*sniffle*

There are two canon stories which Holmes (supposedly) wrote himself.

From the first of these, The Blanched Solider, written when "the good Watson had deserted [Holmes] for a wife":

"Speaking of my old friend and biographer, I would take this opportunity to remark that if I burden myself with a companion in my various little inquiries it is not done out of sentiment or caprice, but it is that Watson has some remarkable characteristics of his own to which in his modesty he has given small attention amid his exaggerated estimates of my own performances."

That line was used in the speech, the ending part updated to, "...because of his obsession with me."


But in canon, Holmes actually goes on to say that Watson is useful because he can't predict anything Holmes figures out or does. The speech is considerably more sincerely complimentary of John.

And also very interesting what Moffat says about Sherlock and emotions and that he's not a high-functioning sociopath at all...

That... is heart-warming. Difficult to imagine Moffat sitting there... crying... This lad seems sooo insensitive in most interviews. But if someone is able to write this speech...

Interesting to get a bit of an insight into the mind of a writer who tries to think like Sherlock.
I wonder whether the writers talked to a psychologist or read something about the mindset of people who are different.
His conception concerning Sherlock's emotions sounds correct to me. Just look at his reaction when John tells him that he is his best man/friend. There is something like a electrical short-circuit. It's not that Sherlock doesn't understand what he heard but he might be a bit overwhelmed in the face of his own reaction and emotions. That's why he can't talk and react at once.
A common thing in autism btw. To avoid an emotional overflow there has to be a kind of protecting mechanism to control the feelings.

He can't stand seeing John's chair after John left. Imagine a physical emotional reaction towards certain things in your flat. That's why the chair had to go.
Sadly John has no idea. He was quite sarcastic about the chair and said something like "Nice, being missed."

I don't get the concept of a best man and his speech. Is that a British tradition? John obviously thinks that it is important, the most important day of his life even. Sherlock certainly wouldn't ruin it but would play along.

Best man speech is a British tradition.

Beautiful article, thanks for posting! 
It also confirms my impression of Sherlock concerning his emotions. If he goes to such lengths to suppress them, it's because they are quite strong and possibly very hard for him to handle when they surface and we got quite a few glimpses of that throughout series 3.

Last edited by the_dancing_woman (January 30, 2014 7:10 am)

the_dancing_woman wrote:

It also confirms my impression of Sherlock concerning his emotions. If he goes to such lengths to suppress them, it's because they are quite strong and possibly very hard for him to handle when they surface and we got quite a few glimpses of that throughout series 3.

Exactly. I mean, we've been over this in some other threads already, Sherlock and his emotions, but the way in which Moffat expressed it in this article made everything absolutely crystal clear to me. Yes, deep down emotions are brewing... but Sherlock has to suppress this in order to be high-functioning.  

SolarSystem wrote:

the_dancing_woman wrote:

It also confirms my impression of Sherlock concerning his emotions. If he goes to such lengths to suppress them, it's because they are quite strong and possibly very hard for him to handle when they surface and we got quite a few glimpses of that throughout series 3.

Exactly. I mean, we've been over this in some other threads already, Sherlock and his emotions, but the way in which Moffat expressed it in this article made everything absolutely crystal clear to me. Yes, deep down emotions are brewing... but Sherlock has to suppress this in order to be high-functioning.  

Exactly how I see Sherlock; he has worked so hard to remove himself from emotions...

I think the speech was beautiful and perfect; how Sherlock tried to distance himself but in the end he showed just how much Watson actually meant to him! Beautiful writing from Moffat's side! I think it was a last attempt of a sort of shield when Sherlock started out offending everone but it just cracked...

I don't know all that much about weddings but I suppose the best-man tradition is British yes. In Denmark I think it's the father of the bride instead...
 

So if I didn’t understand I was being asked to be the best man, it is because I never expected to be anybody’s best friend, and certainly not the best friend of the bravest and kindest and wisest human being I have ever had the good fortune of knowing.

That is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking lines I have ever heard. Perfectly written by Moffat and perfectly delivered by Ben.