For my taste it is too often emphasized that Sherlock and Mycroft aren’t getting on well.

Yet we all know that Mycroft is "constantly" concerned about his little brother.
Just remember how he was concerned about Sherlock when everyone could assume that Irene was dead. He made John and Mrs. Hudson search for hidden drugs and stay with Sherlock in case he would need them.
On the other hand, Sherlock is kind of proud of Mycroft ("He IS the British Government!") and he needs him, even if it’s only to have access to a secret military base: "Mycroft’s name literally opens doors."
Mycroft needs Sherlock as well, see the cases of Westie and Irene.
And at the point of the Fall there is so much to be done. The Government is alarmed by Moriarty’s criminal network and its connection to terrorism.
Another "hour of need" where Sherlock’s name "has arisen", I presume.
But only a Sherlock who "stays out of the news", who can work hidden away will be of use to Mycroft.
Therefore Sherlock needs his liberty, his "liberty in DEATH"...

Yes, of course Mycroft is involved in faking Sherlock’s death! Who else would have all the means, could hold all the strings?

The last picture of Mycroft in Reichenbach shows a thoughtful, not a grieving man.

Mycroft knows Sherlock’s alive.

And -  it’s canon!

Yes. Mycroft is no fool. He practically is the British Government, according to Sherlock. He, like Sherlock, despises sentiment and like Sherlock will do what others will not do.

Davina wrote:

Yes. Mycroft is no fool. He practically is the British Government, according to Sherlock. He, like Sherlock, despises sentiment and like Sherlock will do what others will not do.

Mycroft won't do what others won't do; he's actually quite lazy compared to Sherlock. he never dirties his hands nor can he afford to do so. That's when he calls on Sherlock.

kazza474 wrote:

BrandoMan13 wrote:

The other point, following canon, Mycroft was the one who knew Sherlock was alive and helped him make the necessary arrangements to help him fake his death and go on with his new life. So it would make perfect sense in this series' canon for him to be involved.

Don't count on Moftiss following everything in the canon to the letter! At some stage, they're going to get us on that one.
In this case, while I believe they will stick to it, there is always a chance they will not.
"Why?" you may ask.
Because this series is about a younger Sherlock. He is brasher and more unpredictable at times than the older version. Moftiss are showing us a developing genius here, Sherlock still has some polishing to do to himself before becoming the type of man in the canon.
As a younger version, he may decide he can do this on his own, without Big Brother's help. And he probably could to a point, but eventually he will need Mycroft's help. I've always believed Mycroft helped him, but there is still a possibility that brash young Sherlock will try one ego trip too many.

See? We may think we have solved things, but we should never close our minds off to other possibilities. That is when we stop observing and start merely looking.

Anything is possible, but even our young Sherlock has shown he is willing to ask for help when he absolutely needs it. It is farily if not 100% certain that he asked for Molly's assistance. He has asked for help before, and from Mycroft of all people.

While running handcuffed, John suggests (and thus maybe "plants" this idea into Sherlock’s): “Mycroft. He can help us.† which Sherlock turns down: "It’s not the time now for a family reconciliation." (paraphrasing, off to work in a minute!)
Not NOW, but maybe… laterz?

tobeornot221b wrote:

While running handcuffed, John suggests (and thus maybe "plants" this idea into Sherlock’s): “Mycroft. He can help us.��  which Sherlock turns down: "It’s not the time now for a family reconciliation." (paraphrasing, off to work in a minute!)
Not NOW, but maybe… laterz?

If Mycroft is in on Sherlock's plan, which I think he is. Then it is possible that part of the plan was to make Mycroft almost seem like the bad guy in John's eyes.

kazza474 wrote:

John's a grown man, he doesn't need to be fooled into thinking anyone is 'the bad guy'.
Also Sherlock would see that as a waste of time and valuable mind power to bother with that. What possible reason would there be to make Mycroft look like the bad guy anway??

I was thinking that perhaps Sherlock told Mycroft to feed Moriarity information, knowing he could use it against him later on. I could be way off, just a thought.

It's not so much to fool John into thinking he is a bad guy, what I was trying to say is that it made it seem as if Mycroft was the person responsible for the whole situation.

I was also thinking when he apologizes to John, maybe he was apologizing for the pain he knows he and Sherlock are about to put him through.

Just opinions.

I guess a better way of wording it would have been to say that it made Mycroft look as if he was the one at fault, not the bad guy per se

Remember what Sherlock says about the weakness of psychopaths and serial killers? They crave fame and attention and applause. He hasn't conveniently forgotten this during The Reichenbach Fall. He knows that Moriarty is a psychopath and that he enjoys killing, albeit vicariously e.g. Study in Pink as the cabbie's sponsor & using assassins. Remember he tells Sherlock that he doesn't like to get his own hands dirty. Gradually Moriarty is encouraged to show his hand more and more as the two series progress. He kills the old blind lady for describing him and then later appears in person to warn Sherlock off- 'back off, my dear'. His weakness is exploited. He think he only has one weakness 'I'm soooo changeable' but he doesn't only have one weakness, does he?! He is just too conceited to realise.

Yes, I suppose he observes how other peoples emotions effect them and then uses it to his own advantage when he needs to. Although he must feel some "sentiment" otherwise he wouldn't have gone through with the jump...he does still need "friends".

I like the idea of Moftiss surprising us by doing something totally non-Canon, even if they probably haven't on this particular one.

Research completed- with ordinary life interrupting a bit.

Mycroft has a copy of the newspaper about the expose by Richard Brook when John visits him at the Diogenes club. He specifically draws John's attention to the article and names Richard Brook, asking John whether the name rings any bells. John suggests on old school friend of Sherlock's perhaps, a suggestion which Mycroft finds laughable. Mycroft then goes on to warn John about the assassins in the vicinity of 221B Baker Street. Clearly Mycroft expects John to warn Sherlock about the assassins, does he also expect John to warn Sherlock about the forthcoming newspaper article and the involvement of Richard Brook? Mycroft makes it clear that he is more than fully aware of the danger Moriarty poses towards Sherlock. When John queries who is behind the assassins Mycroft immediately states that if it is not Moriaty behind the assassins, then who? Sherlock realised the Richard Brook/Reichenbach connection, it is quite possible that Mycroft did too.

Later it would appear that Mycroft has foolishly given Moriarty all the details of his brother's life in return for ... not very much it would appear. Remember he states that the security service know about 'people like James Moriarty' and that they watch them. Mycroft must be aware that Richard Brook and Moriarty are linked, at least in some way, when the newspaper article is going to be published. Mycroft is a highly intelligent, devious and experienced lead player in the security service with links to others around the world, remember Sherlock's witicism about him freelancing for the CIA?

Whilst it is tempting to see Jim Moriarty as the sole protagonist in this perhaps, as is suggested in Study in Pink and also in the courtroom scene by Sherlock himself, it is much more likely that he is a part of an organisation. Sherlock calls it a 'criminal web', with Moriarty the 'spider' at its centre. How did Sherlock know this? Clearly he has been doing his research.

What do you think?