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Thursday, 16 January 2014

Sherlock's Humanity and Other Musings (Series 3)

                                            
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!

Wednesday, 15 January 2014

Revenge 3.2 "Sin" Review



                                                
Emily: "It is believed that original sin can only be cleansed by the waters of baptism.  But it is the sin that follow that are so easily not washed away.  And since forgiveness of trespasses is only granted to the truly penitent, pure evil can never be erased."

Hot on the heels of Aiden (Barry Sloane) revealing himself to Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) last episode, he now tells her he can help her bring Emily (Emily VanCamp) down and get her out of Victoria's hair.  Of course she wants nothing to do with him as she can't trust him and for that trust, she needs proof.  Aiden of course dropping hints that Emily and Nolan (Gabriel Mann) were behind them losing their millions and for betraying him too, "in a way you couldn't imagine."  Victoria sailing on the yacht now, which as Conrad (Henry Czerny) later remarks, she didn't want to use but is doing so now.  So Aiden's burned now and he wants his revenge on Emily just cos he can't have her.  I feel his storyline is pointless and they should deal with him already, or at least have Emily deal with him.

Emily takes it upon herself to now go after Father Paul Whitley (James LeGros) another one of Grayson Global's former employees even though he is now a priest and after Nolan warns her not to do that.  Asking how many innocent people she will hurt who get in the middle of her plans, "her best laid plans." all Jack (Nick Wechsler) also tells her much the same, that after she's had her revenge on the Grayson's she should leave, otherwise he's going to give her up, okay he said that last ep but the same sentiment is still there.  Nolan taking it upon himself to bake blueberry muffins after his six months inside, was a funny scene.  As was Emily taking those same muffins over to the Grayson's, with Conrad helping himself.  She threatens Victoria about Patrick (Justin Hartley) and revealing him to the others.  Emily even finds him but he doesn't want to have anything to do with her.

Conrad needs to sell one of Victoria's precious paintings as they no longer have their millions.  Aiden telling Victoria that Emily has them when he finds the deeds to Nolan's new house which she bought for him.  After he looks for her infinity revenge box but doesn't find it, cos she's removed it and left it with Nolan for safe storage.  Though it didn't look that safe to me seeing as it was just hidden behind Nolan's newly acquired painting.  That painting was getting around since Victoria has sold it since she knows it will draw Patrick to it. Who does show up and tells her he left of his own free will and doesn't turn Charlotte (Christa B Allen) in.

Victoria then turning up to see Nolan with a house warming gift, those same muffins which found their way back to him.  At least she didn't say she baked them! Ha. We also learnt hat Charlotte miscarried cos of what he had to endure with Declan dying and she will never forgive Conrad for being responsible.

Daniel (Josh Bowman) and Emily visit Whitley at his church as they wants him to preside over their wedding. He heads to the Grayson mansion eager to break the news which Victoria didn't take too well, not surprisingly she doesn't have many friends, if any.  He even tries to get Conrad to atone for his sins now that he's dying which falls on deaf ears.  Daniel arranging dinner with Margaux (Karine Vanasse) so he can work for her magazine, 'Voulez' but it appears she was the one who voulez Daniel, ok it doesn't quite make sense, but you get the meaning.  She even tries to seduce him by taking off her dress after their dinner, but as we find out later, Daniel picked it up and gave it back to her.  Seems like he wasn't going to cheat on Emily  in the same way she has done.  Emily convinces him to take the job and he convinces Margaux to bring the magazine to Montauk.

Emily earlier running into Charlotte at the same restaurant and her venting over Emily telling everyone about Victoria's affair.  Emily insist it must have been Ashley who blabbed but she's still so angry and doesn't want anything to do with her either cos she trusted her and was let down. To the point where Charlotte confesses to Jack that she feels guilty about Declan's death cos if she didn't act in that way he wouldn't have been there.  Jack has to tell her the truth, that Conrad knew about the bomb.

Victoria surprises everyone by introducing Patrick to the family in a bid ot get out from Emily's hold on her. Conrad bringing up the $5 million that he was paid to stay away by Frank.  Conrad says it wasn't him who sent Frank but Victoria and he's not a gold digger.  Emily taking the opportunity to give Conrad some more drugs causing him to have another attack, this time breaking the glass in his hand.  Patrick leaves since Charlotte also warns him off before he gets in too deep with this family.  She also rejects Conrad and won't be there for him after Jack's revelations to her.  All this leading Conrad to be alone and it seemed Emily's plan was working although it wasn't her plan to go after Conrad full speed ahead just yet, but after Whitley.

Meanwhile, Emily does go ahead and takes compromising photos of Whitley thinking she's doing the right thing.  Until he talks about her father not being able to give her away and walk her down the aisle.  He shows her what he's doing now to help others, the children, the homeless and she has a change of heart, but of course it' to late since she sneaked the compromising shot in with the collection tray.  Whitley is confronted by the pastor (David Moses) and has no choice but to leaves the church, as Conrad wanted to see him now. Emily tells Nolan she was too late to stop it from happening, but she will change it and being Whitley back since he's the only one who can get Conrad to confess.

This new series seems to be taking a long time to get going.  Patrick seems to have ulterior motives and isn't as innocent as he'd like everyone to believe, just a feeling I get.  I mean he's Victoria's son after all and her first born too.  Maybe Aiden is leading Victoria on a merry dance since why go to such lengths to convince her about Emily, he could just tell her that she's Amanda.  That scene with Jack was as though he was going to tell Charlotte about Emily being her sister but he doesn't.  That'd give the game away too soon.

It was good to see Emily struggling with her own conscience for a change, lest she be the one ending up needing forgiveness and a confession for all her sins and revenge.  Even Nolan was against her and he told her he loved her and her father too, but taking down a priest was something he couldn't be a part or wanted her to go through with either.  Don't know what Margaux is about too and really i can't even be bothered with her.  Seems just as boring Ashley leaves, they bring in another replacement who is just a loose end and equally boring.

Revenge 3.1 "Fear" Review

                                                     
Emily: "Fear. It's a fire that burns from birth in even the coldest heart.  It motivates and paralyzes the best of us or is used as a weapon by the worst.  But when your path is one of treachery and deception, the greatest fear of all is that the truth is absolute."

Emily (Emily VanCamp) in danger of talking about herself there when she says that fear is an emotion that both motivates and paralyzes and can be used as a weapon since she's experienced these emotions and is now using that very fear against the Grayson's for her scheming revenge, such as Conrad's (Henry Czerny) fear of dying, Victoria's (Madeleine Stowe) fear of losing her children..

The new season opened with Emily on the yacht who is drinking champagne in her wedding dress and then falls overboard after having been shot twice.  Revenge is back and does what it does best.  Uses a clip from a future episode to draw the viewer in and then takes a step back showing the events which leas up to the shooting, this time of Emily herself.  In season 1 it appeared to be Daniel (Josh Bowman) who got shot on Memorial Day weekend and in season 2, there was a hand shown lying at the bottom of the sea.  Not much to go on yet as to the likely suspects but there are plenty of these.  Especially since Aiden (Barry Sloane) returns hell bent on his own revenge against Emily.

Then there's Patrick (Justin Hartley) Victoria's son who just seems a little more mysterious in a bad way, than he really should be.  Not to mention the return of one of Daniel's old flame it seems, Margaux (Karine Vanasse) as she now has consent from her father to bring their magazine, 'Voulez' to the US.

We are taken back to Daniel and Emily discussing wedding dates but Emily doesn't really want to make any plans just yet.  Daniel is also relieved that Victoria hasn't seen in him in six months either.  She's probably really preoccupied with Patrick which we know she is.  As Charlotte (Christa B Allen) spies her out horse riding with him, but doesn't know that he's her son.  Seems we can't get enough of Patrick's gratuitous scenes without his shirt on, from earlier on since Charlotte comes to see him and he greets her in a towel, which he had to tighten around him a few times!  She gets her claws into him and he leaves.  Though she confides in Emily about thinking he's Victoria's lover.   Charlotte's been in Europe and getting over Declan and the baby, but Patrick tells her he's her brother, coming as a shock to her.  Did she really think he was Victoria's new toyboy love interest.

Emily waits for Nolan (Gabriel Mann) to be released from prison, just as he did for her when he gave her her father's box.  She truly regrets him getting involved with her on her revenge plans but he wants to go all the way to help her get those who wronged both Emily and her father.  Ashley (Ashley Madekwe) confronts Emily and knows she has feelings for Jack (Nick Wechsler) wanting to give Emily up unless she pays her off. Oh just get rid of her.  Which Emily decides to do as she tells Victoria it was Ashley who revealed the news about Patrick being her lover.  So she not only gets Victoria on side as she reveals he's her son and shows he made Victoria change her wicked ways.  Yeah a likely story.

Funny moment when Conrad complained about his portrait as Governor though that will be shortlived.  He didn't even get to make any decisions, ha.  The security for Emily's party is heightened and Nolan is unable to bring in the drugs she needs via the usual way so he makes a grand entrance instead, on a parachute. Daniel introduces Emily to pointless Margaux, yes about as useful as Ashley and Padma put together. Ashley meanwhile mingles with Conrad's doctor Jorge Velez (Diogo Morgado) who just happened to be there too. As Conrad is about to unveil his portrait, which Emily does for him, he collapses as she's spiked his drink, actually it was the bottle of water she gave him, would you drink from a bottle with the seal broken?  He collapses and his doctor tells the family he has Huntington's and Daniel should be checked out too.  This gets leaked to the press which Emily blames Ashley for.  Take that Ashley! ha, with Emily killing two birds with one stone: removing Ashley from the picture and ending Conrad's political ambitions.

Jack returns home and he and Emily kiss but he then confesses he feels nothing for her.  It's only him and Carl now.  Victoria and Emily give Ashley an ultimatum: to leave, telling her to return to Croydon, or face the consequences.  Ashley telling them they're two of a kind but Victoria tells her, "we're family." That won't last long with the hatred they have for each other and was probably said to spite Ashley.

Emily talks with Nolan and decides on August 8 being the wedding date, as Nolan draws the infinity symbol in the sand.  That's when things go pear shaped and she also decides this will be Victoria's day of reckoning. Emily draws a red line through Ashley and Victoria finds a surprise on her balcony.  She thinks it's Patrick but it's actually Aiden who confides he is here to take down "the girl next door."  That must have been music to Victoria's ears.

Emily: "fear is the most primeval of emotions, it can linger as a memory, burnt into one's mind of a parent taken too soon.  Or burrow into one's soul as self doubt over a child's rejection.  But the one thing we all fear the most is the unknown."  Don't know but some of these narrations of Emily's seem to be going round in circles too, isn't fear an emotion that has already been covered.

Credit to the show in trying to move away from the convoluted eps that was season 2 but there's still some pointless characters being added.  Margaux being one of them, is she really there just to seduce Daniel and get him back?  Then Aiden, er, wasn't he wanted by the FBI and then he still returns, is it all just for revenge on Emily, or can he not let her go.  The same with Patrick though he had very little to do and decides to leave town after just one confrontation with Charlotte.

Sunday, 12 January 2014

Sherlock 3.3 "His Last Vow" Review

                                              
Spoilers Sweetie, in the words of River Song!!

An inquiry leads us to meet Charles Augustus Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen) being questioned as he reads off info about them in his glasses, looking for people's 'pressure points', i.e their weaknesses.  Lady Elizabeth Smallwood's (Lindsay Duncan) weakness happens to be her husband and Magnussen knows her husband has a weakness for women, younger girls at this point in time, she tells him he didn't know her age and that's a fact.  He sniffs her perfume, Clair de la Lune (which happens to be very common) and then licks her face. Eurgh, enough with the face licking, do we have to see that in everything!!  Anyway he's going to use the letters to blackmail her cos that's what he does, a master blackmailer, aka "the Napoleon of blackmailers" who's a newspaper owner/mogul and a most hated man.  She's driven away in her car thinking that no one can stand up to him, no man or woman and then, the penny drops, hello, Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch). Though she doesn't mention him by name.

John (Martin Freeman) dreams of his time in Afghanistan as a soldier and when he met Sherlock for the first time, as he's awoken by a knock at the door, their neighbour who is concerned about her son, he's disappeared and is an addict.  First thought Sherlock, no really, he is/was an addict and John must have thought that too even if only for an instance.  She gives John the address of this den of inequity and Mary (Amanda Abbington) won't let him go alone.  John takes a tyre lever just incase he needs it.  The door is answered by another so-called addict who doesn't reply to John when he's asked the boy.  So John sprains his arm, he's a doctor and he knows how to sprain arms, overpowering him and taking his knife. When he finds him, John also chances upon Sherlock in the next bed and I say chances cos what were the odds that Sherlock would be right there, seeing as John tells Mary Sherlock's vanished.  Keeping tabs on him was he?  Just a thought.

John thinks he's relapsed without him around, well I added that bit cos he really needs to be around to keep an eye on him.  Referring to Sherlock's remark last ep, that John and Mary will make good parents since they have had practice, well John has, of looking after Sherlock.  Anyway John thinks Sherlock has relapsed and has become an addict once again, but he tells him he's undercover, which is apparent.  I mean why would Sherlock become an addict.  They drive to see Molly (Louise Brealey) and she tests him, then slaps him.  Molly really has sociopathic, sadistic tendencies doesn't she.  Sherlock having to mention that the engagement ring is gone.  It had to happen sooner or later and after stabbing him with a fork, Tom wouldn't really stick around for long, besides he's not the real thing!

Wiggins (he was a Baker street irregular) as he's now named 'deduces' everything about John, in what seemed like he was meant to be a protege of Sherlock, not likely although he may think so.  Sherlock tells them still he's undercover which all falls on deaf ears.  Ina bid to make Magnussen believe he's a drug addict and that it will appear in the papers by now.  Getting home he sees Mycroft  (Mark Gatiss) is there since he has straightened the door knocker, his OCD has anyway.  John called him and he too thinks that Sherlock is an addict once more as he brings along Anderson (Jonathan Aris) and some of his cohorts from the fanclub to find the morphine, as Mycroft puts it.  Also Mycroft notices Sherlock's bedroom door is closed so he must be hiding it in there.  Sherlock gets angry with Mycroft and when he finds out he is investigating Magnussen, Mycroft warns him to stay away.  Sherlock refuses and grabs Mycroft's arm, with John having to stop him from doing so, he knows Sherlock will break it especially since he is high. John asks him to leave and Sherlock gives up and goes for a bath.

Was it just me or has that doorknocker on 221B always been straight and not just straight now cos Mycroft's inside!  Maybe it was meant to be a reference to Sherlock being high, but I have never seen that doorknocker crooked.

Out pops Janine (Yasmine Akram) in a bid to confuse, make angry or jealous, take your pick as we're meant to think Sherlock has been 'getting it on' with Janine.  Which is far from the case, as I pointed out to everyone, well, blabbed! Ha.  Clearly that shirt didn't look like one of Sherlock's, a little too high on her wasn't it.  Janine has words with Sherlock in the bath and probably a little more, ha.  John isn't interested in Magnussen but the fact that Sherlock out and out tells him he has a girlfriend.  She tells him he hasn't been home last night.  John still in awe at Sherlock having a girlfriend.  Oh get it over it, he doesn't really!  She's just a plot point as I like to say, ha.  She invites John and Mary for dinner, the four of them at her place. Before leaving she and Sherlock kiss, which will send hearts racing, first Molly, now Janine.  Oh Irene you
needed to make an entrance too!

Speak of the devil along comes Magnussen, as Mrs Hudson (Una Stbbs) runs up looking rather worried to announce his arrival.  His men search them both and find the knife and tyre lever in John's coat.  Sherlock tells him he is acting on behalf of Smallwood, but it seems to fall onto deaf ears.  So very arrogantly, he's more interested in looking for Sherlock's 'pressure point(s)' of which there seem to be plenty but John Watson comes up many times.  Magnussen needing the loo but won't use it cos it's like the rest of the place so in the ultimate slap in the face, insult, he pees in the fireplace.  Sherlock's fireplace of all places as Sherlock must stand by and watch.  Though he's not concerned with that when he leaves, Sherlock will see John later as they will attempt to break into Magnussen's building.  In the meantime, Sherlock has some shopping to do, oh since when? Ha.

They meet and enter his building and as said the only thing that was on Sherlock's mind when he asks John if he saw what he did, obviously I knew he meant he flashed them Smallwood's letters, but John was more bothered about the pissing in the fire place and so he should be!  Sherlock demonstrates how he can get into his office, without being caught.  He has his keycard which he nicked from his guard and put it with his mobile phone, thus the magnetic strip is rendered useless cos of the tech from the phone.  So if he enters it his guards will catch him, but if he enters the corrupted card then his PA will just let him in, we're shown a woman's hand on the keyboard but not whom.  Though hazarding a guess, I went for Janine.  remember it's all about foreshadowing, well mostly and by now we know that Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss always get most of the guests returning.

So no surprises there but his PA is Janine, it pays to befriend bridesmaids at weddings!  Sherlock wants her to let him come up but she refuses in which case he has to do it here and shows her a ring.  By the time they get to the the office, Janine has been knocked out and so has the guard.  Sherlock sniffs Clair de la Lune and finds Magnussen being held at gunpoint with a masked intruder.  He thinks it's Smallwood but it's actually Mary, so now you see that 'There's something about Mary', was right.  Well anyone who said there was, was correct in their observations. Sherlock thinks back to when he analyzed her and stops at liar, several times over.  He should have known it would be Mary as John mentioned that's her perfume too, not two seconds ago.  She wants to kill him for what he has on her with Sherlock asking why she didn't tell him.  He thinks she won't shoot him but she does, she pulls the trigger, Sherlock oh how could you underestimate her! He has all sorts of thoughts and flashes to Molly whilst he's shown lying on that gurney in her morgue and she tells him what he must do, whether he should fall back or forward.

Mycroft appears asking him what is behind him, the mirror of course and as it didn't break, it means the bullet is still inside him and so it's stopping the blood from flowing out which would be the COD, blood loss. So he has to fall back and look Anderson shows up too telling him what he should be doing and asking if it's just the one bullet then.  Sherlock falls back, the second stage that will kill him is shock.  He needs to stay alive, or did I just say that, thinking of Moriarty's ringtone!  Sherlock calls out to their dog, his dog, little Sherlock (Louis Moffat) that is and saying that they had to put him down.  With older Sherlock running down some stairs in his coat, flowing with him all the while.  He ends up in Moriarty's padded cell and Moriarty (Andrew Scott) talks to him about being dead and the pain.  He doesn't like pain but Sherlock did. Eventually he tells him about John, he can't leave John behind and that's what makes Sherlock fight, as he comes back up the stairs and struggles to return.  He must return for John, he can't leave him alone and especially not with Mary.

John tells Lestrade (Rupert Graves) Sherlock must know who did it since he was shot facing forward and he won't tell them who cos he's protecting them, no John, he's protecting you.  Mary appears to Sherlock telling him he can't tell John and he wakes up with Janine there and all the newspaper headlines.  So you see, he was using her which was what I said all along.  You know just sometimes I wish that they would write things to be a little bit harder to suss out.  Not being big headed or egotistical, ha, but it's too easy to work out what happens/is happening.  She tells him Magnussen must be angry cos she broke the news to his rivals and also how Sherlock used her, well they used each other cos she is a publicity seeking whore and got a cottage out of it.  As he ups his morphine, then lowers it when she leaves.  As said does it look like Sherlock would have a girlfriend, not that gullible, not quite yet anyway!  Though in one of the canons, Sherlock did get engaged.

John and Lestrade enter Sherlock's room, only to find it empty, he made his escape via the window.  He gets Wiggins to contact Mary and he hands her the phone.  She's on Leinster Gardens and he talks about the houses.  Then projects her photo from the wedding outside two of the houses which have been demolished for the underground (ooh let's mention the underground again).  They're just a facade, like her, she's a facade too.  He invites her in and asks how good a shot she is, since she could have killed him but didn't.  She thinks he's sitting in the chair talking to her, again, it was obvious it wasn't him.  As he asks her to demonstrate what she can do with a gun.  She throws up a coin and shoots it.  Sherlock creeping up behind her and she thinks it's a dummy on the chair, well if you look at it that way, I jest.  She admits she's not really Mary, well Sherlock does that for her since the real one died and is buried, she didn't become her until five years ago and that's why she doesn't have any friends, as he mentioned in The Sign of Three, her side is rather sparse and she put it down to being an orphan.  He wants to know why she didn't come to him for help and she replies she didn't want John to know and he mustn't know now.  John is in the chair and has heard it all. Think he got that when he sat in his chair that Sherlock put back for him after removing it to see the view to the kitchen.  As John notices the bottle of perfume on the table.  He was meant to see that.  Seeing as he's the one who mentioned that Mary also wears the same brand.

Sherlock wants them to return to Baker Street where they can both have a domestic.  Cue Christmas scene where they have moved on and have all been invited to the Holmes's Christmas gathering.  Even Wiggins is there as he gives some tea to Mary.  She reads one of his mother's (Wanda Ventham) books on Maths which she comments is is rather boring, as his father (Timothy Carlton) lights the fire. He's the sane one in the family.  John turns up and they're not really on speaking terms.  Back to Baker Street where John wants Sherlock to just shut up.  Sherlock asking John what she is now, what she really is, a client of course.  John pulls up a chair for her and she sits there as he tells her that's where they decide if they'll take on the case.   She hands him a flashdrive with the initials A.G.R.A, that's her real name.  She's a spy or more likely a CIA assassin.

Cue forward to Christmas again and Sherlock saying he doesn't like it.  Their mother comments on how someone shot her little boy and if she finds out who it was... John loves Mary and he throws the flashdrive away.  He doesn't want to know who she was or her name, she is Mary.  He's not bothered with her past but with her future, with him.  Mary telling him Sherlock was right, John is attracted to people like her, that's why he ended up marrying someone like her. His best friend is a sociopath after all.  So what does that say about Sherlock and Irene?

Everyone has been drugged as Wiggins is a chemist, and Sherlock tells John not to drink Mary's tea or the punch.  He needed Mycroft, his laptop with all the secrets in it cos he wants to confront Magnussen and get to Appledore: the vault where he keeps his secrets. That will be their ride, his helicopter.  Magnussen refuses to deal since he knows that the laptop will have GPS and by now Mycroft and the police will be here.  He shows them the vault, just a room with a chair where he sits and gathers his thoughts, cos everything he needs to know is in his mind.  Again too obvious.  Which is why he teased him with flashing the letters, to fool Sherlock. That's why I said it would have been easier if Mary had shot him, it was after all, what she does.  Out on the patio, John asks if Sherlock has a plan and Magnussen wants to flick John, as long as it wasn't to lick him!  Sherlock wants him to go along with it cos he's buying time.  John telling him if it's in his mind he hasn't got any proof, but he doesn't need proof, he only needs to publish and the damage is done.

Mycroft approaches and wants them to step away from Magnussen so either he can get him shot or arrest him, but it was the inevitable, that Sherlock would be the one who would end it all, as he shoots Magnussen. Mycroft ordering them not to shoot Sherlock.  Mycroft tries to ensure the bigwigs can't make Sherlock go to prison,  it would be chaos.  But to no avail, well that's gratitude for you, yes you Smallwood!  So he has no choice but to send Sherlock on that mission in Eastern Europe for six months which will prove fatal for him. Not that he wants to lose his brother.  Mary promises to look after John and to get him into trouble.

John won't see Sherlock again so he suggests baby names: William Sherlock Scott Holmes, but he tells him it's a girl.  He still tries to convince him that Sherlock is a girl's name, but he can't fool him into naming the baby after him.  Sherlock leaves and is called by Mycroft asking how he's enjoying four minutes of exile? The TV signals are disrupted as we get Moriarty asking, "Did you miss me?"  Sherlock being the only man who can help them!  SO it's London for you Mr Holmes once again!!  It's like he never left!

Did you like the scene where we actually get to see Sherlock eat!  The hospital canteen he calls it, and Magnussen shows up.  Sherlock thinking he reads files through his glasses but finds they're just an ordinary pair of spectacles.  Think that's where he worked out there is no vault and had to keep the illusion going of not really knowing.  I mean this is Sherlock he had to have deduced that for certain now.  Some people have said he made a mistake, as Magnussen did, that he thought the vault was real, but I didn't get that impression. Also the scene at their parent's house where they both smoke and have another brotherly moment together, before mother catches them in the act. Sherlock saying it was Mycroft, who is called Mike and hates it.

SO the question or tag line will now be #MoriartyLives, but how?  #MoriartyReturns  #MoriartyNeverDied.  Or I like #MoriartyStayinAlive. That will haunt us now for the foreseeable future, as long as it's not two years! Anyway knew he wasn't dead as I wrote in my review of The Reichenbach Fall, it could not be that easy.  Mind you anyone could have sent that transmission, anyone, it's not like we saw Moriarty in person. Could have been Mycroft, Sherlock, even.

Not to mention the fact that Magnussen had a so-called 'mind palace,' hey only Sherlock can have a mind palace!  Mycroft calls it a "memory palace" then what or where were the letters that he had on Smallwood. Since no one got a hold of them, they were only in his mind.  SO was shooting him enough,, did he have the letters stored in his memory too, cos really he wouldn't have destroyed them, or would he.

Of course it would have been more conducive if Mary had just ended it all for him but then we wouldn't have gotten those scenes at the end, where Sherlock had to be the one to kill him, since he was the one really being taunted, but he was a really bad man, even if he kept pointing out he wasn't a killer or a villain.  But he was.  He was the worst kind of criminal, human, the one who hides behind his fancy words without admitting to what he really does and is.  But it had to be Sherlock that's why he asked John if he brought his gun with him, cos in this case, only a gun would do.

As for Janine calling him "Sherl", done that already, ha, in my tweets for the new year!  To quote Moriarty, "I am so good", well paraphrase him then. Ha.

Questions there were plenty, as Mycroft mentions there was a third brother and he died, surely not Moriarty, Noo, well anything's possible in this production, as we do get to move away from the original books!! Ha. So there was a third Holmes.  Other interesting moments, Mrs Hudson being an exotic dancer and Sherlock being the one who sent her husband to death row in Florida.  Well it wasn't mentioned here but I like the reference to series 1.

This ep was based on The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton and other mentions too from other books, though I know many refer to them as canons.  The opening scene with Magnussen was meant to be one where we immediately hate the villain and the true abhorrent nature of him and the workings of his mind. Smarmy and yet attempting to be so very above it all.  Sherlock even mentions his "dead eyes" towards the end.  He's entirely focused on one thing and one thing alone, his blackmailing and how he keeps not just mere mortals but countries at his beck and call.  Finding peoples' pressure points, Mary was John's and he couldn't quite be sure if John was Sherlock's as he had to find out, thus kidnapping him in The Empty Hearse to find this out.  How Sherlock would move heaven and earth to save him.  He even returned from flatlining to ensure John is 'saved.'   Apparently Sherlock's pressure points also include Irene, though John was recurring.  But somewhere it had to include Mycroft too.  Blood is thicker and all that.

Reminding me of The Empty Hearse scene, where he tells John to be careful what he wishes for when he wants Sherlock dead.  Thus somewhere we had to get a scene where this actually happens.  Another thought I had was how in Sherlock's mind palace after he was shot, with Molly asking if he needs to fall backwards or forwards, was a kind of allusion to how he jumped off the building to survive his fall.  I know this sounds a bit far fetched; or at least how they both planned his 'demise' back then.

Still some laughs assured in this but not quite as laugh out loud as the other two episodes.  Like John telling Magnussen, "I don't understand," Magnussen replying he should put that on a T-shirt and John saying, "I still don't understand," would be on the back of the T-Shirt.  (With Sherlock's T-Shirt saying, "Fooled you!" Included here by me.  Not that Magnussen would be around to see that one.)

Another point to his episode is how married life is not really boding well for John.  He has his clothes packed in his bag, his shirts folded which he changes into at work, as deduced by Wiggins.  With Sherlock adding he's putting on weight, seven pounds, cos he misses this sort of detective work, John adding it' actually five pounds.  John's war nightmares returning maybe a little disturbing since he was over them, with the help of Sherlock and seeing his shrink, but now that he's getting them back, is worrying since he seems to be regressing back to pre A Study In Pink days.  Maybe his nightmares were trying to tell him something about Mary.

Mary was another addition who was quite a breath of fresh air, she understood both men and that she was willing to go so far to end the blackmailing, even shooting Sherlock, more a last resort, he happened to be there at the wrong time, but he still knew all about her.  She knew when he was lying and even John can't determine that.  She changed the dynamic between the two friends and in a way, also made Sherlock realize his humanity and how he does need a friend, how much of a true friend John really is.  Sherlock forgives Mary and wants John to do the same since she saved his life, she called the ambulance before John did and it takes an ambulance in London eight minutes to reach its destination as he times it, suffering a relapse as Sherlock bleeds internally.

Sherlock needs morphine and as he tells Mrs Hudson she hasn't got any but she ran a drug cartel, she responding, "I just did the typing."  The entire three episodes showed Sherlock: character and detective in a different light with all the people he knew and has built up a relationship with over the years.  Oh and never to be forgotten, Molly slapping him endlessly for being an addict and ruining his life! As Redbeard was mentioned quite a bit, he was actually the family dog.

That scene with Sherlock on the plane was so heartbreaking and gut wrenching.  Here was a man who did all for his friends, kept his last vow, dying to keep it, stepping on board that plane and to certain death and accepting it so, well so graciously, can I say that, just brought tears to my eyes.  Deep down thinking that he is Sherlock, he won't die.  Then we get Moriarty, who perhaps can be called a life saver, ha.  SO many emotions in this episode still, from the funny, to the sad and then look, it was Sherlock as we knew him all over again as he's coming back.
                                                    This is how we felt!!!

Oh and also enjoyed Mycroft's reference to dragons and needing slaying, his "here be dragons" line was no allusion to Smaug of course!! ha.  As Sherlock tells John the game will never be over, there'll always be a new villain and in this case we have the return of one of our very fave ones in Moriarty, or is he just one big tease? It's as if series 3 didn't really happen and we're back to The Reichenbach Fall, in some ways.

In The Adventures of Charles Augustus Milverton, Sherlock is hired by a socialite to retrieve some stolen letters from one his most hated criminals he has encountered. Sherlock disguises himself as a plumber to gain the layout of Milverton's house and befriends the maid for this purpose, he even gets engaged to her.  Read Janine here.  Milverton is actually shot here by one of his Vics and Sherlock and John just stand by and watch it happen.  In one adaptation, Milverton was part of Moriarty's gang, maybe why Moriarty was mentioned here at the end.

Mycroft and John both mention "an east wind" a reference to Mycroft predicting Sherlock's death, whereas Sherlock predicts Moriarty's return, all in his mind palace and John alludes to Sherlock's return. Janine and her cottage, in the book, His Last Bow, Sherlock retires to a cottage on the Sussex Downs and keeps bees, here Janine mentions removing the beehives from her cottage.  As for A.G.R.A being Mary's real name, In The Sign of Four the treasure was stolen from Agra, India.

Roll on series 4 as we anxiously await a new beginning....

Sunday, 5 January 2014

Sherlock 3.2 "The Sign of Three" Review

                                           
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.

Wednesday, 1 January 2014

Sherlock 3.1 "The Empty Hearse" Review



WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

At least I warned people which is more than what happens for other shows on Twitter and other sites!!!  You meanies!! Ha

So Sherlock lives should I write that as a hashtag; but have to say it wasn't quite what I expected, especially in the sense of Moffat and co having two years to come up with how Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) survived and they pretty much go for the conventional, 'what everyone already talked about' explanation.  Was that how it all transpired, he used an inflatable schmatable!!??!!  Unbelievable and like Watson (Martin Freeman) at the end, I have to ask, is that really how he did it, or just one explanation out of 13 that Sherlock was teasing Watson with in the tube.  Since we know of course he would have 'diffused' the bomb.

We see events replayed from the series 2 finale and Sherlock calling Watson to say goodbye to him, leave him his note whilst behind the scenes, so to speak, his homeless network (or Holmes-less network as you know I call them) get to work in performing the trick!  As Sherlock tells him it's just a magic trick.  Yes trick of the eye, sleight of hand.  Sherlock jumps and has a bungee rope behind him coming through the window and kisses Molly (Louise Brealey).  Some hypnotist who turns out to be Derren Brown hypnotizes Watson so he's delayed in getting to the scene.  Cue DB of another planted and so on.  Then we jump to Anderson (Jonathan Aris) telling Lestrade (Rupert Graves) this is how it really happened! As outside the courtroom the news reporter says how Moriarty was real and was John Brook, that Sherlock wasn't a fake and was vindicated, but it comes too late since he's dead!

If you read my tweet about Sherlock and the headline in Mycroft's (Mark Gatiss) paper in the season 2 finale you would have seen I wrote, the headlines should not be be read as, "Suicide of Fake Genius," but as, "Fake Suicide of Genius"  much more interesting and apt!  Mind you I was right about the bungee jumping almost, since I also tweeted some days ago about Sherlock bungee jumping from St Bart's!!  It just kind of came to me whilst I was thinking of abseiling.  SO how does it feel to be kind of right?  Oh genius me!  Ha.  But then it was one of Anderson's scenarios so I don't know how that makes me feel, er, not on the same wavelength as him, huh?!!  Nooo!  Nah more like thinking like Mark Gatiss since he wrote the ep!

We see a man being chased in the woods and then he's being tortured by foreign captors who turn out to be Serbian.  Apparently the man is Sherlock, f course, since we don't get to see his face but he convinces his torturer that his wife is having an affair and if he goes now he can catch them inflagranto.  Thus left with another man who speaks Serbian and turns out to be Mycroft.  Sherlock hates how he couldn't have saved him sooner and let him endure the torture, whilst getting a shave.  Mycroft doesn't know the language but it's easily picked up being a cross between several others.  Anthea (Lisa McAllister) walks into with a shirt and suit for him to wear and of course his trademark coat!

Watson returns to 221B Baker Street probably to take one more look at it, final farewell before he gets married.  He's engaged or about to be as he tells Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs) who's upset he didn't even call her once in two years!  Not once after everything they went through.  Mrs Hudson asks his name.  But she's happy it's a woman, though to each his own, and again he shouts Sherlock "was not my boyfriend...I'm not gay!!"    So at this point Sherlock has a conversation with Mycroft which is meant to kind of resonate or follow on from what Watson is saying in a bout of comedy.  Sherlock thinking he'll still be at Baker Street and he's moved on Mycroft adds, but he can't Sherlock responds, he wasn't there.  Showing him Watson's file, he notices his moustache, caterpillar, hair growth or whatever you want to call it, above his lip and tells him he looks old.  Which is what Mrs Hudson tells him too.  Sherlock is adamant he needs to shave it cos, "I don't want to be seen with an old man."

Sherlock thinks he should surprise Watson and spring it onto him, that he's still alive.  I mean how would you do that to a friend.  Finding out he'll be at a restaurant, he turns up there without a tie or anything but gets the notion to dress as a waiter, speak in a not too convincing French accent and throw in a few choice phrases such as, "old face.  But of course Watson doesn't get the hint, not until Mary (Amanda Abbington) returns from the loo and Mary as we find will be his fiance, since Watson has brought her here to propose to her. Watson finally sees him and is livid after the shock wears off.  Sherlock isn't given time to explain but Watson manages to control his temper, barely and bangs his fist on the table.  Sherlock removing his eye liner moustache with water and commenting on whether he can do the same as easily.

The three end up at a cafe/diner together and Watson isn't interested in knowing how he lived but how many people knew and where he's been.  Well Mycroft since Mary adds he'd need a confidante and Molly too cos he'd need a DB, as well as his homeless network, 25 of them no less.  He finally punches Sherlock since he doesn't believe he could keep it a secret.  If Sherlock doesn't want anyone to know he's still alive, then why does he just walk around London without a disguise, though he's not really into those.  He's here to foil a terrorist plot to bomb London and he could use Watson's help.  Ooh Sherlock is headbutted this time round, that's military training for you I guess! As Sherlock tells Watson at the end, he mentions he's a soldier enough times.   Mary says she will try and get him to help him again.  Sherlock looks at her and ascertains everything about her in about 2 seconds, maybe even less! ha.  She's shortsighted, loves cats...Oh and Sherlock tells Watson that Mary doesn't like his 'tache either.

Later Watson shaves and Mary is a little perturbed that he didn't shave it for her all this time but he does for Sherlock, which he denies!  Mycoft and Sherlock play games, chess at first, or so it seems, as they talk about themselves and childhood.  How Mycroft would tell him he's smarter than him and Sherlock mimics him as a child. They decided to make friends and well, Mycroft doesn't have any friends even now.  Next it's Operation and Mycroft isn't able to remove the heart!  Afraid to give his heart.  Mycroft tells him he had a client who left his hat behind.  So they deduce traits about him, such as he's nervous and so bites the left bobble of his hat which also makes him obsessive and he's got short hair.  Sherlock adding women also have short hair. It's a Peruvian hat and by now we're back to Mycroft being alone and lonely again.  At which point he's had enough and leaves.  Sherlock even sporting the hat, he's into hats now! Ha.

Watson is at his surgery, seeing all sorts of mundane patients with common ailments and Sherlock is helped by his network to take photos of his rats, cos he knows if any one of them changes their habits then something is happening.  While he too is getting boring clients.  Sherlock appears to Mrs Hudson of course and she thought he was an intruder, now who could mistake that profile and outline; not to mention Lestrade as well who can only hug him!  Thus it comes to dawn that Sherlock is alive and Anderson talks with some of his like-minded individuals who have theories on how Sherlock survived.  The Empty Hearse he calls them explaining the title.  But of course we know the truer meaning of it.  One of his number has a flashback to Sherlock throwing off a dummy with his photo mask on the front of it and then sitting and joking over it with Moriarty, as they're about to kiss!  Er, not likely! Ha.  Which is why we know it's not real.  Anderson being right after all about Sherlock being alive, as was shown in the Sherlock minisode, Many Happy Returns.

Lestrade calls upon Sherlock for help in a skeleton that's been found and he calls upon Molly to help out since Watson's no longer around.  Deducing that the skeleton was a hoax since he was dressed in clothes from a fire damage sale, and he finds a book, "How I Did It, by Jack the Ripper."  All the time, Sherlock mentions John and makes reference to him a lot.  He then takes her along to house, the one with the hat man.  He tells him he works on the  tubes, he's a train enthusiast and he found footage of a man who got onto the tube at Westminster in the last carriage, the last passenger, but didn't get off at St Jame's Park, the next stop.  There are no places in between where anyone could have got off and the train doors wouldn't open.  Sherlock thanks Molly for helping out and for helping him out in the past.  He couldn't have done it without her.  He asks if she wants to go for chips since the owner gives him an extra portion, whilst she thinks of dinner.  But she's engaged and he hopes she'll be happy.  We even get to see Sherlock eating those chips when Mary comes to him for help.

Watson comes to see Sherlock finally and is abducted.  Mary gets a cryptic clue and runs to Sherlock who knows he's in trouble.  She doesn't have a car so he hails a motorbike, yes something that was a little too close to home (or Holmes) to Doctor Who 7.7 The Bell's of Saint John.  Watson finds himself inside  a bonfire and bait to be lighted.  Obviously that was karma for not giving a 'penny for the guy' to the boys in the beginning. Ha.  The fire is lit but Sherlock arrives in time to rescue him.  Sherlock doesn't know why Watson would be kidnapped.  He finds out the man at the station is a Lord since his face is familiar.  We also get to see Sherlock's parents who Watson describes as, "ordinary."  Knew they were his parents and he also realizes they also knew he was alive and weren't at his funeral.   Okay I got it was about blowing up Parliament when his mother mentioned they were having an all night session, though it did appear Sherlock was a little off his game and slow off the mark in this ep, which we can put down to being absent for so long!

He also sees that the tube carriage is missing one, there's six instead of seven that's why the man wasn't seen getting off.  There's a hidden train line which was never used as a station.  So they find the missing carriage and Sherlock then deduces the carriage is the bomb.  Got that too when they got on there!  Sherlock claims he doesn't know how to diffuse the bomb and Watson is sure he does, urging him to go into his "mind palace."  He gets down over the bomb as if he's in real agony and despair, that's when it's obvious he's disarmed it, or at least stopped the timer, cos he wouldn't tell Watson his version of events with only a minute and a half to spare.  He wants Watson to forgive him and explains how he 'lived.'

That he made sure Watson's view was obscured.  He jumped and his homeless network and Mycroft all helped him.  When he sent 'Lazarus' text to Mycroft.  His men took care of Watson's assassin and Sherlock jumped onto a giant inflatable.  The DB was placed there and then he placed himself on the ground with the blood effects around him. Watson was hit by the cyclist, but he managed to get there and felt for a pulse, Sherlock resorting to using the old rubber ball in armpit ploy!!  Noo So not original and has been done before so many times.  More recently in The Mentalist.  That's why like Watson I also said I'm hoping there's more of an explanation to how Sherlock really managed to survive, since this is such a disappointment.  I mean we wait two years and this is all that was adhered to: an inflatable and a rubber ball!

Watson celebrates his engagement and Molly arrives with Tom who is a carbon copy of Sherlock, right down to wearing a coat and scarf and similar shoes!  Molly has fallen for a copy, or rather transferred her feelings onto him.  Maybe I got the feeling she made him dress like that.  Sherlock doesn't want Watson to say a word!  Sherlock doesn't know why Watson was kidnapped and by whom and he hates that.  As a bespectacled old man watches Sherlock rescue Watson.  Here we go, a new nemesis for him who also resorts to filming him and watching his foe at work, just as Moriarty did.  Let's hope he doesn't turn out to be a copy of Moriarty, or someone who got away from his network and is continuing on for him.

Oh and I didn't mention the pleasure Sherlock took in tormenting Watson with the bomb since there was an off switch, "there's always an off switch."  Which is what made Watson and me wonder if Sherlock's version of events is what actually transpired.

 It was good to see Sherlock back after a two year absence and somehow it wasn't quite what I expected, some areas were a bit of a letdown.  Don't get me wrong, I love my Sherlock as much as any fan, but I couldn't help but think it could have been a little more exciting, so it seemed less contrived.  Kind of felt a tad cheated with the ploy as I said of saving Sherlock, but hopefully I'll enjoy it more when re-watching.  Maybe we were meant to see it as a new beginning, yes but in some ways perhaps just have to get back into watching it.  By the time we do get used to it, the other two eps will be over! Ha.

There are those who have hated it and those who have loved it but since it moved on from Sherlock being 'dead' and The Reichenbach Fall, it gave the show more of a chance for purely character interaction and re-introducing Sherlock to London, the "cess pool" as he describes it.  So in that respects it may not be to everyone's taste.

Some best parts were Sherlock tormenting Anderson with the news he was alive and he was right all along, with Anderson wondering why he's telling him that, as well as Sherlock knowing it was him with the skeleton, so he wasted police time, obstructed justice.  It felt good to torment him in that way!  Sherlock's back but Anderson won't be returning to policework.  As for Anderson leaving the Jack the Ripper book, it may be a bit relevant here, or not, but Robert Anderson investigated the Jack the Ripper case as he was chief inspector with Scotland Yard at the time of the murders in Victorian England.  Perhaps Anderson here thought he was being a bit clever in choosing this book to leave there.  It is elementary (had to use that once) Sherlock would have made the deduction and connection.

Sherlock donning his deerstalker which apparently Mrs Hudson kept or he did, since he takes it off the hook and wear it before greeting the press!

Also Sherlock's parents were played by Benedict's real parents, Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham. So another in-joke there.

I will probably be back with some more thoughts on this ep after I've watched again and re-analyzed it a thousand times over! Ha.