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Unless I've totally missed something, the opening pre-credit scene of Great Game, whilst very amusing, doesn't actually have any relevance to the rest of the storyline?
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It was just another 'boring' case; it seemed to be the theme straight up, that he was bored.
I'm not sure I can recall an original story that it relates to, but I am slowly re-acquainting myself with the originals.
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Reflecting on the relevance to the rest of the story I agree with Kazza 474 that Sherlock’s “being bored†is the main purpose for this scene. It goes as far as to shoot the wall and even a journey to Belarus isn’t something that seems to stand out of his everyday life.
I also found two little references during TGG:
Sherlock’s “open and shut DOMESTIC murder – not worth my time!†seems funnily to correspond to Mrs. Hudson’s “You two had a little DOMESTIC?†. (I don’t remember the word “domestic†elsewhere in the series.) And Mr. Bewick’s insistence: “It was an accident, I swear!†is later repeated by Joe Harrison when Sherlock and John confront him with his killing of Westie.
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Its to show how popular he was becoming that's all
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If you listen to the commentary that goes with this episode the writers basically admit that the whole scene is set up as something of a joke because the whole thing is just a lesson in grammar.
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It is very funny - I didn't even know the hung/hanged one, I wouldn't be sure which word was the correct one to use in that sentence either - I think the line was "I could get hung for this" or something like that, and Sherlock corrected him and said "hanged"...or was it the other way round??!
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"without you I'll get hung for this'
'No, no not at all. Hanged, yes'
Basically 'things' are hung; people are 'hanged'.
I love the Grammar Nazi reference, it's so 'OCD' (similar to the sock index really) and very fitting with his character.
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I have also recently finished re-reading the originals and cannot recall a story resembling the first scene. But still, it was a nice addition, IMHO.
I remember when I first watched it. I thought it was Professor Snape talking. They sounded so much alike
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Hmmm-- I wondered about the minsk belarus scene too. I still think Sherlock went there because the cops there weren't getting anything out of the prisoner.
I have read all of the canon stories, a long time ago, and...could this be one of the stories that Holmes referred to, but that was never written up, by John watson? Holmes made MANY references to other cases which we don't know about. Doyle put those in, to illustrate a point, OR to throw us off track altogether. that being said, maybe the writers just threw that scene in there, to add more time to the 90 minute film.
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They did it to make a joke.