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January 16, 2017 2:03 am  #1


Not a fan of this episode

Ok, I'm not a fan of this episode. It started out well enough with Mycroft and the movie but as soon as they got to Sherrinford it was like they were going through a haunted house. Normally when I see a new episode I always think it's the best one yet so it's weird to feel this one has been a let down. And for the final episode. I don't know. If any one else want to rant feel free. If you loved it good for you but this is just my personal feelings.

 

January 16, 2017 2:35 am  #2


Re: Not a fan of this episode

It's perfectly OK for you to think that, ginger!  I know this probably isn't the thread for me since I did end up enjoying the episode, in the end, but I had mixed feelings about the beginning.  And I can understand where you are coming from about it being like a haunted house.  I got a bit of that vibe, too, and I didn't like all of it, even though those scenes did eventually draw me into the rest of the story from before we got there. 

It's perfectly fine to express what you don't like - you wouldn't be the first one on here to do that.



Clueing for looks.
 

January 16, 2017 2:52 am  #3


Re: Not a fan of this episode

It wasn't worth the hype. Nothing but a cheap cop-out by the creators. Makes no sense reading into this show anymore, cuz the loose ends are never being tied up while more are being created. The only Final Problem is if Mofftiss will continue making dull cheap crap like Series 3 & 4, or get back to the basics of Series 1 & 2 which made the show AND the actors so successful!


I will NEVER fire a gun IN my mouth when I'm planning on Stayin Alive! 

The clue that everyone missed?

 

January 16, 2017 3:09 am  #4


Re: Not a fan of this episode

This whole season was absolute, plot-holey trash. I did enjoy TLD but even that had sooooooo many mistakes and problems. I can't believe these are the same writers and the same crew, who did such spectacular work in previous seasons, suddenly forgetting their Writing 101 lessons such as "if the protag reads a letter but the audience doesn't see it, you must show it to them eventually" and "after establishing the rules of the story's universe (gunshot realism) don't contradict yourself 1 episode later (Mary)."

God, this is going to leave a horrible taste in my mouth. It almost retroactively reaches back and taints all the episodes that came before it.


Doomsteady on AO3 & Tumblr
 

January 16, 2017 3:24 am  #5


Re: Not a fan of this episode

Just wondering, does anyone know if there was another writer from previous seasons who did not return this season or last? This dramatic turn in the series could possibly be explained by that, if true. Or has it always just been Gatiss and Moffatt writing? 

 

January 16, 2017 3:58 am  #6


Re: Not a fan of this episode

It was almost like Scooby Doo where we're just suppose to accept the ending and how clever the characters are with only being given the bare minimum amount of evidence.
Why was lady smallwoods name different? 
Is the sister controlling the prison now?
If so why is she even there?
All of that was decided in 5 minutes?

I liked the last 2 episodes. Season 3 felt a bit fan fiction with sherlock being all social but I was ok with it.

     Thread Starter
 

January 16, 2017 4:34 am  #7


Re: Not a fan of this episode

The continuity/set flubs are perhaps the most baffling, for me. We know Arwel is meticulous. There's always tons of little easter eggs and realistic details other shows rarely bother with hidden in every episode.

Then we get s4, with John writing on his jpeg blog about changing nappies of a baby that hadn't even been born yet.

The brown... no wait, blue... no, now it's grey... now it's bright neon glowing... pure black Skull portrait.

The Dynamics of Cumbustion --> "The Thyroid Gland"

John's house's magically teleporting front door. (This was a set. They built the house from scratch. How on earth does an error like this even happen?)

And so much else. Just... I still see EMP, as clear as day in all these problems. And it fits so well, I'm truly finding it difficult to believe they were all just unintended mistakes. It just doesn't make sense. Where did the clever Sherlock crew go? Were they all replaced by pod people?


Doomsteady on AO3 & Tumblr
 

January 16, 2017 5:19 am  #8


Re: Not a fan of this episode

Haha GimmeCat, OK I don't know what half of those are or what/who Arwel is but those are hilarious. 

What is EMP?

 

January 16, 2017 5:31 am  #9


Re: Not a fan of this episode

OK last one tonight, I promise. During the well scene, apparently there was a decomposing child in the well at one point and I couldn't stop but think 'well damn, the Holmes family must have been wondering why the water tasted so foul for a while there." 

 

January 16, 2017 6:43 am  #10


Re: Not a fan of this episode

I was thinking the same thing, WhoIwantTobe , you'd have thought the clothes of the boy would have at least floated to the top.

     Thread Starter
 

January 16, 2017 10:57 am  #11


Re: Not a fan of this episode

This is just me trying to understand why I didn't enjoy this episode as much as I hoped. I'm posting here, because I think it might offend some as "negativity" (which, in my case, is just sadness and disappointment).

I keep thinking maybe the episode works better in a cinema. It wasn't quite TV format, for me.

I didn't like the "feeling" of the episode, the atmosphere, so to say. It felt strange to me. I was for a very long time convinced that the whole thing is just a dream. I was surprised when it never stopped.

I cannot wrap my head around the drama, isolated island, superpower sister, trap-house. It's surreal, to me. I had difficulties to see the characters. In my maybe naive world, Sherlock Holmes was a man living in a flat in London, solving crimes. Sometimes big crimes, sometimes he needed to be a fighter. But I never got this Bond-feeling from the stories.

I was amazed about the reveal in TLD, I really liked that. I thought it was a clever way to introduce a sister. But then... I don't know. I expected something else. So maybe it was just my expectations that let me down. I wouldn't have minded her being locked away, her being unstable, any of that. But her having such powers, effectively ruling in a house on her own island? Very over the top for me.

Also, I didn't fancy seeing Moriarty again.

Also, for a season finale, I missed so many characters. I would have loved to see more of Molly. Or Mrs. Hudson. Or Lestrade.

And also, I missed 221b. I never missed it in Hounds of Baskerville, because that still felt like a trip to the countryside and back. But this, this wasn't a case. It really wasn't, for me. And I am not sure I want Sherlock without a case. It was more like a family-resolve.
Actually, I can say that, as a special, I would have liked this. As a stand-alone. An extra. It would still be over the top, but I wouldn't have minded so much. But there was so much still to resolve, plot-wise. And it got all thrown in on top of this escape game, and it fell flat, in my opinion.

Also, I couldn't relate to Sherlock sometimes. In some scenes, I could recognize him very well, these were the best scenes for me. In others, I found it hard to relate. Maybe because my mind was still with John and Sherlock in 221b, having had a reunion of sorts. And then this story started somewhere else, and for the first half of the episode, I kept waiting for answers, some explanation, but there was nothing. So each interaction between Sherlock and John made me wonder, what is going on, which place are they in? It felt so matter-of-fact, when before, there was so much emotion. I mean, yes, there was emotion in this episode, but for me, it stayed on-screen and didn't reach me, with some smaller exceptions.

I am not sure what was the point of Eurus, on the whole scale. I think Sherlock made a great development that, even without this episode, would have been convincing (e.g. him hugging John, him inviting Molly along for a case, him acknowledging Greg, him defending Mrs. Hudson, ... it all showed me how human he is, how much he cares when he lets himself). When Greg says in the end "he is a good man", I didn't think it needed to be stated.

And God, I missed all that colourful, thoughtful stuff. Maybe that's really my own problem... I got depressed watching these rooms! I wonder if people who liked this are people who like these kind of stories. But then, I liked THOB, and that is dark, too. A different dark, but still. Funnily, I wasn't spooked or anything. I just got this bored horror-movie-feeling, where I usually go to the loo quite often because I just cannot relate. I wonder if that is maybe it. Maybe others can relate a lot better because they enjoy the genre more.

Okay, sorry for this. For the record, I liked bits and pieces. Not all bad. But mew. The story didn't work for me.

Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the glimpses of little pirate Sherlock. Actually, I liked pretty much most things that didn't happen in this spooky island prison. Okay, not the Mary Miss you DVD (where did they find this?). But I enjoyed the plane story, and the childhood flashbacks, and parts of the ending.

Rant over. I feel bad for not enjoying this. Especially as I realise that it is made by people I adore for the beautiful series they have done so far. Somehow, it feels like it is my fault for not liking this as much as I should.

I don't think I will stick around much in the forum now. I lost my appetite, for now. I am a bit heartbroken. Think I will rewatch TLD, which I enjoyed, and take a break.
 


_____________________________________________________________

"It is what it is."

 

January 16, 2017 11:07 am  #12


Re: Not a fan of this episode

Whisky wrote:

 I got depressed watching these rooms!  

I think that they wanted to create exactly that suffocating atmosphere with those rooms. But of course, such a place devoid of any warmth or beauty can be triggering for many people.


Whisky wrote:

I feel bad for not enjoying this. Especially as I realise that it is made by people I adore for the beautiful series they have done so far. Somehow, it feels like it is my fault for not liking this as much as I should.

Please, never apologise for your feelings. It is your full right to feel what you feel and to speak about it. There´s no fault - liking the episodes is not compulsory.


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

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 16, 2017 11:11 am  #13


Re: Not a fan of this episode

Whisky wrote:

This is just me trying to understand why I didn't enjoy this episode as much as I hoped. I'm posting here, because I think it might offend some as "negativity" (which, in my case, is just sadness and disappointment).

I keep thinking maybe the episode works better in a cinema. It wasn't quite TV format, for me.

I didn't like the "feeling" of the episode, the atmosphere, so to say. It felt strange to me. I was for a very long time convinced that the whole thing is just a dream. I was surprised when it never stopped.

I cannot wrap my head around the drama, isolated island, superpower sister, trap-house. It's surreal, to me. I had difficulties to see the characters. In my maybe naive world, Sherlock Holmes was a man living in a flat in London, solving crimes. Sometimes big crimes, sometimes he needed to be a fighter. But I never got this Bond-feeling from the stories.

I was amazed about the reveal in TLD, I really liked that. I thought it was a clever way to introduce a sister. But then... I don't know. I expected something else. So maybe it was just my expectations that let me down. I wouldn't have minded her being locked away, her being unstable, any of that. But her having such powers, effectively ruling in a house on her own island? Very over the top for me.

Also, I didn't fancy seeing Moriarty again.

Also, for a season finale, I missed so many characters. I would have loved to see more of Molly. Or Mrs. Hudson. Or Lestrade.

And also, I missed 221b. I never missed it in Hounds of Baskerville, because that still felt like a trip to the countryside and back. But this, this wasn't a case. It really wasn't, for me. And I am not sure I want Sherlock without a case. It was more like a family-resolve.
Actually, I can say that, as a special, I would have liked this. As a stand-alone. An extra. It would still be over the top, but I wouldn't have minded so much. But there was so much still to resolve, plot-wise. And it got all thrown in on top of this escape game, and it fell flat, in my opinion.

Also, I couldn't relate to Sherlock sometimes. In some scenes, I could recognize him very well, these were the best scenes for me. In others, I found it hard to relate. Maybe because my mind was still with John and Sherlock in 221b, having had a reunion of sorts. And then this story started somewhere else, and for the first half of the episode, I kept waiting for answers, some explanation, but there was nothing. So each interaction between Sherlock and John made me wonder, what is going on, which place are they in? It felt so matter-of-fact, when before, there was so much emotion. I mean, yes, there was emotion in this episode, but for me, it stayed on-screen and didn't reach me, with some smaller exceptions.

I am not sure what was the point of Eurus, on the whole scale. I think Sherlock made a great development that, even without this episode, would have been convincing (e.g. him hugging John, him inviting Molly along for a case, him acknowledging Greg, him defending Mrs. Hudson, ... it all showed me how human he is, how much he cares when he lets himself). When Greg says in the end "he is a good man", I didn't think it needed to be stated.

And God, I missed all that colourful, thoughtful stuff. Maybe that's really my own problem... I got depressed watching these rooms! I wonder if people who liked this are people who like these kind of stories. But then, I liked THOB, and that is dark, too. A different dark, but still. Funnily, I wasn't spooked or anything. I just got this bored horror-movie-feeling, where I usually go to the loo quite often because I just cannot relate. I wonder if that is maybe it. Maybe others can relate a lot better because they enjoy the genre more.

Okay, sorry for this. For the record, I liked bits and pieces. Not all bad. But mew. The story didn't work for me.

Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the glimpses of little pirate Sherlock. Actually, I liked pretty much most things that didn't happen in this spooky island prison. Okay, not the Mary Miss you DVD (where did they find this?). But I enjoyed the plane story, and the childhood flashbacks, and parts of the ending.

Rant over. I feel bad for not enjoying this. Especially as I realise that it is made by people I adore for the beautiful series they have done so far. Somehow, it feels like it is my fault for not liking this as much as I should.

I don't think I will stick around much in the forum now. I lost my appetite, for now. I am a bit heartbroken. Think I will rewatch TLD, which I enjoyed, and take a break.
 

Whisky, your post makes me sad. Especially because I find so many points that affects me the same way.  


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

Sherlock: "I heard you.”

"Temptation coursing through our veins " 
(Tony Hadley)

 
 

January 16, 2017 11:12 am  #14


Re: Not a fan of this episode

Whisky wrote:

Okay, not the Mary Miss you DVD (where did they find this?).

I think that the DVD was in John's mail, pure and simple. And I really hope that, should we get a S5, they will not continue with this "Mary is sending messages from the dead"-thing.

Apart from that: Don't feel bad. Feel sad and maybe disappointed, but don't feel bad. It's not your fault that you can't really connect to it - and you're not the only one.
 


___________________________________________________
"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 16, 2017 11:13 am  #15


Re: Not a fan of this episode

Awww, Whiskey, your posts are some of my favourites. 

It's not your fault at all that you didn't like it. It probably won't make much sense trying to understand why you don't like it as it is probably intuitive;  BBC's former controller of drama comissioning, Ben Stephenson (from 2008-2015) left after filming TAB for another job, and at the time I wondered if his departure would leave a mark on the show. I am not familiar with how the writing worked with Sherlock, but Stephenson is known for his ability to take massive risks and push the envelope. I am speculating, based on chatter at work this past week that he had a huge impact on'Sherlock's overall direction. Way, way more than anyone on the present BBC team will let on. 

 

January 16, 2017 11:15 am  #16


Re: Not a fan of this episode

Personally I have been a huge fan of the show since it first aired, and in my opinion some of the episodes are some of the best TV I have ever seen. However I have to say I was remarkably disappointed in what may be the last ever episode of this great show.

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say Sherlock is at his best when he is solving cases with John, leaning on the aid of his his nearest and dearests to outwit the big bad. The perfect example being the series 1 finale, where he required help from all of his closest allies to take down the 'unknown' big bad behind all the riddles. It was fast paced, unbelievably smart but most importantly with a sense of realism. You could honestly believe this smart guy, with the help of his friends, working out the back of a little flat in London could solve these puzzles to help save the day. Furthermore you could honestly believe the bad guy, simply just wanted to play games with Sherlock to try and prove he was smarter. Nothing more, nothing less. It was fun to watch and had plenty of twists with them one-uping each other throughout the episode.

This episode however felt like it was half way between a spy thriller and a horror film. It didn't feel realistic, thus all the plot holes throughout and for me, I didn't like what they did with the Euros character. I loved the reveal at the end of TLD and thought she could replace Moriarty as Sherlock's arch rival, but instead they made her outright insane with Prof-X/Jedi mindtrick style superpowers! 

Far far too out there for me. If they make a new series, please go back to the formula that made the show a hit and leave this James Bond crap behind!

 

January 16, 2017 11:57 am  #17


Re: Not a fan of this episode

Thanks for your kind answers
The "feeling bad" is mainly for the point that Swanpride makes: I assume the writers did their very best. And if somebody does their very best, I feel sorry if I don't like it. But I agree with you, Swanpride, that sometimes less is more indeed. But they pulled it off in HLV, which also felt big and dark, but it kept the balance. If I expected anyone to pull it off again, it would be them. For me, they never needed to "up the stakes". They had me from the very first episode. They could have made more and more of that. I wouldn't have run anywhere.

I wonder. I keep wondering. It was the fans who connected to this show, who loved it to such bits and pieces that the writers and actors where overwhelmed. I wonder what a show it would have been if we as fans hadn't been what we have been. I mean, the great thing about this show was not only the series itself, but the fandom. Maybe the simple reason they didn't want to "take back a little" was us.

I agree that Sherlock and John solving cases is the natural set-up that will always work best. But, I have to admit, Mycroft is such a great character, that I really don't mind any screen time he gets. Same for Molly, Mrs. Hudson and all the others. It is hard to please everyone. I hope the writers also see that the episode gets a lot of love from some.

I wonder, is there an objective way to judge this show?

 


_____________________________________________________________

"It is what it is."

 

January 16, 2017 12:12 pm  #18


Re: Not a fan of this episode

Whisky wrote:

I wonder, is there an objective way to judge this show?
 

If you are not emotionally connected there certainly is.
Our problem... loving that show with all of our heart.
 


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

Sherlock: "I heard you.”

"Temptation coursing through our veins " 
(Tony Hadley)

 
 

January 16, 2017 12:14 pm  #19


Re: Not a fan of this episode

gently69 wrote:

Whisky wrote:

I wonder, is there an objective way to judge this show?
 

If you are not emotionally connected there certainly is.
Our problem... loving that show with all of our heart.
 

Quite so. Or, in other immortal words: "Always."


_____________________________________________________________

"It is what it is."

 

January 16, 2017 12:17 pm  #20


Re: Not a fan of this episode

Oh, Whisky, I'm at work. Can't cry now.


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

Sherlock: "I heard you.”

"Temptation coursing through our veins " 
(Tony Hadley)

 
 

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