BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Dr. Watson's deduction

rlogcabin83 · January 17, 2017 4:05 pm

You see, but you do not perceive.

...or in this case hear but do not perceive.

The more I think about it I love the fact, and believe that it is a very important fact, that John is the one that realizes that Sherrinford is in fact controlled by Eurus and not by the warden David. Mycroft, John and the Warden are in the Warden's office (Mycroft has insisted that it is now HIS office, indicating that he has just sacked the Warden) and they are watching tapes of an interview of Eurus. The close-up is Eurus and the speaker is off-camera shot. Mycroft is blathering about something and John steps out onto the balcony. It might be for fresh air, but there seems to be some purpose to the move. He looks down and it is too far down for anyone to escape. Hundreds of feet, rocks and rough surf. Ergo: Eurus must have had help to have left. In the background you can hear Mycroft and the Warden talking...and the video keeps playing with both voices. You can see the light bulb go off. The voice on the video is the same as the Warden. And both the Warden and Mycroft have stated that anyone that talks to Eurus is brain-washed and controlled. John re-enters and tells Mycroft to shut-up and listen. John's deduction: Who is controlling Sherrinford? The Warden interviewed Eurus so it cannot be the Warden. And it is at that point that the tables turn. The Warden calls the guards and guns. It is not a deduction of Sherlock or Mycroft. They are both still in the dark. It is Dr. John Watson M.D. who deduces the situation.

This is a bit of brilliant writing and plot development all around.

Sherlock is rubbing off onto John. The first indication being in the previous episode where John deduces it is Sherlock's birthday from the ringtone on Sherlock's phone from what he realizes must be Irene Adler.

Liberty · January 17, 2017 4:14 pm

Yes, and in TAB, Sherlock saw John as being more perceptive - maybe a prediction!

Naavy · January 23, 2017 4:50 pm

I wanted to answer in this topic couple days earlier, but I was distracted...

Yes, obviously not only Sherlock was changed by this friendship. In TEH we can see John, trying to look more like Sherlock (coat, scarf), and to behave like him (less emphatic ). Perhaps these external details were just symptoms of more significant change, and deduction can be taught?

I believe, this is another exception from ACD canon, but highly interesting!

Last edited by Naavy (January 23, 2017 6:57 pm)

Schmiezi · January 23, 2017 5:42 pm

Thank you for opening this thread. I always loved that our John is more intelligent than all the other Watsons in literature ans on screen. :-)

Vhanja · January 23, 2017 5:45 pm

Yes, I loved that scene too. John was never meant to be stupid, it's just that he can't compete with Sherlock. I loved that they showed him as the intelligent man he was always meant to be.

ewige · January 23, 2017 5:55 pm

Love it too. Not only he makes the deduction, he immediately check for the escape routes too. *cheers*

besleybean · January 23, 2017 8:00 pm

They grow up so quickly!

Vhanja · January 23, 2017 8:19 pm

Haha, yes, they do!

rlogcabin83 · January 23, 2017 9:52 pm

Naavy wrote:
Yes, obviously not only Sherlock was changed by this friendship. In TEH we can see John, trying to look more like Sherlock (coat, scarf), and to behave like him (less emphatic ). Perhaps these external details were just symptoms of more significant change, and deduction can be taught?

I believe, this is another exception from ACD canon, but highly interesting!

I am not sure that it is so very exceptional from the stories. Can't quote one at the moment, but I seem to recall at least once when the good Doctor had a deductive moment. Must research. Yes, Holmes did poke fun at his abilities in at least one story where he got everything wrong -- The Blue Carbuncle, I think. But, there were others. And Watson in the Jeremy Brett series, (both actors) had a moment I am recalling. (Again, I can't point to a specific. More research.) In the canon and in the Brett series (and others) they complement each other with talents. But the circles many times overlap.

I love the way Martin Freeman plays his character, of course.. He is not cowed by Sherlock in the least. But in this episode he rises to every occasion. He does so naturally, not because he has "made up his mind" to do it. He states unequivocally to Mycroft "We are soldiers." and he says it almost dismissively, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. (He says it to a Mycroft that may be close having a meltdown.) That not only means bravery, it means doing what must be done -- in this case, solving the problem. Dr. John Watson M.D., retired Captain of the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers, has never stopped being a soldier. And in this episode that fact shines out. Sherlock even latches onto it and says it back to him a few moments later. Watson is willing to give up his life and have his best friend shoot him a few moments after that. He sees the logic of what Mycroft says about who should be shot.

Lis · January 23, 2017 10:02 pm

Sherlock has definitely rubbed off on John (no Johnlock pun intended ). He also shows his skills in TLD when "Mary" explains how Sherlock figured out which therapist John would choose as that's John's subconscious making the deduction.

rlogcabin83 · January 23, 2017 10:10 pm

Lis wrote:
He also shows his skills in TLD when "Mary" explains how Sherlock figured out which therapist John would choose as that's John's subconscious making the deduction.

Good catch there. One tends to forget that Mary really is only a figment. John is actually running both sides of the conversation.

besleybean · January 24, 2017 6:30 am

Yes but I personally like to feel it is a fairly accurate representation of Mary herself.
Although equally, how John feels about Mary is important.
Further, I believe Sherlock was seeing and speaking to Mary too, so she is equally important to him.

Lis · January 24, 2017 8:00 am

I'm not quite sure why you're making your point besleybean. I didn't say Mary was any less important to John nor that the image he sees of her is not accurate, simply that whenever he is talking to Mary in the TLD Mary isn't really there so all of her words are really John's and the scene where Mary deduces how Sherlock knew which therapist John would use is therefore John making the clever deduction himself. I understand you like Mary but my post was not an attack on her, I actually quite like Mary too.

besleybean · January 24, 2017 8:02 am

Yes and likewise, I wasn't trying to do John down either.
He's come a long way.

Lis · January 24, 2017 8:20 pm

As you said previously, they grow up so fast

Schmiezi · January 24, 2017 8:24 pm

Another one of John's deductions that I love and that he made just at the right time: Sherlock's birthday. Just see what happened afterwards!

Mothonthemantel · January 24, 2017 8:35 pm

John has always made excellent deductions about the Holmes , from his first blog Sherlock is charming,addictive and he ( John ) is utterly hooked and he (Sherlock ) might be gay to : someone deduced you wouldn't tell the truth unless you were wetting yourself . Ha John !

Last edited by Mothonthemantel (January 24, 2017 8:37 pm)

Naavy · January 24, 2017 9:19 pm

Mothonthemantel wrote:
John has always made excellent deductions about the Holmes , from his first blog Sherlock is charming,addictive and he ( John ) is utterly hooked and he (Sherlock ) might be gay to : someone deduced you wouldn't tell the truth unless you were wetting yourself . Ha John !

It looks, like John became the expert on Holmes'es
We can guess, if the rest of the world is going to be easier ;]

besleybean · January 24, 2017 9:21 pm

I just loved the interaction between 'Faith' and Sherlock.

Naavy · January 27, 2017 5:25 pm

besleybean wrote:
I just loved the interaction between 'Faith' and Sherlock.

She is Holmes too, and it seems, this familiarity could help John to deduce her.

But I don't like the other side of John's transformation: at least initially the same time he became less emphatic, less sensitive to other people's (I mean: Sherlock) needs. I hope, it will change.