Sherlock series three, writing round-up, Sherlock Remix

[innie_darling]

Hi, everybody!

I was asked by a friend what I thought of the new series of Sherlock, and it ended up being so long that I thought I might as well post it.

Comments

[rotaryphones]

I've been away from LJ for so long, and I basically came back just to see if others were feeling equally disappointed with this season. So I'm nodding my head with everything you've written here, and I tend to agree that it's laziness on the writers' part. But on a more positive note, hooray! Someone else who is invested in Martin Freeman's John Watson above all else! At least if there's one thing I know will never disappoint me, it's Martin's acting. :)

[alizarin_nyc]

Because Martin is amazing and doesn't have to jump up and down to get us to notice. :)

[rotaryphones]

Preach!!

[innie_darling]

Seriously, he's so subtle and though I love his voice and his phrasings and rhythms, I want to do a rewatch with the show on mute, just so I can glory in his face and body language.

[alizarin_nyc]

I have to say - I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU

[innie_darling]

YES - walk before you run, give us a decent response to TRF before you prance ahead with a series 3 cliffhanger you just pulled out of your ass!

I did see your post, belatedly, and these three points in particular just made me say WORD:
- Ugh, Mary why are YOU being such a dick? John needs your support right now, and you're all suggestive and stuff. If John says he's not gay, someone SOMEONE needs to take him at face value.
- Lame that John ceases to be interested in his valuable work just because of Sherlock - because taking care of people's illnesses is inherently boring and vile?
- THE FURTHER MANIPULATION OF JOHN'S EMOTIONS. TERRIBLE, INEXCUSABLE AND I NO LONGER RESPECT JOHN. I mean, how much further can you take a joke in a life or death situation? With someone who you know suffers from PTSD?John has his own life, and it COUNTS, and it shouldn't be just a placeholder until Sherlock comes back! Also, the "I'm not gay!" thing that's being read as internalized homophobia or denial or whatever - I think it's just John being sick

[alizarin_nyc]

Those were my off-the-cuff reactions and I don't think they were off, having had a few days to digest. One thing that IS happening, most likely because RL is all-consuming, but also because of the show itself - I haven't given Sherlock a whole lot of thought once the eps are over.

Yeah, the gay thing is now way overdone. It was pitch-perfect in the first series, now it's just an overwrought joke that isn't funny.

[ourdramaqueen]

I think by the start of TEH Sherlock had regressed due to being alone for two years, but did you notice how nervous he was as soon as he actually saw John in the restaurant? The disguise was a on-the-spot decision, something to give him a little buffer, if you will, and as soon as John saw him, Sherlock was completely out of his depth. He doesn't do emotions, or not very well, so he tried deflecting with humour - ill-conceived as it was - I guess partially because he and John always were able to laugh at inappropriate stuff

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I agree with you: I think that Sherlock had gone backwards a bit and was desperately trying to deny both John's grief and his own sense of guilt, and that led to very bad behavior. I don't excuse it, but I can understand it.

[innie_darling]

I think the lack of a clear answer as to HOW Sherlock did it unsettled the episode too much - not only did it obscure the fact that the WHY was left pretty much unanswered, but it didn't give a consistent PoV for the episode, meaning that Sherlock's behavior wasn't condemned but rather applauded or adored.

[innie_darling]

I did see Sherlock being nervous in the restaurant, but I can't cut him slack for it - he's just said to Mycroft that John could not possibly have had a life in his (Sherlock's) absence (as if John were just hanging around in stasis, waiting for a dead man to return to life), he's gleeful that he has such an upscale setting for the reunion, and he's very conspicuously smirky as he makes his preparations (stealing the accessories, etc.). The disguise is from ACD, but there was no need for Sherlock to interrupt what was clearly a private and important moment for John.

he tried deflecting with humour - ill-conceived as it was - I guess partially because he and John always were able to laugh at inappropriate stuff. I take your point - it's a good one - but I would ask: why does he need to stage a reunion in public at all? To put it another way, what is he "deflecting" (as you put it) from?

And the thing with the bomb - I think until he went into his mind palace, he honestly didn't know/remember how to diffuse it, and thought they

[fennishjournal]

It's kind of a relief to see someone else being disappointed in the show for the same reasons I am! Because, yes, the consequences thing bothers me greatly. I feel like the show veers into crack/fluff/ID-fic land without warning so often, I feel the need for a neck brace and for me that just makes all the stakes so low. I hope we'll have an unexpected return to reality/consequences land on Sunday but I'm not really holding my breath.

[innie_darling]

Yes, exactly. For all the delighted "they filmed fanfic!" reactions I've seen in the mainstream press and fannish circles, I haven't seen many people say, "But that's unsatisfying. Fanfic is one thing, and the show's another." There's no end to the things I'd like them to film, but that doesn't mean that I want to see random snippets that add up to 90 minutes presented as an episode. Low stakes indeed.

[fennishjournal]

Ha, yes!
The problem isn't just that they filmed fanfic, I think, but what KIND of fanfic. Because they filmed crack and fluff. Essentially, non-sexual PWPs. And while those are kind of fun, they have never INSPIRED fanfic. The good fanfic, the kind that gets a fandom of its own and inspires more works, is usually the realistic, well-plotted fic with complex character development handled well. What they filmed wasn't anything close to that.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I'm sorry you haven't enjoyed it as much as I have. I have to say that I think keeping my expectations terribly low helped tremendously. I was convinced they were going to botch both episodes, and I didn't feel that they did, although I understand your reasons for feeling that they mishandled them.

I would certainly like to have known that a good bit of time passed between Sherlock using the bomb to get John to forgive him and John asking him to be the best man. In my mind, it's several weeks, at least.

[innie_darling]

I mean, if we go by the dates of events, then it's November for "Empty" and either May or August for "Sign," right? That's enough time for Sherlock to have made some amends and for John, possibly egged on by Mary, to have forgiven him. Just SHOW YOUR WORK, SHOW. Give us those moments of repentance and regret and joy. Give us the reason that Sherlock and John can declare their love for each other.

I find it hard to keep my expectations down when Martin Freeman's involved. Though he doesn't have the best track record of picking projects, his contributions have never disappointed me.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

And perhaps Martin Freeman is a big part of why I'm not disappointed; he's doing wonderfully in Sherlock and getting plenty of attention. I don't root for Sherlock (whether that's what the writers want me to do or not); I'm always rooting for John.

(I have been disappointed in both Hobbit movies that Bilbo's story is downplayed to throw in loads of other stuff that isn't even in the book. The proportion of MF is too low in them.)

[innie_darling]

Absolutely there's not enough Bilbo in the movies based on the book named for him - I think you and I discussed the fact that the first movie was made into Thorin's story rather than the beginning of Bilbo's grand adventure, right after we both saw the first one.

And yes, it's John that I want to root for as I watch Sherlock. I don't care what the writers' intentions are, really (and I've seen some interviews that suggest that G&M are firmly on Sherlock's side and some that suggest that they're on John's, if we make it into a Sherlock-vs.-John thing), as long as the writing isn't muddled.