It wasn't worth the hype. Nothing but a cheap cop-out by the creators. Makes no sense reading into this show anymore, cuz the loose ends are never being tied up while more are being created. The only Final Problem is if Mofftiss will continue making dull cheap crap like Series 3 & 4, or get back to the basics of Series 1 & 2 which made the show AND the actors so successful!

Just wondering, does anyone know if there was another writer from previous seasons who did not return this season or last? This dramatic turn in the series could possibly be explained by that, if true. Or has it always just been Gatiss and Moffatt writing? 

The continuity/set flubs are perhaps the most baffling, for me. We know Arwel is meticulous. There's always tons of little easter eggs and realistic details other shows rarely bother with hidden in every episode.

Then we get s4, with John writing on his jpeg blog about changing nappies of a baby that hadn't even been born yet.

The brown... no wait, blue... no, now it's grey... now it's bright neon glowing... pure black Skull portrait.

The Dynamics of Cumbustion --> "The Thyroid Gland"

John's house's magically teleporting front door. (This was a set. They built the house from scratch. How on earth does an error like this even happen?)

And so much else. Just... I still see EMP, as clear as day in all these problems. And it fits so well, I'm truly finding it difficult to believe they were all just unintended mistakes. It just doesn't make sense. Where did the clever Sherlock crew go? Were they all replaced by pod people?

OK last one tonight, I promise. During the well scene, apparently there was a decomposing child in the well at one point and I couldn't stop but think 'well damn, the Holmes family must have been wondering why the water tasted so foul for a while there." 

This is just me trying to understand why I didn't enjoy this episode as much as I hoped. I'm posting here, because I think it might offend some as "negativity" (which, in my case, is just sadness and disappointment).

I keep thinking maybe the episode works better in a cinema. It wasn't quite TV format, for me.

I didn't like the "feeling" of the episode, the atmosphere, so to say. It felt strange to me. I was for a very long time convinced that the whole thing is just a dream. I was surprised when it never stopped.

I cannot wrap my head around the drama, isolated island, superpower sister, trap-house. It's surreal, to me. I had difficulties to see the characters. In my maybe naive world, Sherlock Holmes was a man living in a flat in London, solving crimes. Sometimes big crimes, sometimes he needed to be a fighter. But I never got this Bond-feeling from the stories.

I was amazed about the reveal in TLD, I really liked that. I thought it was a clever way to introduce a sister. But then... I don't know. I expected something else. So maybe it was just my expectations that let me down. I wouldn't have minded her being locked away, her being unstable, any of that. But her having such powers, effectively ruling in a house on her own island? Very over the top for me.

Also, I didn't fancy seeing Moriarty again.

Also, for a season finale, I missed so many characters. I would have loved to see more of Molly. Or Mrs. Hudson. Or Lestrade.

And also, I missed 221b. I never missed it in Hounds of Baskerville, because that still felt like a trip to the countryside and back. But this, this wasn't a case. It really wasn't, for me. And I am not sure I want Sherlock without a case. It was more like a family-resolve.
Actually, I can say that, as a special, I would have liked this. As a stand-alone. An extra. It would still be over the top, but I wouldn't have minded so much. But there was so much still to resolve, plot-wise. And it got all thrown in on top of this escape game, and it fell flat, in my opinion.

Also, I couldn't relate to Sherlock sometimes. In some scenes, I could recognize him very well, these were the best scenes for me. In others, I found it hard to relate. Maybe because my mind was still with John and Sherlock in 221b, having had a reunion of sorts. And then this story started somewhere else, and for the first half of the episode, I kept waiting for answers, some explanation, but there was nothing. So each interaction between Sherlock and John made me wonder, what is going on, which place are they in? It felt so matter-of-fact, when before, there was so much emotion. I mean, yes, there was emotion in this episode, but for me, it stayed on-screen and didn't reach me, with some smaller exceptions.

I am not sure what was the point of Eurus, on the whole scale. I think Sherlock made a great development that, even without this episode, would have been convincing (e.g. him hugging John, him inviting Molly along for a case, him acknowledging Greg, him defending Mrs. Hudson, ... it all showed me how human he is, how much he cares when he lets himself). When Greg says in the end "he is a good man", I didn't think it needed to be stated.

And God, I missed all that colourful, thoughtful stuff. Maybe that's really my own problem... I got depressed watching these rooms! I wonder if people who liked this are people who like these kind of stories. But then, I liked THOB, and that is dark, too. A different dark, but still. Funnily, I wasn't spooked or anything. I just got this bored horror-movie-feeling, where I usually go to the loo quite often because I just cannot relate. I wonder if that is maybe it. Maybe others can relate a lot better because they enjoy the genre more.

Okay, sorry for this. For the record, I liked bits and pieces. Not all bad. But mew. The story didn't work for me.

Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the glimpses of little pirate Sherlock. Actually, I liked pretty much most things that didn't happen in this spooky island prison. Okay, not the Mary Miss you DVD (where did they find this?). But I enjoyed the plane story, and the childhood flashbacks, and parts of the ending.

Rant over. I feel bad for not enjoying this. Especially as I realise that it is made by people I adore for the beautiful series they have done so far. Somehow, it feels like it is my fault for not liking this as much as I should.

I don't think I will stick around much in the forum now. I lost my appetite, for now. I am a bit heartbroken. Think I will rewatch TLD, which I enjoyed, and take a break.
 

Whisky wrote:

This is just me trying to understand why I didn't enjoy this episode as much as I hoped. I'm posting here, because I think it might offend some as "negativity" (which, in my case, is just sadness and disappointment).

I keep thinking maybe the episode works better in a cinema. It wasn't quite TV format, for me.

I didn't like the "feeling" of the episode, the atmosphere, so to say. It felt strange to me. I was for a very long time convinced that the whole thing is just a dream. I was surprised when it never stopped.

I cannot wrap my head around the drama, isolated island, superpower sister, trap-house. It's surreal, to me. I had difficulties to see the characters. In my maybe naive world, Sherlock Holmes was a man living in a flat in London, solving crimes. Sometimes big crimes, sometimes he needed to be a fighter. But I never got this Bond-feeling from the stories.

I was amazed about the reveal in TLD, I really liked that. I thought it was a clever way to introduce a sister. But then... I don't know. I expected something else. So maybe it was just my expectations that let me down. I wouldn't have minded her being locked away, her being unstable, any of that. But her having such powers, effectively ruling in a house on her own island? Very over the top for me.

Also, I didn't fancy seeing Moriarty again.

Also, for a season finale, I missed so many characters. I would have loved to see more of Molly. Or Mrs. Hudson. Or Lestrade.

And also, I missed 221b. I never missed it in Hounds of Baskerville, because that still felt like a trip to the countryside and back. But this, this wasn't a case. It really wasn't, for me. And I am not sure I want Sherlock without a case. It was more like a family-resolve.
Actually, I can say that, as a special, I would have liked this. As a stand-alone. An extra. It would still be over the top, but I wouldn't have minded so much. But there was so much still to resolve, plot-wise. And it got all thrown in on top of this escape game, and it fell flat, in my opinion.

Also, I couldn't relate to Sherlock sometimes. In some scenes, I could recognize him very well, these were the best scenes for me. In others, I found it hard to relate. Maybe because my mind was still with John and Sherlock in 221b, having had a reunion of sorts. And then this story started somewhere else, and for the first half of the episode, I kept waiting for answers, some explanation, but there was nothing. So each interaction between Sherlock and John made me wonder, what is going on, which place are they in? It felt so matter-of-fact, when before, there was so much emotion. I mean, yes, there was emotion in this episode, but for me, it stayed on-screen and didn't reach me, with some smaller exceptions.

I am not sure what was the point of Eurus, on the whole scale. I think Sherlock made a great development that, even without this episode, would have been convincing (e.g. him hugging John, him inviting Molly along for a case, him acknowledging Greg, him defending Mrs. Hudson, ... it all showed me how human he is, how much he cares when he lets himself). When Greg says in the end "he is a good man", I didn't think it needed to be stated.

And God, I missed all that colourful, thoughtful stuff. Maybe that's really my own problem... I got depressed watching these rooms! I wonder if people who liked this are people who like these kind of stories. But then, I liked THOB, and that is dark, too. A different dark, but still. Funnily, I wasn't spooked or anything. I just got this bored horror-movie-feeling, where I usually go to the loo quite often because I just cannot relate. I wonder if that is maybe it. Maybe others can relate a lot better because they enjoy the genre more.

Okay, sorry for this. For the record, I liked bits and pieces. Not all bad. But mew. The story didn't work for me.

Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the glimpses of little pirate Sherlock. Actually, I liked pretty much most things that didn't happen in this spooky island prison. Okay, not the Mary Miss you DVD (where did they find this?). But I enjoyed the plane story, and the childhood flashbacks, and parts of the ending.

Rant over. I feel bad for not enjoying this. Especially as I realise that it is made by people I adore for the beautiful series they have done so far. Somehow, it feels like it is my fault for not liking this as much as I should.

I don't think I will stick around much in the forum now. I lost my appetite, for now. I am a bit heartbroken. Think I will rewatch TLD, which I enjoyed, and take a break.
 

Whisky, your post makes me sad. Especially because I find so many points that affects me the same way.  

Awww, Whiskey, your posts are some of my favourites. 

It's not your fault at all that you didn't like it. It probably won't make much sense trying to understand why you don't like it as it is probably intuitive;  BBC's former controller of drama comissioning, Ben Stephenson (from 2008-2015) left after filming TAB for another job, and at the time I wondered if his departure would leave a mark on the show. I am not familiar with how the writing worked with Sherlock, but Stephenson is known for his ability to take massive risks and push the envelope. I am speculating, based on chatter at work this past week that he had a huge impact on'Sherlock's overall direction. Way, way more than anyone on the present BBC team will let on. 

Thanks for your kind answers
The "feeling bad" is mainly for the point that Swanpride makes: I assume the writers did their very best. And if somebody does their very best, I feel sorry if I don't like it. But I agree with you, Swanpride, that sometimes less is more indeed. But they pulled it off in HLV, which also felt big and dark, but it kept the balance. If I expected anyone to pull it off again, it would be them. For me, they never needed to "up the stakes". They had me from the very first episode. They could have made more and more of that. I wouldn't have run anywhere.

I wonder. I keep wondering. It was the fans who connected to this show, who loved it to such bits and pieces that the writers and actors where overwhelmed. I wonder what a show it would have been if we as fans hadn't been what we have been. I mean, the great thing about this show was not only the series itself, but the fandom. Maybe the simple reason they didn't want to "take back a little" was us.

I agree that Sherlock and John solving cases is the natural set-up that will always work best. But, I have to admit, Mycroft is such a great character, that I really don't mind any screen time he gets. Same for Molly, Mrs. Hudson and all the others. It is hard to please everyone. I hope the writers also see that the episode gets a lot of love from some.

I wonder, is there an objective way to judge this show?

 

gently69 wrote:

Whisky wrote:

I wonder, is there an objective way to judge this show?
 

If you are not emotionally connected there certainly is.
Our problem... loving that show with all of our heart.
 

Quite so. Or, in other immortal words: "Always."