I don't know if the modern(UK) army insists on clean shaven soldiers?
Maybe that was Sherlock's thinking.

I always saw it as part of John's wanting to change and move on...

Then he would have a had a beard...wipe that image!

"A skull on the wall" again. 

nakahara wrote:

Yitzock wrote:

Possible.  But remember, John remarks about the illustrator being "out of control" and that he had to grow the moustache just so that people would recognize him.  Sherlock would have made up a reason in the Victorian version for John to have grown the moustache, maybe partly because he knows in Victorian times it would be more likely? Also, he might not know for sure why John grew the moustache we see in series 3, so maybe Sherlock is toying with possibilities?

The whole "moustache" thing was actually Mofftiss´ reference to an actual canonic illustrator Sidney Paget who drew Sherlock and John certain way and it became so popular that it influenced ACD´s descriptions of the detective and his friend in return. I doubt there´s more behind it.  

I agree.

 

I think that's the most obvous explanation - I think that explains their appearance in general - Sherlock's slicked back hair, etc.  There's probably no deep reason for him to imagine himself with slicked back hair other than that's how Sherlock was portrayed (by Paget, but also in other versions - Rathbone, Brett, etc.).   

And Yitzock, of course you're quite right that Watson says he had to grow a moustache because of the illustrator, so that means army John at the beginning has to be shown without a moustache..

Last edited by Liberty (January 9, 2016 8:47 am)