saturnR wrote:

Said by Mary. Even she gets Johnlock (somewhat subverted ) makes me wonder how many there have been & indeed if there was a first (even before Sholto).

As much respect as I have for the Doctor Watson character, especially as Martin has crafted him, I think that John is always meant to be half of a duo. I'll stop short of calling him a 'sidekick', but he is definitely a serial monogamist with either girlfriends or friendships.

Until Mary. Who allows Sherlock to share John. And Sherlock allows her as well.

His character purpose is to reflect Holmes' brilliance (as Sherlock himself says in THoB). But in the course of their friendship, he has a greater effect on Sherlock, making Sherlock more human. Probably just by giving Sherlock a concrete and specific reason to do so.

But even Conan Doyle kills off John's wife and returns him to Sherlock. Two halves of a whole.