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September 24, 2012 6:10 pm  #121


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

I just posted a thread on this, but after being on these forums an extra 15 seconds, I found this thread and figured this might be more appropriate here.

I can understand why people might think that this was just Moriarty's way to be dramatic.  Sherlock has caused Moriarty to "fall" as a master criminal, getting in the way of several of Moriarty's cases, and thus Moriarty "owes" Sherlock a fall.

I accept that this is quite possible, but let me entertain another idea that involves a little more intricacy.

The theme of fairy tales came up a lot in this episode, repeatedly in fact.  The major story being Hansel and Gretel, which came up several times from the children, the envelopes with bread, the invisible trail left by the kid, etc.  Moriarty said several things relating to fairy tales.  "Every fairy tale needs a villain" for example.  And also, Moriarty wrote that fairy tale for Sherlock in the cab.  The one that drove me crazy was "I love newspapers, fairy tales.  Grim ones at that".  This drove me crazy because of his choice of word "Grim", or to me more likely "Grimm".

Further, it was a Grimms' fairy tales that Sherlock found in the kids room.  What does this have to do with I.O.U.?  If you do a direct translation from letters to numbers, A-1, B-2, C-3... then I.O.U.  = 9, 15, 21.

The very book that Sherlock is holding has a table of contents, exactly like the one found on the Wikipedia page " Grimms' Fairy tales".  The three stories associated with these numbers are: The 12 Brothers, Hansel and Gretel, and Cinderella.  The fact that out of 86 stories, we get a match up to Hansel and Gretel seems TERRIBLY suspect to me.  Having just read Cinderella, I have having trouble making any further connections than I already have, and thus brings us back to "Moriarty owes Sherlock", but this coincidence makes me feel at least a closer look is in order.

 

September 24, 2012 7:23 pm  #122


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

You might also like to look at the head posted here which is about the fairy tales:

http://sherlock.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=101

Last edited by Davina (September 24, 2012 7:24 pm)


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September 24, 2012 8:11 pm  #123


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

Thanks. I feel like I got two puzzle pieces to fit together, but they don't match the rest of the puzzle.

 

September 24, 2012 8:29 pm  #124


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

Some more food for you, Joalro. I think it was posted here quite long ago, but maybe you didn't find it, yet. 

http://eva-christine.tumblr.com/post/27733467733/iou-explanation-53-8-92-grimms-fairy-tales-cipher

Last edited by Mattlocked (September 24, 2012 8:29 pm)


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September 24, 2012 8:46 pm  #125


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

I have actually seen this, but I prefer the direct translation as it is simpler (less steps) and includes Hansel and Gretel, which I feel is required for this line of reasoning to have any merit.

 

October 7, 2012 11:55 am  #126


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

Yes, I mean I just think it's Moriarty messing with Sherlock.
He's warning him of The Fall.
He wants to get Sherlock...


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October 17, 2012 8:29 pm  #127


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

Well allegedly Mycroft sold out his brother, but we'll see...
Interesting...
But I just thought Sherlock was murmuring at this time because matters were coming to a head and he thought he may die soon.


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October 23, 2012 4:04 pm  #128


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

Brake a code with IOU

This is my new IOU explanation.
Please enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HUXwXXyR9w

Last edited by Davina (October 23, 2012 4:15 pm)


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October 23, 2012 6:23 pm  #129


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

You just wanted an excuse to use "hemidemisemiquaver," showoff. Wait! Quavers! Call Molly!

 

October 23, 2012 7:37 pm  #130


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

Are semi quavers Quavers that have been broken in half?


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
 

October 28, 2012 6:53 pm  #131


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

I have always asked myself why Sherlock is interested in Connie Prince's cat. He has seen the scratches on the body and he has already solved the problem with Connie's death. Why did he visit Connie's house? To play photoshooting with John? No. He askes even "Is she Connie's?" And he wants to know the name. Sherlock does not do small talk. The pet thing is an important clue. The cat's name is "Sekhmet". Sekhmet is the egyptian goddess of war. She drinks blood. People believe she could bring death.Sekhmet is a symbol of the fighting spirit. Daughter of the sun god Re. Re defeated her by pouring beer, red paint and certain plants -probably containing belladonna and opium- on the ground in order to stop Sekhmet.Sekhnet drank the not-blood. Then it is said that "her heart was filled with joy" and her rage and slaughter was ended.

The name "Sekhmet" can be read in hieroglyphs and you can find some pictures with three symbols that look exactly like our IOU. It's a symbol for Sherlock to see as a death threatening. Obviously the five pips/cases and even the six episodes are full of clues for Sherlock and us to find them.

 

October 28, 2012 7:42 pm  #132


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

I'm not sure I read that much into it, but then the writers are very clever. I thought Sherlock was just being a complete d*ck (as John described him in TRF) by pretending to go along with John and then blasting his theory. Or did he want to get into the house for a quick look at something? I don't remember if he had been there before, so maybe had to see the assistant/lover to validate his theory.

 

October 28, 2012 9:25 pm  #133


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

The hairless cat is a Sphynx cat so the choice of an Egyptian goddess's name for her is logical. Sekhmet is actually a lioness. A couple of things occur to me about the importance, or otherwise, of this cat: firstly it allows John to come up with his own theory of how Connie died (wrong!) and secondly perhaps her being a Sphynx is important in itself. The Great Game is all about riddles, which continues into the Reichenbach Fall, and perhaps the most famous riddle of all is that of the Sphynx. Later Sherlock says he doesn't like riddles to Moriarty.

The hieroglyph for Sekhmet does not really resemble our IOU, it resembles IOn. She is a warrior goddess but also one of healing.


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
 

October 29, 2012 1:44 am  #134


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

Be wrote:

veecee,
Sherlock said it himself. He had time to go on with "other things". It was about catching Moriarty/Brook. Remember the old woman. No time for playing around and annoying John.

Oh, you may be right. I reallydon't remember the sequence pf events exactly. I do remember that John was mad at Sherlock later when he found out that he had delayed revealing the answer until long after he knew it.

 

October 30, 2012 1:15 pm  #135


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

Be wrote:

I have always asked myself why Sherlock is interested in Connie Prince's cat. He has seen the scratches on the body and he has already solved the problem with Connie's death. Why did he visit Connie's house? To play photoshooting with John? No. He askes even "Is she Connie's?" And he wants to know the name. Sherlock does not do small talk. The pet thing is an important clue. The cat's name is "Sekhmet". Sekhmet is the egyptian goddess of war. She drinks blood. People believe she could bring death.Sekhmet is a symbol of the fighting spirit. Daughter of the sun god Re. Re defeated her by pouring beer, red paint and certain plants -probably containing belladonna and opium- on the ground in order to stop Sekhmet.Sekhnet drank the not-blood. Then it is said that "her heart was filled with joy" and her rage and slaughter was ended.

The name "Sekhmet" can be read in hieroglyphs and you can find some pictures with three symbols that look exactly like our IOU. It is a symbol for Sherlock to see as a death threatening. Obviously the five pips/cases and even the six episodes are full of clues for Sherlock and us to find them.

I am sorry. I want to add something that I found out. It's not cool to quote myself.

I think the sekhmet-clue can also be read as metaphor for our female character who is the cat-woman. Look at her blog. She provides the blood on the pavement. Maybe it is Molly.

 

October 30, 2012 5:11 pm  #136


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

I took it as a given that Molly had supplied the blood.


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http://professorfangirl.tumblr.com/post/105838327464/heres-an-outtake-of-mark-gatiss-on-the
 

December 5, 2012 5:23 am  #137


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

I think we'll just have to wait and see - I don't think a theory has been put forward which isn't conceivable at this point.

We can only see who is closest now.

-m0r


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     Thread Starter
 

December 7, 2012 7:03 pm  #138


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

If we look at it in binary code: 10 U (binary) means 2 U (decimal) and "to you" (written)

We could interpret loads into "to you"...

 

December 7, 2012 8:10 pm  #139


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

The use of vowels in a pattern has been used many times over the centuries to convey messages.
Most English speaking people will have learned one little bit by rote really and this could be the subliminal key we are looking for.

You see Old MacDonald had a farm e i e i o . Now the use of the last two letters of this 'catchphrase' ... the " i o " followed by the extra letter " u " could in fact point to the fact that " u " is part of the Farmer MacDonald's farm, hence inferring that Holmes will in fact be transported to and become a part of the aforementioned farm community.

It stands to reason really.


____________________________________________________________________________________________
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--Mark Gatiss

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December 7, 2012 8:11 pm  #140


Re: IOU and it's potential meaning(s)

Just saw Reichenbach again and noticed that there are two similar quotes:

I Own Secrecy
I Owe You So Much


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