Oooh yes, I like that. Sherlock & Mary as polar opposites. They seem similar on the surface, but they're really not. It's circular...how people say that love and hate are on a circle and that they meet somewhere in the middle with a fine line being between them...like how Moriarty and Sherlock are similar, except Moriarty is a psychopath who uses his intelligence for evil, and Sherlock uses it for good.

This gave me some brain fodder:
http://ivyblossom.tumblr.com/post/108959549755/sherlock-meme-seven-outfits-4-7-marys#notes

A thing that contradicts here: she already has changed at the beginning of HLV and is no more lovely, pretty and least supportive.

Oh, absolutely. Even pre-HLV, she isn't perfect. And it would make sense that some people might dislike her personality, even if she had never had the reveal. That's just how it is, and no one can argue against what kind of traits you like or dislike in a person.

I still find her lovely and supportive, the little we see of her. But I think perhaps the main issue is that I - over all - like Mary as a person. Yes, I do wish her dead before we can even say the words "Sherlock special", and I want John back in 221B wher he belongs. But even so, I like her as a person. That means that view the scenes with her quite differently than do those who dislike her. 

SusiGo wrote:

Vhanja:
I stay true to my opening post. I see some unfavourable things in her behaviour from the start, even in the first scene with John. I know, some people call it funny and sassy but it never sat right with me. "The best thing that could happen to you" and then John's face - no, bit not good if you ask me. 
 

I always found her arrogance in that moment quite jarring and difficult to swallow.

No. This is not the purpose of the thread. I am sure she is a better shot, a better liar, a better actor than he is and I am absolutely fine with it. 

I read an interesting theory the other day and now I can't remember if I posted it here anywhere.

It started with wondering why they choose to not tell AA about Mary's true nature before she acted in the first two episodes.  What they came up with was maybe they didn't want Amanda to present Mary as someone who was "acting" a part.  In that way after HLV when we look back at Mary it actually makes her more scary because she was able to "hide" her real self so well.

Did that make any sense?  Any way, I thought it was an interesting idea.

I was watching one The Imitation Game interviews recently and one actor said that it was so tempting to drop hints about their character's secret - I can see that an actor might really want to play it as "my character isn't what they seem".   So I suppose it made it easier for Amanda that temptation was removed.   If I was her I might have been a little insulted, though, that they didn't trust me to act somebody who was convincingly acting a part!   I don't think she was insulted, though - maybe it genuinely did just make it easier for her, and allowed her to build up the false character withouth the hidden one in mind.

Last edited by Liberty (January 28, 2015 7:27 am)

SusiGo wrote:

Someone found an interesting parallel between John and Mary:

http://wimpytentacle.co.vu/post/109373430304/theideaofsussex-i-find-it-interesting-that-both

 
Excelelnt observation.  Intent is a very important factor in judging someone's actions.

Good point. I would just insert "often" or "sometimes" into the first sentence. Then it works perfectly for me.