BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Donovan, did she ever date Sherlock?

AStudyInPurple · August 29, 2012 1:13 am

In SiP, during the drugs bust, after Sherlock leaves in the cab, Donovan says, "That's Sherlock. Always letting you down." Or something like that. Maybe I'm missing something?

KeepersPrice · August 29, 2012 2:09 am

Nooo waaaayyy did Sherlock and SD ever 'date'!!! Ewwwww! She is so beneath him.

As portrayed in the first two series, she's a suspicious, jealous, rigid, narrow-minded career woman. She's seen that Lestrade thinks highly of Sherlock's deductive skills which pisses her off when he's asked to come in on one of their cases to bail them all out. She hates being shown-up. She hates and fears Sherlock's uncanny methods because she can't understand them, and she knows (and despises) that Sherlock can observe her weaknesses. She tries to bring him down whenever she can; I'd like to say she's actually malevolent by S2:3, but I really think she's just locked into her petty, stupid, conventional way of thinking. She couldn't see genius if it hit her on the head.

Maybe she'll soften by S3 but I hope not. She's fun to hate.

deerstalker · August 29, 2012 2:42 am

I would think No.
My guess is that Donovan is a very by- the- rules individual. Sherlock is not only arrogant, insulting and infuriatingly right all the time, but he is an "off books" presence in the police force. Lestrade breaks the rules to consult him, and Sherlock always ends up solving crimes that the police force failed to solve. That's enough to make a narrow- minded career person be suspicious and hate Sherlock's guts; no broken hearts needed.

Last edited by deerstalker (August 29, 2012 2:46 am)

Wholocked · August 29, 2012 5:45 am

Everything else is transport...

Sherlock Holmes · August 29, 2012 1:26 pm

KeepersPrice wrote:
Maybe she'll soften by S3 but I hope not. She's fun to hate.

She will feel like such an idiot when it all comes out that Sherlock wasn't a fake after all. I really hope she has the guts to apologise to his face.

tobeornot221b · August 29, 2012 6:45 pm

Apparently she feels happy being on the same level as Anderson who she is hardly ever seen without.
Sherlock was, is and will be someone out of her reach - in every sense of the word.

sherlockskitty · August 30, 2012 12:40 am

eeewww Sherlock and her dating? i don't think so. She hates him, you can see that in her eyes. But, he's constantly one-upping her, and rubbing her the wrong way, and that makes her madder than a clucking hen. Like JR Ewing, she's one charrie I Love to hate, so I hope she doesn't change in series 3. I sort of hope that she just...goes away.

deerstalker · August 30, 2012 2:34 am

sherlockskitty wrote:
eeewww Sherlock and her dating? i don't think so. She hates him, you can see that in her eyes. But, he's constantly one-upping her, and rubbing her the wrong way, and that makes her madder than a clucking hen. Like JR Ewing, she's one charrie I Love to hate, so I hope she doesn't change in series 3. I sort of hope that she just...goes away.

I hope she and Anderson stay. Especially Anderson. His scenes in "ASiP" are such great fun.

Davina · August 30, 2012 7:36 am

I think Jonathan Aris plays Anderson to perfection likewise Vinette Robinson as Donovan.

kazza474 · August 30, 2012 9:57 am

AStudyInPurple wrote:
In SiP, during the drugs bust, after Sherlock leaves in the cab, Donovan says, "That's Sherlock. Always letting you down." Or something like that. Maybe I'm missing something?

The only interaction Donovan has with Sherlock is when he is called in on cases that she is obviously working on. No doubt his investigations 'let her down' in her eyes. This may be because he makes the police appear to be fools who cannot see what he believes is obvious.
So her low opinion of him on a 'professional' basis probably flows on into all dealings with him & she has (once again wrongly) assumed that he would be a bad person to have as a friend.
That's just her mentality.

hypergreenfrog · August 30, 2012 12:57 pm

I agree with most of you, IMO there definitely is no background link between the two characters. They don't seem to know each other well at all, only ever meeting through police invesigations.

I rather asume that her negative reactions towards Sherlock so early in the show serve a different purpose - to provide a contrast to John and Lestrade's fasciniation/admiration for him. And franky, I find that extremely well thought out. We understand that John's easy acceptance of Sherlock's strange behaviour and unorthodox methods is indeed rather unusual (as he himself notes in the taxi), because we get to see how other people perceive him.

Davina · August 30, 2012 1:02 pm

I guess also that Donovan knows that using Sherlock so much on cases is not 'by the book' so she can express her disapproval and when/if things start going wrong can take the position of 'I told you so. I told you he was a freak' etc.

Sentimental Pulse · August 31, 2012 2:14 am

Donovan enjoys mentally egging people on. Clearly she has some insecurity issues in her life and frankly with good reason

Arya · August 31, 2012 2:19 am

It would be interesting to know Donovan's backstory...

LoveBug54 · August 31, 2012 2:30 am

My theory is that early on Donovan hit on Sherlock and not only did he reject her he did it by telling her all about her sex life. In front of everyone. Mockingly. Ever since he's been "freak."

Davina · August 31, 2012 7:23 am

She's smitten by Anderson. Sherlock is unmerciful towards him, and her. Isn't that enough to be going on with?

Sammy · September 1, 2012 7:30 pm

No way. But it's actually an interesting thought...
I like the idea of Donovan hitting on Sherlock . I mean, that's very understandable behaviour. And it would explain why she hates him so much, haha.
No, but honestly, I think it's just the obvious everyone has already pointed out. She simply can't understand him and his methods and is jealous of him.

Btw. there are actually people who ship Sherlock/Donovan. :/

Davina · September 1, 2012 7:34 pm

Curiouser and curiouser!

SusiGo · September 1, 2012 7:50 pm

There are also people shipping Mycroft and Lestrade which I find curious as well.

Davina · September 1, 2012 8:37 pm

Frankly that is like Through the Looking Glass stuff really isn't it.