations from the episode:

1. Mycroft and Sherlock - there is definitely more than sibling rivalry going on with this relationship. Mycroft is generally acknowledged in the original to be smarter than his brother (as briefly referenced in his correction that Watson sleeps on Sarah's sofa). That he repeatedly requires his brother's "help" to solve crimes that require "leg work" is a bit ridiculous, yes? My sister thinks that Sherlock and Mycroft are actually working in cahoots from the beginning, attempting to help Sherlock infiltrate Moriarty's network of criminals. I think she's on to something here, as Mycroft seemingly requires his brother's help far more than a man with his intellect, assets, and pocketbook should. Mycroft uses Sherlock as a willing pawn in his game against Moriarty; there is no other explanation for the things that happen in Season Two. The scene where Mycroft repeatedly tries to "force" his brother into helping him is played for John's benefit (I also suspect they're already being watched by this point. Long before Sherlock discovers the camera in the end of Season Two). That later on Sherlock shows up to assist John only reinforces this; after all, it's not like we'd expect him to "give up on a case like this, just to spite [his] brother."

In case you need more proof of that, consider Sherlock watching the telly and yelling about the paternity of a child: "check out the turn-ups on his jeans!" A silly off-handed remark, perhaps, or more distraction? When Sherlock heads to the pool and is face to face with John, John, parroting Moriarty, says, "this is a turn up, isn't it Sherlock?" The exact same phrase within moments of one another? More than a coincidence. The fact that Sherlock says it in his apartment only reinforces that his apartment is bugged long before "The Reichenbach Fall". And if it's bugged, everything that Sherlock says there must be said with the expectation he's being watched.

2. Janus Cars: I've already hit on the dual nature of humanity motif they're rocking pretty hard here. But just in case you missed it, the writers really want to reiterate that people are not always what they seem. Sometimes, Chinese acrobats are really smugglers. Sometimes, a delivery cyclist is also a drug dealer. Sometimes, a gay IT guy is really a criminal mastermind. Pay attention to the dualities. Sherlock might not be the traditional master of disguise the same way that he is in the stories, but he certainly isn't showing all his cards yet.

The other big problem with this "pip" is that Moriarty calls and gives Sherlock "a clue". The clue is in the name. Janus is the two-headed god; his face is used, most poetically, in the representation of tragedy and comedy - the ever-popular actor's masks. Rich Brook is an actor. So, too, in his own way, is Sherlock. What's the real clue here?

3. "You're enjoying this"/"I like to watch [Sherlock] dance" - Sherlock never seems particularly dismayed. He even tells John not to try to turn him into the hero because he will be disappointed. He likes solving the riddles; he needs his work. Whether people live or die isn't entirely of importance to me as long as he solves the crime and gets the bad guy. The discussion Sherlock and John have here is an excellent precedence for the one Sherlock and Moriarty have at the end of "The Reichenbach Fall." It is also important that Moriarty sees Sherlock "enjoying" the "game" - if my sister's theory holds true. Mycroft also says almost the exact same turn of phrase later on to Sherlock in "Scandal in Belgravia" - yes, I get that Gatiss might just have written both episodes and likes the turn of phrase, but I like to think there's more going on here in terms of the surveillance happening at 221B and the inner machinations of the Holmes brothers.

4. Carl Powers - So, little Carl was a bully, was he? Moriarty claims he was taunted by Carl and that Carl's death was, in fact, a revenge killing. But Sherlock says all the classmates "check out". There has to be something more here than Sherlock lets on or knows at this point. Particularly as Rich Brook, an "old schoolfriend of Sherlock's" is also the man responsible for Carl's death. Can we all just picture 9-year-old Jim Moriarty for a second? I'm curious as to why Sherlock has Watson make observations about the trainers; he says that "a second opinion" or "outside view" was very helpful to him. But it isn't; unless it helps him show-off.

5. The "look of surprise" on Jim's face - this is the exact same face he makes when he shoots himself at the end of "Reichenbach Fall". Exact. Same. Face.

6. "I will burn the very heart out of you" - We need to look at the final scene with Moriarty as a bigger clue as to what happens at the end of Reichenbach Fall. Sherlock, earlier in the episode, declares "I am on fire!" - so burning is clearly a strong motif. If Moriarty doesn't want to kill Sherlock YET, he just wants to "burn him" (even the small, cold, black heart Sherlock claims to possess), it sets up Sherlock's seeming fall from grace. Sherlock loves the limelight; not necessarily the posing in front of the camera but the recognition for his achievements. He's a serial killer in reverse - he wants name recognition and must be willing to lose that name if he wants to play with Moriarty.

Later, in "Reichenbach Fall", Moriarty tells Sherlock that "he's already told him" what the final problem is. If that's true, it could be an Irene Adler-worthy riddle (although I'm doubting it's Moriarty's measurements) or it could be something he says or does prior to that moment in time. Just a thought for later.

7. Who is this guy? Right after the first pip, Sherlock returns back to his flat to see the basement apartment. After Lestrade, Sherlock, and Watson enter, this couple moves past Speedy. There's no need for this extension of the scene. But look at the guy who is talking to the shorter woman, in particular, look at his hairline. He looks a little like Jim, no? Wandering around London, just like the rest of us? The art of disguise, after all, is knowing how to hide in plain sight.

8. Taking the USB chip - This also reinforces my sister's theory; Sherlock is willing to use top secret codes to lure Moriarty out into the open. But it's not really what Moriarty wants ("Boring! I could get those anywhere") - which we need to assume Sherlock would know. Particularly later on for the Reichenbach Fall when he attempts to "return" the code to Moriarty on the top of St. Bart's. That's not the sort of mistake Sherlock would make twice, so why is he so quick to sell out his country's secrets just to arrange a meeting with Moriarty?

9. Sherlock's fake crying - When talking to Ian Monkford's wife, Sherlock really turns on the tears. For those people who think his crying is out of character on top of St. Bart's, this scene pretty much shoots that theory in the foot. The question is why does he cry? I don't think he's genuinely sad (obviously) but he's trying to sell his story to someone. Not John, since John would never believe that about his friend, but someone else. The question is: who?

10. No Germany - at least, nothing I could find easily. Heavy Dutch and Czech emphasis here (Wenceslas, Van Buren, the Golem, Vermeer). Slight overlap but nothing that screams "German conspiracy is a go!"