BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » The Watson marriage

SusiGo · January 24, 2016 10:56 am

Some ideas about how Sherlock reflects on the marriage in his Victorian MP:

Much has been written about how in TAB the Victorian and the present day narrative are intertwined, one world bleeding into the other in Sherlock’s mind. One of the best examples is how the Watson marriage is portrayed.

My theory is that the Victorian Watson marriage in TAB is a summary of what has happened between Sherlock, John, and Mary so far and also foreshadow what may happen in the future. It is filtered and distorted by Sherlock's subconscious but the key elements are there.

Think of the beginning. Watson and Holmes are returning to 221B from a case in the country. You would never assume that Watson was not living there. They are greeted by the houseboy and their landlady, banter with each other, no one would doubt for a moment that they are not returning to their joint flat. Only when Mary, the dark presence in the room, is revealed, we realise that Watson has a wife.

Then we get this:

“You have recently married a man of a seemingly kindly disposition who has now abandoned you for an unsavoury companion of dubious morals.”

We are made to believe that the marriage is still fresh. TAB is set in 1895, a time when Canon Mary Watson was long dead. And even if she had been alive, they would have been married for years, not just recently.

Later Watson the narrator brings up the Carmichael case:

“It was not for several months that we were to pick up the threads of this strange case again.”

And Lestrade asks when Holmes is talking to the empty chair:

“Didn’t Doctor Watson move out a few months ago?”

So if we believe these quotes, what do we get?

A couple that was married recently. The husband has moved out shortly after the wedding to live with his best friend, to return home only after a less-than-convincing reconciliation with his wife. The best friend keeps talking to the husband’s empty chair which is still (or again) standing in the living-room.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

My conclusion:

They are telling us what happened during the missing months in HLV. John left Mary who he had married only months ago to live again with Sherlock. His chair is in the room like it was in HLV after Sherlock escaped from hospital. They lived together as before, Mrs Hudson being the familiar presence downstairs and only Mary aka the client= a case made John return home.

So far the Victorian story reflects what happened in series 3. But it might be even more, an outlook on series 4:

Mary leading them to the secret society = Moriarty = Sherlock’s innermost self/greatest fear. Mary being involved with Mycroft in some way. Mary being not pregnant/without child. And Mary disappearing from the narrative at the same time as Moriarty the bride is revealed.

All this might foreshadow series 4 and possibly series 5. And I hope that we will also see the modern version of the last scene when Sherlock and John are back together in 221B for good which has been prepared by the Reichenbach dive. I think we should trust the writers that this will play out as brilliantly everything else did.

Last edited by SusiGo (January 24, 2016 1:18 pm)

Mothonthemantel · January 24, 2016 11:35 am

Very convincing and logical .
I have thought John must have been staying at 221b before Christmas. Looking after Sherlock and considering things since HLV.

Do you think "....an unsavoury companion of dubious morals" is Sherlocks opinion of himself , or is he voicing what he thinks is Mary's opinion of him .

SusiGo · January 24, 2016 11:37 am

Thank you.

Well, I think it may a bit of both. In all the Victorian scenes Mary is not friendly towards Sherlock, but dismissive and patronising. On the other hand we know that he does not have a high opinion of himself where affection and sympathy are concerned. So I would say it is both. And in a Victorian context the "companion of dubious morals" might also imply homosexuality. This is Sherlock speaking to himself, so he might be admitting to himself here that he is gay.

Last edited by SusiGo (January 24, 2016 11:38 am)

Harriet · January 24, 2016 11:47 am

Interesting thoughts, Susi. Is it just me who experiences difficulties distinguishing the red words from the background?

SusiGo · January 24, 2016 11:48 am

For me they appear very clear and legible.

mrshouse · January 24, 2016 11:54 am

Interesting thoughts, Susi.
The marriage is not shown as blissful. Both parties are not content and seeking their distraction elsewhere. It is most definitely a nod to S3, Mary as client, the empty chair, "companion of dubious morals" as a reference to Sherlock's" your best friend...." speech during the confrontation at Baker Street. Mary's and John's banter mirroring the scene in HLV at the beginning.
Furthermore we're never shown John and Mary together at their home in TAB.

SusiGo · January 24, 2016 11:56 am

Yes, mrshouse, this is true. And the only times we see them at their modern home they are either talking about Sherlock or quarrelling with each other.

Harriet · January 24, 2016 11:57 am

I find the thought exciting it might be foreshadowing to S4.

mrshouse · January 24, 2016 12:06 pm

I'm not sure about that. I felt that the Mofftiss somehow felt the need to have an episode about women.

SusiGo · January 24, 2016 12:06 pm

Harriet: Yes, it is.

I think the "Mary in church" part of the story might be turned into a period of time during which we get Sherlock, John, and Mary working on some case together. Not in pure harmony, but still. And Mycroft will be somehow involved.

And next we get the counterpart of the "Moriarty as bride" scene = some reveal about Mary/Moriarty.

And Sherlock finally coming to terms with his feelings/past traumas/whatever because this is a case that has to be solved as well.

Last edited by SusiGo (January 24, 2016 12:07 pm)

Liberty · January 24, 2016 12:52 pm

Harriet wrote:
Interesting thoughts, Susi. Is it just me who experiences difficulties distinguishing the red words from the background?

Not just you! I struggle with it too. Highlighting the text seems to help.

Anyway, yes, I think everything in the first post is possible.

I also wonder if there might be something more sinister about Mary first appearing in mourning - foreshadowing of a death? I think there are other reasons - a reference to Mary shooting (and virtually killing) Sherlock (while wearing black), the "opposite" of a bride in white, mourning including a veil = disguise/mistaken identity, and something else I thought of that I've forgotten at the moment!

SusiGo · January 24, 2016 1:19 pm

I changed the colour. I wished to highlight my conclusions but I do not have the time to try all colours.

Mothonthemantel · January 24, 2016 1:58 pm

SusiGo wrote:
Thank you.

Well, I think it may a bit of both. In all the Victorian scenes Mary is not friendly towards Sherlock, but dismissive and patronising. On the other hand we know that he does not have a high opinion of himself where affection and sympathy are concerned. So I would say it is both. And in a Victorian context the "companion of dubious morals" might also imply homosexuality. This is Sherlock speaking to himself, so he might be admitting to himself here that he is gay.

I agree that it is both, on your homosexuality idea maybe Sherlock thinks Mary thinks Sherlock has designs on John , which links with Mary's later aww your reading John's blog comment.
Interesting that at the beginning and the conclusion of the mp case we have the same thing , a crossover of Sherlocks and Mary thoughts , when John says " I thought I was losing you " and both answer -Sherlock and Mary both have had John move out on them and both think they are losing John.
At first I was puzzled that Sherlock would have John act so dismissively and patronisingly towards Mary , but then I considered that that is Sherlocks experience of John and his girlfriend's - remember Jeanette saying don't compare me to Sherlock Holmes -and John's I don't think relationships are compatable to a life with Sherlock - blog post.
I think at these points Sherlock is considering John having to make a choice between himself and Mary , and that could also be foreshadowing.

Vhanja · January 24, 2016 3:39 pm

As I see it, Watson moved out after they got married. So if he moved out "a couple of months ago", that would be when they got married. Makes sense in Victorian times as they would never have lived together before getting married.

SusiGo · January 24, 2016 4:21 pm

I do not agree. At the very beginning we get the impression that they are living together. Mary has to dress up as a widow/client in order to see her husband. Some months later we are told that he moved out some months ago = about the time Mary came as woman in black to see him.

This is what we get. And this is about the timeline we might assume for HLV which is very different from the Canon timeline as we all know. And at the end we get again the impression that they are living together in 221B.

besleybean · January 24, 2016 4:35 pm

I just don't see it that way.
I think there may be some misunderstanding with timelines.
At the beginning they are definitely married, because Mary refers to John her husband.
Though it makes no odds to me.
They are clearly a couple, married or not.

SusiGo · January 24, 2016 4:43 pm

This is not about seeing it this or that way but about what we get in the script.

Vhanja · January 24, 2016 4:45 pm

Of course you could be right, Susi. But I never thought Watson was living in 221B at the start of the episode. It doesn't make sense that he would, considering that he was married at the time.

SusiGo · January 24, 2016 4:46 pm

But how do you know that he was married, Vhanja? We are never told. Remember, when starting to watch it for the first time, you have no idea that this is Sherlock's MP.

Vhanja · January 24, 2016 4:48 pm

SusiGo wrote:
But how do you know that he was married, Vhanja? We are never told. Remember, when starting to watch it for the first time, you have no idea that this is Sherlock's MP.

Oh, sorry. I seemed to remember that when they got back, that was when Mary was in the living room. I've only watched the episode two or three times.