1. Sherlock is being selfless by not telling John.  He really, really wants to (he says), but presumably keeps quiet to protect John and to rid the world of Moriarty's network. 

Sorry, got to rush, but this is a really interesting thing to discuss and hopefully I can catch up after work! 

silverblaze wrote:

Interesting topic. I'm not so sure about 1, though. He disappeared to dismantle the network, not to protect John. The reason why he didn't let John in to the secret was that it would have jeopardise the whole situation. 

I really wonder what they will pull out, character arc wise, in season 4. I would suspect that he'd become a bit more detached again, because I think they've gone as far as possible on the emotional Sherlock scale. 

Moffat said somewhere that having an emotional life does not make him a better person and that makes a lot of sense. However, I also believe that bonding to another person is the ONLY thing that can make someone a better person. 

 
You know, I was kind of thinking the same thing. He faked his death to keep Moriarty's people from hounding him as he went after them. But the 'protect John' sentiment seemed to be strong here, and I started to think maybe that was the way to go. He might have said after his return that he did it to protect John, but the idea of faking your death in front of someone who cares about you is not an act of caring or protection. And why didn't Mycroft just drop a hint or two John's way?

I suspect that Mycroft's question to John "He chooses to be a detective. What does that tell us about the nature of his heart?" Shows that Sherlock has a very big heart. Why else would he turn his energy and personal safety toward helping people who were victims of crimes? Yes, they are puzzles, but there are other puzzles in this world to solve too.

Alone keeps me safe, he says. But that doesn't necessarily sound like it's his first choice. Ah, so complex.

Yes, I think in HLV, John is the focus and protecting him is what motivates Sherlock to come back from the dead.   But he has protected people all along, and I agree about Mycroft's comment.   John just shows what's already there.  (If anything, John could be a bad influence, with some of his faults!  Luckily Sherlock doesn't emulate him when it comes to those).

In fact, I believe Sherlock's reasons for wanting to get rid of Moriarty in the first place are noble, and nothing to do with personal gain or glory.   And I think that episode, particularly the end of TRF and the beginning of TEH show the extreme lengths of personal sacrifice he will go to to save others.   (They practically show him as Jesus, in my opinion - the angelic light round his head on the rooftop, the "crucifixion" in Serbia). 

In ASIB, I believe Sherlock protects Irene throughout - protection is a theme in that episode.   I think he deliberately misidentifies Irene's body to protect her (I know not everybody agrees), and I imagine rescuing her was a risky business.   Mary gets it right in TSOT when she says that Sherlock works better "because it matters now" - he's not driven by the intellectual challenge, but by saving people.   There are times when I think there are hints of how much he wants to save people throughout the series.  I think he seems cold-hearted because he doesn't seem to care much when people die.  I think he does care but thinks it's not an advantage - he can't save them when they are dead.  But he will go to extraordinary lengths to save the living.

The "alone protects me" line, I agree isn't his first choice.  In context, it's said when he knows he's going to have to be completely alone for the next couple of years, and when he has to make John leave him (so that he can set up the "suicide").   In fact, being alone is to protect other people, not him.   It's very much not about him not caring for other people.  

Last edited by Liberty (September 7, 2014 7:38 am)

That's very interesting.  So why did Sherlock choose chemistry?  (It reminds me of John choosing GP practice instead of another branch of medicine, when it didn't seem to suit his personality). 

I was going to say that being a pirate would have been exciting, but it probably would involve a lot of boredom, actually.

I didn't think of John deliberately choosing a good person.  It's clear that he's drawn to the danger, and there are hints at the beginning that Sherlock really is not a good person and is genuinely dangerous (I think even John shows a little doubt when he sees that Sherlock has the suitcase at 221B in ASIP).   But you could be right, because of course Sherlock good and by TRF we definitely see John having faith in his motivations. 

Chemistry is amazing to study, very interesting science, brings to the roots of all things (together with physik). Very satisfing for analytical minds. But the practice is far from glamorous. Perhaps was also the influence of the mother that he choose to study it, she is also a scientist.

 

I think it already hunts him on Tarmac scene... 

See I think Sherlock knew what it would mean, before he even pulled the trigger.
He knew it meant he would never see John again...or at least only at prison visiting.
But he sacrificed his happiness for John's peace of mind and safety.

Sorry, I was only referring to Sherlock shooting CAM.

besleybean wrote:

But he sacrificed his happiness for John's peace of mind and safety.

I am not so sure that John is at peace that someone, and especially Sherlock, killed that he would be safe. He looks as well very uneasy and confused on the Tarmac. 

I think that Cam death haunts both of them and both of them have to deal with it.