Whisky wrote:

I believe Sherlock is an actual addict - he even tells John this twice at least. 

What confirms it for me is when he says that he's clean in ASIP. That choice of words indicates that he was habitually using drugs and no longer does.

I wonder nevertheless... Molly thinks Sherlock is on drugs, but he's never in withdrawal, is he. But I don't know much about these things.

He was most likely on heroin and we don't know for how long. It takes time to develop a physical need for heroin and you can build up a tolerance, so he might not have been taking enough to experience severe withdrawl.

Later in the episode, when he's on morphine (which is medical heroin) and keeps asking for it, I believe it's because he's in pain, not because he's craving the drug.

Further reading:

What Drug Was Sherlock On?

Sherlock, His Drug Habit and the Science of Addiction (posits that Sherlock is not and never was a junkie)

His Last Vow – Sherlock, Drugs and Urine Tests (more on how one becomes addicted to heroin)

Mary

I'm not sure that he really is an addict (in the sense that withdrawal would be dangerous - I know there are different levels of addiction, but I was looking for something that he thought CAM would think he could use against him.  It can't just be exposing his drug use, because he's a known drug user anyway).   Anyway, I don't get the impression that he's continuously using throughout the series, and we don't see a withdrawal.  I completely agree that the need for morphine is because he's in pain, Mary. 

What I mean about the child abduction and murder, is that Sherlock has already been believed guilty of far worse things than drug use.  That's all been printed in the paper during/after TRF.  And Sherlock came through all that (eventually) and came out intact.  CAM would know he has no leverage at all by threatening to print things, and Sherlock would know that. 

Anyway, what I was saying was that CAM actually tells Sherlock out loud what one of his pressure points is, "Redbeard".   It's also the one pressure point which is not public knowledge at all.  It should be obvious to Sherlock at that point that CAM is not fooled.   But Sherlock blithely talks as if he is. 

Actually, I wonder if this is (yet another) cover up for John.  Sherlock does hear "Redbeard" and know that CAM's ammunition is going to be much more personal.  But John doesn't know the significance of the word, and Sherlock lets him believe that HE thinks CAM thinks drugs are the pressure point.   But why would he deceive John about that?  I have some thoughts but have to rush - I'm curious about what you think. 

That's what I thought.  Sherlock has to have picked up on it, but is hiding it from John.  It was always a bit hard to believe that Sherlock would think he could trick Magnusson so easily. 

If Magnusson can guess Redbeard, the most obscure pressure point, then of course he can guess John.  So yes, I see what you mean, Sherlock knows from the beginning that Magnusson will use John to get to him. 

(But Sherlock doesn't seem to think that John is at serious risk until the shooting.  So it's something about Mary shooting him that makes him understand that, and no wonder he has to get back as he's partially responsible.   I still feel as if I can't put that bit together and see clearly in what way Sherlock believes John is in danger.    Maybe because the chain is connected - Sherlock didn't see how Magnusson could get to John, but now sees that he could to it through Mary (which he does).   But that doesn't put John's life at risk and Sherlock's reaction seems to be about trying to save John's life.  Sorry, I'm just rambling on because I never quite get it.  Maybe I won't until S4.)

Maybe Sherlock doesn't tell John because he thinks he's safer not knowing (as with TRF).  Or maybe because that's how Sherlock works.  I think that this time is more of an obvious deception than some other times, though. 

Do you think Magnusson actually uses "Redbeard" at all? 

How do you think he could use "Redbeard"? I was wondering about that.. the only thing it can do to Sherlock seems to be already done, for a second bring back hurtful childhood memories and by that bring him out of step in a confrontational situation. But is there any more he could do?

Last edited by Zatoichi (August 27, 2014 6:32 pm)

It's meant to intimidate, nothing else. And even then it's not really effective because Sherlock would understand that Magnussen could only have gotten it from Mycroft. 

Why would that make it ineffective?  It does seem to be ineffective in that it doesn't stop Sherlock going after Magnusson, but it looks like Magnusson WANTS Sherlock to go after him.  I agree about it being intimidating, but it's also giving Sherlock some information - that his setup didn't work and that Magnusson knows to hit where it hurts.