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August 26, 2014 3:01 pm  #1


The tarmac scene, what do you think?

Sooo, the tarmac scene. I hope I don’t bore somebody by creating a new thread, but I would like to analyze and discuss this, so I'll just nothe my first impressions:

I’ll start with Sherlock in this scene.
To me, the whole scene felt very sad. My first impression is that Sherlock really believed that he wouldn’t come back this time. Maybe he is too good at manipulating me, but he seemed to be resonating with feelings here. The way he looked at John or looked away. I don’t think he was in on any scheme including Moriarty. He especially asked if he could have some privacy with John in order to be able to say goodbye, to genuinely say goodbye this time. So they stood there, neither knew exactly what he could possibly tell the other that would be adequate. So instead of John reassuring Sherlock, Sherlock tried to make John feel better. He starts with his whole name for baby names, because he knew that would take away some of the tension. Even when John recognized the seriousness of this goodbye “the game is over”, he was still trying to make John feel better about it. He told him that the game was never over. But then the façade slightly slipped, he quoted his brother and in my opinion that’s a hint to the possible outcome of this suicide mission. “The east wind takes us all in the end”. Even after Sherlock clarified the meaning “the east wind is this force that plucks away the unworthy, that was generally me”, John of course didn’t make the connection to Sherlock’s impeding exile. So naturally, Sherlock deflected the true meaning in a light joke, saying “he was a rubbish big brother”.
Apparently up until this moment, John didn’t know what Sherlock’s exile would look like. He asked about the mission and Sherlock told him that it is a 6 month undercover mission and that his brother is never wrong. His brother is never wrong. The way he said this showed me that Sherlock wasn’t sure he would survive this exile. Maybe there was a chance (We know there would be every chance, Mycroft wouldn’t let him die) that he survived, but Mycroft is never wrong. I don’t think that he was convinced that Mycroft would save him in the end. I never quite get what they expect from each other. They really have a difficult relationship, don’t they? So, maybe doom, maybe lifelong exile, maybe a slight chance that he may return. But the last seemed to be the most unlikely, the first seemed to be the one Sherlock thought most probable.
But still he tried to comfort John. He didn’t tell John that Mycroft was sure he would die there. He deflected again and just said who knows? Naturally, John would be upset about it, it still means that he might never see him again, so Sherlock again tried with the joke. And it worked, John was laughing. Then Sherlock turned serious and offered John his hand “to the very best of times”. Did you hear that sound? That was just my heart breaking.  So, Sherlock accepted the consequences of his murder. He knew there was the high risk that he wouldn’t even survive the mission and even IF he did, he might never see John again. But instead of being focused on himself, Sherlock seemed to be absolutely tuned to John’s emotions. He is the one that faces his doom here, yet it is him that reassured John in this scene, not vice versa. He tried to shield John from the true impact of this exile and didn’t want John to lose it just right then and there.
 So, accepting his doom he shut down his own emotions and tried to comfort John and have a proper not too hurtful goodbye. He tried not to show his own emotions, but they were radiating off each mimic and gesture he made. Heartbreaking if you ask me. To me his whole behavior showed once more how much he cared about John Watson. Of course he wouldn’t just up and hug him (even though I would really like to see John’s surprised face if Sherlock ever initiated a hug xD). It felt natural to me that Sherlock would offer him his hand.

John on the other hand *sigh*. I really like John, but this season left me feeling a bit disappointed. It seems to me that John is very passive and fails to see the whole picture. I guess that’s in character, he never could really look through Sherlock, right? So, it starts with him being back together with Mary. Of course Sherlock was the one to try and force their reconciliation, but John seems to fail to see how unbalanced this threesome is. Maybe he just deluded himself into believing Sherlock’s surgery explanation, but he fails to see the whole picture. Mary still shot Sherlock and risked his life in order to protect her secrets from John. Is he really okay with that? Just because she didn’t go for the head shot? This threesome seems very unbalanced to me and John doesn’t see it.
Then there’s the actual goodbye. Yes, Sherlock has pulled stunts before, maybe John did expect him to perform another miracle. But he did take the situation seriously, he said “the game is over”. Yet he failed to see Sherlock in the picture. He should be the one to reassure Sherlock, not vice versa. Sherlock ensured that John was safe and could live happily with Mary. He was the one leaving for an uncertain future. John doesn’t know about the suicide mission, but he did know that there was every possibility that he would never see Sherlock again. Yet instead of being the reassuring one, he was the one to point out the dire situation. I don’t know why or how, but I feel that John should have been the one to comfort Sherlock here. But again, he seemed to fail to see the whole situation.
On top of that, he really didn’t tell Sherlock anything during their goodbye. Nothing to cling to. He just reacted. To me, he seemed very passive. His only input was “the game is over”. He couldn’t think of anything else. Where Sherlock offers a heartfelt “to the very best of times”, John remains silent. Shouldn’t he have said something? Okay, what was there to say, I really have no idea. But still… He reacted, but he didn’t initiate anything. That what made the whole thing a little one sided. Of course John cared, we all know he does. He isn’t good at expressing feelings, but he just stood there. Shouldn’t he come up with a nice anecdote to their time together? Something that made Sherlock smile? Some little gesture that expressed his feelings? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he is cold or anything. He just seemed to be so overwhelmed by everything that he failed to see the whole picture. I get that this was very difficult for him, but whereas Sherlock seemed so very tuned to John’s emotions, John just seemed to be in over his head. Maybe he didn’t even consider Sherlock’s feelings here. Just like he didn’t notice that Sherlock was nearly collapsing in Bakerstreet (he is a bloody doctor, how could he not notice this?). Even though I have been shown the emotional arch of Sherlock and seem to get a better understanding of him, John seemingly failed to see what was obvious to me. And that left me feeling unsatisfied. Shouldn’t there be some onscreen acknowledgement that Sherlock did kill a person for John? That was at the very least one motivation for him, wasn’t it? I don’t think Sherlock would have shot CAM if he wouldn’t have threatened John and Mary. I know, this is another point for discussion, but if you agree with that, there should have been something, right? But John fails to see it or at least acknowledge it onscreen.
It seems to be ongoing this season, because john is in so much of an emotional turmoil himself. Still, I find it tragic. Just like the scene in Magnusson’s home, when John literally sees Sherlock rescuing him, he seems to fail to see the whole picture. He notices that CAM put him in the fire. Of course that’s his first priority, he was the one in danger just for leverage. But he doesn’t react at all to the fact that CAM so nonchalantly pronounced: Look how Sherlock Holmes cares about John Watson. Maybe this is due to the fact that I saw so much emotion from Sherlock this season.  But I often see Sherlock when John isn’t looking or not able to look. I could go on and on why I feel like John just fails to see the whole picture. And because I see so much more emotion from Sherlock, I want John to see that, too and recognize it. But more often than not, he just didn’t. This left me feeling a bit unsatisfied with John this season. I would like someone to tell John everything I think he failed to see, maybe partly due to the change of POV.   But instead he remained very passive. He took Sherlock hand, shook it and had nothing left to say to “the very best of times”. Shouldn’t he have initiated something in this scene? I know he cares, but why was he just reacting instead of doing something? Saying something? Trying to comfort Sherlock here? Expressing some kind of vague hope that Sherlock could pull anything off? Anything?
 Then Sherlock left and it’s too late for John to do anything. I felt so incredibly sad. I still feel sad every time I see it, even though I know that 4 minutes later Sherlock is back again. Sherlock leaving and John and Mary standing there hand in hand. After everything this seems the logical course of events, but it felt so very wrong.

That’s my first take on the scene anyway. So what do you think? Were you entirely satisfied with this scene? Alienated? Sad? Would you agree that Sherlock’s emotions were real? Do you think I misjudged John?
Thanks for reading my thoughts, please tell me if I should clarify anything. I will try and back up my opinion or maybe see something in a different way thanks to you

Last edited by ShadyShapeshifter (August 26, 2014 3:02 pm)

 

August 26, 2014 3:22 pm  #2


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

That´s a very good thought on that controversial scene.
Personally, I like the scene but you nailed it with pointing out John´s passivity.
Maybe he felt too helpless to offer any false hope or artificially warm words - when he was himself in the dark about Sherlock´s fate and yet he felt he is loosing him at the same time?
 


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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?

 

August 26, 2014 4:00 pm  #3


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

ShadyShapeshifter wrote:

I’ll start with Sherlock in this scene.
To me, the whole scene felt very sad. My first impression is that Sherlock really believed that he wouldn’t come back this time. Maybe he is too good at manipulating me, but he seemed to be resonating with feelings here.

There are a lot of parallels between the end of TRF and HLV. I hate the first and I love the second for precisely this reason, that here it's obvious that Sherlock's feelings are genuine. He knows that his time has run out, that he's done what he had to do, and that he is going to pay the ultimate price for his sacrifice. "To the very best of times, John," leaves me blubbering like an idiot.

I don’t think that he was convinced that Mycroft would save him in the end.

I think the word here is could, not would because...

I never quite get what they expect from each other. They really have a difficult relationship, don’t they?

They do, but in the smoking scene at Christmas, Mycroft told in his brother that he loves him ("Your loss would break my heart."). I finally understood their dynamic, even though it's spelled out at the end of ASIP; Mycroft loves Sherlock and looks out for him. Sherlock resents feeling smothered.

So I think that Sherlock knows that if Mycroft is calling this a suicide mission, there's probably genuinely nothing Mycroft can do to save him.

But instead of being focused on himself, Sherlock seemed to be absolutely tuned to John’s emotions. He is the one that faces his doom here, yet it is him that reassured John in this scene, not vice versa. He tried to shield John from the true impact of this exile and didn’t want John to lose it just right then and there.

Quite a difference from the end TRF. Sherlock has grown so much in series 3...

John on the other hand *sigh*. I really like John, but this season left me feeling a bit disappointed.

Me too.

On top of that, he really didn’t tell Sherlock anything during their goodbye. Nothing to cling to. He just reacted. To me, he seemed very passive.

Yes! Thank you! You just identified what bugs me so much about John on the tarmac. I once mistakenly called him on his 'lack of emotions', but that's not it at all. You can tell he's anguished, but he's not articulating any of that.

Maybe he didn’t even consider Sherlock’s feelings here. Just like he didn’t notice that Sherlock was nearly collapsing in Bakerstreet (he is a bloody doctor, how could he not notice this?).

There are no words to describe how angry John makes me in that confrontation scene before the collapse.

Even though I have been shown the emotional arch of Sherlock and seem to get a better understanding of him, John seemingly failed to see what was obvious to me. And that left me feeling unsatisfied. Shouldn’t there be some onscreen acknowledgement that Sherlock did kill a person for John?

This goes right back to my claim that John needs a better therapist. At the very least, a very honest conversation about the reasons for Sherlock pretending to kill himself. I doubt that John gets that, that Sherlock was sacrificing himself to save John. If John hasn't processed that, how can we expect him to process Sherlock doing it a second time?

And because I see so much more emotion from Sherlock, I want John to see that, too and recognize it. But more often than not, he just didn’t. This left me feeling a bit unsatisfied with John this season.

Series 3 John seems to either always be passive or aggressive. There's no room for anything else. Again, get the man a better therapist!

 He took Sherlock hand, shook it and had nothing left to say to “the very best of times”. Shouldn’t he have initiated something in this scene?

His reaction to the proferred hand is very much, 'A handshake, not a hug?!' and he still shakes Sherlock's hand. I was really hoping he'd pull Sherlock in for a hug and when he didn't, that told me just how broken their relationship.

Excellent analysis.

Mary


John: That's clever. So you scratch their backs and...
Sherlock: Yes. And then disinfect myself.
 

August 26, 2014 5:21 pm  #4


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

Shady, I completely agree with your thoughts about Sherlock's feelings in this scene. I also agree with Mary:

maryagrawatson wrote:

So I think that Sherlock knows that if Mycroft is calling this a suicide mission, there's probably genuinely nothing Mycroft can do to save him.

He doesn't think he'll come back but he doesn't want John to know that.

About John being passive - yes, he is. IMO, there are some places Sherlock goes to and John can't follow, and I don't mean it literally. I imagine it was hard for John to move on from the situation when his best friend kills a man for him and it isn't a necessary self-defense. He's grateful, relieved, probably still shocked, sad about the goodbye, wonders about Shelock's morals... I think he's still processing it in the goodbye scene and that's why he's so passive. (Remember, he was wondering for months before he spoke to Mary, and he didn't even mention her shooting Sherlock; I'm not sure if he dealt with that.) That's what I think at the moment.


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Quidquid Latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
 

August 26, 2014 5:23 pm  #5


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

Thank you for your interest and your input
@ maryagrawatson
Concerning TRF: Really? I love every second of TRF. But like I said, I always fall for Sherlock’s emotions, so I still believe that not all his emotions were an act. I don*t think that solution “Lazarus” was his preferred method to survive this situation. Look at the countdown between Moriarty and Sherlock. Moriarty was convinced that Sherlock would do anything and everything to get everything out of Moriarty he needed. If Moriarty would have doubted that, he wouldn’t have shot himself there and then. Without Moriarty, Sherlock had to quickly decide which of the plans would provide protection for his friends and the possibility to dismantle the network. So, Lazarus it was. On a certain level, I guess Sherlock did know that his death would have an impact on John. So he did try and convince him he was a fake. Maybe he genuinely thought that would make things easier for people who cared about him. Of course, like we see in the first episode of season 3, he underestimates quite what an impact his death had on John. But he knew that John would care. And I think he realized that he was leaving his one best friend here for some time. So I do think that Sherlock was upset during that phone call. Of course he wasn’t as devastated and as emotional as in season 3. But I would say that we did see him care, even during that phone call, just not to the extent that we saw now. And there is another topic I could endlessly discuss Perhaps this is partly because I’ve never before discussed this episode at all.
Back to this topic, I also feel that his emotions are completely genuine in HLV and that’s why his heartfelt “to the very best of times” breaks my heart.
Concerning Mycroft and Sherlock: Yes, Mycroft told Sherlock “You’re loss would break my heart”. I absolutely believe him, but does Sherlock completely believe it? In the first episode, he even told Mycroft that he enjoyed watching his little brother being beaten. While this could be discussed, Sherlock didn’t acknowledge the fact that Mycroft did go undercover for him. Doesn’t that speak volumes? Or is this some kind of reproachful conversation that truly means “Thanks for saving me. You’re welcome, i would always try and save you”? There goes another discussion topic, Mycroft and Sherlock’s relationship
A better therapist for John, I never thought about that He should have listened to Mycroft, he told him that during their first meeting  ;)
Concerning the handshake: I would have loved John hugging Sherlock. It would have been something. But I could have gone without it and just a handshake if John would have said or done anything else. Just accepting the offered hand was just so frustratingly passive.
 
@ nakahara
I can imagine John feeling too helpless and feeling the seriousness of the loss. But he still was the one that could safely stay behind. I felt like he should have tried to reassure Sherlock in some way. He seemed to fail to see the whole picture here. Sherlock was the one needing something to cling to, not just himself. Of course he is entitled to his own feelings and I’m sure he was quite overwhelmed. But that just led to his passivity instead of any gesture. It’s sad and part of the reason why this scene always gets to me

     Thread Starter
 

August 26, 2014 5:25 pm  #6


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

Yes, Marta, that's an interesting point, that he might not have processed the moral ambiguity of the murder in comparison to the trouble he went through after Mary's shooting. I always just felt the sadness for the saying goodbye - again.


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Eventually everyone will support Johnlock.


"If you're not reading the subtext then hell mend you"  -  Steven Moffat
"Love conquers all" Benedict Cumberbatch on Sherlock's and John's relationship
"This is a show about a detective, his best friend, his wife, their baby and their dog" - Nobody. Ever.

 

August 26, 2014 5:26 pm  #7


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

I watched this last night.
I have no doubt John knows Sherlock did evertthing for him.
He is grateful for Mary being safe, but devastated at the loss of Sherlock...well, until he comes back!


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August 26, 2014 5:36 pm  #8


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

I don´t know which scene breaks me more, the tarmac scene or the one in 221b in which Sherlock collapses.. both are devastating.

I agree with your opinion about Sherlock comforting John although he is the one sent to a suicide mission.. and it hurts to watch. I think John is completely lost for words or actions in this scene, crippled by his emotions, and yet.. I can´t quite forgive him for letting Sherlock go like that, watching his plane take off hand in hand with Mary.."frustratingly passive" nails it.

 

August 26, 2014 5:39 pm  #9


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

ShadyShapeshifter wrote:

Thank you for your interest and your input
@ maryagrawatson
Concerning TRF: Really?

Yup. TEH made TRF even worse for me because there's no resolution. I still have no idea what was going on in TRF and what emotions Sherlock are showing are real, if any. The only thing that resonates with me is John's anguish. Having lived through what he lives through at the end of that episode, that's definitely not motivation to watch TRF again.

Mary


John: That's clever. So you scratch their backs and...
Sherlock: Yes. And then disinfect myself.
 

August 26, 2014 6:57 pm  #10


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

- Sometimes when you feel too much, you cannot show it. How much John feels is shown in very little details. 

The difference between Sherlock and John is that one of them choose to don't have emotions and stay on a rational level, but when he has an emotion he will embrace it and show to everybody while the other knows that he has too much and too intensive emotions and chooses to block them to the outside world to avoid being hurt. 

- John is so sure that Sherlock would pull out another miracle that if he should choose between Jesus and Sherlock, who will resurect, guess who will choose? I bet he is also sure that he is kept in the dark once again or tricked ... 

 

August 26, 2014 7:58 pm  #11


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

John seems to have problems with procession everything, yes. I do think he is overwhelmed by everything that has happened so far and that’s why he stays passive. Still, the scene feels so sad to me. Yes, John feels devastated by the loss of his friend (again). But it’s Sherlock who is leaving to his impending doom, shouldn’t John at least try and comfort him in some way? Yet he is so conflicted with his own emotions and everything that happened so far that he would have let Sherlock leave just like that. His last words to Sherlock would have been:  we’re not naming our daughter after you. Of course everyone knows that John deeply cares, even Sherlock noticed that John truly cares about him. But any gesture at all would have been nice. Maybe some words beside “the game is over”?  Anything after Sherlock’s heartfelt “to the very best of times”?
@ A lovely light
Do you believe that John was convinced that Sherlock wasn’t really saying goodbye? But that would mean that he wasn’t all that emotional during that particular scene, right? No repressed emotions, more like “well, he’s leaving now, but I know this is not for real, who knows what he’s really up to”? So he just stands there and waits for Sherlock’s sure return? Interesting, I didn’t even consider this until now.
But still, I didn’t perceive the scene like that. John said “The game is over”. Why wouldn’t he try and call Sherlock on his scheme if he honestly believed that he was tricked by him? Something like in TEH, when he initially said “Noooo, this is all a trick”? No, to me, John seemed to be truly sad. I would concur that he was slightly more optimistic that Sherlock could somehow return one day. But he didn’t dismiss the fact that this could be the last time he saw Sherlock Holmes. He surely was hoping against hope that Sherlock would be back, he seems to believe that Sherlock can pull off nearly everything when he really puts his mind on it. Nonetheless, I think he got the gravity of the situation.  Maybe he is a bit unbelieving at this point that Sherlock was gone for good. He saw him die once and survive a shot to the chest recently. But I would put that in the mix of his emotions, it didn’t seem to be his only thought about this goodbye.
 

     Thread Starter
 

August 26, 2014 8:42 pm  #12


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

One can feel and think two total contradictionally things at the same time. John for example might think that the game is over and at the same time that if anyone can come back, than Sherlock is the one - one thought is rational, the other one is irrational, emotional. This is the way i see him, how i interpret his uneasy fidgety appearance, he is inside a chaos, he cannot decide what to do and say or show, he is lost.

 

August 26, 2014 10:03 pm  #13


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

A lovely light wrote:

One can feel and think two total contradictionally things at the same time. John for example might think that the game is over and at the same time that if anyone can come back, than Sherlock is the one - one thought is rational, the other one is irrational, emotional.

Good point. He got a miracle from "I'm known to be indestructible" Sherlock once, he can have an irrational hope that he would see him again. 


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Quidquid Latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
 

August 27, 2014 4:49 am  #14


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

Marta wrote:

A lovely light wrote:

One can feel and think two total contradictionally things at the same time. John for example might think that the game is over and at the same time that if anyone can come back, than Sherlock is the one - one thought is rational, the other one is irrational, emotional.

Good point. He got a miracle from "I'm known to be indestructible" Sherlock once, he can have an irrational hope that he would see him again. 

I agree with both of you.
And apart from that, better therapist or not: I think he is still in shock somehow, and he has every right to be. I don't think that he thinks in any way that any of this is Sherlock's fault and yes, it would have been wonderful to see him give Sherlock a hug or at least hear him say something else besides "We're not naming our daughter after you". And I am sure that John himself would love to be able to say something else, to openly show his emotions and feelings. But I suppose that's where the soldier in him kicks in - the soldier and self-protection. It's a bit as if now he were the one who is shutting himself off from emotions in order to protect himself.
It's a terribly sad scene. I would love to give both Sherlock and John a hug, because it really hurts so much to see them like this. But in contrast to a lot of other fans, I can't be angry with John.
 


___________________________________________________
"Am I the current King of England?

"I see no shame in having an unhealthy obsession with something." - David Tennant
"We did observe." - David Tennant in "Richard II"

 
 

August 27, 2014 5:39 am  #15


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

I was angry with him at the reunion, but no, I can't be angry with him here either.
He is distraught.


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August 27, 2014 10:12 am  #16


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

SolarSystem wrote:

And I am sure that John himself would love to be able to say something else, to openly show his emotions and feelings. But I suppose that's where the soldier in him kicks in - the soldier and self-protection. It's a bit as if now he were the one who is shutting himself off from emotions in order to protect himself. 

I totally agree. His passivity, his lack of initiative in this very emotional scene is the flip side of his complete calm and containment in situations of stress and danger.

You can't have the one without the other. The man whose hand doesn't tremble one bit when he's confronted with a presumable criminal mastermind in a lonely, creepy underground car park, unarmed and far from help, will never be a man who either breaks down sobbing when saying good-bye forever to his best friend, or lightens the mood with little jokes and anecdotes and encouraging smiles and hugs. I'm not saying John can't become that man (same as Sherlock could become a lot more human in S3) but he is not yet, not by a long way.

S3 was dedicated to making Sherlock a better man. Can we please dedicate S4 to making John a better man? It's kind of unfair that there should be so much redemption for Sherlock and so little for John...

Good topic, keep the good stuff coming, and well done Shady for starting it!


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Don’t move, don’t speak, don’t breathe. I’m trying to think.

 
 

August 27, 2014 7:51 pm  #17


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

Ah, the tarmac scene. I remember that it sparked such a heated discussion this winter; people either loved it or hated it. Personally, I absolutely loved it and it reminded me that the seemingly approachable Moffat really is a brilliant writer who deserves his 20 million audience. And of course Martin and Benedict made an absolute beauty out of the scene. Very subtle and powerful, exactly because of what isn't said, but only felt.

It's as if Sherlock and John don't really need words to express what they feel, their communication takes place on another level entirely. And what could you say, honestly, if you knew this was the last time you'd ever see your best friend, what words could possibly express what you feel? I think this scene could not have been more powerful. Any way of trying to capture it in words would kinda diminish it. 

The discussion here, like last time, seems to be centered around the question whether they should have shown more affection to each other. I think they do show affection, and they really see each other. The know they are both uncomfortable with the situation and they're both quite happy to make a joke out of it, but they do understand perfectly well what's happening. 

 

August 27, 2014 7:56 pm  #18


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

That is beautifully written silverblaze. thank you for your expressive post.


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http://professorfangirl.tumblr.com/post/105838327464/heres-an-outtake-of-mark-gatiss-on-the
 

August 27, 2014 8:51 pm  #19


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

silverblaze wrote:

Ah, the tarmac scene. I remember that it sparked such a heated discussion this winter; people either loved it or hated it. Personally, I absolutely loved it and it reminded me that the seemingly approachable Moffat really is a brilliant writer who deserves his 20 million audience. And of course Martin and Benedict made an absolute beauty out of the scene. Very subtle and powerful, exactly because of what isn't said, but only felt.

It's as if Sherlock and John don't really need words to express what they feel, their communication takes place on another level entirely. And what could you say, honestly, if you knew this was the last time you'd ever see your best friend, what words could possibly express what you feel? I think this scene could not have been more powerful. Any way of trying to capture it in words would kinda diminish it. 

The discussion here, like last time, seems to be centered around the question whether they should have shown more affection to each other. I think they do show affection, and they really see each other. The know they are both uncomfortable with the situation and they're both quite happy to make a joke out of it, but they do understand perfectly well what's happening. 

This is true, what could they possibly have done or said? Nothing..
It is really a powerful scene and beautifully acted by Martin and Benedict!

And yet..

Seeing Sherlock take off to what seems to be his death sentence while John stays back comforted by Mary, the person who has a great deal of responsibility for that situation, is very hard to digest for me.. it´s not that I´m angry with John himself, it´s just that the whole situation seems so.. unfair? Unsatisfying? A post on tumblr recently pointed out that this is probably what Moffat meant by "devastating cliffhanger", not the fact that Moriarty seems to be back.. sadly I don´t have the link right now, got to look it up again, it was a very good post.
 

 

August 27, 2014 8:57 pm  #20


Re: The tarmac scene, what do you think?

Oh, the "devastating cliffhanger" is definitely this and not Moriarty. That Moriarty ending is very weak, in my opinion, and somewhat diminshes what we have seen only one minute ago between Sherlock and John. Moriarty totally comes out of the blue, very unexpected, and to be honest: I don't like such endings. It might make sense when we get the Special/S4, but at the moment I think it's not a very elegant ending.


___________________________________________________
"Am I the current King of England?

"I see no shame in having an unhealthy obsession with something." - David Tennant
"We did observe." - David Tennant in "Richard II"

 
 

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