Don't have much to add because you bot summed up what I think

That scene where Sherlock looks at the chair just before the wedding is one of the most moving ones of the whole series I think. And to me, it does echo the way John stared at Sherlock's empty chair after the fall (and he also stares at it when he visits Mrs Hudson at the beginning of TEH and steps into the flat)

It also breaks my heart in HLV when John says "well, it's good to be missed". If he knew how much Sherlock actually missed him and that it was the precise reason he'd moved the chair away... aww...

In my own little fantasies, Sherlock has moved the chair to his bedroom (I mean, he obviously didn't get rid of it. There is little chance he put it in the bathroom. It's not in the kitchen. And I think it would have been quite heavy for him to move it upstairs to John's bedroom. Doesn't leave much possibilites, does it?)

Sure, in HLV, when he goes to the bathroom, and tells John to stay out of his bedroom, it could be because of Janine, but the more I think of it, the less it makes sense.

I mean, John would end up finding out very soon about Janine (Sherlock couldn't expect Janine --who had to leave for work-- to just wait in the bedroom for John to leave) and it was actually part of Sherlock's plan (I think that if he had told John from the beginning that he was only using Janine to get into Magnussen's flat, John would have tried to talk him out of doing this not only because it was dangerous --John likes danger and actually misses it at this point-- but just out of moral sense. Plus I think Sherlock actually wanted to see John's reaction)

It could be because Janine was naked and he didn't want John to see her like that. But then again, we know Janine and Sherlock never had sex together, okay, that doesn't mean they haven't slept naked side by side (but that would be very awkward at the beginning of a relationship to be both naked in bed and not doing anything, well), but let's say Janine is naked. Well she obviously heard Sherlock wasn't alone in the flat, and that would have left her quite a lot of time to put something on...

It could also be that Sherlock tell John to stay out of his bedroom just because he knew that saying that, the first thing John would do would to go to the bedroom (and that's what he was about to do, actually). Yes, that's the most probable reason.

Yet I can't help but think that another reason was because he put the chair there and he wanted John to realise what it meant... A more subtle way to tell him he was missed...

But I guess that's just a fantasy...

I also like how he indeed moves the chair back in HLV, so that John understands there is something wrong with Mary and that he is expected to move back to Baker Street, and how sherlock knew John would come to 221B and sit in his chair, because the clue (bottle of "Claire de la lune") was strategically placed. Sitting in the chair, John just couldn't miss it... And John had told Sherlock Mary wore that perfume, so by doing this (chair + perfume), Sherlock knew John was going to understand...

I like how in HLV John doesn't offer Mary to sit in either his or Sherlock's (arm)chair, he offers her a simple chair to show she is like any client, but to me, it also means "these are OUR chairs and you're clearly not part of this anymore. Sherlock and I are back to where we were before you came along".

I also love the "role" the chair has during the stag night, but it is in a pure Johnlock way, lol. It looks like in this scene (the post-it game) that their chairs are definitely too far from each other to their taste, hehe.

You all described it perfectly. There is nearly nothing to add. Both chairs, John's and Sherlock's are strong symbols for the show. Strange how a piece of furniture can do that ... but they really do.

I wonder if a neutral viewer of the show can also see the symbolism of it? Do you any experiences with that? Did anybody mention that to you already?
 

Just wanted to say this, Solar. Your boyfriend is influenced too much.

My hubby isn't very keen on the show. He only watchs it when I "force" him to. And he doesn't notice that kind of symbols. "sigh"
And ... I don't have any other neutral viewers around so ...

 

gently69 wrote:

You all described it perfectly. There is nearly nothing to add. Both chairs, John's and Sherlock's are strong symbols for the show. Strange how a piece of furniture can do that ... but they really do.

I wonder if a neutral viewer of the show can also see the symbolism of it? Do you any experiences with that? Did anybody mention that to you already?
 

As the first time (and second time) i watched the whole series i was not aware of anything going on in internet, especially of metas, i can tell you that i saw right away the symbolism. But i love to read what furniture and rooms say about their owners in general.

Do you know this? http://www.vggallery.com/painting/p_0498_0499.htm  . These two pictures are  discussed a lot for all the symbolism of the chairs and what they say about their owners. Is there any meta analyzing what the chairs say about Sherlock and John personalities?