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It’s been awhile since I was active on here (I’ve been busy, started uni, got a social life. It’s all very strange) so I thought I’d make an appearance with a small analysis of the newest Sherlock episode. I haven’t read or heard any other theories at the time of writing this so these are all my original ideas but feel free to add to it and I hope you enjoy my ramblings. Try not to take any of this seriously, I’m not a detective. Just a university student procrastinating.
Sherlock would have seen ahead, Mary even tried to warn him about winding Vivian Norbery up yet he still continued with his usual arrogance. He had time to move away, he even had time stop Mary jumping in front of him yet he did neither of those things. Did Mary try to stop Sherlock talking because it meant the gun would no longer be pointed at her? Earlier in the episode she wrote John a letter talking about how she wanted to do things her way and run away on her own terms. She must have anticipated Sherlock and John following her due to the sentimentality (which seemed to be a theme for this episode) but they couldn’t exactly follow her to a grave, John couldn’t. He’s a loyal father (not so much a loyal husband) and Sherlock obviously wouldn’t do that to John (again).
Rosalind was referred to as an exorcist and an omen with 6-6-6 written on her forehead (I found this humorous and perhaps so would anyone who has seen World’s End where Martin Freeman played O-man alongside Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in the final instalment of their cornetto trilogy). Was Rosalind an exorcist in the sense she purged any bad feelings between her two parents, keeping them together for her sake (both John and Mary seem to be the family type, Mary loyal to AGRA and John loyal to Sherlock and their friends creating a secondary family) or is she more of an omen. A theory has gone around that perhaps John isn’t the father and these two nicknames for her do seem to add something a bit more. It could easily be a funny joke and maybe I’m reading into it too much.
The domesticity of the episode was strange but also showed a lot of development in character interaction that they’ve all become more comfortable with one another. In the beginning John and Greg would have a much more professional relationship compared to the ones they individually held with Sherlock however the ‘banter’ between them has become more easy going - even to the point in relating with one another about acting like guardians to Sherlock right in front of him, discussing how he is not much different from an infant. It seems like the two dads are getting along better now they have more in common.
Sherlock has also been a lot friendlier with Lestrade even to the point of telling him a woman he was going on a date with was not right for him (in his very Sherlockian way of course).
Sentimentality, loyalty and family seemed to come across very strongly in this episode. We had the treat of seeing brotherly love between Sherlock and Mycroft within the opening scene (fighting like children as always), we saw kid!Sherlock living out his pirate dream as well as another shot of Redbeard AND Sherlock interacting with a dog (which John called him out on naturally). However, alongside those themes was betrayal. Mary was labelled a traitor outrightly by someone who once saw her as family. Of course in the end we see that it wasn’t really Mary’s call to follow through with the mission - or was it?
(code name) Love gave the code word but Mary was an agent or at some points could have been seen to be on the same intelligence level as Sherlock so surely she could have seen ahead and known she was putting those she supposedly loved in danger? Yet she followed through and made the call to essentially abort the mission and made it easy for her to escape and run. She kept her memory stick all that time - if she truly believed she was the remaining survivor, why bother keeping that? That was her ammunition against the other members of AGRA, it ensured her protection. Maybe she knew she would be found eventually and that her ‘perfect life’ couldn’t have lasted so her giving the memory stick to John truly must have been a complete show of trust in him. However, if she suddenly felt that she were safe - the great Sherlock Holmes did ensure she would be in his vows - then that memory stick was useless and he became her protection. If she lived while he died then she would also be in danger and at risk. So was her saving Sherlock really an act of love or her realising her death was the easiest solution and most likely planned?
Whilst Mary was seen as a traitor, John was being the good, loyal husband because all good men text other women flirtatiously behind their wives’ backs. I personally don’t think John still loved Mary after the first time she admitted everything to him, perhaps even before then. The time he wanted to admit his wrongdoings was when Mary was praising what a good man he was, unknowingly guilt tripping him. Her death was his get out of jail free card, he’d never have to tell her what he’d been doing because it wasn’t going to change anything after she’d been shot. Perhaps he was angry that he had unfinished business and not admitting to his unfaithfulness may haunt him forever, alternatively and this is my TJLC theory so if you don’t really ship that just skip to the next paragraph.
If John is now single he can easily get with Sherlock. There is nothing in his way. His best friend is alive and his wife his dead. At that time he would have seeked comfort from the person he is closest to but it’s so much easier to put the blame on Sherlock as opposed to facing a sexuality crisis. His constant screams of ‘I’m not gay’ in previous episodes must still haunt him. I think he panicked and didn’t know how to put that into words in front of so many people - including Sherlock himself - and making Sherlock feel just as bad as he did was the easiest thing for him to do in that moment. Also can we take a moment to appreciate Martin’s appearance in this episode.
Now onto my last main point - is Mary really dead?
I don’t think she will actually come back in the same way Sherlock did but she could easily follow in the footsteps of Moriarty and come back to the public whilst still being dead. I think she was playing a game with Sherlock. The disc she sent was obviously important but why mimic Moriarty’s words. I’m sure a ‘To Sherlock, love Mary’ would have sufficed in getting his attention. Why use the words of his enemy to make him watch the video she created in preparation for her death. And who had access to that disc that she could trust wholeheartedly to send it to Sherlock? Did she send it a few days ahead of her death to make sure it arrived in time? In the Christmas special and in this episode the same line has been repeated by Sherlock to John. ‘It’s never twins’. At first I didn’t believe the Morstan/Moriarty twin theory but I have certainly warmed up to the idea after this episode - unless that’s what the writers want us to think. I do believe they may have had some connection. I mean she did show up in John’s life not long after Moriarty’s death. My mum actually made the comment that she didn’t feel bad for Mary’s death and I think that was intentional. You’re not meant to sympathise for the villain’s death, you’re supposed to worship the hero. So does this mean that Mary truly is the villain and will she come back? Or are the written words meaningless and only added because she knows Sherlock likes puzzles and it’s her last laugh, a joke between bros? Sherlock certainly admired Mary a lot and saw her as friend. Also on the disc she tells Sherlock to look after John. Save John. What about her daughter? Surely a mother would care intensely about their child, especially after she’s died. Did Rosalind really matter to Mary or was she just used to keep John around?
Overall I really enjoyed this episode but I feel it was a lot more obvious than previous episodes, there wasn’t as much mystery. The innocent interaction with Vivian Norbery in the very beginning of the episode is a media technique of introducing key characters in an attempt to be subtle. This episode seemed different but I still really liked it and it was so excellently produced.