I agree with you, mrshouse. What Sherlock feels for Irene is not the same that he feels for John. But I do think the speed of the deduction was done for Irene. Not necessarily because he is "in love" with her, but because his nature is a show-off.

If I am to dig a bit deeper and over-analyze: Sherlock is intimidated by er sexual security and advances. By impressing her with a extremely quick deduction, he can get one up on her and be on equal foot again. He hates being the one insecure and off his field in the face of her. Her strength is her sexuality, his strength is his deduction. This time, it's HIS time to impress and fascinate HER. 

Magnussen too provoked Sherlock into doing recless acts because he wanted to prove himself to CAM as a great detective. Does that mean they are attracted to each other?

I suppose in both cases it's more that Sherlock misses things, precisely by trying to be too clever!

As I did not get an answer to my comparison of the three fireplace scenes I think there must be different standards for male/male and female/male attraction. 

Liberty wrote:

What he feels for John isn't a "dangerous disadvantage".  They work well together.  They admire each other, but it enhances their work, if anything - it doesn't (that I remember) lead Sherlock into stupid mistakes like that. 

Anyway, Irene and Mycroft both recognise that it was his feelings for her that drew him into making that mistake.  Sherlock does too, and he I think he almost thinks he's lost the game until the moment he realises what it means that he has the same effect on her (she wasn't acting when she seemed to be attracted to him). 

And there's Benedict's comments on the relationship - it really is not at all a wild leap. 

Nakahara, Sherlock despises CAM.  I don't see anything like what we see with Irene. 

I just pointed out that cracking a code for Irene in itself is not yet proof of his attraction to Irene - just a proof of Sherlock showing off when being challenged and thus falling into Irene´s trap.

Personally, I think Sherlock can be quite well attracted to Irene althrough being gay just as she, a lesbian, is attracted to him and love John deeply at the same time. Feeling are unruly things, they can be developed chaoticaly at any time.

But you nicely summed up in you first paragraph why Sherlock-Irene romance cannot really be functional. Irene leads Sherlock astray, misuses his trust and is too unreliable a partner to begin with, while John is Sherlock´s grounding power and his loyal support. Sherlock can be owerhelmed and charmed by Irene´s glitzines (just as we are sometimes lead to buy useless things wrapped in a shiny covers), but I believe after a while he would still choose John over her (just as we return to ordinary, but necessary-for-life things after we goofed with those glitzy, but ultimately pointless ones). 
 

Of course it's not functional, and they never really get into having anything much of a relationship or a romance. I'm sure they never would (and they don't) - and not just because of Sherlock's belief that love is a dangerous disadvantages (I think her morals are too suspect for him). 

Last edited by Liberty (December 13, 2014 11:17 pm)

We talk all the time about the connection between Sherlock and Irene and that she's Sherlock's downfall and that it's his weakness to show off. In my opinion the whole of S3 shows exactly what is described here, that Sherlock is never at the peak of his powers because he falls for John. And in a much more impressive way than in every scene with Irene.

silverblaze wrote:

And the attraction between Sherlock and Irene, intellectual? Sexual? Bit of both? I don't think we're meant to find out. But in any case, they would make a terrible couple. 

They are the best and have most mutual chemistry when they are playing each other. But indeed, them living together would be weird - such relationship would crash very quickly.
 

True.

You could be right, Mrshouse, that there's some of that in it.   (Although I think there are other things as well).   Although I don't see it as sexual, there are some mixed emotions going on there. 

Solar and Susigo, just a very quick answer as I'm off to bed - no, I don't see same sex attraction in different way, and don't claim to.  I didn't say that any time characters lock eyes, they're sexually attracted (goodness me!) but was pointing out that Sherlock not only looks at John but locks eyes with Irene (at that point, where he's given her the code).  But she is saying that she'd have him begging for mercy - it's clearly sexual to me.   I can't see how else to interpret those words.

The fireplace scenes - the only one I see as overtly sexual is the one with Irene, where she's pretty obviously talking about having sex with him and is wearing his dressing gown.  I don't see the others as sexual advances.  Honestly, if John was talking and acting that way towards Sherlock, I would see it as sexual.