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January 2, 2017 5:56 pm  #1


John´s cheating

What do you think, what was John´s reason for his cheating on Mary?

Was this a normal reaction of a new father who felt like he is suddenly not a center of his wife´s attention?

Or was he compelled to do that because Mary and Sherlock kept overlooking him, even reffering to him as a dog? Was it his payback on two self-proclaimed "geniuses"? Was it a delight that he could do it under their nose and they never noticed anything?


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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?

 

January 2, 2017 6:06 pm  #2


Re: John´s cheating

Well I guess it's just John "three continents" Watson.
Call me sheltered but I can't picture a man having time and energy for an affair right after having a new baby.


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"The posh boy loves the dominatrix." Context matters.
 

January 2, 2017 6:08 pm  #3


Re: John´s cheating

I don't think John's cheating had much to do with Sherlock. 

What I find interesting is that early on when he was newly-wed, he seemed unhappy and was missing Sherlock. Now he got both wife, a baby AND cases with Sherlock - and he is still unhappy. Or at least not completely satisfied.

I think that his feelings towards Mary was dying out. He more or less says so later on in the episode. Even though he loves Rosie, I don't think the suburbian life of wife and raising a child is for him. I think he does it mostly out of a sense of duty - and of course because he love Rosie and (used to) love Mary. 

Perhaps it's a different way of thrill seaking? Perhaps he likes getting the attention, feeling attractive again for someone else? To have something that is his, and slightly "dangerous".

I do find it interesting that he doesn't talk about it with Sherlock. I would've thoughts that this is what you would share with a "mate". Perhaps he thinks Sherlock is too close to Mary? Perhaps he does want this to be just for him? As it is, he has to share Mary with Sherlock, and Sherlock with Mary. 

I don't know, just speculating.


__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"We'll live on starlight and crime scenes" - wordstrings


Team Hudders!
 
 

January 2, 2017 6:11 pm  #4


Re: John´s cheating

I thought it actually seemed quite natural.  He's struggling a bit with the demands of a baby, there probably isn't a lot of sex going on, he's tired and fed up, and then a pretty, well-rested, fresh-faced woman shows interest.  I think he's just flattered at first.  And I think you can see his internal workings when she gives him the phone number.  Of course, he's going to throw it away!  But then, things like that don't happen every day.  And what's the harm in keeping a phone number?  And later, adding the number of somebody you've met to your phone?  Sending a non-committal text? 

I thought it was quite realistic, the way it gradually escalates.  I think that as well as plain, old sexual attraction, John maybe enjoys having somebody interested in him, and having something just for himself - not shared with Mary, Sherlock, Rosie. 

I don't think he's trying to get back at Mary or Sherlock for anything, but there might be a little rationalisation of "Well, she lied to me ...".   He does equate his own lies with her lies later. 

I think there's more to this story from bus stop lady's side, but I think that from John's side it's pretty straightforward and believable.
 

 

January 2, 2017 6:11 pm  #5


Re: John´s cheating

If he was attracted to bus lady , no doubt we will soon discover she is very dangerous indeed. Spy or assasin ?


"Man may not be degraded  to being a machine by being denied to be a ghost in the machine."
It's just transport. The virus in the hard drive . However impossible .Must be the truth.
 

January 2, 2017 6:13 pm  #6


Re: John´s cheating

I think he simply did not love Mary enough to be faithful.


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I still believe that love conquers all!

     

"Quick, man, if you love me."
 

January 2, 2017 6:14 pm  #7


Re: John´s cheating

To be serious Nakahara your OP echos almost exactly what I posted in the Johnlock thread.
John had been turned into the audience and was acting out a bit. Flirting for attention I think.

Last edited by Mothonthemantel (January 2, 2017 6:15 pm)


"Man may not be degraded  to being a machine by being denied to be a ghost in the machine."
It's just transport. The virus in the hard drive . However impossible .Must be the truth.
 

January 2, 2017 6:15 pm  #8


Re: John´s cheating

Vhanja wrote:

I do find it interesting that he doesn't talk about it with Sherlock. I would've thoughts that this is what you would share with a "mate". Perhaps he thinks Sherlock is too close to Mary? Perhaps he does want this to be just for him? As it is, he has to share Mary with Sherlock, and Sherlock with Mary. 

I think he can´t speak about this with Sherlock. Sherlock sacrificed too much, he even forgave his own shooting, apparently, to get him back together with Mary. To say to him that his sacrifice was for naught would feel too much like a betrayal, IMHO.


-----------------------------------

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?

     Thread Starter
 

January 2, 2017 6:20 pm  #9


Re: John´s cheating

I think that's true, Nakahara.  And Sherlock would be on Mary's side, I think.

 

January 2, 2017 6:42 pm  #10


Re: John´s cheating

Do we know he really physically cheated? Or was he just playing with the idea? The second meeting at the bus stop does not feel like two people meeting who had sex together or even met for dinner. To me it seems as if he flirted with the idea of cheating and gave up before taking it further. 

Which, however, still leaves Vhanja's question of why John even considered it. What does he have?

- Cases with his friend Sherlock
- A family with his wife

So it seems this still is not enough. This is not the right thing for him. We know that other relationships with women did not work either. What are they telling us?  


------------------------------
"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 2, 2017 6:45 pm  #11


Re: John´s cheating

Susi,
John was going to end it with that long text of his but then they met at the bus stop and he apparently changed his mind. I don't think anything physical really happened but he decided to go on so it was probably just a question of time.


-----
"The posh boy loves the dominatrix." Context matters.
 

January 2, 2017 6:46 pm  #12


Re: John´s cheating

The text message John received said . Miss you?
Implies they had been seeing each other frequently in the near past ?
If it was just flirtation then what was John need to discuss with Mary.

It is all a bit confusing. Temptation and guilt though. 


"Man may not be degraded  to being a machine by being denied to be a ghost in the machine."
It's just transport. The virus in the hard drive . However impossible .Must be the truth.
 

January 2, 2017 6:50 pm  #13


Re: John´s cheating

Although we never see anything physical on-screen, I wonder, why did John feel compelled to send Mary ahead of him to Sherlock´s case?

My only answer is: to meet with his new lover while Mary and Sherlock are engaged otherwise. And probably not for a talk....


-----------------------------------

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?

     Thread Starter
 

January 2, 2017 6:52 pm  #14


Re: John´s cheating

Right, thank you.

Which still leaves the above question - what is it John Watson wants? Not the boring teacher. Not Sarah Sawyer. Not the one with the nose. Not Mary. Probably not the bus stop lady either. 

"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?" 
 


------------------------------
"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 2, 2017 6:52 pm  #15


Re: John´s cheating

Mothonthemantel wrote:

The text message John received said . Miss you?
Implies they had been seeing each other frequently in the near past ?
If it was just flirtation then what was John need to discuss with Mary.

It is all a bit confusing. Temptation and guilt though.

Well, forming an emotional attachment is also cheating of sorts.
"Miss me" could also mean missing the texts.
And if John doesn't know whether the redhead is an owl, maybe he really hasn't spent any considerable amount of time with her. Yet.


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"The posh boy loves the dominatrix." Context matters.
 

January 2, 2017 7:02 pm  #16


Re: John´s cheating

SusiGo wrote:

Right, thank you.

Which still leaves the above question - what is it John Watson wants? Not the boring teacher. Not Sarah Sawyer. Not the one with the nose. Not Mary. Probably not the bus stop lady either. 

"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?" 
 

 
exactly.

We just need John to see it now . 
I think Sherlock is on the case now at least.


"Man may not be degraded  to being a machine by being denied to be a ghost in the machine."
It's just transport. The virus in the hard drive . However impossible .Must be the truth.
 

January 2, 2017 7:09 pm  #17


Re: John´s cheating

After rewatching, I am thinking again about the "Three Continents" Watson. Look at that sly look on his face when he decides not to throw away the number. I think he likes the thrill of it, the attention, the flirtation game. It's something new and interesting, a breath of fresh air from a stressful and draining life with a wife where the love seems to have become stale, and the stress of fatherhood.

But it does look like he had decided to drop it. If they hadn't received those texts from Sherlock, he would have told Mary about it. 


__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"We'll live on starlight and crime scenes" - wordstrings


Team Hudders!
 
 

January 2, 2017 7:23 pm  #18


Re: John´s cheating

Told Mary he was what though?
Cheating or just a serial flirt?


"Man may not be degraded  to being a machine by being denied to be a ghost in the machine."
It's just transport. The virus in the hard drive . However impossible .Must be the truth.
 

January 2, 2017 7:25 pm  #19


Re: John´s cheating

We don't know. We don't really know how far he went.


__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"We'll live on starlight and crime scenes" - wordstrings


Team Hudders!
 
 

January 2, 2017 7:31 pm  #20


Re: John´s cheating

I think what matters is that he finally decided to end it and to have a talk with his wife. He wanted to be a better husband and father. Maybe such an internal crisis is the little push John needed to settle into his new role.

Last edited by ewige (January 2, 2017 7:31 pm)


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"The posh boy loves the dominatrix." Context matters.
 

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