I'll try to address all the points raised in one post. 

-What Sherlock realizes upon leaving Kitty's flat ("He’s been sowing doubt into people’s minds for the last twenty-four hours. There’s only one thing he needs to do to complete his game, and that’s to ...") is that Moriarity needs to eliminate any remaining believers (i.e. Sherlock's friends) before he can take out Sherlock himself or he'll be stuck with troublesome loose ends that might investigate and reveal the truth.

-Sherlock's words to Molly were, "Molly, I think I’m going to die," not "Molly, I think someone's going to try to kill me" or "Molly, I think someone's going to try to force me to kill myself."

-The moment of privacy was to see if he could think of any other way out.  Sherlock often requests privacy to think, in the form of being alone or demanding silence.  And sure enough, he DOES figure a way out and start to smile.  He realizes Moriarty accidentally revealed that there's an off switch.

-People do survive falls with minimal injury, even from parachute heights.  His request to Molly was, "If it looks like I committed suicide but I live, make people think I died or innocent people will die."

-Similarly, he encouraged John to spread the myth ("I created Moriarty") to protect the innocent, so they'd refrain from prying after the fact and get themselves killed.

-Sherlock told John to stay where he was to keep him from getting shot.  If he'd approached the door to St. Bart's, the assassin would have fired.  It would have been his last chance to do so.

-Moffat loves writing emotion (think of all the emotion-rich scenes in SiB...humor, sorrow, tenderness, embarrassment, lust, etc.).  Revealing that Sherlock jumped purely to save his friends would totally be his style and fit Sherlock's growth pattern throughout the series and episode. 

Howdy, all.  I'm trying to find discussion of my favorite theory, that Sherlock did nothing to fake his death, that he went over that ledge fully believing he was giving his life for his friends.  Has anyone seen this theory before? Can you point me to a discussion?  Thanks.

I absolutely adore this violin trio of "The Game is On" (they call it Taxi Chase).  And bless 'em, they provide an mp3 download link!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHDCJmzajQc

Thanks, Doc!

besleybean wrote:

Which kind of ruins the impact of Molly in Reichenbach and(I hope in) the new series.

Time isn't linear in my fantasies.

My thoughts: 
 
1.  Cute as I am, I've never really had a romantic relationship and I'm approaching 50.  Abstinence isn't that tough.  I find it unbelievable that unmarried people actually uproot and move (or choose a university) just to maintain a relationship! 
 
2.  Sherlock is inexperienced because he has been a loner, something people choose when other humans have been a source of more pain than pleasure.  As he grows, he will learn how to prevent that pain, and that all worthwhile things in life come from other people.   
 
3.  Because of the criticism and coldness he endured growing up (criticism and coldness create loners) Sherlock probably assumed he was undesirable and therefore incapable of landing anybody he really wanted.  As a result, he probably didn't even try.  Attention and the occasionally stolen kiss from those who fancied him would have been insufficient to persuade him he was desirable.  He would have assumed anybody attracted to a loser must also be a loser.  
 
4.  The show's creators will maintain Sherlock's virgin status because Moffat is correct.  "...it's someone who abstains who's interesting."  Dangle something desirable in front of the fandom, say "No one can have him," and watch the obsession proliferate.  Everybody wins!

What's a faffy platform change?  Where shouldn't you make eye contact?

Thank you, thank you!  If I see Benedict at the airport, I'll snap a pic for everybody.  Yeah, I suspect he's leaving the country just as I arrive...for all those STID premieres.

MNRebecca, off to plot the routes to Speedy's, St. Bart's, etc.

The folks at the "LondonsTransport" Yahoo group rejected me, so may I please burden y'all for some help with my upcoming trip to London (first time out of North America!!!!)?  It's my job to get Mom, who can't walk far, from Heathrow to Base2Stay in Kensington, which is:

1.  A one-block walk from Earl's Court station (but NOT on the Picadilly line, right?)
2.  A three-block walk from Gloucester Road station (but ON the Picadilly line, right?)

My aunt Jackie (former Londoner) says using the interchange after Gloucester Road to get the District Line to Earl's Court will involve MASSIVE amounts of walking and that finding the correct way out of the Earl's Court station can be challenging.  She suspects there are easier ways to get from Heathrow to Base2Stay.  Like what?  Getting off at Gloucester Road?  Barons Court?  We'll be traveling on a Sunday, early afternoon, if that's a factor.

MNRebecca, country mouse.

 

beekeeper wrote:

errrr....well our water should be pretty free of bacteria because it is treated to be. I've never heard of a vistor from another country having a problem with it.

Thanks!

beekeeper wrote:

(saying this very politely and gently. by "England" I'm assuming you actually mean "Britain".

Actually, I think I'm staying completely in England.  London, Dover, and Cornwall.  That's all England, right?  But should I say Britain anyway?