Tag: Season 3

This is why we love this show

deareje:

thecutteralicia:

“The Sign of Three” is not only the best episode of Sherlock so far, it may be the best episode of television I’ve ever seen, ever. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge fan of Breaking Bad, but while that series grips your throat, Sherlock grips your heart. 

The emotion in this episode was honest and earned, never manipulative or mawkish. The funny parts were fall down funny; the central mystery was tightly plotted. It was joyous and bittersweet and thrilling and had profound things to say, great and small, about the characters and human nature. 

This series always astonishes me how it goes the unexpected route. How many times have we seen the bitchy, jealous third wheel, especially when it’s a woman joining the friendship of two men? Sherlock said fuck that. Instead, Mary is warm, vivacious, accepting of both her husband and Sherlock Holmes. I think she feels so refreshing to me because…well, how many women do we see on TV that are just comfortable in their own skin? Countless times well-meaning writers create self-conscious Strong Women™ who act like a stilted checklist of traits (she can kickbox and wear heels and hack into a computer while making a sarcastic quip!) rather than believable, fleshed out characters with personality and emotion. Mary is just real. She is effortlessly confident – secure in herself and her relationship. The writers don’t tell us she’s smart, charming and funny, they just show she is and hope we follow along. 

But the advance in S3 has obviously been with Sherlock’s character. He has grown, but it’s been well-earned development. You can see the groundwork that was laid in S1 and S2 about his increasing emotional maturity, and now the dividends are paying off in S3. Sherlock is now unafraid to tell those in his life that he’s concerned for them (Mycroft), appreciates them (Molly), or loves them (John). The thing that got me the most with Sherlock’s best man speech is that, while he’s longing in some ways, he’s never been jealous. He loves John and likes Mary, and in his mind that’s a cause for joy. He’s expressed it in so many ways this season so far: Sherlock just wants his loved ones to be happy. It is essential to his own happiness. 

Sherlock S3 is doing something I never expected. It’s changed the game by allowing Sherlock, the character, to change the game. It’s not the story of an anti-hero. It’s the story of becoming a hero. How? By accepting the differences in yourself and others; by realizing that being weird does not equal being bad; allowing others into your life and your heart; taking joy in your loved ones’ happiness; being there for those who are unhappy. To paraphrase Sherlock’s speech, some people solve crimes, some people save lives. But the puzzle is not the point. As Moffat and Gatiss have said, this is not a detective show. It’s a show about a detective. 

THIS. EVERY WORD OF THIS.

thecutteralicia:

enigmaticpenguinofdeath:

Part one of two (part two)

This right here is why Sherlock the series is different from other “tortured hero” works, particularly American ones (looking at you, Elementary and House, though I did love a good chunk of the latter’s run). Sherlock is not going to be “fixed.” The show doesn’t believe Sherlock needs to be fixed. 

Does he need to be more aware of others’ feelings? Sure. 

Does he need loved ones in his life to care about, and to care about him? Yes. 

Does he need to show appreciation to said loved ones? Absolutely. 

But he does he need to change who he is? No.

Other characters think he’s weird, and the show says, “Yeah, he is. And?” 

No one, not even his best friend, knows his sexual orientation. The show says, “So what?”

He’s a virgin. The show says, “He doesn’t want to have sex. Who cares?”

The whole point of this scene between Sherlock and Mycroft is that being different isn’t bad, but isolating yourself is. Both Sherlock and Mycroft are strange ducks, but whereas Mycroft is lonely because he wants to put himself above it all, Sherlock is not. Sherlock realizes that being lonely doesn’t make you special, the beauty of life is in finding those people who will love and appreciate you as that strange duck you are. Sherlock is needling Mycroft in this scene because he wants that for his brother. 

“He’s different – so what. Why would he mind. Why would anyone mind?”

madlori:

hughhgrant:

sarcastic sherlock is my sexuality

Here, this is why this scene worked for me. Look at John. He is not actually angry. He is almost laughing. I can almost HEAR his internal monologue: “oh thank God we’re not going to die that is awesome and also I don’t have to sit here and think about all the emotion I just horked all over Sherlock or even look him in the eye and acknowledge it because he fucking tricked me and now I can call him a cock, which he is, and he can be sarcastic at me and whew that was a close one but we can go back to our normal relationship but I got to say that thing and he got to say that thing and it was real but we get to pretend it didn’t happen because we’re emotionally constipated so we can laugh it off but we know that we love each other in that way that makes us punch each other and thank God for that and he is still a cock, but he is MY cock and oh my that sounded iffy, didn’t it?”