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1 of 1- nakahara
- Threatened Knighthood
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"Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
In HLV, Molly was furious that Sherlock "dares to throw away beautiful gifts" he was born with. She even labeled it "betrayal" and demanded that Sherlock apologises:
But were Sherlock´s "beautiful gifts" really that beautiful for him?
Let´s see how others usually react when Sherlock uses those gifts in his everyday work:
At first, it seems Sherlock´s gifts are admired:
But soon it is apparent that not everybody shares John´s enthusiasm:
Every time Sherlock mentions his blog he is very excited about, other characters react to that in "I don´t understand your blog therefore it must be silly" manner:
Only two people who actually appreciate Sherlock´s writing are Moriarty and murderous cabbie.
Because of Beautiful gifts, Sherlock is ridiculed by others:
Declared abnormal:
It´s often doubted that he has feelings at all, despite the evidence pointing at his caring nature:
Even as Sherlock melts down, he´s still considered an unfeeling machine:
Beautiful gifts (i.e. Sherlock finds kidnapped children very quickly) are the reason why Sally Donovan accussed him of kidnap and various other crimes:
And at the end Sherlock´s gifts aren´t appreciated anymore:
And he isn´t considered valuable because of them:
Is it so surprising these things aren´t considered beautiful gifts by Sherlock and that he stops to value them altogether? It´s more like curse for him than "gifts". And more often than not, his surroundings lets him feel how these "beautiful gifts" make him something less than human.
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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?
- nakahara
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
The US show, Elementary, has a wonderful inversion of similar scenes. Thomas Gregson, Lestrade´s US counterpart, calls his colleagues to his office and tells to them:
Everybody? Listen up. It has come to my attention that there's some of you that aren't thrilled the way some things are done around here. Think I've given our consultants a little too much sway. Some friends of mine wanted to let me know before it was too late to right the ship. And I appreciate that. We've got a mission here. It's to protect this city and the citizens that live in it. You are all part of that effort every day. Most of you do yourselves and this department proud. And for that, I want to thank you. But if anybody has a problem with how I utilize all the tools at my disposal, be it Holmes and Watson or the coffee machine... there's the door.
What a pity we never had similar support being declared for Sherlock in BBC show.
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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?
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Thread Starter- SusiGo
- The game is never over (moderator)
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
I cannot speak about Elementary because I have seen only two or three episodes and it is a very different show.
I found the Molly scene always very OOC. Molly met Sherlock very shortly before John did, i. e. it seems she has not known him during his bad times. Most people agree that Sherlock did not take drugs between ASiP and HLV (except when being drugged against his will). However, she reacts as if she had been betrayed again and again when she actually cannot not have any experience with Sherlock’s drug issues. She may have known about it (maybe Greg told her about it) but in all probability there is nothing that warrants this violent reaction.
The same goes for John. Sherlock has never betrayed him in any way by taking drugs. And he has never voluntarily compromised his “beautiful gifts” in John’s presence.
So I come to this conclusion: Both John and Molly are acting out of guilt. Molly saw Sherlock leaving the wedding early and did not go after him. Same goes for John. Wedding, honeymoon, no contact after that (except via the blog which I regard only as semi-Canon). They both know deep inside that Sherlock felt hurt and alone and left out. Both were married/engaged while Sherlock was on his own, stowing away the chair so he did not have to see it empty. And now they find he has taken drugs and they are acting out of a bad conscience. That is my take on it.
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"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes
"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)
“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)
- besleybean
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
I agree.
I shared some of those thoughts on the 'addiction' thread.
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- Liberty
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
I don't think it's even accurate to say he was born with those gifts. He obviously had a genetic advantage, but I think he's partly made from Mycroft's teaching and partly self-made. Molly's a pathologist and should know it takes work to get that good!
I do see some Jesus imagery in Sherlock (particularly the TRF storyline and also the crucifiction and resurrection scenes, but also some other bits and pieces), and I suppose part of that involves being "despised and rejected", and physically abused. It is something the writers seem to like to put in.
To be fair to Sally, she has some good reason to think that Sherlock kidnapped the kids. Moriarty has set it up to look that way.
- SusiGo
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
Interesting idea about the Jesus imagery. There are indeed several allusions. Think of John 15,13: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." Which Sherlock in a way does not do just once, but twice.
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"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes
"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)
“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)
- besleybean
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- Registered: October 4, 2012
- Posts: 21,339
Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
Yes again, I think a few of us picked these up at the time of TRF.
Sherlock's arrest(Gethsemane) with John(Simon Peter protesting) is an absolute classic scene!
Last edited by besleybean (September 5, 2016 7:51 pm)
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- nakahara
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
SusiGo wrote:
I found the Molly scene always very OOC. Molly met Sherlock very shortly before John did, i. e. it seems she has not known him during his bad times. Most people agree that Sherlock did not take drugs between ASiP and HLV (except when being drugged against his will). However, she reacts as if she had been betrayed again and again when she actually cannot not have any experience with Sherlock’s drug issues. She may have known about it (maybe Greg told her about it) but in all probability there is nothing that warrants this violent reaction.
The same goes for John. Sherlock has never betrayed him in any way by taking drugs. And he has never voluntarily compromised his “beautiful gifts” in John’s presence.
So I come to this conclusion: Both John and Molly are acting out of guilt. Molly saw Sherlock leaving the wedding early and did not go after him. Same goes for John. Wedding, honeymoon, no contact after that (except via the blog which I regard only as semi-Canon). They both know deep inside that Sherlock felt hurt and alone and left out. Both were married/engaged while Sherlock was on his own, stowing away the chair so he did not have to see it empty. And now they find he has taken drugs and they are acting out of a bad conscience. That is my take on it.
I like this theory and IMHO, it makes the most sense in these circumstances.
Also, kudos for a great point there. I could never quite put my finger on the thing I found most weird in John´s and Molly´s behaviour there, but you hit the nail on its head: they act as if Sherlock drugging himself was an everyday occurence - when it´s probable they never have seen Sherlock abusing drugs before.
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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?
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Thread Starter- besleybean
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
Possibly they were concerned he was on a downward slide?
Though still doesn't negate their rather aggressive responses to him!
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- nakahara
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
I don't think it's even accurate to say he was born with those gifts. He obviously had a genetic advantage, but I think he's partly made from Mycroft's teaching and partly self-made. Molly's a pathologist and should know it takes work to get that good!
I do see some Jesus imagery in Sherlock (particularly the TRF storyline and also the crucifiction and resurrection scenes, but also some other bits and pieces), and I suppose part of that involves being "despised and rejected", and physically abused. It is something the writers seem to like to put in.
To be fair to Sally, she has some good reason to think that Sherlock kidnapped the kids. Moriarty has set it up to look that way.
Sherlock´s ability is the result of the long and rigorous training, I agree.
I can definitely see Christ imagery in the show, but since it mostly appears in TRF, I am not sure if it´s only a part of Stephen Thompson´s vision of Sherlock´s character or if Mofftiss share this view of Sherlock too.
Yes, Sally was set up to see Sherlock as a kidnapper, but Sherlock´s skills contributed to that, being too perfect to be believable for her.
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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?
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Thread Starter- besleybean
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
Though in HLV, we do have Sherlock sacrificing himself to save John.
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- nakahara
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
Though in HLV, we do have Sherlock sacrificing himself to save John.
That´s true. Than it´s possible Mofftiss see Sherlock as Christ-like figure too.
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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?
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Thread Starter- besleybean
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
Come on, somebody remind us of the famous quote?
About The Doctor, Sherlock and God?
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- SusiGo
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
Ahem, I do not know that one. Could you quote it?
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"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes
"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)
“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)
- besleybean
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- Registered: October 4, 2012
- Posts: 21,339
Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
I'll see if I can find it!
EDIT:
Last edited by besleybean (September 5, 2016 8:26 pm)
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- SusiGo
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
Thank you for the quote. I knew it but could not remember. Well said, Steven.
------------------------------
"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes
"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)
“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)
- Liberty
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
Maybe it's TRF that started me seeing it, but I still see quite a lot of Christian allusions in S3 - whether intentional or not. For instance, the crucifixion scene near the beginning of TEH, resurrection x 2 for Sherlock, and possibly one for the guardsman, Sherlock hearing John from beyond the grave in TEH - yes, I know he was literally just standing a little bit beyond the grave, but there's still a certain feel to those words, "miracles", even Mary (two prominent Marys, one traditionally seen as a fallen woman saved by Jesus, and the other a mother - Mary has aspects of both, and there's even the Madonna post-it in Ep2, and Mary Morstan's even a kind of "immaculate conception") - I could go on but don't want to derail. And I suspect that some of this isn't deliberate.
Anyway, suffering is a big thing in Christianity, and the writers seem to like the suffering hero. So I think we are going to continue to see him put down in various ways.
I do like that quote!
(No offence to Christian believers intended here - I'm just talking about the imagery as something that's used in popular culture. My UK generation, which includes Moftiss, were brought up on this).
Last edited by Liberty (September 6, 2016 7:34 am)
- besleybean
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Re: "Beautiful gifts" Sherlock was born with
I have mixed feelings about using the religious imagery, too...
But I think at certain times(TRF) it is deliberate.
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