I don't think they have been in contact. I think Sholto has just made an assessment of the kind of person Sherlock is and determined that they are similar. Plus, Sholto may well know about Sherlock Holmes as he's been in a lot of the papers.

They are similar because they provided danger and adrenaline for John. A certain life style and a chain of command John was used to in the army.  "Neither of us were the first."
Sherlock's line to Mary about John bouncing around Sholto like a puppy. Not quite flattering for John.
 

gently69 wrote:

And it is also the first time IMO, that Sherlock really seems jealous of someone who is near John.

That's interesting. And he's more jealous of a man (Sholto) than of a woman (Mary.)

He never had any lines like, "Wait, a minute, John, I'm back, you don't need to marry her now."

Both John and Sherlock wanted to save Sholto's life, but it seemed to me there was some modicum of empathy for Small, too. I mean, there wasn't a big, "Oh, what a desipicable criminal," reaction. Small's motive spoke to the same theme: perhaps he and his brother had a relationship much like Sherlock's and John's (well, without the Johnlock-y implications, of course.) But in the brotherly sense. We know John and Sherlock would kill to protect each other.

Talking about similarities: Have you seen that there is a certain similarity between Sholto's uniform and Mycroft's track suit? Black with red stripes.
What can we read into that? I don't believe in coincidence. The universe is rarely so lazy.
Where is the connection between Sholto and Mycroft?
Mycroft is a recluse, too. He is working for queen and country like Sholto did in the past. Mycroft is in a way Sherlock's superior. His older brother and somebody who might sometimes be a tiny bit cleverer. Maybe when Sherlock works for MI5 or the British government Mycroft is the one who provides the guidelines.
Are we meant to see that Mycroft is for Sherlock what Sholto was/is for John?

What else does that mean? John dancing around Sholto like a puppy. And Sherlock who wants to make his big brother proud by slaying the dragon for Mycroft?

I am not quite happy with this interpretation but the implication is there.  

SherlocklivesinOH wrote:

(and I haven't even seen HLV yet).

Oh, dear...
 

Digging out this thread again because the "neither of us was the first" remark kept nagging me. And then I had a look at all the parallels between Sherlock and Sholto. I am sure they are there for a reason and I would love to hear your thoughts. 

John about Sherlock and Sholto
"I’m his doctor." (unaired pilot)
"I believe I am your doctor." (TSoT)

Mary about Sherlock and herself with regard to Sholto:
"Neither of us were the first."

Sherlock probably comparing himself to Sholto:
"He is? He’s the most unsociable?"

John comparing Sholto and Sherlock:
"He gets more death threats than you."

Sholto about Sherlock:
"Mr Holmes, you and I are similar, I think." 

And Sherlock's emphatic:
"We wouldn’t do that, would we – you and me? We would never do that to John Watson."

We also have Sherlock quickly closing the tab on Sholto the moment he enters the living-room in 221B and trying to make smalltalk about John's past by mentioning Sholto once more. 

Of course one might argue that Sholto is the intended victim of the a murder but the comparisons and parallels start long before the characters know that a crime is going to happen.

And I would like to come back again to Mary's words: "Neither of us were the first, you know." Meaning, if I am not mistaken, Sholto was the first. But the first what? What exactly does she hint at? If I understand her correctly, she says that she and Sherlock and Sholto are all in a similar relationship to John. But this does not make sense, does it? Provided you do not take it in the widest sense of "people he has met at one point in his life" which seems a bit too general IMO. 
So we have wife/love interest - best friend - former commanding officer - where is the connection? 
 

Last edited by SusiGo (March 9, 2015 2:13 pm)

I thinik it's made very plain that Sholto is meant to mirror Sherlock's relastionship with John.
And that's with or without the addition of Johnlock connotations.

Even if John does tease Sherlock about using the term "Commanding Officer" there is no doubt of the similarities.  Sherlock and Sholto are both charismatic leaders that John trusts and is willing to follow into danger.  John, who we've established does not have a lot of real friends, allows both these men close to him.  When you factor in the fact that Sholto is now a recluse you have to assume that he and John were more than just fellow officers.  I think it's obviously implied that they had a close emotional bond.  Why else would Sholto brave the "outside" to go to John's wedding.

At the very least, Mary's "not the first" comment referes to the fact that even though John does not often let people get close to him, she and Sherlock were not the first one's he did so.

Yes, I was getting the feeling that things remained unsaid, that there was more to it than met the eye. Anyway, they use Sholto not just for the sake of the case but for characterising Sherlock, John, and Mary which is quite an interesting idea. It is just that I am not sure how all this is connected. 

A question for native speakers: (And I am re-phrasing it for the fourth time now. It really is complicated for me to talk about it in an abstract way in a foreign language, so I will use an example).

When Mary says, "neither of us were the first, you know" , can it only mean "Neither you nor I were his first XXX (close friend or lover or soulmate or poker partner or whatever)", or can it also mean "I wasn't his first love and you weren't his first best friend"?

Schmiezi wrote:

A question for native speakers: (And I am re-phrasing it for the fourth time now. It really is complicated for me to talk about it in an abstract way in a foreign language, so I will use an example).

When Mary says, "neither of us were the first, you know" , can it only mean "Neither you nor I were his first XXX (close friend or lover or soulmate or poker partner or whatever)", or can it also mean "I wasn't his first love and you weren't his first best friend"?

 
It could be taken either way, but the first assumtion would be much more common.