Sherlock Holmes wrote:

OK. I honestly don't mind if that's how Sherlock really did it, because it was pretty close to my own theory (apart from I was never a fan of the rubber ball, haha).

I just always imagined that the true reveal would come from Sherlock telling John how he did it. And there was that moment, when John asked him as they were about to go out and face the press. There was like...five minutes left to spare, and I honestly thought Sherlock was about to tell him then.

You honed in here on the piece that bothered me: I assumed at the time this was the true explanation because 1) it was almost the end of the episode, and 2) I thought he was talking to John. And I assumed he would tell John the truth. (Silly me!)

And then at the end, didn't John ask Sherlock again how he did it?

I do see the point behind the "he wouldn't tell Anderson the truth," comment. I have said many times that he could get back at those who hated him in-universe by keeping them in the dark....thinking about supernatural possibilties...and maybe making them wonder a little if it was anything like History's Greatest Rise From the Dead...and John HAS to be wondering that on some level, too.

The other thing that struck me was, what REALLY got to John was less that HE wasn't in on it, and more the fact that so many other people WERE. Because that implies that he is not the person Sherlock is closest to in the world. I think it would have been different if absolutely no one (or maybe just Mycroft) had known. Because then it's "Sherlock Holmes keeps even the persons closest to him in the dark," (which kind of paraphrases a quote from canon).

But this way, I think John was made to feel like Sherlock chose to be more "intimate" (in a sense, I can't think of a better word) with others than with him. Especially given that one of those others was Molly, who is/was in love with Sherlock, making her kind of a rival, whether John wants to admit it or not.

But I wonder if Sherlock might have sincerely believed that he gave John clues to figure it out? In the flashbacks to the roof scene, I realized that "it's a magic trick," was code for conveying the truth to John...to Moriarty and anyone listening who was Moriarty's ally it would sound like Sherlock was confessing he was a fraud. But to John, he was saying, "this suicide is all going to be a magic trick."

However, that does NOT get Sherlock off the hook, in my book: because he should have judged John's deductive abilities more accurately.

shylock wrote:

The whoe bomb thing was totaly over the top and unecessary imo.

Appart from the fact that there is no way such a device could have been created and installed totaly unnoticed, it portrayed Sherlock in a way I simply cannot believe he would act.

Then to have countdown timers on a remotely detonated bomb and an on/off switch....come on!!!!

I have another theory.......anybody remember Bobby Ewing in the Shower? Can't wait for series 4

The bomb is a device for John and Sherlock's makeup scene, which I wasn't crazy about. 

I just can't get over the fact that Sherlock manipulates John into forgiving him  BY MAKING JOHN THINK THEY ARE GOING TO DIE.

Doesn't that seem like, once John knows, it should be something MORE to hold against Sherlock... shouldn't he be madder still after that...and yet, after that, things seem to be better between them?

Also, I've read a lot of mystery fiction where two people with unresolved sexual tension snark, argue, and say inane things to dance around their issues, until some brush with death forces them to spill their true feelings. So that whole "making up when you have minutes to live" thing felt very cliche and deja vu to me. I know that people (including on this forum) have criticized the unrealism of Watson, in canon, forgiving Holmes so easily..but given that it WAS canon, I would have preferred this series stuck to that.

There is a certain irony about John's assumption that Sherlock can dismantle the bomb: he asked for the miracle of Sherlock not being dead. Once that came true, he was unwilling to believe there was ANY miracle Sherlock couldn't pull off.

You know something, Moriarty in his story wasn't too far off in portraying Sherlock's true nature. If there hadn't happened to be a Moriarty, I think Sherlock would have been capable of inventing one.

 

Did Mary recognize Sherlock a split second before John did?

For anyone who doesn't know, The Seven Percent Solution is a re-write of The Final Problem in which Moriary is NOT a criminal mastermind, and Holmes' insistence that he is is a delusion brought about by cocaine.

There is Johnlockian subtext here: it is implied that Holmes' cocaine use became worse when Watson moved out of Baker Street and into his marital home with Mary.

The first half involves Watson, Mary (who seems very intelligent), Mycroft (whom it was Mary's idea to ask for help), and Moriarty (who taught both Holmes in math at some time during their academic career!) all conspiring to get Holmes into treatment...and the treatment is provided by none other than Sigmund Freud.

And then they get involved an international intrigue.

At the end (and here is the spoiler), Holmes permits Freud to hypnotize him and a traumatic event in his past is revealed: his mother had a lover, and his father killed her and her lover.

In Holmes' version of the story he gives under hypnosis, all Moriarty did was break the news to Holmes; however, Watson deduces that Moriarty must have done something which gave Mycroft a "hold" over him so that Mycroft could ask Moriarty for the favor of helping get Holmes to Freud.

So the question (for those of you who've read it) is: Was Moriarty the lover? Did Holmes just pretend to himself that the lover died also?

Jacco111 wrote:

And yes, Brett was probably bisexual, I don't know who would be unwilling to acknowledge that? 

Apparently on some forums that focus on him, the subject is taboo..ostensibly because it's "too personal," but the same people are often willing to discuss his illnesses and the relationships he had with women.
 

There was a country band in the '90s, known as Diamond Rio, whose songs were on a death-theme kick for a while, and as such, they work for post-Reichenbach (yes, with some Johnlock implied):


"You're Gone," http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/diamondrio/youregone.html

"I Believe," http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/diamondrio/ibelieve.html

"One More Day," http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/diamondrio/onemoreday.html


And this one is not by Diamond Rio. Unfortunately, I think it could sum up John's relationship with Sherlock, and perhaps Molly's as well.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/what-is-it-my-love-lyrics-dolly-parton.html

And this one, I suppose they both feel that way about each other, but it's John who believes Sherlock can move mountains:

http://artists.letssingit.com/dan-seals-lyrics-one-friend-q47n1m4

For the Hiatus years (and may apply to Molly, too): http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kennyrogers/icantunloveyou.html

These might be appropriate reunion songs:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/dollyparton/hereyoucomeagain.html

"Here You Come Again" 

"Heart Over Mind,"

http://www.metrolyrics.com/heart-over-mind-lyrics-lorrie-morgan.html

I realize the references to a guy who romances multiple women don't necessarily work for Sherlock, but that "You can always manipulate me even though I know you well, and I can't say no to you," kind of works.

"After All." I was reminded of the line "We tried it on our own," during the scene where John is trying to do his normal doctor work, and you can tell he SO wants to break down and go get with Sherlock.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/after-all-lyrics-cher.html

"I'd Rather" http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/luthervandross/idrather.html (The "someone else" could be either Mary or Molly.)

And then of course, the "rise from the dead," theme. This song would probably be from Anderson's point of view: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=0FF1CCNU (It refers to the singer having done something that was a betrayal or a denial of the relat

SolarSystem wrote:

They can't be serious about that second pic up there, can they...?

Which one are you saying they can't be serious about?
 

- this is where it is quoted that BBC originally thought Benedict wasn't sexy enough to be Sherlock

- Benedict has almost died more times than Sherlock!

 http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2013-12/02/benedict-cumberbatch-gq-cover-sherlock/viewall.

Someone pointed out to me that Sherlockians have always been "the fandom that waited." Think what DOYLE's readers had to endure between FINA and EMPT!