Yes More SPOILERS in this too.
Lestrade (Rupert Graves) and Donovan (Vinette Robinson) are the on the case of a criminal gang of robbers who get away every time. As we are shown, Eighteen months Earlier Twelve months earlier they still manage to elude the police and Lestrade gets angry kicking his BMW tyre over and over. I see Donovan is still around and wasn't booted off along with Anderson since the two of the were adept in calling Sherlock a fake and a fraud. She even went as far as saying one day he would actually commit murder.
Six months earlier it's the same and finally Yesterday he decides the only way to nab them is when they're actually committing the act. Lestrade is texted by Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) saying he needs help now at Baker street and Lestrade thinks he's in real danger and orders police back-up. Obviously he needs help with being the best man and writing the speech. Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs) laughing her head off, or "torturing an owl" as John puts it when she realizes Sherlock will have to write the speech! We're shown the six months earlier since it's been six months since The Empty Hearse and this episode.
Once gain this episode is more character and relationship orientated as we get Sherlock practising his
dancing which Mrs Hudson catches him doing, as well a playing one of his own violin pieces which he has especially composed for the happy couple. Bringing him his usual tea, she mentions she'd like to meet his mother and he agrees. His mother being mentioned now since we've met the parents. Also he notices there aren't any biscuits and sends her out for some. Not that we'll see you eating Sherlock.
We go back and forth to the wedding and then jump back into various cases Sherlock mentions he and John solved. Which in turn leads to the main case of murder and yes there is one. It's very complex in places, jumps in and out of scenes, throwing in some fun moments, laugh out loud antics and some serious and emotional moments too. One that definitely needs to be viewed many times over just to savour it all. Also again many people will be divided in its delivery and content, as in The Empty Hearse, there's no apparent case, not one that is apparent from the outset at least.
There's more repetition of Sherlock's character of how he's tall, nice-ish, clever, all seen, er, in a scene where Sherlock and John try to guess the person they are. Sherlock has Sherlock Holmes stuck onto his head and John is Madonna. Which is all very amusing especially for Sherlock since he's drunk, yes Sherlock actually drunk, all John's fault of course. Yes you've guessed it, John's stag night organized by Sherlock consists of just the two of them on a pub crawl of sorts! Sherlock asking Molly (Louise Brealey) about drinking and him suggesting she drinks a lot as she puts it. She adding that her and Tom see a lot of each other and have plenty of sex too! To which he has nothing to say. He uses large measuring cylinders to measure out the right amount of beers to keep them both under the limit. That is until John drinks on the side, adds a shot to one of the cylinders and then hands Sherlock the wrong on, of course it was the one in your left hand John, the right drink for John that is.
SO we get to see Sherlock drunk and lose his inhibitions in almost getting involved in a punch up with some bouncers, ending up home early and lying on the stairs together. They've only been out for two hours Mrs Hudson tells them. That's where the guess who game and more drinking comes in. Sherlock confessing he doesn't know who John is since he just picked the name from the paper. John asking if he's pretty, Madonna, that is and Sherlock replying it's a state of mind. Well you know his usual long winded explanations! So Sherlock gets a client. A nurse who tells him about how she dated a man for one night, had dinner, went back to his place, nothing happened, but then he vanished. Sherlock and Watson both asleep at this point. Sherlock waking John up telling him it's very rude.
They go to the man's place and Sherlock in a comedy routine extraordinaire, looks for clues with his magnifying glass. He can't seem to put two words together, so his mind is all garbled thingys, which is how he labels the furniture etc. He looks for clues and gets down on the floor looking into the rug. No clues there but he does throw up. The nurse calling John by his middle name, Hamish. Clue for later. Of course I noticed that too. They both end up in a police cell and Lestrade has to get them out. Sherlock admitting this case was interesting, the ghost case. Thus his must solve it.
We get the wedding photos being taken with Sherlock not being in the one with the bride and groom, as well as meeting some of the guests. An old friend of Mary's whom Sherlock had words with before the wedding, telling him he can't see her alone and not more than a few times. Since he's so hung up on her. Another one is the page boy whom he gets to come out of his shell as his mother says, who doesn't know it's by showing him photos of his past cases. Promising to show him some beheadings.
Jumping back to planning the wedding Mary (Amanda Abbington) can see Sherlock is too involved and is going to miss John around here, or so she thinks. Thus John is looking for a case for him from his blog. Sherlock asks about invites and wedding serviettes, Mary preferring the Sydney Opera House design. He learned napkin origami on Youtube. So Mary pretends to get a call from Beth which is their code word to be alone, she convinces John to get him onto a case. By this time Sherlock has sat on the floor and created many more napkins!
John picks the case of Bainbridge (Alfred Enochin) an Elite Guardsman and though he's used to having his photo taken, he is being stalked by a hooded man who takes photos of him. Sherlock and John stake out the scene on a bench whilst they have time to chat more. When John tries to tell him he's his best friend and all the emotional stuff, Sherlock has disappeared. In fact he's wearing a bearskin for himself and has entered the premises. Er, a bit easy to get in wasn't it, what with the need for added security and all that. Still no one notices him around and by the time they do it's a bit late. Cos if Sherlock had been the one who attacked Bainbridge in the shower then he'd have been well away by now. As it happens John uses his credentials, rather his older credentials now since he's retired to ask Bainbridge's CO some questions, but he doesn't answer anything.
Sherlock is found (bit late now) and brought to the showers where John wants to examine Bainbridge, but can't. Sherlock convincingly saying if he was the killer he'd have a weapon, not really, he could have disposed of said weapon since he wasn't at the scene. Though his clothes show he's not wet and so couldn't have been in the shower. He's still alive and John has to save him, getting Sherlock to part with his scarf and play nurse.
By now we're onto the best man's speech and Sherlock having to read out telegrams, adding they're not really telegrams. Doing away with most of them as they all say, "love, love, love..." He talks about John and really about himself too. John being an influence in his life, being his best friend. With a hilarious flashback to the time John asks him to be his best man, whilst Sherlock is dissecting an eyeball, which he drops into his tea when John asks him, or should that be, pops the question. Clearly not knowing what that means, being a high functioning sociopath, he drops the eyeball in his tea and is speechless. Of course relaying to the guests that he was happy and expressed this in a long conversation. Also taking a sip from his tea. Later adding he didn't know what to say.
Sherlock asks the wedding guests how they think the man could have stabbed him and gotten away, even asking Lestrade the same, who thinks the man could be a dwarf so could have go in through the vent. Sherlock saying he's right, but not really. Infact he confesses he is miffed and hasn't solved the case, but that's of no import. Oh but it is! You know foreshadowing and all that. If it wasn't relevant he'd never have mentioned it! There's more reference to other cases John and he have solved and particularly there's a scene where he and John chase a giant, who is really a dwarf in the 'Poison Giant', 'The Mayfly Man', which is the one with the so-called ghost; 'The Hollow Client', which was an empty suit on the chair; 'The Matchbox Decathlete', one where there's only one matchbox which is full and Sherlock opens it to reveal a light and laughs. As well as 'The Elephant in the Room'. Joke there, cos really his entire speech is meant to be one big elephant in the room. Ha. Maybe even the entire ep!
Another aspect of the wedding and guest is John's friend, Major Shalto, who is a wounded officer and responsible for deaths in his regiment. Sherlock happens to be jealous of him. Mary knows of him but says he won't attend cos he's a recluse and he actually shows up. John knew he would. Showing more insight into Sherlock and how once gain John's been an influence on him. Like the poignant scene where Sherlock looks at John's empty chair with a sigh, well I included the sigh part. He will miss him even though he reassures him that nothing will change and he will still be here to help him out and 'do their thing' together.
Sherlock is a hit with the bridesmaid since she remarks about not having sex, which is what the bridesmaid and best man do. Everyone talking about sex to Sherlock now, since he's been 'humanized' a little. He tries to pick out men for her but each one of them has some flaw. Except for one who she likes at the end which is the one he picks out would be perfect for her. Continuing with the speech and having everyone in tears at how John is a great friend and doctor, how he always helps others, was a soldier too, was injured. Until finally he realizes there's going to be a murder here. He drops his glass when he sees the photographer and it crashes to the floor. Sherlock must find who will be killed and by whom and John must save them. As he's saved his life on many occasions (such as their first meeting in A Study In Pink).
He walks round the room deducing who the Vic could be, as we get Sherlock in a room full of women who the Mayfly Man went out with and why. He asks them questions trying to find what they have in common and actually he's really on his several laptops asking them questions. But it's portrayed in such a visual way, with not so much the writing being projected onto the screen, but him standing there with them. He finally figures out they have a secret, everyone has secrets and they all leave. Mycroft (Mark Gatiss) appears to him telling him there's criminal intent and this leads to murder. Sherlock thinks they all work for one employer. Then recalls the nurse saying John's middle name, so she had to have seen the invite, since John hates his middle name and it took a long time for Sherlock to find out what that is, even after he guessed many of the 'H' names. He saw his birth certificate and found out it was Hamish. John also revealed it to Irene Adler (Lara Pulver) who appears to Sherlock naked and he tells her to get our of his head, not now, he's busy! Showing he still thinks about her too, even if only in his head and that he doesn't know where she is.
The nurse must have seen the wedding invitation which means the Vic is the Major, that wasn't too hard to work out. As well as working out Bainbridge had already been stabbed and this was done through his belt that's why he didn't feel it. That his stabbing was a rehearsal for the real murder. The Major leaves the room and waits with his gun. He tells Sherlock to solve the case and he'll unlock the door, which Mary tells him to do. John says over several times, "the game is on" this episode and it matters now. Sherlock tells him not to remove his belt cos he's already been stabbed. The Major doesn't listen until he tells him it's something they both wouldn't do and not at John's wedding of all places. Working out the photographer did it. He's always at weddings but never seen or have his photo taken so no one knows his face.
Sherlock dances with the bridesmaid and tells her he loves dancing, as he teaches her to dance. John adding he's actually pulled. Back to the dancefloor and Sherlock plays his composed piece for the happy couple as he is left without a partner to dance with. That was sad. After all that everyone just forgot about him! He leaves them the composition, dons his coat and exits stage left! Something you'd see in a Doctor Who ep! Think of Amy's wedding. No really just like Sherlock slapping himself on both sides of his cheeks to pull himself together and deduce the Vic! We've seen that plenty of times with Matt Smith as Doctor Eleven. Hey even expected a bit of a dance from Sherlock on the old dancefloor Matt Smith as the Doctor style, though he did a pirouette/mid-air twirl earlier on!! Bravo and encore!
One moment I think is relevant when at the dance at the end he promises he won't make anymore vows, that he will always be there for the three of them, he means both, before he announces Mary is pregnant. John being shocked he knew before he did and he's a doctor, it was the signs: she didn't like the wine she picked out, was eating a lot and was sick which didn't amount to nerves. Yes getting back to his vow and promising not to make anymore, leading onto next weeks finale of the series, entitled His Last Vow, where we have to meet his nemesis at last. SO maybe the fun, comical side will be put on hold for that. Here's hoping we don't get anymore deathly cliffhangers, or a death, that would be too much, especially if it turns out to be someone close to them.
Couldn't help get the feeling that as Sherlock has been firmly established a firm favourite with fans now, hence giving Moffat, Gatiss and co, more leeway to do other things with the show, as far as cases and characters go. Don't really think we'd be getting such comedic eps last series or even during the first season, but now they're able to let loose and 'experiment' in a way, with alternatives. Which works for the majority of fans. Still there must be something a little more of the old Sherlock around still, just to ensure we don't lose all touch with the Sherlock that was. You know, selfish, kind of self obsessed, aloof. If nothing else it shows us what good comedy Benedict can do, he's just not a serious Sherlock but one that can laugh, at himself, after criticizing people for all those years and putting them down!
Sherlock referring to himself as an 'arsehole' at one time in the speech, something he wouldn't do, John might and would, but Sherlock, never. We get to see Mycroft work out as Sherlock deduces he wouldn't be out of breath cos he's engaging in other activities, one in particular. Sherlock throwing his flower to the bridesmaid, aww! Mary didn't throw her bouquet. Also John mentions his sister Harry wouldn't be coming.
Is anyone having doubts as to whether John is the baby's father? I mean the wedding was hurried and everything and did Mary really not know, or could be, pregnant, you know time of the month and all that! Other funny scene was Sherlock saying he's envisioned the deaths of John and has killed him in his mind using poison on him.
I don't know, I'm still suspicious of Mary, she was pushing John to make Sherlock investigate cases, some reason behind this? Knowing full well John may be in danger too cos he helps him out, would any wife want to see her husband in such imminent danger, always? She wasn't particularly interested in the message from Cam either, in the sense of wanting Sherlock to skip over it? CAM = Charles Augustus Magnussen? Or am I being paranoid? Overly protective in the wake of Sherlock's last vow!
As for the original Sign of Four and of course this could not even be described as being a loose version of it. In the original book, Mary is Sherlock's client and Major John Shalto does feature. It centres around a peg-legged man who is the villain and has a dwarf for an assistant, perhaps Sherlock's reference to the poison dwarf case. Mary consults Sherlock over her missing father who was known to Major Sholto. The Major being afraid for his life. He is poisoned by a thorn in his skin.
The dwarf being the one who shot the poison dart, as shown here in the chase on the rooftop when Sherlock alludes to the case of the Poison Dwarf. SO in a roundabout way, some names and plots were kept from the original, though not in as great detail as before. Perhaps a parallel here and with the original novel was Sherlock saying he will always be here for them, whereas in the book, the men who hid the body and stole the treasure swear an oath they should all be there for each other and themselves, the oath known as The Sign of Four. John gets engaged to Mary at the end of the book.
Did feel like Sherlock's speech was a love letter to John to say sorry for the past, kind of, but to show how much he really means to him. As opposed to the 'Dear John' letter he was actually given in The Reichenbach Fall, when Sherlock died and left John alone. Basically giving him the cold shoulder! Ha. Mrs Hudson telling Sherlock, "marriage changes people" was right, except it wasn't John who was doing the changing, but our Sherlock!
We find out Mrs Hudson's first husband was executed and he headed a drug cartel before she found out about the cheating. That their relationship was physical and hands on, which John doesn't want to hear anymore of. Apologies if this review, like the ep jumps all over the place!
Perhaps we'll see a return to the norm for part 3: less comical more dark.
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