BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » My thoughts about Mary (all episodes)

Liberty · December 31, 2014 12:28 pm

Vhanja wrote:
I know that what I wrote was a bit exaggerated, but that is actually how this thread feels like to me.

I am stil troubled myself with the shooting, and I've never really understood why she did. A shot in the leg, a whack over the head with the gun (I reckon a trained assassin could give a non-damaging whack just hard enough to put someone out of business for a while).

She wanted him to be unconscious quickly. If she'd shot him in the leg, he could have spoken to John right away. Given the height difference and Sherlock's fighting skills, I think she'd find it difficult to knock him out by hitting him on the head with the gun (and even if she could get a good blow in, it would be very difficult to get it just right so that it knocked him out for a long time (long enough for Mary to get out and then get back to him, I suppose - she doesn't even quite make it as it is).

Vhanja · December 31, 2014 12:34 pm

Liberty wrote:
She wanted him to be unconscious quickly. If she'd shot him in the leg, he could have spoken to John right away. Given the height difference and Sherlock's fighting skills, I think she'd find it difficult to knock him out by hitting him on the head with the gun (and even if she could get a good blow in, it would be very difficult to get it just right so that it knocked him out for a long time (long enough for Mary to get out and then get back to him, I suppose - she doesn't even quite make it as it is).

True. (Although a combo of shooting the leng and THEN whack him over the head with the gun would probably do the trick). But she didn't accomplish anything. He told John, or let her unknowingly tell John, as soon as he could. Did she really think Sherlock wouldn't tell John just because she told him to? She seems to come across as an observant and intelligent person who knowns Sherlock ("I know when you are fibbing"). So she ended up with John knowing and Sherlock almost dying for nothing.

Last edited by Vhanja (December 31, 2014 12:36 pm)

besleybean · December 31, 2014 12:46 pm

Yes, altho it was Sherlock who eventually murdered CAM...we certainly know what Mary is prepared to do...but is she over all of that now?

Liberty · December 31, 2014 12:46 pm

I think the shooting showed Sherlock what she was capable of, and she believed/hoped that Sherlock wouldn't tell John because he was scared of her. Actually it works the other way round, and I think Sherlock rushes to tell John because he's scared of her. She's observant, but not on a Sherlock level - for instance, she believes that John will be broken and leave her if he finds out that truth, but it doesn't happen. In fact, Sherlock and John take on her case. If she'd known that she may have acted differently.

Last edited by Liberty (December 31, 2014 12:48 pm)

Vhanja · December 31, 2014 12:51 pm

So what we have here, is a failure to communicate.

mrshouse · December 31, 2014 12:53 pm

Yes, Liberty, I agree with this interpretation. But that gives me more hard time to build a relationship of trust and forgiveness.

Last edited by mrshouse (December 31, 2014 12:54 pm)

Vhanja · December 31, 2014 12:55 pm

Yeah, so it was probably done just as much for dramatic purposes for us viewers. To show us - just as much as show Sherlock - what she was capable of doing.

mrshouse · December 31, 2014 12:57 pm

Yes, but I'm one of the poor fans for whom that backfired. Building the suspense, fine, very well. But loving and trusting and meeting for fish and chips each Friday? No way...

SolarSystem · December 31, 2014 1:00 pm

SusiGo wrote:
Yes, she might be on a case of some sort. Or part of a plan. But who is behind it? She herself? Moriarty? A government agency? We have no idea, do we? But it is fun to speculate.

It is, and my suspicion is that if she has some sort of agenda, it's not her own. From Mofftiss' point of view, I don't think the explanation will be that she has been on her own and therefore is exclusively responsible for everything that's happened. Someone else is behind this, for whatever reason, and Mary followed orders, at least to some extent. That way she will turn out to be a victim of some sort - something I could only accept if she'd eventually discover that she's having a conscience after all and takes responsibility for the things she's responsible for. Whatever those things will turn out to be. I'm sure we haven't seen nothing yet.
But they certainly won't give us a Mary who has done what she's done all on her own. Mofftiss will want everyone to forgive her, one way or another.

And: Mycroft. He has to come into all this at one point.

Last edited by SolarSystem (December 31, 2014 1:04 pm)

mrshouse · December 31, 2014 1:05 pm

Yes, that sounds plausible, Solar. I also have a feeling they won't turn her into the utter villain. So we have either more background information and going: " poor lamb, she had no choice" or nothing more is mentioned and it's fish and chips for the three of them.

SolarSystem · December 31, 2014 1:17 pm

Great choices.

mrshouse · December 31, 2014 1:18 pm

Lovely,isn't it, dear?

SolarSystem · December 31, 2014 1:26 pm

I'm hoping that Mycroft will let some sort of cat out of the bag eventually (rather sooner than later, please). I mean, there has to be something that explains why Mary apparently flew under his radar.

Liberty · December 31, 2014 1:33 pm

Well, I did wonder if Mary was working for him (Mycroft). It would explain or have implications for a lot - Mary as guardian, Mycroft not attending the wedding and perhaps even his warning to Sherlock, Sherlock's certainty that Mary would protect John, possibly even Mycroft warning Sherlock off Magnussen, etc. But there are some things that don't fit with that half-baked theory.

besleybean · December 31, 2014 1:42 pm

Is she the other one?

mrshouse · December 31, 2014 1:44 pm

It's not that half baked if we consider that Mycroft -same as Sherlock - is shown way under his usual powers.

mrshouse · December 31, 2014 1:48 pm

besleybean wrote:
Is she the other one?

That would at least give us a love story between a Holmes and a Watson....yuk...

besleybean · December 31, 2014 1:58 pm

I think Sherlock and Mary are as thick as thieves now.

mrshouse · December 31, 2014 2:01 pm

Not a native speaker, what does that phrase mean, bb?

besleybean · December 31, 2014 2:03 pm

Oh sorry...just means they are very fond of each other.