BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » The special

nakahara · July 10, 2015 3:30 pm

Do they want to tell us something?

http://cupidford.tumblr.com/post/123729095215/do-you-know-who-in-this-fandom-is-really-familiar

SusiGo · July 10, 2015 3:31 pm

OMG!

nakahara · July 10, 2015 9:47 pm

I could have guessed that green carnation has some special meaning:

http://milarvela.tumblr.com/post/123742737398/kelly-i-was-able-to-pick-up-on-all-of-the-refs-in

Sherlock Holmes · July 10, 2015 10:18 pm

It makes you wonder whether:

A) They do these things on purpose to tease the fans
B) They do these things on purpose because TJLC and Johnlock is the endgame
C) They do these things without even realising they're doing them and fans just pick up on the tiniest stuff and read into it.

Lilythiell · July 10, 2015 10:23 pm

We already know how humorous they are at the BBC...I mean, "soon...ish"
Parody? No, it doesn't seem to be the right word. Pastiche? Yes, sounds better. It really doesn't feel like they would mock anything, and certainly not their own work.
Works on AO3? Victorian porn? Well, well. They didn't lose time, did they? Mind you, I was half a mind of writing a silly thing about a buttonhole and a hankerchief who met on a chair...Yes, I did say "silly", didn't I...?

Edit
I'd go for B, Boss. But, obviously, as a Johnlock shipper, I couldn't just pick A, could I? And, really, I don't think C would ever be possible -not realising what they're doing? Come on. Though I'll admit that, from an exterior point of view, it might seem that some fans read a little too much into things. However, in the immortal words of Irene Adler : 'There's no such thing as too much'. Especially if you want to leave breadcrumbs to your audience and have them put together all the clues that pinpoint towards Johnlock as endgame...
God, I said too much again, didn't I?

Last edited by Lilythiell (July 10, 2015 10:30 pm)

Liberty · July 11, 2015 7:57 am

I think it's usually a mixture of A and C. But, I've been thinking - the big reason for them not doing Johnlock in the current day (at least from the starting point they've given us), is that it would be a closeted, repressed sort of story - exactly the sort of thing that they'd want to avoid. However, it would be completely different in Victorian times. For one thing, it's a one-off, a new story, so they could start it however they like (no need to make John date women, etc.). And for another thing, being closeted was more necessary in those times. They could have have them living together as lovers right from the start of the episode. Or they could have them fall in love over the course of the episodes. Either would work. I think that if they were going to do Johnlock, this episode would actually work brilliantly.

SusiGo · July 11, 2015 9:22 am

Well, in the SDCC panel both Steven and Sue have stressed expressly that this is still "our" Sherlock, the show we know. So I do not think that we will get them as lovers in the special and continue the asexual-but-not-really/straight constellation some people see in the modern version.

They could for example use the special to set certain things right - most of all the "desperately unspoken" love Billy Wilder's Holmes felt for Watson according to the director.
But I do not believe that they would be able to make them a couple in the special without developing their relationship further in the regular episodes as well.

A question - why would modern day Johnlock be a closeted, repressed story? I read it as a story of two people who love each other but cannot admit it to themselves and others for quite a long time. Who have obstacles put in their way again and again. This is a classical love story pattern that has been used over and over again.
And morever, I think that the fact that our Western societies have become much more tolerant towards LGBT people does not mean that for everyone of them it is easy to come to terms with their sexuality.

Liberty · July 11, 2015 11:31 am

I'm thinking partly of Mark Gatiss's comments about incidentally gay characters, but lots of other people have said something similar. They can't do that now that they've made John date only women (which makes falling for a man more of a thing), amongst other things. In the special, though, that clip has made it clear that John is presenting a certain view of Sherlock and their relationshp in the stories - it's clear that the stories DO exist in that universe, that John has written them, and that he's chosen only to reveal what he wants to (or alter the truth for the sake of a good story!). So anything that's in the stories about his love life is just what he would publicly reveal in print. Obviously, he couldn't reveal that they were a gay couple - but they could certainly be a gay couple, and even a relatively out (for the time) gay couple in "real life". They could easily do it! I agree, I don't think that they will, but I think it would work very well if they chose to go down that route. They could still be the same characters.

This Is The Phantom Lady · July 11, 2015 5:14 pm

FINALLY I get to comment on the clip! (for some reason I can't log on from my phone...)

I have so many thoughts and so much excitement going on for me now. I LOVE the chemistry in the scene, the dialogue and gosh... BEN'S VOICE!!!!
I am a bit surprised how I actually accepted the lack of curls... it was still Sherlock for me.

(But please, please, please don't make it a thing for more than the special)

kornmuhme · July 11, 2015 6:31 pm

This Is The Phantom Lady wrote:
FINALLY I get to comment on the clip! (for some reason I can't log on from my phone...)

I have so many thoughts and so much excitement going on for me now. I LOVE the chemistry in the scene, the dialogue and gosh... BEN'S VOICE!!!!
I am a bit surprised how I actually accepted the lack of curls... it was still Sherlock for me.

(But please, please, please don't make it a thing for more than the special)

I totally agree :-)! For Victorian times acceptable, but I just adore Sherlock's curly look in the modern times!

Last edited by kornmuhme (July 11, 2015 6:32 pm)

tonnaree · July 12, 2015 7:40 pm

Just thinking and wishing aloud.

Didn't Sue or Steven one say that they don't call it "The CHRISTMAS Speical." They just call it The Special. No one has mentioned a actual air date. Isn't there at least a chance we could get it before December?

Vhanja · July 12, 2015 8:03 pm

Yeah, Sue did, when she and Rupert were interviewd outside of Comic-con. I HOPE that means we get it sooner!

They did promise it soon...ish, so..

This Is The Phantom Lady · July 12, 2015 8:59 pm

Halloween special?

Argh I'm scared of getting my hopes up.... but I'm impatient!

SolarSystem · July 12, 2015 9:15 pm

Is Halloween big enough in the UK for them to make a special for that date...?

kornmuhme · July 12, 2015 9:16 pm

SolarSystem wrote:
Is Halloween big enough in the UK for them to make a special for that date...?

Don't think so. Maybe it's just a special :-).

Yitzock · July 13, 2015 11:04 pm

Fall special? Filler schedule special? Just-for-the-heck-of-it special? If soon-ish is sooner than Christmas, I would not object. Unless it will be in December and they're just not calling it a Christmas special because the plot has no relation to Christmas.

kornmuhme · July 14, 2015 8:13 am

Who brought the phrase "Christmas special" up, by the way?

nakahara · July 14, 2015 5:56 pm

kornmuhme wrote:
Who brought the phrase "Christmas special" up, by the way?

I think it was initially implied by the creators that the Special will take place at Christmas. Later this sugestion was silently dropped.

stoertebeker · July 14, 2015 9:18 pm

I still expect the Special being aired in December because of the snowflakes in the trailer. Maybe they'll show it on an Advent Sunday, that would be nice I think.

kornmuhme · July 14, 2015 9:35 pm

So let's call it a winter special :-)