Yeah, there is. He was never as good at that not-caring thing as Mycroft is, even though he wants to be.

Last edited by Vhanja (May 24, 2015 2:43 pm)

It could be possible, but I'm sceptical.  Even if it were true, I doubt that that would mean that cuddling Redbeard would help him relax after he'd been shot.  If Mycroft and Sherlock's relationship is any indication, the Holmes brothers don't exactly have the warmest fraternal relationship.  Also, if only Sherlock had used that coping mechanism in his mind, why would Mycroft know about it? I doubt that's something Sherlock would tell Mycroft about.  Mycroft would just look down on him for it.

Yes, it's an interesting theory.

I did not mean to imply that Mycroft told Sherlock to find the dog to relax.  Molly in Sherlock's Mind Palace did, so Sherlock himself.

When I was referring to Mycroft, I was talking about the phone conversation during the wedding reception.

I was kind of in a hurry when I first posted, so for clarification: If Redbeard was a coping mechanism, I doubt Sherlock would tell Mycroft about it, in which case Mycroft wouldn't mention it to him over the phone.  So Mycroft knows about Redbeard.  I doubt it's a coping mechanism.  If Redbeard died at some point and Sherlock was sad, then I think Mycroft wanted to use that to remind Sherlock of why caring and getting involved is not an advantage.
In that case, Redbeard can't be a substituion for someone else.  And either way, I doubt any person would have helped Sherlock relax other than John, if he was looking for John.

Can you refer to scene where we know this? I don't recall Magnussen knowing about Redbeard.

Yes, he has Redbeard down as one of Sherlock's pressure points when he "scans" him.

It's pretty scary that he knows about this. The only two people I can think of who he could have learned it from are Mycroft, and Moriarty (via Mycroft). Or perhaps Kitty Riley (via Rich Brook). Or Janine (via Moriarty). Hmm, that's four people, I obviously can't count!

Last edited by ukaunz (September 14, 2015 8:54 pm)

Mummy and Daddy? "the other one"?

Hmm...I guess I just never noticed that that was listed as one of the pressure points.  When I watched that episode I was more struck by the quanitity rather than what they actually were.
The possibilities of who he could have found that out from have already been listed by you guys, so I can't say I have any other idea.  Molly is the figure who suggests Sherlock relax when he's in his mind palace, so could it be that she knows about it in real life? Even though Sherlock may not confide in people much, if at all, we do know he trusts her.  I just don't know how Magnussen would have gotten to her.
Although if Magnussen is a Rupert Murdoch-type figure, then it could be that he has access to phone records and things like that, so if it was ever transmitted through electronic communication he could know if he had access to that information.

Last edited by Yitzock (September 14, 2015 9:54 pm)

I would agree that he couldn't have found out about it when it happened. But if something about it was communicated later on through something that can be surveilled or otherwise catalogued, then Magnussen could have possibly had access to it.

ukaunz wrote:

Mycroft mentioned Redbeard over the phone to Sherlock in TSoT. If Magnussen did indeed have a way of tapping the line or listening in through surveillance (a spy at the wedding?), he would then have had to dig around to find out what it meant.

I always wondered why Mycroft mentioned Redbeard on the phone first place. Maybe to confirm that Magnussen is spying him out?

This meta has some interesting insights: