BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » No waltz for Sherlock

SusiGo · January 9, 2014 4:28 pm

I would like to say a bit more about this scene. We know Sherlock loves dancing and has rehearsed the waltz with Janine. He is looking forward to doing this. It might be one of the few things about the wedding he really enjoys, just for himself.

So when she is clapping enthusiastically after his violin piece he looks at her expectantly and throws the boutonniere (thanks, KP) which she catches laughingly. For me this is not any romantic commitment on Sherlock’s side but a sort of reminder that they are going to dance together.

Next there is his vow and the blunder about Mary’s pregnancy which Sherlock tries to cover up by calling people to dance. So no waltz for him after all.

Later we see him standing alone on the dance floor after John and Mary have gone looking around searchingly and a bit lost. Seeing Janine (who is still holding the bouto niere) he smiles and takes a step towards her and only then realizes that she is dancing with someone else.

I think it is in this moment that Sherlock finally understands that the whole day has been his gift to John and that he may not really belong there after all. By putting on his scarf and coat he returns to his usual self and walks home alone.

gently69 · January 9, 2014 5:02 pm

A very good deduction. I see it the same way.Very sad but true. Question is... does he also feel a sadness or is he just satisfied and has no problem to leave?
Can you believe it.... I have tears in my eyes thinking about that... Hell, it's just a tv show...

Last edited by gently69 (January 9, 2014 5:04 pm)

Mattlocked · January 9, 2014 5:05 pm

I believe you, gently, same here.
And I think he really feels sad. At least he doesn't really look happy or satisfied imo......

gently69 · January 9, 2014 5:08 pm

No he didn't. Talking about this as it would have been real.. crazy

Mattlocked · January 9, 2014 5:11 pm

After "sending" Mary and John dancing he seemed a bit lost. Then he seems to remember Janine and searched for her. After he recognized she dances with someone else he started thinking again and then looked like this, before he turned and left:

gently69 · January 9, 2014 5:26 pm

He IS lonely. No question at all. John has Mary, Janine has the other guy... he has no-one. Also the scene with John on the bench... Sherlock said to quick that he isn't worried about that something between him and John would change... Sherlock always thought he didn't need anyone.... Alone protects me (?)... now he realised that it isn't so

SusiGo · January 9, 2014 5:29 pm

I also think he might feel sad but not because he was in any way interested in Janine as a woman but because he loves dancing and it would have allowed him to participate in the celebrations. The "wrong music" may well be a sign for him that he does not belong here.

Mattlocked · January 9, 2014 5:30 pm

I never thought of him being sad because of Janine. Jeanette? OMG, I start just like him! LOL
Hubby said: But he is used to being alone! He always is and has been!
Well, not anymore........... Now that he knows "friends".

Last edited by Mattlocked (January 9, 2014 5:31 pm)

SusiGo · January 9, 2014 5:31 pm

That is exactly the problem. Once you have experienced and liked something you will miss it when it is gone.

gently69 · January 9, 2014 5:41 pm

I also never thought that is interested in Janine as a person. But she could have been his alibi to stay at the wedding. No point for him to amuse himself on his own. Yeah... friends... maybe he IS scared of losing John .

Punch me in the face · January 9, 2014 5:58 pm

I know this is a bit off-topic, but when I watched TSOT, I couldn't help thinking about Le Petit Prince/ The Little Prince ( a favourite of mine) at the end and to see Sherlock as the lonely fox. A fox who tells the Little Prince he is bored and asks him to tame him. The Little Prince does so, but at some point, he has to leave, and the fox is sad...

Well, see for yourself if you're not familiar with this book:

"To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . ."

"~~"My life is very monotonous," the fox said. "I hunt chickens; men hunt me. All the chickens are just alike, and all the men are just alike. And, in consequence, I am a little bored. But if you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life. I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from all the others. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow. And then look: you see the grain-fields down yonder? I do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. The wheat fields have nothing to say to me. And that is sad. But you have hair that is the color of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat . . ."

"~~So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near--

"Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry."

"It is your own fault," said the little prince. "I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you . . ."

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"But now you are going to cry!" said the little prince.

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"Then it has done you no good at all!"

"It has done me good," said the fox, "because of the color of the wheat fields."

"~~It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.""

>>>>> John has seen Sherlock with his heart. He has seen the great man he was while others could only see an arrogant asshole. Sherlock didn't need him at first. He was fine on his own. "Alone protected him". But now that he knows what it is to have a friend and to be a friend, he is heartbroken to see John slowly drifting away from him. Yet he won't stop that because he loves John and only wants his happiness...

Awww...

Last edited by Punch me in the face (January 9, 2014 6:18 pm)

Mrs. Watson · January 9, 2014 6:05 pm

gently69 wrote:
I also never thought that is interested in Janine as a person. But she could have been his alibi to stay at the wedding. No point for him to amuse himself on his own. Yeah... friends... maybe he IS scared of losing John .

I agree with you that he isn't interested in Janine as a person (or romantically at least) althought he apparently finds her interesting enough.
Is he scared of losing John? I think he is not scared because that would mean that there is a possibility of losing him but it also could not happen. I think that Sherlock realizes he has lost John already. He is not only married and living somewhere else but now he is going to have a baby. So John is as good as gone and I think Sherlock is heartbroken

tonnaree · January 9, 2014 6:07 pm

Punch me in the face wrote:
I know this is a bit off-topic, but when I watched TSOT, I couldn't help think about Le Petit Prince/ The Little Prince ( a favourite of mine) at the end and to see Sherlock as the lonely fox the Little Prince. A fox who tells the Little Prince he is bored and asks him to tame him. The Little Prince does so, but at some point, he has to leave, and the fox is sad...

Well, see for yourself if you're not familiar with this book:

"To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . ."

"~~"My life is very monotonous," the fox said. "I hunt chickens; men hunt me. All the chickens are just alike, and all the men are just alike. And, in consequence, I am a little bored. But if you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life. I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from all the others. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow. And then look: you see the grain-fields down yonder? I do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. The wheat fields have nothing to say to me. And that is sad. But you have hair that is the color of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat . . ."

"~~So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near--

"Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry."

"It is your own fault," said the little prince. "I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you . . ."

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"But now you are going to cry!" said the little prince.

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"Then it has done you no good at all!"

"It has done me good," said the fox, "because of the color of the wheat fields."

"~~It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.""

>>>>> John has seen Sherlock with his heart. He has seen the great man he was while others could only see an arrogant asshole. Sherlock didn't need him at first. He was fine on his own. "Alone protected him". But now that he knows what it is to have a friend and to be a friend, he is heartbroken to see John slowly drifting away from him. Yet he won't stop that because he loves John and only wants his happiness...

Awww...

You manged to tie in The Little Prince with Sherlock. *GROSS SOBBING* John tamed him.

It's NOT just a tv show! It's not! It is all that is good and right in the world!! *assumes fetal position and continues gross sobbing*

gently69 · January 9, 2014 6:07 pm

Oh how sad. *sniffles*

SolarSystem · January 9, 2014 6:36 pm

I think that at the end of the episode a lot of things come together that show Sherlock that he's different after all and 'mingling' with other people isn't all that easy (for him). In the end he sees that it doesn't work, he doesn't belong. I mean, he might have walked over to Molly and Mrs. Hooper, but he didn't. Maybe he was thinking something along the line of 'enough of that, it's not for me'.

QuiteExtraordinary · January 9, 2014 6:39 pm

gently69 wrote:
I also never thought that is interested in Janine as a person. But she could have been his alibi to stay at the wedding. No point for him to amuse himself on his own. Yeah... friends... maybe he IS scared of losing John .

Janine at least showed a bit of interest in Sherlock's deductions during the day. Perhaps he hoped she would be somebody he could have a laugh with, dance with her, show off his talents and get some positive reactions from her, continue trying to pick a man for her just because it's funny ... But all that doesn't happen, because she is not interested in him as a person either. He was just useful, like she said in the beginning.
I hope that John will prove Mrs Hudson and Mycroft wrong in the next episode and show that marriage doesn't change things that much. He's a better friend than that.

besleybean · January 9, 2014 6:43 pm

I am pertified of His last Vow!

krusta80 · January 9, 2014 8:04 pm

For some reason I get the feeling that Shelock will have to choose between John and Mary in the next episode...keep in mind I have not read any spoilers and indeed do not want to know. But I don't know...Sherlock's last vow was "no matter what it takes, to make sure nothing happens to the three of you."

I'm assuming that he will be faced with a difficult decision.

silverblaze · January 9, 2014 8:23 pm

Sherlock wasn't interested in Janine and said so at the very beginning. Janine wasn't mean to him. They had fun together and he helped her to pick up a man, whom she finally found at the end. She gave him a warm smile when their eyes met, like a goodbye.

tonnaree · January 9, 2014 8:23 pm

*passes SP a shock blanket and a nice hot cuppa*