Sherlock: His Last Vow - Pressure Points

So, my awesome sister made screencaps of Sherlock's pressure points.


I think we're going to need to talk about them. It appears that there are six that repeat:

1. Irene Adler
2. Jim Moriarty
3. John Watson
4. Opium
5. Hounds of the Baskerville
6. Redbeard

Some of these are fairly obvious. Pressure points seems to mean "something I can exploit or use against you" in Magnusson-ese. Sherlock's drug use is a fairly obvious point in that regards. As is Irene Adler or John Watson. I'm not entirely sure why Sherlock's dog fits the bill - but they certainly made a big deal of that darn puppy in this week's final episode. To me, the two names on this list of note are Jim Moriarty and Hounds of the Baskerville.

Jim features prominently in the episode. A little trapped voice telling him not to fear pain. Obviously these things help set up the final moments of the episode; I get that.

So what's up with the Hounds???

It definitely doesn't say HOUND, so I doubt it refers to the drug. I feel like it's either just a catchy little canonical nod or something big I missed in an episode I didn't find that impressive initially.

The other thing I want you to start thinking about is the notion of brothers. Mycroft was in his fraternal glory this week; Sherlock is his pressure point. Got it. But there's that weird line at the end when he's discussing what's to be done with his wayward murdering brother. Something along the lines of "you know what happened with the other one."

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!

Is there another Holmes boy out there? Is it supposed to be Moriarty? WHAT DID I MISS?

Oh, yeah, I missed Jim.

I should probably also wonder why Sherlock isn't on John's list. But I'm not going to. Sherlock would never willingly let himself be a liability to John, at least as far as I can tell.

That's all I got for now.

Sherlock Rewatch: Scandal in Belgravia (Season Two, Episode One)

Sorry, guys, I'm SOOOOOOOO changeable.



Not really. I just love Jim.

So, "Scandal in Belgravia" is hands-down one of my all-time favorite episodes of any television show anywhere. It's just so brilliant. And I'll explain why.

First, if you don't appreciate good cinematic juxtaposition, shame on you. The clever way in which Sherlock and Irene Adler mirror one another here is just such a lovely touch on the director's part. She looks at images of a sheet-clad Sherlock as he flips through surveillance photographs of her/her website. When they get ready for their meeting, he adds a "touch of color" by having John punch his face; she asks for "blood" red lipstick to be applied. Both have doting (to the point of sexuality questioning) sidekicks - John and Kate - who assist them in their preparations. They've both got flamboyant taste in wallpaper and a penchant for recreational drugs.

They're totes meant for one another.

Obviously, this one has to start with the resolution to last season's cliffhanger. It's not even a question. But I think that, too, is clever as it introduces us to the link between Moriarty and Irene Adler as well as reminds the reader that Moriarty may be off screen but he is certainly not gone.

We are also very early reminded of the oft-repeated line: you see but you do not observe.
Clearly, we are all missing something.

Personally, I'm struck by one of Mycroft's lines here. He mentions that "We are in Buckingham Palace; the very HEART of the British nation. Sherlock Holmes, put your trousers on!"

And, of course, since I've watched each episode now about 23 times, I'm reminded of Jim's lines about "burning the very HEART" out of Sherlock. This is just helping my sister's theory, but what if that's the goal here? Turning Sherlock against England/preventing the consulting detective from using his powers for good? Moriarty, after all, would have no use for a genius detective who plays "on the side of the angels".

This episode also reiterates that often times the writers rely on previous tactics. Sherlock uses the "if a mom hears an alarm" trick to figure out where Irene Adler is keeping her cellphone. This is eerily similar to the first episode in the series when he gets Jeff Hope to talk about his children and his impending death. As he does, Sherlock notes on which bottle his eyes fall; Sherlock is able to choose a bottle based on this unintentional revelation.

Most of this episode is the back-and-forth between Irene and Sherlock. It's the stuff psychotic love affairs are made of. I'm not going to get too much into that, as I'm really just trying to stick to observations that will assist in bettering my understanding of the events of "The Reichenbach Fall."

Observations:

1. Faking a death - Sherlock has done it before and can do it well enough to 'fool' Mycroft. Whatever his motives are - fucked up love feelings or bigger picture criminal web takedown - we need to believe that Sherlock is capable of fooling the British government into thinking anyone is dead. For obvious reasons. I should note that he does it with and without Molly's help. She isn't necessary, although she can be an asset if need be.

2. Stayin' Alive - This series is so interesting because it foils both Adler and Sherlock and Moriarty and Sherlock. Perhaps to suggest they are both his equals in different capacities, but there must be something deeper going on here. Moriarty's ring tone, however, is one of those genius little nods here - Holmes plays Bach as his thinking music. It thus makes perfect sense that his arch-nemesis and brilliant yang counterpart would list to the BeeGees off his cell phone. Is that the final problem? How do you stay alive when you're a Sherlock Holmes or a Moriarty, surrounded by the ordinary, and bored, quite literally, out of your wits?

3. Germany! - It's back and bigger than ever! The Dusseldorf case, for example. My preoccupation with Germany can continue!

4. I think we need to consider Sherlock's boneheaded play when "cracking" the code from the Ministry of Defence official for Irene. The simple, therefore most likely right way, to read this is, of course, an extension of what Mycroft says: a man whose never romantically met his equal before showboats a little, to impress her. I don't know if I buy. Yes, Sherlock is able to figure out Adler's "SHER"-locked key code and save the day, temporarily, but once more, he seems to make life pretty easy for mischief-making Jim M. This is similar to what happens on the rooftop in The Reichenbach Fall when Sherlock seemingly gives Moriarty the wrong solution and has to scramble to "save" face. If my sister's theory is correct, Sherlock must be willing to sacrifice his ties/loyalty to England, at least superficially, in order to infiltrate Moriarty's web. Giving away crucial information about the MoD would probably be one way to demonstrate new loyalty. Or at least a moral flexibility that would be appealing to Moriarty's crew. Of course, if we were going to look at this another way (because, you know, WHY NOT), it's, as I say, a pretty fucking boneheaded thing to do, even for a hot chick (clearly, Sherlock isn't familiar with the old "Don't be dumb; keep mum!" posters from WWII). If I were a powerful criminal mastermind, I'd probably not what someone who accidentally gives away top secret information to someone in a bathrobe.

Hole Poking in Own Theory: Mycroft's reaction to news his plan has been foiled seems pretty genuine. If he's in cahoots with Sherlock, there's no need for him to react this way. Unless we assume he's under surveillance too, which, considering Moriarty infiltrates Scotland Yard isn't unheard of.

5. "Looking takes ages; I'm just going to find them." I feel like this is a metaphor for what all the Sherlock fans are doing before the new season begins. A very extended metaphor.

6. The cigarette - Much is made of Sherlock's addiction in this episode. Mycroft gives Sherlock ONE cigarette, after Irene's first faked death, and warns John that tonight requires his constant vigilance in keeping Sherlock from slipping back into bad habits. In the next episode, Sherlock goes cold turkey, In The Reichenbach Fall, despite the highly stressful circumstances surrounding the plot, no major mention is made of Sherlock's addiction. Odd, no?

7. The Yellow Smiley Face - This should be something in The Great Game rewatch, but I just noticed it now. Obviously, Sherlock does this in a fit of boredom (sprays the wall with the paint from The Blind Banker). Later, in Reichenbach Fall land, when Moriarty writes Sherlock's name, he turns the O into a smiley face. Very similar to the one decorating Sherlock's walls. If my theory about Sherlock's apartment being under close surveillance from much earlier in Season One is correct, it makes sense that Moriarty would inform all those assassins of the code's location, and, perhaps, provide a clue with the face on the wall as well.

8. I keep thinking about the way Sherlock breaks down the hapless, overweight man whose car backfires in the beginning. This story is clever, but I like to think that it also shows us something about Sherlock and his ability to analyze a person's appearance rapidly. Then, look at what he does to Kitty Riley in The Reichenbach Fall. It's similar, but different. And we know Kitty is testing him and enjoying the exam process ("I'm liking you"). I'm wondering now if there is more than meets the eye to the strange appearance of Kitty Riley. Like she's inception-disguising - a journalist pretending to be a fan pretending to be a journalist. But is she more? We'll talk about her later, but keep that in mind. Especially since she goes the "fan" route and Jeff Hope tells Sherlock "you've got a fan" in the series's opener. Since the line "Disguise is always a self-portrait" gets repeated at the end here, we have to think about Kitty's fandom and the extent of it. She, like Jim, slips Sherlock her number. She also seems pretty keen to ruin him.



9. The American Beatdown and How Do You Solve a Problem Like Molly Hooper - Sherlock takes the abuse of Mrs. Hudson very, very poorly here. I don't blame him; she's awesome. And Sherlock's feelings seem entirely genuine. I don't doubt he does have those feelings, but, if he knows he's being watched, making sure whoever is watching associates his affection with the right people (Lestrade, John, and Hudson). Look at how coldly he treats Molly Hooper at Christmas. If he knows he's being watched, while he affords the poor girl a moment of sweetness in reparation, he must keep her at a distance if he will be able to use her later on when he needs her. Likewise, he has to make sure the person watching knows his softspots and weaknesses. Hence, throwing out Mrs. Hudson's abuser repeatedly out the window.

10. Trust. The word trust gets used a lot this season (Big Motif Warning!). So, do the words "ordinary" and "clever" and "bored". Moriarty tells Sherlock on the rooftop (Reichenbach) that Sherlock's big problem is that he always likes things to be so clever; and what is more clever this episode that cracking Irene's cute little "I am SHERlocked" password. As I've said before, the writers love a good pun. It's interesting here, too, in the sense of trust. Sherlock almost simultaneously

11. "Give him a puzzle and watch him dance" - Mycroft says this line on the plane. This is the exact same thing that the blind lady dummies to Sherlock, reading from Moriarty. In fact, the word puzzle here is particularly suspect since Moriarty, in Reichenbach, refers to "riddles" and "problems" - definitely not puzzles. Considering we meet Mycroft and he introduces himself as Sherlock's arch-enemy I feel like something else must be going on here. Unless Mycroft is simply parroting Moriarty as he's already worked out the trajectory of their relationship as well. Mycroft also says that Moriarty seems "almost desperate for [Mycroft's] attention." Whatever Moriarty's actual game is, it extends beyond just Sherlock.

12. Mycroft's reliance on Watson to do his emotional legwork. I find the Mycroft-John relationship fascinating. The strain between the Holmes's boys is fascinating, but the end of this episode always gets me. Why does Mycroft have John lie for him? And why tell John it's a lie? He must want Sherlock to know the truth (we've already seen that Sherlock can read John like a book in this episode; it follows logically he would know immediately when his "best friend" is lying to him). So, why go through the added step? Why not just tell Sherlock himself? Is it to help spare his feelings? To test John's loyalty to Sherlock? To give John access to information he might not otherwise be privy to? What's Mycroft's game here?

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!"