BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Recent interview extracts posted on Twitter

besleybean · March 16, 2018 5:19 pm

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DYbDcvfXUAEjMR0.jpg:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DYbEKtYWkAAifJE.jpg:large

Last edited by besleybean (March 16, 2018 5:20 pm)

Liberty · March 16, 2018 6:41 pm

It's such a shame that he feels that way. I didn't know it had affected him so much. It reminds me of a comment he made a couple of years ago, though, so I suppose it had been preying on his mind.

besleybean · March 16, 2018 7:57 pm

I agree a shame, but not a total surprise.
Plus, he's not the first in the Sherlock family to speak about the sense of entitlement.
Nor the fetishism of gay relationships actually, which Andrew has also spoken of.

Yitzock · March 16, 2018 10:36 pm

Yeah. It's sad that a group of people's enthusiasm as led to it being not very fun for him, to angering him.
But I have to say that I have definitely seen some people' s posts online as if they felt entitled to have the show go in a way they wanted and thought it might go towards. It's not up to them, and they can imagine the story in their own direction if they want to but it's not their story to tell and you have to recognize that the way it was told was how the creators wanted it to be told.

besleybean · March 17, 2018 7:01 am

Exactly so.

Liberty · March 17, 2018 8:13 am

I get the impression that the main issue was the implication that they are homophobic (which I can understand is hurtful).

besleybean · March 17, 2018 8:39 am

Well yes and ridiculous when half of the main actors are gay...and one of them a producer/writer, too.

besleybean · March 18, 2018 8:04 am

Sorry to reply to my own post.
Any number of these I could have posted, but this is one of them.
I only saw Martin's 'worst' comments on Twitter last night.
But this is is obvioulsy the source of all of this:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/martin-freeman-interview-sherlock-isnt-fun-anymore/

Oh sorry, is that a pay wall?
Anyhow, I'll try another:
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-03-16/sherlock-watson-relationship-benedict-cumberbatch-martin-freeman-shipping-bbc/

Last edited by besleybean (March 18, 2018 8:06 am)

Liberty · March 18, 2018 9:36 am

I had read the Telegraph article: it's free if you don't mind signing up!

besleybean · March 18, 2018 9:49 am

Yeah wasn't sure, didn't bother, though!

Vhanja · March 18, 2018 1:16 pm

It's sad, but completely understandable in my book. The sense of entitlement and aggresion from quite a few fans have been horrible to watch for me as an outsider/fan, it must be much, much worse for someone directly involved with it like Martin.

Some fans, or quite a lot of fans, need to understand that actors and writers are people too. Being professional doesn't mean you don't have feelings. And this goes for more than the Sherlock base, but fandom in general. Fandom can be a great, great thing, but it can also be absolutely horrible. And the Sherlock fandom has had a lot of both things.

We reap what we sow.

besleybean · March 18, 2018 1:59 pm

I fear your last comment says it all.
When I initially saw this posted on Twitter, I actually said to one fan: I hope this isn't Martin's way of telling Mark and Steven that he wants out.

SusiGo · March 18, 2018 2:25 pm

Apart from fan entitlement, harassment on Twitter etc. which I would never defend or excuse: But it is strange how one and the same man said this:

The gayest story in the history of television (at the 2011 Baftas)
and in the very same paper (Telegraph):

It's about the relationship between the two men and how it develops and how it changes," Freeman tells me. "It is about the things that wind each other up and the things that they genuinely love about one another as well. We all certainly saw it as a love story. These two people do love and kind of need each other in a slightly dysfunctional way, but it is a relationship that works. They get results.

And some years later it is:

"Me and Ben, we have literally never, never played a moment like lovers. We ain’t f***ing lovers."

So something must have happened between these statements. Whatever it may be, he expressly said - and included the team as a whole - that there has been such an aspect to the story and the way he and Benedict played it.
What I think, however, is that maybe the ridiculous idea of "Freebatch" as well as a anger on being asked about the show and Benedict in every single interview may have led to such a reaction. Which is understandable.
But I also have to mention that I have never been a fan Martin's so called "snarky" humour and that he has said things about various topics that I found offensive. I often find his tone in interviews subtly aggressive, sometimes even towards Benedict who has never ever said a bad word about Martin as far as I know.
I think his reactions are caused by various reasons, including being fed up with bad reviews for S4, feeling in a way slighted when being asked about Benedict, maybe even dissatisfaction with the direction the show has taken.

Last edited by SusiGo (March 18, 2018 2:27 pm)

Liberty · March 18, 2018 2:28 pm

(Sorry, this was a reply to Besleybean's post above. I didn't see yours, Susi!)

I hope not. I suppose that's one of the difficulties with Sherlock - I'm sure it doesn't pay as well his other work, so he's got to really WANT to do it. I'm a bit worried that he is still affected by it so long after the series aired.

It's frustrating as well, because I imagine the people who were making these accusations are tiny section of the fans (and only a tiny section of the Johnlock people too). And now the idea has been put to rest (or has it?), surely there wouldn't be the same issues with S5?

Last edited by Liberty (March 18, 2018 3:17 pm)

besleybean · March 18, 2018 2:49 pm

Yep and you know what I'm going to say...time will tell.
However @Susi: the gayest story ever told I have always believed was a joke...he is allowed! But he also could have meant the Canon and also that it COULD be played that way. Further, a story of a loving friendship between two men is something none of us have evere denied. That is not Johnlock to me. I see no contradiction between Martin's statements.
What I would recommend about all of the team, is that they are careful what they say, because it may well come back to bite them in the arse! However, I do allow for the first enthusiasm over a new and exciting project and the now jaded, ground down reality...

JP · March 18, 2018 3:39 pm

From what I saw, almost everything can be twisted and used against the makers. Even if they said nothing, someone would interpret it in a way that support their POV.

besleybean · March 18, 2018 4:23 pm

Seems to be the way.

Vhanja · March 18, 2018 5:52 pm

JP wrote:
From what I saw, almost everything can be twisted and used against the makers. Even if they said nothing, someone would interpret it in a way that support their POV.

This is true, I've noticed this myself. You interpret the terrain so that it fits with your map, instead of changing your map to fit with the terrain.

Susi: I see no contradiction either between his statement of love and what he said now recently. Love can be platonic and friendly, it doesn't have to be romantic/sexual. As for his gay comment, I've never seen the context of the statement so I am not sure how he said it or in what connection.

I personally quite like his sass, but that is of course just a matter of taste. But, yeah, I do agree that his feelings as of now may come from many things. Perhaps even his break-up with Amanda, being very recent when they shot S4, could have coloured his experience and feelings towards filming Sherlock. This is highly speculative, but if he was in a bad place when they shot it, I can understand that he won't look back on the filming with a good feeling.

But even if other factors were in play (Amanda, being asked about Ben too much, bad reviews...) we shouldn't take away from his words and what he is feeling towards the fandom pressure.

SusiGo · March 18, 2018 6:05 pm

My point was not so much about the "gayest story" bit but that everyone in the team regarded it as a love story of sorts. This is not said jokingly, he is talking quite seriously about how he and others perceived the story. This is not so much about using things against the makers but about expecting that what they say remains valid.

Liberty · March 18, 2018 6:12 pm

I think this article from 2011 gives the context of the "gayest" comment (although I don't know if it's the original. I just googled it:
http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/sherlock/news/a320978/martin-freeman-sherlock-is-gayest-story-ever/

The context was John talking about not being just a sidekick to Sherlock.

"Obviously it's Sherlock's show but there's far more parity than I think there often is in that relationship. I know [creators] Steven [Moffat] and Mark [Gatiss] primarily wanted the show to be about that relationship as much if not more than anything else."Freeman continued: "[It's about the relationship] and how it develops and how it changes and the things that wind each other up, the things that they genuinely sort of love about each other as well. It's the gayest story in the history of television... People certainly run with that which I'm quite happy with! But we all saw it as a love story. Not just a love story, but those two people who do love each other - a slightly dysfunctional relationship sometimes, but a relationship that works. They get results."

He's quite happy with people "running with it" (i.e. Johnlock), so it's not the shipping he objects to. (I do think "the gayest story" is kind of jokey and upbeat in tone though. It's obviously hyperbole. I don't think it's meant to be a reveal that the characters are gay, and it's separate to the "running with it". I think he's being very genuine about it being a relationship where they love each other.)

But then, here's one of the interviews I was thinking of, from 2015.

I think it's similar to what he's saying now, and consistent with the other things he's said. So I agree with BB, I think, that it's a case of going from enthusiastic and jokey, to jaded and harassed. It's the implication that he/they is/are homophobic that he objects to.

Last edited by Liberty (March 18, 2018 6:25 pm)