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January 27, 2014 8:45 pm  #1


Guess who wrote the best man speech?

Well, I must say this is quite a moving account of how Steven Moffat conceived and wrote Sherlock's best man speech. Imagine him crying over his keyboard while doing this. 

http://www.vulture.com/2014/01/steven-moffat-sherlock-holmes-best-man-speech-interview.html


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"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes

"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)

“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)



 
 

January 27, 2014 10:39 pm  #2


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

*sniffle*


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Proud President and Founder of the OSAJ.  
Honorary German  
"Anyone who takes himself too seriously always runs the risk of looking ridiculous; anyone who can consistently laugh at himself does not".
 -Vaclav Havel 
"Life is full of wonder, Love is never wrong."   Melissa Ethridge

I ship it harder than Mrs. Hudson.
    
 
 

January 27, 2014 10:59 pm  #3


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

tonnaree wrote:

*sniffle*

*also sniffles* 
 


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January 27, 2014 11:01 pm  #4


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

There are two canon stories which Holmes (supposedly) wrote himself.

From the first of these, The Blanched Solider, written when "the good Watson had deserted [Holmes] for a wife":

"Speaking of my old friend and biographer, I would take this opportunity to remark that if I burden myself with a companion in my various little inquiries it is not done out of sentiment or caprice, but it is that Watson has some remarkable characteristics of his own to which in his modesty he has given small attention amid his exaggerated estimates of my own performances."

That line was used in the speech, the ending part updated to, "...because of his obsession with me."


But in canon, Holmes actually goes on to say that Watson is useful because he can't predict anything Holmes figures out or does. The speech is considerably more sincerely complimentary of John.

 

January 28, 2014 5:50 am  #5


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

*hands out tissues…. uses one herself*    
Mixed in with all of the more ridiculous yet amusing stuff he says, that wonderful part hit the most.  Awesome article, and that it directly tied in (of course) to the similar canon speech, as quoted above.


_________________________________________________________________________

We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants.  I wouldn't hold out too much hope!

Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay!

I'm working my way up the greasy pole.  It's… very greasy.  And…  pole-shaped.
 

January 28, 2014 6:25 am  #6


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

And also very interesting what Moffat says about Sherlock and emotions and that he's not a high-functioning sociopath at all...


___________________________________________________
"Am I the current King of England?

"I see no shame in having an unhealthy obsession with something." - David Tennant
"We did observe." - David Tennant in "Richard II"

 
 

January 28, 2014 8:05 am  #7


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

Yes, my thoughts exactly. 

Last edited by SusiGo (January 28, 2014 8:05 am)


------------------------------
"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes

"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)

“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)



 
     Thread Starter
 

January 28, 2014 8:45 am  #8


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

That... is heart-warming. Difficult to imagine Moffat sitting there... crying... This lad seems sooo insensitive in most interviews. But if someone is able to write this speech...


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Ten:" I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye."

Sherlock: "I heard you.”

"Temptation coursing through our veins " 
(Tony Hadley)

 
 

January 28, 2014 9:03 am  #9


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

Well, he seems to have no qualms about killing characters off but having them show genuine deep friendship seems to be another matter. 


------------------------------
"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes

"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)

“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)



 
     Thread Starter
 

January 28, 2014 9:06 am  #10


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

Interesting to get a bit of an insight into the mind of a writer who tries to think like Sherlock.
I wonder whether the writers talked to a psychologist or read something about the mindset of people who are different.
His conception concerning Sherlock's emotions sounds correct to me. Just look at his reaction when John tells him that he is his best man/friend. There is something like a electrical short-circuit. It's not that Sherlock doesn't understand what he heard but he might be a bit overwhelmed in the face of his own reaction and emotions. That's why he can't talk and react at once.
A common thing in autism btw. To avoid an emotional overflow there has to be a kind of protecting mechanism to control the feelings.

He can't stand seeing John's chair after John left. Imagine a physical emotional reaction towards certain things in your flat. That's why the chair had to go.
Sadly John has no idea. He was quite sarcastic about the chair and said something like "Nice, being missed."

I don't get the concept of a best man and his speech. Is that a British tradition? John obviously thinks that it is important, the most important day of his life even. Sherlock certainly wouldn't ruin it but would play along.

 

January 28, 2014 9:14 am  #11


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

I think Moffat comes across a bit aloof and arrogant sometimes and people are by some things he said (includig me), but I'm sure deep down he is a great guy. I don't think Sue would marry an arsehole

Nevertheless Mark is my favourite co-creator!

btw. I read that two weeks ago on twitter Mark wrote the cases and Steve the stag night, that must have been fun. My favourite case is definitely the elephant in the room

Last edited by Ivy (January 28, 2014 9:20 am)


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Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from!


 
 

January 28, 2014 9:44 am  #12


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

Best man speech is a British tradition.


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
 

January 28, 2014 10:44 pm  #13


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

Yep, a British tradition.  (is it that rare elsewhere, for anyone else in the party to make one?)  Maybe I'm mistaken in thinking it's a 'tradition' on this side of the pond too… perhaps just a favorite practice depending on preference, having heard various stories.  But most weddings I've been to had the best man speech, sometimes even the Maid of Honor and a parent or two.


_________________________________________________________________________

We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants.  I wouldn't hold out too much hope!

Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay!

I'm working my way up the greasy pole.  It's… very greasy.  And…  pole-shaped.
 

January 30, 2014 7:09 am  #14


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

Beautiful article, thanks for posting! 
It also confirms my impression of Sherlock concerning his emotions. If he goes to such lengths to suppress them, it's because they are quite strong and possibly very hard for him to handle when they surface and we got quite a few glimpses of that throughout series 3.

Last edited by the_dancing_woman (January 30, 2014 7:10 am)


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"When you walk with Sherlock Holmes, you see the battlefield" M.H.

"My brother has the brain of scientist or a philosopher, and yet he elects to be a detective...what might we deduce about his heart?" M.H.

"Home is now behind you, the world is ahead."
 
 

January 30, 2014 9:40 am  #15


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

It doesn't surprise me at all that Moffat wrote this piece. Of the three, he's the best at characters, IMHO. 

 

January 30, 2014 11:22 am  #16


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

the_dancing_woman wrote:

It also confirms my impression of Sherlock concerning his emotions. If he goes to such lengths to suppress them, it's because they are quite strong and possibly very hard for him to handle when they surface and we got quite a few glimpses of that throughout series 3.

Exactly. I mean, we've been over this in some other threads already, Sherlock and his emotions, but the way in which Moffat expressed it in this article made everything absolutely crystal clear to me. Yes, deep down emotions are brewing... but Sherlock has to suppress this in order to be high-functioning.  


___________________________________________________
"Am I the current King of England?

"I see no shame in having an unhealthy obsession with something." - David Tennant
"We did observe." - David Tennant in "Richard II"

 
 

February 10, 2014 7:36 am  #17


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

SolarSystem wrote:

the_dancing_woman wrote:

It also confirms my impression of Sherlock concerning his emotions. If he goes to such lengths to suppress them, it's because they are quite strong and possibly very hard for him to handle when they surface and we got quite a few glimpses of that throughout series 3.

Exactly. I mean, we've been over this in some other threads already, Sherlock and his emotions, but the way in which Moffat expressed it in this article made everything absolutely crystal clear to me. Yes, deep down emotions are brewing... but Sherlock has to suppress this in order to be high-functioning.  

Wow, that really strikes a chord..

The article is lovely, it made me appreciate the wedding speech a lot more. I kept thinking "why does he say those horrible things, they sure were not in his 'how to write a best man´s speech'-book".. and "this is about Mary and John and not your views on everything, stop it!". But I guess it makes sense he enjoys putting people off first.. 
 

Last edited by Zatoichi (February 10, 2014 7:50 am)

 

February 10, 2014 8:24 am  #18


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

SolarSystem wrote:

the_dancing_woman wrote:

It also confirms my impression of Sherlock concerning his emotions. If he goes to such lengths to suppress them, it's because they are quite strong and possibly very hard for him to handle when they surface and we got quite a few glimpses of that throughout series 3.

Exactly. I mean, we've been over this in some other threads already, Sherlock and his emotions, but the way in which Moffat expressed it in this article made everything absolutely crystal clear to me. Yes, deep down emotions are brewing... but Sherlock has to suppress this in order to be high-functioning.  

Exactly how I see Sherlock; he has worked so hard to remove himself from emotions...

I think the speech was beautiful and perfect; how Sherlock tried to distance himself but in the end he showed just how much Watson actually meant to him! Beautiful writing from Moffat's side! I think it was a last attempt of a sort of shield when Sherlock started out offending everone but it just cracked...

I don't know all that much about weddings but I suppose the best-man tradition is British yes. In Denmark I think it's the father of the bride instead...
 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Don't talk out loud, you lower the IQ of the whole street!"

"Oh Watson. Nothing made me... I made me"
"Luuuuurve Ginger Nuts"

Tumblr[/url] I [url=http://archiveofourown.org/users/This_is_The_Phantom_Lady/pseuds/This_is_The_Phantom_Lady]AO3
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February 10, 2014 4:54 pm  #19


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

I believe over here there are a whole seres of speehes at these interminable events.


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http://professorfangirl.tumblr.com/post/105838327464/heres-an-outtake-of-mark-gatiss-on-the
 

February 10, 2014 6:59 pm  #20


Re: Guess who wrote the best man speech?

So if I didn’t understand I was being asked to be the best man, it is because I never expected to be anybody’s best friend, and certainly not the best friend of the bravest and kindest and wisest human being I have ever had the good fortune of knowing.

That is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking lines I have ever heard. Perfectly written by Moffat and perfectly delivered by Ben.

 

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