Actually, it is Sherlock who reads the Guardian...  In any case, I just love Sherlock - Mycroft dynamics in "Sherlock" as a whole and especially in 3rd series. And I see a connection between the beginnig of TEH - Mycroft going undercover to rescue his little brother, but rather cool about sitting there and watching him being beaten to the pulp (and not exactly hurrying to release him tenderly from the chains once other guard left) and Mycroft heartbroken (kind of) in the end of TLV. A fascinating arc for Mycroft, as well.

Tinks wrote:

I like to think - NEED to think, actually! - that Mycroft would always have had Sherlock brought back from exile after a month or two.
He has to appear to be quite cold towards him as he was when he called him a murderer because he's in a position where, if people (like CAM) realise how much he cares, they could try to harm Sherlock to get at Mycroft.
I believe Mycroft was in on the plan to take the Laptop to CAM, but didn't expect it to end as it did.
For me, just as powerful and moving as the "big" scenes of this episode, was Mycroft desperately yelling "don't shoot! Don't shoot!" When the guns were pointed at Sherlock,

Yes; immensely powerful and a beautiful piece of acting. I'm fascinated by where they are going with this; looking back at canon Mycroft, John and Mrs Hudson are the fixed points in Sherlock's universe, and Mofftiss are such huge fans I can't see them deviating from it 
 

Ormond Sacker wrote:

Tinks wrote:

I like to think - NEED to think, actually! - that Mycroft would always have had Sherlock brought back from exile after a month or two.
He has to appear to be quite cold towards him as he was when he called him a murderer because he's in a position where, if people (like CAM) realise how much he cares, they could try to harm Sherlock to get at Mycroft.
I believe Mycroft was in on the plan to take the Laptop to CAM, but didn't expect it to end as it did.
For me, just as powerful and moving as the "big"
scenes of this episode, was Mycroft desperately
yelling "don't shoot! Don't shoot!" When the guns were pointed at Sherlock,

 
Well personally I'm on the "Mycroft was behind the Moriarty thing" team, the timing is just too convenient. That said, and if he isn't behind it that is, I see the exile as Mycroft playing for time, he
knows he can't get his brother off scott free, but he has several months to come up with something that would make Sherlock returning possible.

Yes. I must admit that my initial thought was that Mycroft was behind Moruarty's supposed return, but I'm not sure now.
The way he said "I hope you've learned your lesson" makes me think he always would've got him back, but clearly Sherlock didn't know this - he appeared to think he wasn't coming back.
I'd like to see the Brothers' relationship develop a bit more in season 3.