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August 3, 2014 7:01 pm  #1


Sherlock: Fending for Himself

I've noticed that it's a common misconception (especially before the Great Haitus of 2012-2014) that, if left to his own devices, Sherlock wouldn't be able to take care of himself. He's too lazy to make a cup of tea. He's only shown to eat food for the first time in ASiB (which, as I recall, brought up that Tumblr craziness where everyone thought he was having pregnant-lady-eating problems 0.0). This, plus a couple of other factors like Ben gaining a couple pounds for S2 to show that John was taking care of Sherlock, made its way into quite a few headcanons and fanfictions that I've read online where Sherlock is left floundering when there's no one around to baby him.

It's not true, though. If we follow the common thought that the Sherlock characters are roughly the same age as their actors, then Sherlock would have met John when he was 33. Between the release from his uni years, where he graduated with a degree in chemistry, and the time he met John, would have been around 10-11 years of fending for himself. Of course, we know that he wasn't very good at it (for example, the drugs problems that most probably ended when he met Lestrade, which was five years before John), but he did survive. I'm willing to bet that Sherlock Holmes knows how to make a decent cup of tea, and he probably knows how to cook. It can't be that difficult for a graduate chemist. 

My theory in his canonical inability to treat his body the way any normal body should be treated stems from laziness, the mindset that absolutely nothing matters but his focus during a case, and one other thing. After all, if there are people around to do the little mundane things for you like getting groceries, doing laundry, ordering/cooking food, etc, then why waste your time doing those if you can settle on more 'important' things like solving a murder, or harpooning a pig, or cleaning out a Mind Palace? 

Of course, Sherlock was alone during the two-year gap, so he clearly had to do much of the mundane things for himself. It could have been a set of distractions that lead to his capture in Serbia, or maybe it had nothing to do with that at all. Then Sherlock goes twoish months without John (of course with a little help from Mrs. Hudson, but not as much without Sherlock's Blogger), and though he gets himself back into the drugs, it is with a true purpose and not because he's completely at a loss for what he can and cannot do. However, the man can clearly thrive if left to his own devices, and though it might be inconvenient, it can and will be done. 

So what do you think about this matter? 


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Life is always more interesting when one escalates sibling rivalry to that of a minor land war.

 

August 3, 2014 7:44 pm  #2


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

What do I think? Bless you. I don't buy into the whole nonsense that Sherlock doesn't eat, sleep, or otherwise take care of himself.

We don't see him eat often, but there's plenty of evidence that he eats and has an interest in food (in that he can recognize a good form of a cuisine over a bad one). He makes two references to food right in the first episode, requesting that Mrs. Hudson have a snack for them when they get in, and then, of course, going out for Chinese after.

Throughout a number of episodes, we can see that the ACD canon of Sherlock regularly breakfasting on tea or coffee and toast was carried over. And Sherlock can most certainly make and serve tea, even if it's just for his arch enemy!

I watched THOB yesterday and realised that it actually confirms my theory that Sherlock was just trying to get out of eating with Molly in TBB when he said he doesn't eat on cases. He makes a reference to eating the same things as John in THOB, while on a case.

I also rewatched the first half of TGG last night and for the first time noticed that he's been eating during the Carl Powers case. There are empty plates and cups scattered about and just as he solves the case, Mrs. Hudson brings him tea and biscuits.

As for sleep, it's established in TSOT that he has a regular sleeping pattern.

I have a lifestyle much like Sherlock's -- single person, mid-30s, living alone, schedule determined only by my cases. To the outside observer, I must look like a mess. I only do the housework during lulls in my casework; can go a week or more without eating what anyone would call a 'proper' meal because it takes time to do the shopping, prepare a meal, and clean up after it (takeaway is not an option where I live); and my sleep patterns are erratic -- I can go hard for weeks getting barely any sleep and then I crash. That's just the nature of living alone combined with self-employment.

I had a friend visiting last month and it was like living in a bad Sherlock fan fic. "Mary, I made breakfast!" (We had dinner last night...)" Two hours later, "Mary, do you want tea?" Two hours later, "Mary, made you a sandwich for lunch." (I just ate!) Four hours later, "Dinner's ready!" (What is this obsession with eating three meals a day?! "Oh, look, you cut yourself. Let me bandage that up." (It's a scratch! I was a medic! I can take care of it!") And then, I realised, that's just someone taking care of me... And it was rather nice. Unnecessary, but nice.

So yes, Sherlock definitely can't be half-arsed to do 'mundane' things when he's got minions to do the dirty work for him. John and Mrs. Hudson rather enable him, don't they?

Have you seen the post in John's blog, which I consider to be part of canon, where Sherlock comments that he did the shopping and bought John beer? I think that says a lot.

Mary
 


John: That's clever. So you scratch their backs and...
Sherlock: Yes. And then disinfect myself.
 

August 3, 2014 7:56 pm  #3


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

There we go. There's always the little things that people miss (either from lack of observation or purposely ignoring it) that show Sherlock isn't a mystical god-creature or a completely clueless old-money boy. 

I have seen the posts in John's blog. I love reading that thing, and it's definitely canon in my eyes. I remember thinking it was awfully nice of Sherlock to do the shopping, and then I laughed because Sherlock can't be half-arsed to do the shopping on a normal basis and John Watson really was influencing Sherlock into becoming a little more aware of the world around him. 


_________________________________________
Life is always more interesting when one escalates sibling rivalry to that of a minor land war.

     Thread Starter
 

August 3, 2014 8:06 pm  #4


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

Is this only about BBC Sherlock? Because if you read the stories Holmes and Watson have their meals quite regularly and it's especially Holmes sayings things like " The train to dartmoor leaves in an hour, which leaves us time for dinner".


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Eventually everyone will support Johnlock.


"If you're not reading the subtext then hell mend you"  -  Steven Moffat
"Love conquers all" Benedict Cumberbatch on Sherlock's and John's relationship
"This is a show about a detective, his best friend, his wife, their baby and their dog" - Nobody. Ever.

 

August 3, 2014 8:10 pm  #5


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

mrshouse wrote:

Is this only about BBC Sherlock? Because if you read the stories Holmes and Watson have their meals quite regularly and it's especially Holmes sayings things like " The train to dartmoor leaves in an hour, which leaves us time for dinner".

Well, yes. I was only referring to the BBC adaptation. But yes, I do remember that. 


_________________________________________
Life is always more interesting when one escalates sibling rivalry to that of a minor land war.

     Thread Starter
 

August 3, 2014 8:15 pm  #6


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

BreathingIsBoring wrote:

There we go. There's always the little things that people miss (either from lack of observation or purposely ignoring it) that show Sherlock isn't a mystical god-creature or a completely clueless old-money boy. 

People focus on the details they want to focus on. Notice that his bedroom is impeccably neat and at least his socks are obsessively organized? What a contradiction from the sitting room and kitchen! He works best in chaos, but needs to unwind in neatness. My headcanon has him being obsessive about keeping the bathroom clean, too, for his long soaks in the tub (hinted at in HLV).

The other trope that drives me nuts is that he doesn't care for his personal safety. I can't count the number of fics that start with him getting hurt doing an experiment in his kitchen. Where do people get that?! He always wears goggles and often big, heavy gloves!

Sherlock into becoming a little more aware of the world around him. 

Yes. He's being drawn out of his shell and is becoming less Sherlock-centric. We especially see this in TEH in that he's organized a little engagement party for John and Mary, complete with champagne.

Mary


John: That's clever. So you scratch their backs and...
Sherlock: Yes. And then disinfect myself.
 

August 3, 2014 8:20 pm  #7


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

mrshouse wrote:

Is this only about BBC Sherlock? Because if you read the stories Holmes and Watson have their meals quite regularly and it's especially Holmes sayings things like " The train to dartmoor leaves in an hour, which leaves us time for dinner".

ACD canon does occasionally mention Holmes not eating while being distracted by a case, but it's much more common for there to be a reference to his usually regular eating habits and healthy appetite. It's also ACD canon for Holmes to be an early to bed, early to rise person, while Watson is a night owl and late riser. I also like that it's Watson, not Holmes, who is deemed the lazy one in the ACD stories.

Mary
 


John: That's clever. So you scratch their backs and...
Sherlock: Yes. And then disinfect myself.
 

August 3, 2014 8:31 pm  #8


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

maryagrawatson wrote:

The other trope that drives me nuts is that he doesn't care for his personal safety. I can't count the number of fics that start with him getting hurt doing an experiment in his kitchen. Where do people get that?! He always wears goggles and often big, heavy gloves!

I can just imagine someone like Sally walking in on Sherlock wearing a welding helmet or a blue hazmat suit and gas mask and just walking right back out. That's a funny image.

I think the only time where he really makes a mistake with experiements that we see in the show is when he drinks the tea into which he dropped the eyeball, and that's because he was going into reboot from John's declaration (I just imagine his little computer mind going 'The application Sherlock.exe has stopped working; Close application, look for a solution, or restart?'). I think that idea comes from leaving a head unsealed and unwrapped in the fridge, but usually his cadaver parts are in bags or containers from what I've gathered. Even the eyeballs in the microwave were in a sealed glass jar. Maybe it's also because he doesn't suit up when interacting with corpses, though he did in the unreleased Pilot episode. 

Yes. He's being drawn out of his shell and is becoming less Sherlock-centric. We especially see this in TEH in that he's organized a little engagement party for John and Mary, complete with champagne.

I remember thinking that was remarkably considerate of him, and that, here was Sherlock, attempting to patch back together his relationship with John by accepting Mary (even though she had his approval, from what I saw, when she told him that she'd 'talk [John] 'round' after Dr. Watson gives Sherlock that massive nosebleed in TEH) and giving them a little celebration. Even better was when he decided not to say anything to Molly about Tom being a Sherlock-Clone, because he remembered both her reaction and John's when he ripped 'Jim from IT' apart in TGG and realised that it was a Bit Not Good. 

Last edited by BreathingIsBoring (August 3, 2014 8:34 pm)


_________________________________________
Life is always more interesting when one escalates sibling rivalry to that of a minor land war.

     Thread Starter
 

August 3, 2014 8:33 pm  #9


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

maryagrawatson wrote:

mrshouse wrote:

Is this only about BBC Sherlock? Because if you read the stories Holmes and Watson have their meals quite regularly and it's especially Holmes sayings things like " The train to dartmoor leaves in an hour, which leaves us time for dinner".

ACD canon does occasionally mention Holmes not eating while being distracted by a case, but it's much more common for there to be a reference to his usually regular eating habits and healthy appetite. It's also ACD canon for Holmes to be an early to bed, early to rise person, while Watson is a night owl and late riser. I also like that it's Watson, not Holmes, who is deemed the lazy one in the ACD stories.

Mary
 

Speaking of ACD canon, this is a bit off-topic, but I read a common-misconceptions article about Sherlock Holmes where the author pointed out that, in the original stories, Holmes and Watson were in their late twenties rather than the middle-aged gentlemen who most people envision when they think of the names. I love thinking of those two little rascals, just a few years out of uni/the army, lazing about and then running rampant around London. 
 


_________________________________________
Life is always more interesting when one escalates sibling rivalry to that of a minor land war.

     Thread Starter
 

August 3, 2014 8:42 pm  #10


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

I agree with everything here.  He seems to be capable of caring for himself and particularly resilient.  Two years completely alone, in dangerous and terrifying situations, and he bounces back within hours?

maryagrawatson wrote:

Notice that his bedroom is impeccably neat and at least his socks are obsessively organized? What a contradiction from the sitting room and kitchen! He works best in chaos, but needs to unwind in neatness. My headcanon has him being obsessive about keeping the bathroom clean, too, for his long soaks in the tub (hinted at in HLV).

Yes, his bedroom doesn't look like it could be in the same flat as the living room!  I love your idea of him working in chaos and unwinding in neatness. 
 

 

August 3, 2014 8:42 pm  #11


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

BreathingIsBoring wrote:

I can just imagine someone like Sally walking in on Sherlock wearing a welding helmet or a blue hazmat suit and gas mask and just walking right back out. That's a funny image.



I think the only time where he really makes a mistake with experiements that we see in the show is when he drinks the tea into which he dropped the eyeball, and that's because he was going into reboot from John's declaration (I just imagine his little computer mind going 'The application Sherlock.exe has stopped working; Close application, look for a solution, or restart?').

This is one of my top favourite scenes of the whole show.

I think that idea comes from leaving a head unsealed and unwrapped in the fridge,

WHO did that head belong to?! It's so horrific!!!

Even better was when he decided not to say anything to Molly about Tom being a Sherlock-Clone, because he remembered both her reaction and John's when he ripped 'Jim from IT' apart in TGG and realised that it was a Bit Not Good. 

Yes! Our Sherlock is growing up!

Mary
 


John: That's clever. So you scratch their backs and...
Sherlock: Yes. And then disinfect myself.
 

August 3, 2014 8:45 pm  #12


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

BreathingIsBoring wrote:

Speaking of ACD canon, this is a bit off-topic, but I read a common-misconceptions article about Sherlock Holmes where the author pointed out that, in the original stories, Holmes and Watson were in their late twenties rather than the middle-aged gentlemen who most people envision when they think of the names.
 

Thing is, late twenties back then would closer to late forties today, in terms of their expected level of maturity.

Mary


John: That's clever. So you scratch their backs and...
Sherlock: Yes. And then disinfect myself.
 

August 3, 2014 8:46 pm  #13


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

maryagrawatson wrote:

Thing is, late twenties back then would closer to late forties today, in terms of their expected level of maturity.

That's probably where it comes from, then. 


_________________________________________
Life is always more interesting when one escalates sibling rivalry to that of a minor land war.

     Thread Starter
 

August 3, 2014 9:12 pm  #14


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

I also think he is perfectly able to take care of himself. Very much so. What he lacks seems to be a regulated daily routine and i can fully relate to that. As maryagrawatson described it, for me it can also be draining and confusing to be with people who seem to HAVE to eat regularly or sleep a certain hours. So yeah, as was mentioned here, he made tea for Moriarty, he ate out of Mrs. Hudson's fridge, he suggested dinner at the end of Study in Pink, and so on. It really wouldn't add to the story if he would, say, before dashing out to a case remark "Oh have to quickly go to the loo first" 

 

August 3, 2014 9:14 pm  #15


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

Were they really in their late twenties?  I missed that.  It makes sense, considering the stories stretched out over such a long period of time.  The writers have emphasised that we're seeing "young" Sherlock, as opposed to the mature Sherlock  - it's all lies!   Although I suppose they meant Rathbone and Brett, rather than the books. 

 

August 3, 2014 9:20 pm  #16


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

Liberty wrote:

Were they really in their late twenties?  I missed that.  It makes sense, considering the stories stretched out over such a long period of time.  The writers have emphasised that we're seeing "young" Sherlock, as opposed to the mature Sherlock  - it's all lies!   Although I suppose they meant Rathbone and Brett, rather than the books. 

Holmes and Watson are so often portrayed as middle-aged gentlemen in film and television. They slowly started to slip into the younger incarnations of these two with Downey Jr. and Law, and then into the younger Sherlock and John we have and the Sherlock and Joan from Elementary.


_________________________________________
Life is always more interesting when one escalates sibling rivalry to that of a minor land war.

     Thread Starter
 

August 3, 2014 9:31 pm  #17


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

Liberty wrote:

Were they really in their late twenties?  I missed that.  It makes sense, considering the stories stretched out over such a long period of time.  The writers have emphasised that we're seeing "young" Sherlock, as opposed to the mature Sherlock  - it's all lies!   Although I suppose they meant Rathbone and Brett, rather than the books. 

The year of birth of Canon Holmes is usually given as 1854. Assuming that "A Study in Scarlet" takes place at the time it was published (1887) Holmes would have been 32 or 33, about the same age as Benedict was in series 1. 
 


------------------------------
"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes

"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)

“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)



 
 

August 3, 2014 9:41 pm  #18


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

Lilith wrote:

I also think he is perfectly able to take care of himself. Very much so. What he lacks seems to be a regulated daily routine and i can fully relate to that. As maryagrawatson described it, for me it can also be draining and confusing to be with people who seem to HAVE to eat regularly or sleep a certain hours.

Mainstream society equates that sort of erratic lifestyle with immaturity. I call it listening to my body most of the time. I eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired, work when I feel productive, etc. Sherlock would probably curl up and die if he was forced into a 'normal' schedule.

It really wouldn't add to the story if he would, say, before dashing out to a case remark "Oh have to quickly go to the loo first" 

Competely unrelated to this thread, but you bring up something I've noticed. Sherlock doesn't use loo, but rather toilet (as per TRF and TSOT). John's the one who uses loo (as per TSTOT). I don't know if it's meant to mean anything, but it seems contradictory to their characters, doesn't it?

Mary


John: That's clever. So you scratch their backs and...
Sherlock: Yes. And then disinfect myself.
 

August 3, 2014 9:50 pm  #19


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

maryagrawatson wrote:

Competely unrelated to this thread, but you bring up something I've noticed. Sherlock doesn't use loo, but rather toilet (as per TRF and TSOT). John's the one who uses loo (as per TSTOT). I don't know if it's meant to mean anything, but it seems contradictory to their characters, doesn't it?

Well, 'toilet' is the correct term, so it makes sense that someone as factual as Sherlock would use the right word for what it is. 

Speaking of, Sherlock was washing his hands in a bathroom in TRF. So ha. The great and powerful Sherlock Holmes DOES have human needs. Muahahaha!


_________________________________________
Life is always more interesting when one escalates sibling rivalry to that of a minor land war.

     Thread Starter
 

August 3, 2014 10:09 pm  #20


Re: Sherlock: Fending for Himself

BreathingIsBoring wrote:

Well, 'toilet' is the correct term, so it makes sense that someone as factual as Sherlock would use the right word for what it is. 

When I was in Scotland, I quickly learned to ask everyone but well dressed older ladies and gents to direct me to the toilet. With the other group, I was better off asking for the loo (in Canada, I'd ask for the washroom and in the U.S. I'd ask for the restroom). So that's where I got my impression that most folks use toilet, but the more 'posh' use loo. Which got me wondering if the choice of words by Sherlock and John is a clue as to their upbringing.

Speaking of, Sherlock was washing his hands in a bathroom in TRF. So ha. The great and powerful Sherlock Holmes DOES have human needs. Muahahaha!

Well, we actually SEE his urine in TEH, so I'd say that's been well established.

Mary


John: That's clever. So you scratch their backs and...
Sherlock: Yes. And then disinfect myself.
 

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