Liberty wrote:

A little bit OT, but I assume if Sherlock's the "virgin", then Mycroft definitely isn't.  I do wonder about his sex life.  I imagine him out-Sherlocking Sherlock in his distain for those sort of goldfish activiities, but then if he's so pointedly not a virgin, it suggests that he does indulge.  He doesn't seem to do relationships - maybe just an efficient meeting of needs with (I imagine) attractive young men?  I'm not sure if I really want to see it, but I'm fascinated by the idea of Mycroft really falling for somebody. 

My interpretation is that labelling Sherlock "virgin" and Mycroft the "ice man" doesn't necessarily believe the Mycroft has had any kind of sex or relationship. I see it more as Sherlock being the one more prone to let his feelings control him than what Mycroft is. When Sherlock is put in an emotional situation, he doesn't always know what to do - but at least he often tries in his Sherlockian way to do the right thing. Because he wants to be liked by those close him, and he likes them.

Mycroft is in a way beyond that. He is a build an ice shield that is stronger than Sherlock's, and is therefore not fazed as Sherlock by the same emotional things. Sherlock allows himself to become close to people, and thus going through and having to deal with a whole range of emotions. But it's all new to him (again: virgin), so he makes a bunch of mistakes which makes the emotional roller coaster so much bigger for him and everyone involved. Mycroft doesn't want that, so he distance  himself from everyone.

So Mycroft would never be snared, intimiated or entranced by Irene's game, while as Sherlock - being closer to his own emotions - is.

That is how I see "virgin" and "ice man".

Oh, absolutely. I was 100% sure Sherlock was a virgin, until Benedict said he probably wasn't. 

besleybean wrote:

I think that's just Benedict.. as well as fantasising about Sherlock and Irene!

Lol! Well, he did say something about Sherlock and Irene going at it the night after he rescued her in Afghanistan (or wherever it was), but that could have been him just joking.
 

It's not just the "virgin" and "iceman" comments.  Mycroft talks as if he has sexual experience and Sherlock doesn't.
"Sex doesn't alarm me"
"How would you know?" 
It doesn't rule out Sherlock having sexual experience that Mycroft doesn't know about, though.  Or having sexual experience afterwards.

Maybe Mycroft has a tighter control than Sherlock and so (if he has sex - I initially thought he didn't, but his comments imply that he does) can just use sex to fill a need.  He doesn't realise that Sherlock is more vulnerable (or straight?  Or repressing sexual desire rather than asexual?  I'm not sure how much Mycroft knows) so doesn't worry about putting him in Irene's path.  I think Sherlock could have dealt with finding Irene sexually attractive, but he starts to fall for her as well, and loses it. 

Oh, I didn't see Sherlock's comment to Mycroft as being about sex, but about friendship, etc.  - I really like that scene.  Mycroft doesn't really have friends, or goldfish.  Sherlock does, and understands the value of them, I think.

I hadn't thought of Mycroft being into sex, but it doesn't quite make sense to make fun of Sherlock for being inexperienced if he's inexperienced himself, so who knows?

I always liked Sherlock's comment from the same scene in TEH implying that Mycroft is not sexually experienced (or experienced with women) either.

Some women have short hair, too.
Balance of probability.
Not that you’ve ever spoken to a woman with short hair – or, you know, a woman.

Yep.

Yes, good point. Content is a much better word. Content and safe. 

Liberty wrote:

Doesn't it turn out, though, that the supposedly isolated hat-wearing trainspotter has a girlfriend?  . 

Yes, it does. So?
 

I thought Molly's look was just to tell Sherlock not to be so obvious in his disbelief.   But it was possible true - Sherlock does sometimes get it wrong, and it would be amusing if he was wrong in this case.  I think his deduction about Mycroft was more or less right, though.

I thought I'd read somewhere that Mark Gatiss thought Mycroft was gay, so I'm happy to take his word for it!  If not, I don't think there's anything to say he isn't, in the show.  We don't see any attraction to anyone, and there are possible hints (like the "queen" comment).  And to be honest, my gaydar, such as it is, would suggest that he could well be (although that could just be subconscious, because I know Mark's gay - I'm not sure.  But he definitely comes acrosss as more likely to be gay than, say, Lestrade).  

With Sherlock it's different - Benedict seems to suggest he plays him as attracted to women and I haven't read anything different from the other people involved.  And we do see that attraction to Irene.  I remember reading that Moftiss hadn't decided on Sherlock's sexual orientation right at the beginning, and I feel that's how it plays out ... we don't really see his sexual side until Irene. 

Last edited by Liberty (December 13, 2014 8:04 pm)