Tinks wrote:

Sherlock spent the rest of the season trying to make things up to him and we very nearly ended up exactly where we started - with Sherlock banished from his life again. Only this time John seemed perfectly content to let him go

Yes, that's what struck me, too. John doesn't do anything to make the Farewell easier for Sherlock. He tells him that the game is over. One of the worst things you could say to Sherlock as Sherlock's  whole life IS the game. Then he tells him that he and Mary will not name their baby after Sherlock. He could have said "If it's a boy, we will think about it" especially as he knows that it's a girl. There is this moment when Sherlock holds out his hand and John takes his time to accept the hand.  It's just so sad to see Sherlock waiting. Everything Sherlock says and does in this scene expresses that he desparately wants to stay a part of John's (and Mary's) life. I do not see any such thing from John.

 

besleybean wrote:

I think they're both learning  to express themselves more, which also means facing up to the real dangers ahead...

Not sure about the "learning to express themselves" but I agree on the real danger ahead. I think (hope) that eventually it will be Sherlock who has to (and will, reluctantly may be) do something grand and brave to save his brother in one way or another.

After watching HLV several times (okay I am a bit slow) I can't help thinking that Mycroft was either in on the plan or -perhaps more likely- knew about it and did nothing to stop Sherlock because that's just what he wanted. Therefore his remark about Sherlock's "Utility". Also CAM mentions that Mycroft was waiting for an opportunity to get to CAM for years and he now must be a very proud big brother. So it's not Sherlock who is using Mycroft but the other way around. Of course, the plan goes wrong because Mycroft did not foresee that Sherlock would kill CAM. I think he is genuinely shocked and for a moment out of his depth because even for Mycroft it is very difficult to help his little brother in this situation ("Oh Sherlock, what have you done?").

By the way Sherlock's reaction to the utility-remark broke my heart a little.

miriel68 wrote:

silverblaze wrote:

For me, this subtle portrayal is much more beautiful and realistic than the crying and hugging thing that some people seem to prefer. Maybe it's just a difference in taste. 

 

agreed. I think one hug in a season is quite enough for Sherlock and Watson and the understatement works far better than explicit gestures. However, for the very first time in the whole three seasons I had the feeling that in HLV BC upstaged MF: especially in the farewell scene. It is not to say that MF performance wasn't excellent: it was. I still think it was rather because of the way the script was written, but somehow - for me - something was not entirely satisfying in John's reaction and body language.

I also prefer subtlety. I prefer emotions to be conveyed by little gestures, looks and so on.

To give an example, there is this scene when Sherlock and John are sitting on that bench waiting for Bainbridge to come off duty. Sherlock sits perfectly still, hands folded, when they talk about Major Sholto. When John starts to talk about his forthcoming wedding and that it won't alter anything Sherlock shifts in his seat and moves his hands. You can see he is  moved by this,  he doesn't need to say it. There are loads of examples.

As for the acting, I think both Martin and Benedict are brilliant but imo additionally Benedict is mesmerising. They are both very talented but pretty different actors. I prefer Benedict's way of acting. This is completely a matter of taste, I know. And also a bit off topic.

Sherlocks guesses John's middelname three times. Henry, Humphrey, Higgins

So?
I am not saying that she has no family. I am saying that she wanted Sherlock to believe that she had no family.
Anyway, the family-thing is just one piece.

I am not so sure that Sherlock really was as emotional as we are all supposed to think. I have the strange feeling that he used the wedding and the speech for his own purpose which is to find and eliminate CAM, even if he doesn't know yet exactly who he is. Sherlock already knows that there is something wrong with Mary. She told him she is an orphan yet the telegramm says "...wish your family could have seen that". And Mary is the one who received the messages about John being in danger in TEH. So Sherlock knows that John is in danger because of Mary.
May be Sherlock wants to challenge CAM and wants to make him believe that he, Sherlock, is most vulnerable when it comes to John and Mary. He lets CAM know that he cares about John and Mary. His vow at the end of the episode was not (or not only) a vow to John and Mary but (also) an invitation to CAM to the game. He uses John and Mary as a bait. His motivation hopefully is also to protect them in the end but he is surely  eager to start the game.

Pretty dark, but more like Sherlock than him saying and meaning all those sweet things, much as I loved to hear them.