I loved John in series 3, he had some wonderful lines and he showed strength. Just remember the scene where he saved the man's life in  Sherlock's recount of "the bloody guardsman". It was he who told Sherlock what to do and not the other way around.

I expect John to stay true to his character, his sarcasm and integrity in series 4, just as he has done so far. I see him as a deeply honourable man and I would like to continue seeing him this way at the end of series 4.

I would like to see John more back with Sherlock solving cases, than another bunch of domestic bliss sequences. We've seen them already and they weren't even that blissful.
I have to say as things stand now the one thing I can't see happening in the near future is John moving back in with Sherlock at Baker Street.

Last edited by the_dancing_woman (March 13, 2014 9:16 am)

Swanpride wrote:

I don't want to have the old dynamic back, to be honest. There was nothing wrong with it, but I am so chuffed that the writer took the leap and broke out of the "domestic bliss in Baker street" mould, while still respecting canon. Even if Mary died...I wouldn't want John just going back immediately. I would like that to be a slow process.

 
Agreed, because this is life, people develop and move on, and don't just fall back into old patterns as if nothing had happened in the in-between. That would really seem childish.

tonnaree wrote:

Even if John moves back to Baker St. it doesn't necessarily mean they will just repeat the old patterns.  Life can change even if you're in the same place.

Depending on what happens in the Mary situation, comfort could be a big factor in John moving back in with Sherlock.  Sherlock is his best friend, his family, why would he not seek out said comfort.

And Sherlock has changed; I think S3 was the one where he grew up, and in that sense we have moved closer to canon where he was the grown up, Dr Watson somewhat less so.

But I think John would, as you say, seek comfort; my preference would be for Mary to disappear, running from a threat posed by Moriarty...
 

Swanpride wrote:

I don't want to have the old dynamic back, to be honest. There was nothing wrong with it, but I am so chuffed that the writer took the leap and broke out of the "domestic bliss in Baker street" mould, while still respecting canon.

But the old dynamic wasn´t old.. it has been merely 6 episodes! *cries* ^^
If I´m honest: I miss it. The blood pumping through their veins, just the two of them against the rest of the world.. *sigh* They could have changed it eventually, but more like.. after Series 6 or so.. *whinewhine* 

But I agree with Willow, now that it´s over anyway I would like their dynamic to become a bit more like in the original stories. Sherlock growing up and not relying on John to act as a parent and guide in social situations anymore, and John in turn more trusting in Sherlock´s judgment and in his good intentions, more the loyal follower like the original Watson.. (not that he wasn´t loyal before, but he also questioned Sherlock´s motives and actions quite quickly and willingly..) Maybe after all that happened he finally comes to realize what Sherlock did for him and that he had valid reasons for acting the way he did..
 

tonnaree wrote:

Who wouldn't want to seek comfort in the arms of Sherlock?!?

Oh wait, that wasn't exactly on topic.  Sorry.  Carry on.

Apparently John wouldn't. Not even when he thought that both were going to die in the next few seconds facing the bomb. For me this is a very sad moment for Sherlock. You would certainly expect that your best friend would seek comfort, that John would walk towards him, touch him or hug him to face death together. Sherlock knew that the bomb wouldn't go off and he was possibly curious to see what John might do. I see in Sherlock's face a lot of disappointment when John just stands there alone with his eyes closed not looking at Sherlock.
Compare that with Sherlock's death scene on the roof.

Sorry also not exactly on topic.
John Watson in S4 will hopefully part his hair on his right side again.

Mm...
Things are possibly not exactly what we think that they are....

belis wrote:

tonnaree wrote:

Who wouldn't want to seek comfort in the arms of Sherlock?!?

I don't think many people would. lol Not even his close friends. I'm not quite sure if John not seeking physical comfort from Sherlock in the bomb scene is a reflection of the fact that he respects Sherlock's personal space, that he himself doesn't like to be comforted in that way or that their relationship wasn't recovered enough at that point. Maybe a combination of all three. The way he acted somehow fitted with the way I see John operate.

To be honest I just can't quite see Sherlock trying to comfort someone by hugging them. It's not quite how he rolls. I would imagine him giving comfort from safe distance, something along the lines off:



To get back to the topic.  I would like to see John become a little bit more in touch with his own feelings in season 4 so that he can move on and grow as a character.
 

 
Needless to say this comment was more about my love-blind libido than anything else.  
But good points all around.

During the bomb scene I never would've expected John to run into Sherlock's arms.  He is far too repressed.  As it is just getting the words of forgiveness out was a painful struggle.  It broke my heart. 

I know some people were unhappy with John in S3 but I wasn't.  I found all of his behavior understandable in the context of what he has been through.  My main wish for S4 is just that his bond with Sherlock is fully restored and continues to grow.

Last edited by tonnaree (March 14, 2014 12:20 pm)

I haven't yet participated in any of the "big" discussions regarding series 3 because I am, even after 2 month, still a bit confused about some events that happened. Series 3 is for sure the most profound and complex series so far. My opinion on certain aspects is partly still not clear, e.g. Mary. I cannot really make up my mind about her.

Funny enough, Sherlock seems to me almost the most comprehensible character in series 3. Whereas John, phew, it's difficult. In TEH his behavior was understandable. He was hurt, confused and disappointed. It would have take some time for him to trust Sherlock again, to let him be an important part of his
life again. IMO that mirrored in John's behavior in HLV. He was more aloof and emotionless towards Sherlock - right from the beginning of the episode their relationship felt odd. If HLV took place right after TEH I wouldn't have issues understanding this development. But there had been an episode in between – TsoT, which radiated so much friendship and love and caring between John and Sherlock - no signs of any open issues between the two men. But somewhere between TSoT and HLV must have been a breaking point in their relationship and it's a bit frustrating not knowing what happened. Does Sherlock withdraw himself from John to let him have his domestic bliss or because he is afraid of being rejected by John (due to Mrs. Hudson's rambling about "marriage will change everything")? And if this is the case, why did John let that happened?

I understand that John is a person who is not good with verbalizing his emotions, that he become insecure when confronted with them. Which is part of the reason for the impersonal and tense good-bye scene at the plane. Sherlock definitely was the more mature man here. In HLV Sherlock does everything within his power to kept John's life intact but John is mainly passive throughout the whole episode.

I wish for John in series 4 that we will see him reciprocate. That he will show, how much Sherlock does meant to him, how much HE is willing to sacrifice for his friend. I am not sure what I wish for Mary and their child (I don't feel comfortable judging about the fate of a pregnant women) but I wish that the strong bond between Sherlock and John will be renewed.

Sorry, I suppose most of that has already been said, I somehow tried to phrase my confusing thoughts  .

My two pennies' worth, probably a little off the conversation slightly...

I think Sherlock and John are at their best when under pressure, so I want to see more of that in s4. With only 3 episodes....if they're going to kill Mary off it should happen off camera, with the start of S4 dealing with Moriarty's "return" and Johns grief. And then I want to see John snapped back into action by Sherlock.
And I would actually like to see john show off his medical skills, like, properly. Not just tap cheeks and ask "are you ok?". As Sherlock says, he solves crimes and John saves lives. So back to basics would work well for me.

I must admit I also loved seeing Sherlock more vulnerable in s3, so in an ideal world I'd like to see more of that

clareiow wrote:

And I would actually like to see john show off his medical skills, like, properly. Not just tap cheeks and ask "are you ok?". As Sherlock says, he solves crimes and John saves lives. So back to basics would work well for me.

I would love to see that too. If they can portray it in a way that won't have me shouting 'That's not how it's done!' at the TV then it will be bonus points.