Sherlock Special, Where It's Sometimes 1895

[tardis_stowaway]

OMG, I forgot how intense it feels to get New Sherlock after a hiatus.  It's hard to even sort out what my reaction to the content of the show is because the whole time I'm watching it there's a part of my brain excitedly repeating "IT'S BACK!  NEW EPISODE!  IT'S BACK!  NEW EPISODE!", which gets distracting.  Here are my thoughts as best I can get

Comments

[sylvansafekeepe]

More or less my feelings about the episode, too.

[tardis_stowaway]

Glad to hear we're more or less in agreement!

[locker_monster]

I loved the first hour but by the time they got to the last half hour, I wasn't so much in love. The whole drug induced thought experiment thing just takes you out of the story.

I have to admit I was smiling like a fool when the episode started. You are right; you do forget what it's like to have new episodes of Sherlock.

[tardis_stowaway]

I agree that the last half hour or so wasn't as successful as the first hour. I still am mostly in love with the whole, and personally I don't mind the general concept of a drug-induced thought experiment much, but I wish they hadn't gone for so many layers of dream within a dream stuff.

We'll get that new episode thrill again soon enough...from a geologic time perspective. From a more human perspective, there is so much hiatus.

[wendymr]

There were parts of the Victorian storyline I enjoyed; some of it was certainly humorous and a lot of fun, especially Mrs Hudson complaining about never being given anything interesting to say. I also loved Watson pointing out the distinction between a civilian doctor and an army doctor - now that's John. Loved it.

Much less fond of Moffat, via Sherlock, lecturing women on feminism, and not at all fond of the KKK hats. And the flip-flop between 1895 and 2014 or whenever it's supposed to be was a confused mess, IMO. But then, unfortunately, I'm one of those who loathed HLV, so there's not much that can redeem that one for me.

But, oh! We got Mycroft and Greg side by side and actually talking to each other!

[tardis_stowaway]

Mrs. Hudson was excellent. And I too loved John explaining the difference between civilian and army doctors.

The more I think about the way the secret society of women was presented, the less I like it. *sigh*

I'm interested in your perspective on the KKK hats. I've seen some people (Americans, I think) on tumblr arguing that lots of other less-awful secret societies have used similar pointy hoods (true, but not necessarily relevant to how modern viewers perceive the costume design) and that people outside the US aren't necessarily going to associate those pointy hoods with the KKK. I'm skeptical of the latter claim, but I'm American and thus don't really know how others see those robes.

But, oh! We got Mycroft and Greg side by side and actually talking to each other!

Ha, yes! I don't even ship Mycroft/Lestrade, but I was happy to see that because I knew it would make a lot of other friends happy. I saw someone point out that Mycroft is literally carrying a torch for Greg in the graveyard scene, which amuses me.

[sylvansafekeepe]

I'm sort of undecided on the KKK outfits. I mean, yes, they're offensive. But the Klan are the bad guys in 'The Five Orange Pips', which *did* influence this episode, so I wasn't particularly (or at all, really) surprised to see the pointy hoods.

There are certainly more tasteful ways that it could have been done, though.

[wendymr]

That makes it worse - there's no way the pointy hoods were accidental, in that case. And they had them worn by women. Monstrous Regiment is clearly on the mild side of the intended implication.