Lis wrote:

Yeah that's true, maybe the tone they've gone for in post for some reason.

I seem to remember that the make up lady was shocked to see orange Sherlock from the trailer.

I just re-watched the episode, so now I have my second impression. I am really glad I did, because after yesteday I was thoroughly confused and overwhelmed. After a second view, it's all so much clearer to me. I actually love the episode now.

And, yes, I cried again. 

I also just completed my third watch. I have to say I did not overly like the episode initially, but it is starting to grow on me. I still have some issues with it, but let’s start with the

things that I found very enjoyable:
On initial watching the first scene did not really work for me, but on rewatch I love it. The set-up of the code names, naturally high Sherlock (I assume that is a (few) day(s) after TAB, Sherlock apparently went through a medical check up in between…and detox).How quickly can Mark change from Iceman to childish Big Brother? Generally, all the Mycroft-Sherlock goodness we get, I just love these two together.

Molly and Mrs. Hudson, even though they did not have a lot to do, they were wonderful as ever.

Mycroft trying to conjure up any kind of emotion for baby Rosie and coming up with “fully functioning” is probably funnier to me than it should be.

Sherlock and Toby the dog are adorable together.

I also really liked the Watsons subplot. Married life and Baby’s are not all bliss and rainbows. And even a good man can f*** up big time given even a little bit of temptation.

The acting from all concerned during Mary’s death scene. Truly moving.
 

For the things I disliked/still have issues with:
I really did not like the extended fighting scene, the whole pool bit could have easily been left out. I they needed filler, I would have rather have had a nice John and Sherlock scene than the mindless, Bond-style fighting.

Also the A.G.R.A. subplot did not feel very well rounded. I understand that they needed a tool to give us Mary’s back-story for her redemption arc and farewell, but I did not like the execution of it.

Small thing, but why in the name of all that is good and holy would someone trying to hide rely on a wig. Wigs come off. Why not get a new hairstyle for real?

The secretary did it. I am all for suspect the unassuming, but this one felt flat for me. I would have rather had the two unaccounted for USB sticks play a role in Mary’s demise.

Also, I rally dislike the jumping-in-front-of-a-bullet trope. I understand that Mary was supposed to die heroically for Sherlock, but once more, I really did not like the execution of it.
 

What I always love are open questions, and there are so many right now for me:
When Sherlock was rattling of his deduction to the client in 221B about a dangerous spy getting together with a man to get at a high government official, I though Mary might still have been planted and was going after Mycroft, possibly even something going towards M theory, not convinced though, seeing as how the episode played out, but with all that talk about focus and premonition: Where did that come form?

The flashback: Is that a girl Sherlock is playing with? I seem to see long red hair, but the image is too blurry to really make it out. Is “the other one” a sister? If yes, she must have Mycroft-level intelligence, since Sherlock was thought to be an idiot growing up. Maybe she is a childhood friend, even though I had the feeling that Sherlock only tried his hand at friendship later in life.

All the best secret societies have acronyms, something of which Mycroft approves. Also, Mycroft knew about Mary (of course he did) and discontinued using Freelance agents (polite term) for the government. Red herring or will this lead anywhere?

Sherlock does not have many favours left. What does that mean? What has Sherlock done for Mycroft that he can call in favours? Does Mycroft really lack brotherly compassion and is just paying back an old debt?
“Families fall out”, Sherlock is not familiar with the concept of happy families. What happened in the Holmes family?

Sherlock’s odd reaction as he hears himself saying: “Then I never could resist a touch of the dramatic”. What was that? A moment of self-reflection or something more sinister?

Mrs. Norbury citing the appointment in Samarra and the messiness of the freelance agents, just as Mycroft has before. Coincidence?

What happened to Mycroft’s house?

Last edited by Lola Red (January 2, 2017 7:44 pm)

Good recap, Lola Red. I few comments:

I don't know if it means anything, but I saw the episode just now on Netflix with subtitles on, and in the dream sequence, the subtitles read [Girl singing/laughing]. Can't remember the verb, but I noticed that the subtitles said girl.

Perhaps Sherrinford is actually a girl's name? Sherlock had a twin sister? 

As for Sherlock not having many more favours left, I think he might talk about:

- Mycroft "waging in" in Serbia
- Mycroft getting Sherlock of many, many years in prison for shooting Magnussen
- Mycroft getting Sherlock back to London  (when "miss me?" appeared)
- Mycroft arranging to fiddle with the security footage to let Sherlock entirely off the hook for shooting Magnussen.

I think little brother is in dept now, whether he likes it or not.

The room doesn't look like a kitchen - just a strange room (storage room?) that a fridge has been put in.  The decor is either really unfinished, some sort of utility room, or it's really modern.  I don't know which. 

 

Hi and welcome, oldechick! 

No, I don't think it looks the same, they are just both quite modern with a lot of big windows. This one was a bit more "square"-shaped than CAMs house, I think. 

Somebody please explain sharks to me.  There have been shark hints for so long now, and now I've seen the episode, I still don't know what they're on about! 

I agree, I love their interactions!

what were the shark clues again, the ones from twitter, does anybody still have them?

On another issue: could it be that part of the reason John does not want to see Sherlock is because Sherlock might deduce that John has cheated on his dead wife? Maybe he does not want to face the reactions of his friends, because right now, he needs all the help he can get managing the baby and his own grief and he cannot risk to lose that support right now.

Wow, just saw it, I need to let it sink in, but I liked most of it.

That Mary died wasn't such a surprise, but I wouldn't have thought that it'll happen in the first episode. So sad to see that happening, all the things John has to go through.
I think the question why John blames Sherlock isn't important, it is unfair yes, but he is grieving he is allowed be unreasonable after his wife has been killed. And as already mention he feels guilty because Mary always thought he is so perfect when he wasn't.

The first scene was so funny "are you tweeting!?" and then later when Mycroft commenting the baby Rosie photo on Sherlocks phone. As a Mycroft fan I liked to see him so often. I actually feared the bullet would hit Mycroft I haven't even thought it would be Mary in that moment. 

Now I'm off to read the other 14 pages of comments in this thread and tomorrow I'll watch it again.