And still people find interesting things in this episode … 

http://ebaeschnbliah.tumblr.com/post/143727796649/thebisonwitheadphones-cartopathy-softsons

Judging by the reaction of the audience, I wouldn't say that he "literally called John his spouse"!  The word is ambiguous.  If he'd said "husband", that would be literally calling John his spouse, but "partner", for instance, wouldn't be.  

I suspect it's taken from Holmes description of Watson as his helpmate in The Blanched Soldier:
Speaking of my old friend and biographer, I would take this opportunity to remark that if I burden myself with a companion in my various little inquiries it is not done out of sentiment or caprice, but it is that Watson has some remarkable characteristics of his own to which in his modesty he has given small attention amid his exaggerated estimates of my own performances. A confederate who foresees your conclusions and course of action is always dangerous, but one to whom each development comes as a perpetual surprise, and to whom the future is always a closed book, is indeed an ideal helpmate.

It's quite similar to Sherlock's wedding speech in some ways.  (From Arianne de Vere: If I burden myself with a little help-mate during my adventures, it is not out of sentiment or caprice – it is that he has many fine qualities of his own that he has overlooked in his obsession with me).

And a couple of lines later in The Blanched Soldier:
The good Watson had at that time deserted me for a wife, the only selfish action which I can recall in our association. I was alone.

Moftiss do like to draw on canon and I think that's what's happening here, especially as it's rare example of Holmes' POV. (The understated "I was alone" is quite moving, and it does make me think of Sherlock at the end of TSOT, even if Moftiss's Sherlock is more expressive!).
 

Last edited by Liberty (May 2, 2016 8:20 am)

Very interesting!

SusiGo wrote:

Another thing: Imagine a bride and her best/only friend/chief bridesmaid not exchanging a single word over three episodes. 

Yes, friendship between Mary and Janine is so fake it´s unbelievable. It´s as if they didn´t know each other at all.

Nicely put. And so very true. 

I´m still puzzled where did John and Mary conjured up so many wedding guests. 

But how much detail do we want on the wedding?
It had to be done.
But they did it in a way to focus on the crime aspects, but mostly it's all about Sherlock.

Some people pointed out in the past that Moftiss, if they want something cool in their show, simply put it in regardless of the plot points previously established. And Watson´s wedding ceremony seems to be exactly this. It doesn´t fit John´s and Mary´s character to have such an opulent wedding, for Mary it´s very dangerous to draw attention to herself that way... but the scene of Sherlock´s speech would not be so flashy without big wedding party, so there goes this characterisation...

Though for me, if he'd stood up and said it in a little pub, or even at 221B...it still would be the only best man's speech worth listening to.

It could also foretell Mary's death.

Yes, this is one of the things I love most about. And these self-quotes are always true. Just think of Mrs Hudson and her chief bridesmaid. Or the not-working lipstick and moustache.