BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Baby Watson (spoilers!)

BreathingIsBoring · July 22, 2014 7:43 pm

I know there's already been a topic on this, but it's fairly old and I wanted to see what popular opinion today is in regards to the fate of the little problem growing inside Mary.

I refer to her (the baby) as a problem because she is not canon. Gatiss and Moffat are very careful about not dragging in too many new characters and situations, which is a part of what makes this show so great. I'd say a good 85%-90% of the show is in reference to an original ACD theme, Baring-Gould statement, or anything else we might consider canon.

This leads me to believe that the kid isn't going to make it. Any other scenario where John remains a father, such as Mary divorcing or leaving or getting deported (the list goes on) diverts from canon. We remember a forlorn and upset Watson returning to 221B after Mary dies, so the theories that she dies before/in childbirth seem the most plausible.

There's also the theory that Watson Jr isn't John's kid, which effectively fixes this problem. It conforms to Moffat's tragedy streak, but not so much as the idea of them dying. I personally don't adhere to this one, because it's not something I see Mary doing, but that's just me, seeing the best in everyone.

What are your thoughts on the fate of the Watson baby? Please do limit your ideas to her, and refrain from bashing Mary or John unless it supports your theory. There are other threads for that.

Last edited by SusiGo (April 25, 2016 5:56 pm)

A lovely light · July 22, 2014 7:56 pm

The most improbable theory is for me that the baby is not John's. Mary looks very in love with John, she is ready to kill Sherlock to keep John loving her, so i don't think she would do something as stupid. An ugly theory could be that CAM forced her to sleep with him, but nööööö, this would be really to far fetched IMO.

Mattlocked · July 22, 2014 7:59 pm

A lovely light wrote:
... Mary looks very in love with John, she is ready to kill Sherlock to keep John loving her, ...

Do you really think that's love? ^^

BreathingIsBoring · July 22, 2014 8:01 pm

I have read about the theory that the baby is David's (you know, Mary's ex whom Sherlock decides needs to be downgraded to casual acquaintance and kept in as little contact with the couple as possible), but I don't like it.

CAM. That's just.... Eck.

A lovely light · July 22, 2014 8:05 pm

Yes, i do. There are a lot of unhealthy and obsessive love stories outthere, people who in the name of love did pretty bad things. Just because she try to kill Sherlock (i won't buy that she saved him after that), it doesn't mean that she doesn't love John from all her heart.

I think that Mary see herself as a guardian for John and will do anything to protect him (when Sherlock "read" Mary the word guardian come, this is my interpretation of it).

maryagrawatson · July 22, 2014 8:07 pm

I just read the ACD books recently and in one of them, Watson has a dog. I'm thinking Moftiss used the dog as the basis for our John having a baby. Therefore I don't think that the baby needs to be rid of. Mary, though, is doomed...

John remarries in the books. Wonder if we'll see that!

Mary

A lovely light · July 22, 2014 8:09 pm

BreathingIsBoring wrote:
I have read about the theory that the baby is David's (you know, Mary's ex whom Sherlock decides needs to be downgraded to casual acquaintance and kept in as little contact with the couple as possible), but I don't like it.

CAM. That's just.... Eck.

The wedding is in may, if i remember right (there was somewhere a timeline, i don't find it right now)? From may till december are 7 months, she is already pregnant at the wedding, but not too further. I cannot see that she is preparing her wedding and still have time to cheat on John.

Mattlocked · July 22, 2014 8:11 pm

Protect him by killing his best friend? Sorry, err, yes, that is unhealthy and obsessive.
But I'm a bit OT, so I better shut up now.

BreathingIsBoring · July 22, 2014 8:16 pm

I am of the opinion that she didn't try to kill him, but it was still a mistake on her part.

tonnaree · July 22, 2014 8:34 pm

This is a tough one for me. I really don't want the baby to die. Although infants have died in film and liturature for all of time. But I certainly don't want a baby hanging around 221b.
I don't know how likely it is that the baby could not be John's but that would solve the problem in my eyes,

BreathingIsBoring · July 22, 2014 8:42 pm

I really don't want her to die either, but I think its inevitable. It would just mess with the show's dynamics too much. But by Godtiss, that's going to be a depressing episode.

Maybe that's part of what they meant by the series taking a darker turn?

On a tangent, I remember Amanda taking the role of Mary because she wanted to die in Martin's arms. Foreshadowing this terrible event?

What if it happened GoT-Red-Wedding-Style, where she gets shot/stabbed in the stomach? Oh my god, it'd be terrible.

Germansherlockfan · July 23, 2014 5:45 am

I' m probably in the absolute minority here, but I really like the idea of John as a single father, so I hope the baby is John's and she will stay alive. A single father is still something rather modern and I think it would fit well into the concept of the modernisation of the original stories.
And after all the drama, tragedy and betrayal John had already to go through I would love to see something positive and new happening to ihm, a chance for a fresh start, the one relationship in his life that isn't affected by thrill and danger.
I don't think this is actually going to happen on the show, but I would have like to see it.

BreathingIsBoring · July 23, 2014 5:52 am

Parentlock is adorable, sweet, fantastic, and something I hope never happens in the show. There, I said it. I just contradicted myself. See my insanity???

I understand the want to have Watson Jr, single-dad John, and weird fluttery Sherlock trying to decide what to do with this new creature, but you're right. It's probably not going to happen, because it would change the show's dynamics. Doesn't mean we can't dream, though.

TeeJay · July 23, 2014 6:17 am

Germansherlockfan wrote:
I' m probably in the absolute minority here, but I really like the idea of John as a single father, so I hope the baby is John's and she will stay alive. A single father is still something rather modern and I think it would fit well into the concept of the modernisation of the original stories.

I'm suddenly having mind movies run through my head, where Sherlock chases through London with John with a carry-cot in tow.

As for my own opinion, I don't have strong feelings either way. Not being a Johnlocker, I actually like Mary (despite the obvious character flaws), and I wouldn't mind to see some Watson family stuff, be it with or without baby and/or Mary. I'm pretty sure she'll die eventually to stay in line with canon, but I trust Mofftiss to do the "right thing", whatever that'll end up being.

BreathingIsBoring · July 23, 2014 6:26 am

TeeJay wrote:
Germansherlockfan wrote:
I' m probably in the absolute minority here, but I really like the idea of John as a single father, so I hope the baby is John's and she will stay alive. A single father is still something rather modern and I think it would fit well into the concept of the modernisation of the original stories.
I'm suddenly having mind movies run through my head, where Sherlock chases through London with John with a carry-cot in tow.

As for my own opinion, I don't have strong feelings either way. Not being a Johnlocker, I actually like Mary (despite the obvious character flaws), and I wouldn't mind to see some Watson family stuff, be it with or without baby and/or Mary. I'm pretty sure she'll die eventually to stay in line with canon, but I trust Mofftiss to do the "right thing", whatever that'll end up being.

This answer is the absolute perfect depiction of my feelings towards Mary and the baby. Is it bad that I'm a Johnlocker but I love John/Mary just as much?

stoertebeker · July 23, 2014 6:33 am

BreathingIsBoring wrote:
Parentlock is adorable, sweet, fantastic, and something I hope never happens in the show. There, I said it. I just contradicted myself. See my insanity???

Oh, you aren't insane (or we both are ) because I feel the same about parentlock.

The baby is a real dilemma Moftiss gotten themself into because IMO there is hardly a way to "get rid it" (sounds terrible, I know, sorry ) without being exceptionaly cruel. I hope the baby will not get killed after birth, that would be too much IMO. But killing a pregnant women seems also very cruel to me. I don't know , I would prefer a non-death solution like Mary and the child disappearing but on the other hand then this story would always be a loose end throughout the show and I am not sure if that would be beneficial.

SolarSystem · July 23, 2014 6:37 am

BreathingIsBoring wrote:
This answer is the absolute perfect depiction of my feelings towards Mary and the baby. Is it bad that I'm a Johnlocker but I love John/Mary just as much?

Why should it be bad? To each his/her own.

As for the baby, I have no idea how they are going to 'solve this problem'. I just know that for me it wouldn't work to have a baby on the show, with or without Mary. S3 already felt out of balance for me because John wasn't in 221B any longer. With a baby, even if Mary was gone and John would move back into 221B, it would probably feel very off to me.
The only thing that might indeed be interesting would be how a baby might change John and Sherlock. To see new character traits that only a little child could bringt out... might be fascinating. But apart from that I don't want to see any parentlock on the show.

BreathingIsBoring · July 23, 2014 6:42 am

John and Sherlock belong in 221B. That is just a rule dictated by the universe. They will always end up back in this little flat, because it is a part of who they are. It is just them, too.

I flinch thinking about 'getting rid of' the baby, but I know it's necessary. Gah, Moftiss. Not fair. You two dug yourselves a pretty deep hole with this situation, because there's not right way to do it that will end with the majority of the fandom being happy. I don't think.

besleybean · July 23, 2014 7:23 am

Unless, as has already been suggested on the board, baby ends up belonging to David, Mary's ex and so he gets to raise any surviving child.

NatureNoHumansNo · July 23, 2014 9:22 am

it's a show, it's shot and cut before we see it ;) . So, I think John and Mary having the baby doesn't mean we have to see them with a stroller all the time. I don't think this changes the dynamic ( or only to keep Mary away from the main plot) .
So, let's the baby grow.