Sherlock Season 2 #3: Reichenbach Fall reaction
Argh, Sherlock's dilemma. Argh, John's reaction! GUTTED!!! Brilliant. MORE!!!
That's the short form. More under the cut.
SO much to enjoy and wallow in in the episode. I seriously thought the first one with Irene Adler was brilliant; this episode tops that. Really fantastic, even when I knew how it was going to go. :(
Random things to love:
- John literally telling Sherlock what to say; he's turned into a fulltime press agent, handler, and assistant detective. "Say thank you." "Try not to smile so much when kidnapped children are involved."
- Sherlock's over-the-show meltdown; he feels the coils closing about him, and he's powerless to do much to stop it. But he _can_ save John. That becomes his motivating force. The gradual transformation from selfish, disconnected being to someone willing to risk all for another is what the whole series so far has been trending toward. Movingly and believably conveyed by Cumberbatch.
- Molly revealing to Sherlock his own emotions. Her whole speech of "I know what that sad face means" was heart-rending. For the first time ever, Sherlock saw her as a person who could contribute to him in unexpected ways-- and it probably saved his life. *hugs her to pieces*
- John utterly disdaining Mycroft for his role in Sherlock's predicament. Mycroft, even more than Sherlock, is haughty and disdainful; to have John make him face the consequences of his arrogance, and what it means to Sherlock, was one of the more powerful and satisfying scenes ever.
- Lestrade doing what he could in a hideous situation. Yes, a seed of doubt had been planted, but if you held his feet to the fire I'm sure he'd come down on the side of John. You can't be around Sherlock as much as they were, especially John, without realizing he's the genuine article; no one could research all this, the random people who walk up and are analyzed, the instantaneous decisions that turn out right. So Lestrade makes the warning phone call; he insists that everyone get down vs. trying to confront the escaping Holmes. He does what he can whilst executing his duty. Very admirable and touching; in his own way, he's as trapped as Sherlock.
Something I'm on the fence about is how Sherlock was fooled by Moriarty. Jim said "You're always looking for the clever solution" (the computer code), but Sherlock had had 6 weeks, according to the story's internal timeline, to look into the break-ins before the trial. He would certainly have discovered the people Moriarty had manipulated or employed to achieve the break-in. To have him not discover this, or look for alternatives, I felt was a disservice to the character. In the book, Sherlock has Moriarty trapped, and that's what makes the criminal so desperate. In the show, they turned it the other way round. Jim had Sherlock defeated utterly; he really only kills himself because he's certain he'd be bored with Sherlock out of the way. I enjoy putting Sherlock in a pinch, but I wished they hadn't made him make such an obvious omission to achieve that.
I don't need to say anything about those final scenes, do I? When John pulled up in the cab, and I realized he was going to have to _watch_, I groaned aloud. Poor John. Poor Sherlock! His desperation was haunting.
Regarding how Sherlock survived, rabidsamfan has created a beautiful trio of ficlets that engage in very solid speculation of what might have happened in that regard. This is seriously good speculation, so if you don't mind some possible spoilers, please see her beautiful little series Doubt/Certainty/Hindsight starting at: http://rabidsamfan.livejournal.com/531935.html
I'm sure the real solution will differ in some ways, but it's a beautiful imagining of one way it might have went.
There's so much to love in this show, I could go on about the entire thing. I hope people will comment about their own reactions and give me that opportunity! But I'd like to close this post with one of my favorite poems of all time. It really suits these characters to the ground-- especially those first two lines. The supposedly protective Mycroft blew it because he let his own ambition blind him; John stands true, forever.
The Thousandth Man
by Rudyard Kipling
One man in a thousand, Solomon says,
Will stick more close than a brother.
And it's worth while seeking him half your days
If you find him before the other.
Nine nundred and ninety-nine depend
On what the world sees in you,
But the Thousandth man will stand your friend
With the whole round world agin you.
'Tis neither promise nor prayer nor show
Will settle the finding for 'ee.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em go
By your looks, or your acts, or your glory.
But if he finds you and you find him.
The rest of the world don't matter;
For the Thousandth Man will sink or swim
With you in any water.
You can use his purse with no more talk
Than he uses yours for his spendings,
And laugh and meet in your daily walk
As though there had been no lendings.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em call
For silver and gold in their dealings;
But the Thousandth Man h's worth 'em all,
Because you can show him your feelings.
His wrong's your wrong, and his right's your right,
In season or out of season.
Stand up and back it in all men's sight --
With that for your only reason!
Nine hundred and ninety-nine can't bide
The shame or mocking or laughter,
But the Thousandth Man will stand by your side
To the gallows-foot -- and after!
That's the short form. More under the cut.
SO much to enjoy and wallow in in the episode. I seriously thought the first one with Irene Adler was brilliant; this episode tops that. Really fantastic, even when I knew how it was going to go. :(
Random things to love:
- John literally telling Sherlock what to say; he's turned into a fulltime press agent, handler, and assistant detective. "Say thank you." "Try not to smile so much when kidnapped children are involved."
- Sherlock's over-the-show meltdown; he feels the coils closing about him, and he's powerless to do much to stop it. But he _can_ save John. That becomes his motivating force. The gradual transformation from selfish, disconnected being to someone willing to risk all for another is what the whole series so far has been trending toward. Movingly and believably conveyed by Cumberbatch.
- Molly revealing to Sherlock his own emotions. Her whole speech of "I know what that sad face means" was heart-rending. For the first time ever, Sherlock saw her as a person who could contribute to him in unexpected ways-- and it probably saved his life. *hugs her to pieces*
- John utterly disdaining Mycroft for his role in Sherlock's predicament. Mycroft, even more than Sherlock, is haughty and disdainful; to have John make him face the consequences of his arrogance, and what it means to Sherlock, was one of the more powerful and satisfying scenes ever.
- Lestrade doing what he could in a hideous situation. Yes, a seed of doubt had been planted, but if you held his feet to the fire I'm sure he'd come down on the side of John. You can't be around Sherlock as much as they were, especially John, without realizing he's the genuine article; no one could research all this, the random people who walk up and are analyzed, the instantaneous decisions that turn out right. So Lestrade makes the warning phone call; he insists that everyone get down vs. trying to confront the escaping Holmes. He does what he can whilst executing his duty. Very admirable and touching; in his own way, he's as trapped as Sherlock.
Something I'm on the fence about is how Sherlock was fooled by Moriarty. Jim said "You're always looking for the clever solution" (the computer code), but Sherlock had had 6 weeks, according to the story's internal timeline, to look into the break-ins before the trial. He would certainly have discovered the people Moriarty had manipulated or employed to achieve the break-in. To have him not discover this, or look for alternatives, I felt was a disservice to the character. In the book, Sherlock has Moriarty trapped, and that's what makes the criminal so desperate. In the show, they turned it the other way round. Jim had Sherlock defeated utterly; he really only kills himself because he's certain he'd be bored with Sherlock out of the way. I enjoy putting Sherlock in a pinch, but I wished they hadn't made him make such an obvious omission to achieve that.
I don't need to say anything about those final scenes, do I? When John pulled up in the cab, and I realized he was going to have to _watch_, I groaned aloud. Poor John. Poor Sherlock! His desperation was haunting.
Regarding how Sherlock survived, rabidsamfan has created a beautiful trio of ficlets that engage in very solid speculation of what might have happened in that regard. This is seriously good speculation, so if you don't mind some possible spoilers, please see her beautiful little series Doubt/Certainty/Hindsight starting at: http://rabidsamfan.livejournal.com/531935.html
I'm sure the real solution will differ in some ways, but it's a beautiful imagining of one way it might have went.
There's so much to love in this show, I could go on about the entire thing. I hope people will comment about their own reactions and give me that opportunity! But I'd like to close this post with one of my favorite poems of all time. It really suits these characters to the ground-- especially those first two lines. The supposedly protective Mycroft blew it because he let his own ambition blind him; John stands true, forever.
The Thousandth Man
by Rudyard Kipling
One man in a thousand, Solomon says,
Will stick more close than a brother.
And it's worth while seeking him half your days
If you find him before the other.
Nine nundred and ninety-nine depend
On what the world sees in you,
But the Thousandth man will stand your friend
With the whole round world agin you.
'Tis neither promise nor prayer nor show
Will settle the finding for 'ee.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em go
By your looks, or your acts, or your glory.
But if he finds you and you find him.
The rest of the world don't matter;
For the Thousandth Man will sink or swim
With you in any water.
You can use his purse with no more talk
Than he uses yours for his spendings,
And laugh and meet in your daily walk
As though there had been no lendings.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em call
For silver and gold in their dealings;
But the Thousandth Man h's worth 'em all,
Because you can show him your feelings.
His wrong's your wrong, and his right's your right,
In season or out of season.
Stand up and back it in all men's sight --
With that for your only reason!
Nine hundred and ninety-nine can't bide
The shame or mocking or laughter,
But the Thousandth Man will stand by your side
To the gallows-foot -- and after!