Of Dinner and Empty Houses - Sherlock S3, Part Three

[harmony_lover]

Once again, I've been pondering pieces of S3, and it's led me to even more questions and interesting conclusions. Here, in my last meta post, I was talking about John, Mary, Sherlock, and Irene, and the ways in which John's interactions with the two women revealed things about his friendship with Sherlock. Now, I've found a few more connections in

Comments

[harmony_lover]

I also had a couple of other thoughts after I posted this. One, if you're looking at all of this with either Johnlock or Johnlockary goggles, isn't it appropriate that Sherlock interrupts John and Mary's engagement dinner? In the first case, you could say that Sherlock interrupts "dinner" with John and Mary because he is John's true partner; in the second case, you could argue that John and Mary's dinner isn't complete until he shows up. Either way, it's the other major "dinner" connection in S3.

Also, I was thinking about the abandoned tube station and underground car in "The Empty Hearse"; the empty station could be another symbolic empty house, another place where there is supposed to be people and activity and commerce, except that it's now been abandoned. Sherlock and John end up there together, at a point where 221B has been empty for two years. Finally, the underground car could be the literal "empty hearse" - it is empty, yet equipped to cause death.

[harmony_lover]

And to answer your points, I like Mary, too, and I'm really curious about whether she is/was connected to Moriarty. If not, it will be interesting to see where they do take the plot about her mysterious past. If so, I have a theory that she was maybe the assassin at the pool, before she knew Sherlock and John personally, but maybe turned down the job at St. Bart's. Or, as you say, maybe she's playing the long con, trying to figure out how Sherlock "died" and eventually aiming to get rid of Sherlock and John? (Or was planning that, until she fell in love with John?)

Like you, I'm also continuing to be fascinated by Sherlock's sexuality or lack thereof, and the emotional connections between him and John. It will be so interesting to see where they go with both of those!

[willowmeg]

I love all the points you bring up in this! There's so much to think about. I hadn't thought to draw the connection between the proposed dinner with Janine, and Irene's repeated "dinner" invitations - but it's so obvious, when you point it out

[harmony_lover]

I completely agree! I think John's reaction in that scene is everything you've said - he clearly goes through this huge range of emotions, and it's such a testament to Martin's acting skill. As you say, a simple face probably would have been okay, and the scene would have worked - but Martin brings so much more to it, with all of those small expressions that hint at so much turmoil!

I'm so glad you liked all of the things I looked at in here. I hadn't originally intended to write this, but the connections just wouldn't leave me alone! :)