BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » World Premiere of The Empty Hearse on 15 Dec.

SolarSystem · December 18, 2013 10:54 am

Be wrote:
SusiGo wrote:
Be wrote:
Amanda Abbington said in this interview that Mary sees a lot of herself in Sherlock. And so does Sherlock. What does that mean?
Did John find himself a woman that reminds him of Sherlock? Was she talking about some character traits that appeal to John? What can Sherlock and Mary have in common that they recognise in each other?
Interestíng.

I just watched the interview again. Amanda says that she and Sherlock both love John and see this quality in each other. I think she means that their joint love for John is what connects them.
In the second video gently linked at 5:30 I understood that "she sees a lot of herself in him and vice versa".

That's true, and I was also wondering what that's supposed to mean. If she really is a nurse, then I can't imagine that she would have a lot of character traits in common with Sherlock. Would make for pretty bad bedside manners...
Then again, maybe she considers herself to be some kind of outsider, too, someone who doesn't really know how to make friends... but that would be contradicted by the fact that Amanda also said that Mary and Sherlock are friends.
I guess we can only speculate at this point.

December 18, 2013 11:06 am

Maybe she is witty and clever and can match with Sherlock somehow. Amanda Abbington is also known because she played comedy characters. Maybe they have a little contest in eloquence and pun?
I suppose that I will need my dictionary again to look up vocabulary.

the_dancing_woman · December 18, 2013 12:14 pm

Amanda is just as sassy as Martin imo. So I think her interpretation of Mary Morstan is definitely going to rock. I've seen her in other things, and I've always adored how strong she is verbally.

tonnaree · December 18, 2013 12:54 pm

I"m almost afraid to mention this but I got really up set about it yesterday. Martin's questionable joke in that interview.

I truly do not want to see this hurt Martin's reputation. From everything I have ever heard or read about him he is a decent hard working individual. Kind to others and devoted to his family. Yes, he can be course and vulgar and he is known to not suffer fools but he gives every appearnace of being a good man.

Who hasn't, from time to time, used questionable humour? My friends and I can get extremely rowdy and frequently crude. But we do try to keep it amongst ourselves, the key word here being "TRY"!

I give Martin every benefit of the doubt. Between DOS and Sherlock he has been interviewed to death. The same questions over and over and over. Having to a certain extent, behave himself. He was tired, he was jetlagged and it just popped out. Lord knows I have heard far worse in my time.

I swear, between the crap that went down at the Q&A and now this I am feeling quite overprotective of our boys.

kittykat · December 18, 2013 2:56 pm

What joke? Have I missed something?

tonnaree · December 18, 2013 4:16 pm

http://groupthink.jezebel.com/martin-freeman-makes-a-rape-joke-everything-sucks-1485025851

kittykat · December 18, 2013 4:24 pm

Hmm...having some idea of what Martin is like for his humour and reading the text...I'm pretty sure he didn't mean to offend. I think that what he meant is how people can jump on one tiny comment and make a big deal out of it. Ironic, because that's exactly what has happened now. Perhaps he just meant how people are easily offended, even if such a thing has never happened to them?

SusiGo · December 18, 2013 4:29 pm

Okay, I know he has been answering stupid and repetitive questions on and on but this is a bit tasteless IMO. He is asked about dating and answers with a description of date-rape and at the same time ridiculing the fact that this procedure might be called rape.
Of course he does not promote such methods but when speaking in public knowing that this will be spread in the media you should think before you talk.

Marva · December 18, 2013 4:32 pm

once again I let speak tumblr for myself: http://blackberrybelle.tumblr.com/post/70313254204/amanda-abbington-plays-mary-morstan-in-sherlock

but seriously: I don't think this joke makes MF a bad person, but it is just something of really bad taste. Somehow similar to the Caitlin Moran incident: they both obviously didn't think about what they were doing, and they both offended a large group of people by what they actually did. That's it. Full stop.

kittykat · December 18, 2013 4:36 pm

To err is human, to forgive divine

tonnaree · December 18, 2013 4:43 pm

Agreed. Bad taste.but bad taste does not equal bad person.
I'm just happy that when I have a lapse in taste it doesn't make international news.

kittykat · December 18, 2013 4:49 pm

Let me tell you a little something.

On the Extended DVD of The Hobbit:AUJ, there's a featurette about them filming in Matamata (Hobbiton). One of the things they did on set was working with the Make A Wish Foundation, and there was this woman in a wheelchair who couldn't communicate except by blinking. It was her wish to be on the set as a Hobbit, so they did that for her. When Martin was talking about it, you could hear his voice crack and he got visibly choked up about it. That's what I remind myself of when something like this happens. His heart's in the right place

the_dancing_woman · December 18, 2013 5:34 pm

kittykat wrote:
Hmm...having some idea of what Martin is like for his humour and reading the text...I'm pretty sure he didn't mean to offend. I think that what he meant is how people can jump on one tiny comment and make a big deal out of it. Ironic, because that's exactly what has happened now. Perhaps he just meant how people are easily offended, even if such a thing has never happened to them?

Really agree with Kitty there, it's just another thing blown out of proportion. I don't see him condoning rape in any way, even getting near to thinking that he does seems ridiculous and guys, he was talking about a none existent Hobbit in relation to a non existent elf.

I've seen Martin be kind with people on so many occasions, like with his comments on the "make a wish" foundation or on the set of Sherlock. He occasionally is a dickhead in interviews, everyone knows that, but a loveable one.

kittykat · December 18, 2013 5:38 pm

^^

Maybe I've got my rose-tinted glasses on, but I just can't hate him even when he says things like this. I'm 100% sure that he is a good person

the_dancing_woman · December 18, 2013 5:42 pm

Yeah, same here.^^

SolarSystem · December 18, 2013 6:55 pm

the_dancing_woman wrote:
and guys, he was talking about a none existent Hobbit in relation to a non existent elf.

Actually no, he wasn't. The question was "Would you rather go on a date with a dwarf, a hobbit or an elf?" - and the way I understand it is that it means would he, Martin, rather go on a date....

But be that as it may: I certainly don't hate him for this, either, I'm just pretty surprised that something like this happens to a professional like him. And yes, he probably was tired, he probably had given dozens of interviews on that day and the days before and he probably was tired of this whole promotional stuff.
But I tend to agree with some of the people who have commented on this on tumblr: It seems to me that he realized that he was talking a load of crap the moment he said it - and in my opinion that would have been the moment for him to stop talking, to think for a second and then to rephrase. This probably would have been a bit embarassing for him, but then at least he would have spared us his "Some will get offended by that now, because they'll call it "rape" or whatever"-shit. Because that really is bullshit, Martin, sorry.

SusiGo · December 18, 2013 6:59 pm

I agree with you, Solar. I do not think that this reflects his opinion but in this instance he was talking crap. He is human and humans make mistakes like any of us do. But if you say such things in public you will have to accept that some people criticise you or take offense.

kittykat · December 18, 2013 7:01 pm

I think he was making a point that people are offended easily. And it looks like he was right...

People make mistakes and that's just the way it is. Time to move on ^^

Last edited by kittykat (December 18, 2013 7:02 pm)

SolarSystem · December 18, 2013 7:08 pm

Sorry, kitty, but when it comes to rape one can't be offended too easily, in my opinion. He is talking about drugging people or making people drunk in order to "just make them". I really hope we all agree that something like this is way, way off...?
And don't get me wrong, I don't believe for a second that this reflects his opinion. But being a public person, he really should be more careful about the things he says in front of a camera. I totally agree with Susi here.

kittykat · December 18, 2013 7:18 pm

This is bound to blow over in a few days. And the most important thing: Sherlock in 2 weeks ^^