Contains SPOILERS
SO how did series 3 humanize Sherlock? He laughed a plenty. He doesn't or did laugh that much if at all in the first 2 seasons, if only to show he was being sarcastic or flippant. But he full on belly laughed in this not once but a few times. Whilst still being cruel to John (Martin Freeman) and teasing him in the same old way. Fooling him into believing the timer on the bomb was still going and these were their final few moments together in 3.1 The Empty Hearse. "Be careful what you wish for." At least it was a chance for Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) to get John listening to him without any sarcasm from him too. Even if it was a not- so-nice way to get him to forgive for not telling him he was alive.
Not sure his reason that John might let it slip was a good one since he hasn't let such secrets slip in the past. Was he inadvertently referring to Mary (Amanda Abbington) perhaps or any other criminal element. Again since he deduces things about Mary as he did about John in A Study In Pink, like the one where she's a liar. Which was meant to catch our attention, did you manage to catch it in the reams of words being thrown at the screen? Though it was made abundantly clear in 3.3 His Last Vow.
More laughs when he dressed as a French waiter, only se French will do and his accent. Not to mention his pencil moustache which did appear to change shape to how he first drew it on. Would John really have noticed a waiter. He may as well have jumped out of a cake. Ha. What's more, he lets John actually take him down, punch him and head butt him too, would Sherlock really have let that happen to him, even if he was or may possibly be feeling a tad guilty for letting John suffer like that. Would he feel guilty even after he says sorry?
The throw away line of the agent who died to get them this info being a show off shows he hasn't lost his touch or his real character when it comes to insults and harsh comments.
Sherlock kissed Molly (Louise Brearly)and I don't mean the fan fiction imagining, but the one on her cheek, where he told her he couldn't have done it without her: fooled the world and his best friend too and that Moriarty (Andrew Scott) was wrong about him thinking the one person who mattered the least was the one who mattered the most. Not John then? Moriarty probably going on what Sherlock said to Molly and how he behaved around her in their first meeting where Molly introduced Moriarty back in the Pilot. His treatment of her was so abrupt. Which is sort of what Sherlock was going for to fool Moriarty and give him that false sense of security that John was the only one he could and did depend on, going back to the series 1 finale The Great Game.
Ahh Molly she's not moved on, she's just got a man, Tom, who she's dressed to the nines as Sherlock! Being obsessive, let's hope sociopaths are not her type, they're very dangerous! When Sherlock tells John he doesn't want to talk about Tom, would the old Sherlock have mentioned it as a passing comment thrown in the air. Ticked off Tom or Molly for dressing in that way. Seeing as from the Christmas scene in A Scandal in Belgravia he was really obnoxious and uncaring about the comment he made on Molly's gift.
Another surprise was Sherlock eating. We may have seen him have tea but not really eat at all. SO it's shocking he actually eats chips of all food and Mycroft (Matt Gatiss) even mentions fish and chips in their conversation we he tries to get Mycroft to see that he is lonely and alone. A case of you can be surrounded by people and still be alone. Mycroft clearly disagreeing.
It was always John whom we saw eating, since the Pilot A Study in Pink. John went shopping, was worried about food and money for food. Sherlock was above it all. As Sherlock in the books wouldn't eat either, stating food interfered with work, the thought processes.
Lots of Dr Who allusions even if they were subtle or unintentional, where Sherlock suggests to Mycroft whether he should "jump out of a cake." As did Doctor Eleven (Matt Smith) at Rory's (Arthur Darvill) stag do! The motorbike ride across London, once again going past the Houses of Parliament aka Westminster Palace. The line, "it's not who, but who," when talking about his rats was quite funny. Sherlock: "I prefer my doctors clean shaven." Do such comments and lines make you think of Doctor Who? Sometimes they do in some distant other time and space for me. Let's not forget the wedding reception scenes in The Sign of Three where once again he wouldn't have gone amiss doing a crazy dance in his suit, or when he walked down the aisle through the guests looking for the Vic and slaps his face, that was so Doctor Who. (Once again Matt's version). As was Sherlock leaving on his own at the end. Even with a friend/companion in John he would and could always still feel left out. Feel being the operative word since it was obvious he was jealous at losing his friend, but also happy at the same time for his happiness. Adding more weight to his own conversation with Mycroft about loneliness.
Is Sherlock really finding his humanity, being humanized, at least as far as series 3 goes. If so then that spells a rapid transition in his character and one where he actually has moved on and developed further. What made me laugh was a tweet on New Year's day by Sue Vertue who said" Sherlock survives?? or did he?" Just made me think in a humorous way that maybe who came back isn't Sherlock, that Sherlock really died and someone else took his place. Someone who doesn't have the familiar traits of Sherlock, his mannerisms, his not understanding nature or human [nature] as he tells Mary.
NB they could do this with Moriarty, you know all that Rich Brook stuff from 2.3 The Reichenbach Fall. Yes stuff sounds vague and lazy writing on my part, but hey, he claimed to be an actor, who is/was the REAL Moriarty? Just some off the page thoughts of mine here. It's nothing concrete or definitive.
Benedict in an interview for Polish magazine gazeta WYBORCZA talks about Sherlock and his humanity, or rather his "inhumanity." Roughly translated, he says of Sherlock:
"His biggest weakness is probably rather a lack of understanding of the forces resulting from this, that he is a man. He tries to dodge human weaknesses. Trying to be more than that, be like a god, and sometimes loses it as the detective - cannot interact on an ordinary human level. He cannot get involved in love, in family relationships, cannot tolerate differences. Must act alone. It's hard to be a loner, but I feel that he long ago consciously decided to ignore the feelings. And if so, to look at it, it's not a weakness, but a free choice."
This sums up Sherlock's entire character really and shows how Benedict has him down pat. To show human emotions is to show weakness and he can't afford to do that as we have seen over the past three series. If he gets bogged down in feelings it will interfere with his work, clarity of expression and thought. Only Sherlock is able to understand criminal minds and the criminal act since he approaches it from a point of view and thought process which no one else can engage in, part of which is his "mind palace." The concept of the mind palace does stem from Conan Doyle as he talks of, As Mark puts it, "...a man's mind being like a lumber room. It doesn't have elastic walls. There comes a point where for everything you put in, you have to delete something."
Sherlock doesn't need companionship, he was happy as far as we can see, doing his own research, experimenting, writing pointless essays, pointless to everyone except Sherlock himself. He didn't see the need for anyone or anything to change, that is until John, when he was looking for a roommate. Not a mate. He was consulting and he was shown at his very best. As Benedict said, Sherlock is different, and this difference doesn't have to be seen as a flaw or weakness. To quote Steven Moffat when referring to the original books, "he [Sherlock] doesn't say he doesn't have emotions, he says: 'they get in the way.'"
Humility and humanity are traits more associated with John. He's the compassionate one, not just cos he's a doctor, but he's concerned with peoples' feelings. Someone who is very much in touch with the twenty first century since he knows no one gives a toss for anyone these days. He said it time again and reprimanded Sherlock on his treatment of Molly, Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs) et al, when he just dismisses them with crass comments. That's Sherlock. So it would seem by now ,three years on, some of John's humility should have rubbed off on him, but not much, if any.
Sherlock's character is to be nonchalant, dismissive, abrupt, so it's not really conducive to have him change and especially not now. I think I'm one of many who prefer to see Sherlock as such and not see him feel with his heart but think with his head. That's what makes him who he is and why he's adept at what he does in all his genius. At the end of the day he may have exhibited some form of emotions, but when you think about it, not too hard mind you, he hasn't really changed or evolved.
Okay don't take me seriously here, unless you want to, I'm just thinking out loud! If you've read any of my articles or blog posts or books etc in the past, you'll know how I like to mention and write about such areas and stuff. But in the future I sense a knighthood for Benedict, arise Sir Benedict and even an OBE for Martin or Benedict even.
Oh and 'Benedict Cumberbatch is my mind candy!'
Please do not beg, borrow or steal this phrase of mine without consent or acknowledgement!
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