BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » First impressons and discussions

Liberty · January 2, 2017 12:47 pm

I wonder if some of it is the director? I feel that Rachel Talalay's Doctor Who episodes have a sort of dreamlike quality.

I kind of agree about the feel, although I don't think it was so obviously dreamlike as TAB.

Last edited by Liberty (January 2, 2017 12:48 pm)

ewige · January 2, 2017 1:12 pm

So I've watched the ep twice yesterday and slept over it now and read all the insightful posts and theories and I think was so so disappointed yesterday because I was confused during the first half. With all the setlock and speculation and picking characters' motivations apart, I think I was just struggling to hop on that speeding train while any casual viewer was having a blast from the get go

My favorite bits are Sherlock with Ella and Sherlock with Molly in the end - because they are just as heartbreaking as HLV which I love to bits.

besleybean · January 2, 2017 1:19 pm

I can but agree with you on the latter, ewige.
But your post does explain why some people don't do setlock and don't want any spoilers.
I did all the setlock and saw all the spoilers, but then I had no real expectations...or if I did, I wasn't disappointed.

ewige · January 2, 2017 1:26 pm

I can't help analysing things and trying to extrapolate when I'm so invested :o And it's fun to do that together. So much so that I can get over my initial WTF feeling

Liberty · January 2, 2017 1:27 pm

I just thought it was fun seeing the setlock bits come up. Sometimes it was so fleeting - something I thought would be a major plot point would just be a little detail. One thing that I got wrong was I thought that if the christening was real, then it was going to be part of the plot, rather than just a bit of comedy. I remember us talking about Mrs Hudson looking heartbroken at the font, and I jokingly said something about maybe Sherlock had made a bad joke or something - actually, I was closer to the truth with my flippant comment!

I did really like the comedy and I felt it was needed. I'm starting to feel in a minority of really, really liking this episode, even though I know some was a bit corny - I'm delighted that it didn't just let things go from HLV, and it dealt with Mary (mostly!) and so on. There were a couple of bits I didn't like so much, but they were minor.

besleybean · January 2, 2017 1:30 pm

Sorry ewige, hope you didn't think I was criticising. I wasn't, I was agreeing with you!
I loved it and didn't find any of it corny...well, maybe a bit of the manic Sherlock.
I guess I wasn't disappointed...for the stated reasons.

Last edited by besleybean (January 2, 2017 1:31 pm)

ewige · January 2, 2017 1:33 pm

I realize more and more that I can work with everything they gave us character-wise (in the end, it is canon no matter how OOC it seems - John! *eyeroll*). I really dislike barely relevant stuff - I hated the torture scenes but then I always do; and I wasn't too fond of the young boy's death (way too sad and creepy imo).

Mothonthemantel · January 2, 2017 1:34 pm

I am starting to think it was supposed to be a bit like a memory , maybe it was Sherlock telling Ella what happened ? But agree at the dreamy feel. They did the time jumping all over thing again too which doesn't help.

Confused John had the idea with the tracker on the memory stick. So John met with Sherlock after Sherlock had the fight and the swim and found the memory stick and planned Sherlock confronting Mary and then went home to babysit....So Mary could run off and meet Sherlock and be passed the tracker via the memory stick....Er

ewige · January 2, 2017 1:34 pm

besleybean wrote:
Sorry ewige, hope you didn't think I was criticising. I wasn't, I was agreeing with you!
I loved it and didn't find any of it corny...well, maybe a bit of the manic Sherlock.
I guess I wasn't disappointed...for the stated reasons.

Nah, I got that and I wasn't defensive
Just trying to figure out how to feel about the new addition to the BBC canon

ewige · January 2, 2017 1:37 pm

Mothonthemantel wrote:
I am starting to think it was supposed to be a bit like a memory , maybe it was Sherlock telling Ella what happened ? But agree at the dreamy feel. They did the time jumping all over thing again too which doesn't help.

Confused John had the idea with the tracker on the memory stick. So John met with Sherlock after Sherlock had the fight and the swim and found the memory stick and planned Sherlock confronting Mary and then went home to babysit....So Mary could run off and meet Sherlock and be passed the tracker via the memory stick....Er

Good points, all of them!
The aquarium in the beginning is also out of place so maybe it brackets Sherlock's tale together with the sun filtering thru the water in the end?
And I also get the feeling that the left-out scenes are just as telling as the ones we've got shown!

besleybean · January 2, 2017 1:38 pm

For me this was by far the most violent episode we've had and no I don't like violence either.
But I guess they felt it was necessary for the story.

Liberty · January 2, 2017 2:15 pm

I get the feeling that the aquarium, etc. at the beginning means that a lot of this is in flashback - the Samarra story is how they got to the aquarium. I remember they jumped about in time a lot in HLV and apparently they thought it was very effective. I tend to agree - it means that we already know the aquarium is significant, for instance.

ewige · January 2, 2017 2:23 pm

Liberty wrote:
I get the feeling that the aquarium, etc. at the beginning means that a lot of this is in flashback - the Samarra story is how they got to the aquarium. I remember they jumped about in time a lot in HLV and apparently they thought it was very effective. I tend to agree - it means that we already know the aquarium is significant, for instance.

It's also a tad suspicious that Vivien told Sherlock the same story like Mycroft. Don't know what to make of it.

Meggie K · January 2, 2017 2:24 pm

Yes, Sherlock was keyed up and manic at the beginning of the episode- just like us, after the long wait to get to see the new episode. Then we,[ and he] settled down and got to the business of being/watching Sherlock. Also, I kept finding myself unconsciously holding my breath during the swimming pool scene. What a travail for the actors to film!

Last edited by Meggie K (January 2, 2017 2:35 pm)

besleybean · January 2, 2017 2:28 pm

I felt like Indiana Jones and the snakes...my greatest fear is water, I kept having to look away!

ewige · January 2, 2017 2:30 pm

Meggie K wrote:
Also, I kept finding myself unconsciously holding my breath during the swimming pool scene. What a travail for the actors to film!

Me too *eek*
I was just thinking - how stupid is Sherlock to stalk the burglar/killer out all alone! Why did he have to do that? It's not like the name of the last owner wasn't known to the police. They also arrived a few minutes later - how come? Sherlock had no time to call for help. Something's fishy there and I don't mean just all the water

besleybean · January 2, 2017 2:31 pm

No I think the police had been called and it did just take them that long to get there!

ewige · January 2, 2017 2:34 pm

besleybean wrote:
No I think the police had been called and it did just take them that long to get there!

But Lestrade got the name of the last owner from Sherlock no less. Why was it possible for Sherlock to go all alone? Even without John (or Mary...) let alone without Lestrade??

besleybean · January 2, 2017 2:36 pm

Didn't want to put anybody else in danger or the police to mess up?

Liberty · January 2, 2017 2:39 pm

ewige wrote:
Liberty wrote:
I get the feeling that the aquarium, etc. at the beginning means that a lot of this is in flashback - the Samarra story is how they got to the aquarium. I remember they jumped about in time a lot in HLV and apparently they thought it was very effective. I tend to agree - it means that we already know the aquarium is significant, for instance.
It's also a tad suspicious that Vivien told Sherlock the same story like Mycroft. Don't know what to make of it.

I kind of think that's more for our benefit (they really rubbed in the story - over and over). But both work in the same field where they're aware of people's deaths catching up with them, and it's a very, very famous story. So I don't think it necessarily means they were in cahoots (although nothing can be ruled out! And we still have to find out why Mycroft is a "reptile"!

Last edited by Liberty (January 2, 2017 2:42 pm)