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May 24, 2016 7:14 pm  #3801


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

John pretty much denies that it could have been a man he fell for ("of course it's a woman").  So if he's bisexual, it looks like he hasn't realised it yet.

I think that if they were going to show him dating men, it would have worked best to just throw one or two in amongst the women, rather than introduce one after Mary's death (and then we could have had a bisexual John all along).

 

May 24, 2016 7:14 pm  #3802


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

Of course.
Most widowers find it difficult to get back into relationships, at least for a while.
For someone who suffers with PTSD anyway and who has possibly witnessed his wife(and child) suffering the most horrendous death:
I think it's a given that John will be terribly traumatised...but I hope not for the rest of his life.
He may decide never to marry again, but it would be nice if he could find some happiness once more.

EDIT: and yes Liberty, bereavement can often have strange effects upon people...doesn't always change their sexuality!

Last edited by besleybean (May 24, 2016 7:54 pm)


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May 24, 2016 8:33 pm  #3803


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

Johnlock or not - I am absolutely sure that he will find happiness again - at Baker Street, with Sherlock.


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May 24, 2016 8:34 pm  #3804


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

Liberty wrote:

John pretty much denies that it could have been a man he fell for ("of course it's a woman").  So if he's bisexual, it looks like he hasn't realised it yet.

I think that if they were going to show him dating men, it would have worked best to just throw one or two in amongst the women, rather than introduce one after Mary's death (and then we could have had a bisexual John all along).

It wouldn't be canon if he did, and in all that really matters, Gatiss and Moffat have chosen to respect canon.  The ACD Watson was straight, and the BBC John has been shown to be straight as well.  Otherwise--well, it wouldn't have been Sarah and several other women he fell in love with a dated, nor would it have been Mary he ended up marrying.  He has always been shown dating a woman, and the person he chose to marry and spend the rest of his life with is also a woman.
 

Last edited by kgreen20 (May 24, 2016 8:36 pm)

 

May 24, 2016 8:36 pm  #3805


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

Schmiezi:
Indeed. And we really do not know if Mary and/or the child are going to suffer a horrendous death. This is pure speculation so far. We do not even know if John will become a widower. He could be an unhappy husband who becomes a happier ex-husband and the whole tragedy will come from a completely different direction. 

kdgreen:
There are precedents for adaptations changing the sexual orientation of characters, one of the better known being Benedict's character in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". And if you take a look at how Canon Watson describes men compared to women … well. 

Last edited by SusiGo (May 24, 2016 8:38 pm)


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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)



 
 

May 24, 2016 8:37 pm  #3806


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

Well if the trauma's as great as I suspect...I think it will affect both of them.
I hope it brings Sherlock and John closer.
I am sure Sherlock will be a great support to John.

I don't want to be graphic about this, because it's so not my area...
But I suspect widowers don't lose their sex drive, at least forever and John may eventually go back to dating.
I remember the early days of Sherlock and people endlessly going on about John being a 'ladies man'.

(ASIDE): are we accepting that Canon John is straight?

Last edited by besleybean (May 24, 2016 8:42 pm)


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May 24, 2016 9:54 pm  #3807


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

SusiGo wrote:

Schmiezi:
Indeed. And we really do not know if Mary and/or the child are going to suffer a horrendous death. This is pure speculation so far. We do not even know if John will become a widower. He could be an unhappy husband who becomes a happier ex-husband and the whole tragedy will come from a completely different direction. 

kdgreen:
There are precedents for adaptations changing the sexual orientation of characters, one of the better known being Benedict's character in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". And if you take a look at how Canon Watson describes men compared to women … well. 

 
Whoa! I haven't seen that one yet! Off to check Amazon. :-)

 

May 24, 2016 9:56 pm  #3808


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

SusiGo wrote:

I think it is not so much about her dying but about her leaving the show or not. They could come up with all sorts of solutions - escape, divorce, imprisonment, witness protection, whatever. But if she remains, the whole Holmes/Watson dynamic will be irrevocably changed and - IMO - not in a good way.

Exactly. In the ACD stories Mary was given an exit of one line – "In some manner he (Holmes) had learned of my own sad bereavement" – and never mentioned again, then in later stories Watson is apparently married again. What if Moftiss have decided to send Mary and baby away rather than killing them off? Witness protection or whatever, as Susi says. This could "fit canon" if Moftiss choose to interpret it this way (they have many of their own ideas and headcanons apparently!). John could move back to Baker Street, un-devastated by grief, and Moftiss could avoid being horrible people who kill off inconvenient plot babies. They'd hardly even have to refer to Mary and the baby in future episodes, and life could go on. We wouldn't have to worry about the possibility of John ever dating again either.


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May 24, 2016 10:36 pm  #3809


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

About the baby: it's actually not all that unusual to kill off the baby as a plot development: I mean, back in the 70's -- babies died off the show with alarming regularity on Little House on the Prairie! It's always happening on Law and Order SVU.... it's not necessarily considered"monstrous", anymore....

 

May 24, 2016 10:47 pm  #3810


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

I have my own personal wishes, but I could live with Mary and the baby in witness protection or just gone.


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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.
    
 
 

May 24, 2016 10:56 pm  #3811


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

Basically there are three acceptable options: Mary and baby are both killed; Mary and baby both go away; or baby dies, and Mary goes away. Any other scenarios would ruin the show, in my opinion, and I really hope they don't go that way


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May 25, 2016 2:19 am  #3812


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

Me, too.
 

 

May 25, 2016 6:11 am  #3813


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

I am forever confident they will not ruin the show, for me at least.


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May 25, 2016 6:12 am  #3814


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

I think it depends on how you construct those stories. The three possibilities you've mentioned, ukaunz, might work very well. But if for example "Mary and baby both go away" is constructed in a way that makes me think they both could easily return two episodes later, this won't work for me. If they go, I want them gone for good. Well, I want them gone for good and I don't really care if they both die or just go away... but I have to be able to believe that they'll never return.
And yes, that sounds harsh.  


___________________________________________________
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May 25, 2016 6:42 am  #3815


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

But that could be what Moftiss want - the chance to bring them back, or to hint that they're back.  Disappearing them would leave that opportunity open at any point!  Although I tend to think that for that "surprise" twist, they'd tend to use something that we thought was permanent, i.e. death, or it wouldn't be so much of a twist.    They do seem quite fond of fake deaths.   With all their fake deaths there has a been a body, I think, so I don't think they'd have us (and Sherlock) fall for a death without a body. I think there have maybe been too many deaths and fake deaths, and maybe I would actually prefer a different way for her to leave this time.

 

May 25, 2016 6:45 am  #3816


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

Unless maybe we are all in on a fake death, so Mary can escape an enemy.


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May 25, 2016 6:52 am  #3817


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

kgreen20 wrote:

It wouldn't be canon if he did, and in all that really matters, Gatiss and Moffat have chosen to respect canon.  The ACD Watson was straight, and the BBC John has been shown to be straight as well.  Otherwise--well, it wouldn't have been Sarah and several other women he fell in love with a dated, nor would it have been Mary he ended up marrying.  He has always been shown dating a woman, and the person he chose to marry and spend the rest of his life with is also a woman.
 

Gatiss and Moffat respect the canon, but only when it suits them.
Canonical Mary Morstan, for example, never ever shot Sherlock who wanted to help her. Wouldn´t even dream of it.
Canonical John Watson would never forgive the person who wanted to harm or kill Sherlock. he would have quartered such person bare-handed...
And yet in BBc version John happily lives with Sherlock´s murderer. It´s the first adaptation of SH in which Dr. Watson have other priorities than Sherlock´s safety and well-being.
So if they changed this important feature of the story, they can change any other as well, with the same ease...


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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?

 

May 25, 2016 7:12 am  #3818


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

I don't think they need to stick to canon at all in regards to sexual orientation.  But so far, John has only been shown dating women, and has made it clear he's straight.  I think they could bring in him dating men after Mary's death, but it would be a missed opportunity (he could have been shown as bisexual all along).  I'm guessing, but I think the reason for not showing him as gay/bi so far is that it would instantly create some sexual tension with Sherlock - why wouldn't he fancy Sherlock if he fancied men?  If that was brought in after Mary's death then it would raise that question too.   Not that there can't be close friendships between people who could be attracted to each other, but in practice it's difficult to avoid the question coming up, in When Harry Met Sally fashion.  

So they don't need to stick to canon, but it depends what they want to show. 

 

May 25, 2016 7:18 am  #3819


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

Liberty wrote:

  I'm guessing, but I think the reason for not showing him as gay/bi so far is that it would instantly create some sexual tension with Sherlock - why wouldn't he fancy Sherlock if he fancied men?

That´s exactly why he won´t date other men. He already has Sherlock at home, why would he fancy others when he has this brilliant creature for himself?
 


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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?

 

May 25, 2016 11:48 am  #3820


Re: Mary – the subject of discussion

In some opinions there already IS sexual tension between John and Sherlock.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
    
 
 

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