I don't think there's any sexual connotations (not unless you wanna right a fan fic about it), it's more just that Sherlock is saying he can be just as ruthless (and violent) as Moriarty...he's on the side of the angels but he's not one of them, he's prepared to do things that other people aren't...

Agreed, the "sexy, dear, darling" words are just affected speech, terms
of ironic, flirty, creepy endearment.


> But then how can he convey that (that he can be just as ruthless as Moriarty...) in just one look / hand-shake?


It's a really well acted scene.  With just one look
and hand-shake,   Sherlock becomes just as resolved as Moriarty
in his single-minded intention.  In this case,  now knowing
how he will end this game,  he plans to be as ruthless as Moriarty
when it come to the disregard of his friends' feelings.
He realizes he's about to hurt them, although he may not
know just how badly.   He is on the side of the angels (he
wants to save his friends)  but it is a cruel act he's about
to pull off,  one that will hurt those he cares for, for a few years.

Of course, he's still thrown off-guard when Moriaty dies unexpectedly,
so we're not sure if he's still sure how he will proceed... but he does follow through in the end.

That whole conversation was about convincing Moriarty that Sherlock can also be ruthless. It's not about Sherlock's suicide or about his friends; it's about Moriarty calling off the assassins, and Sherlock being able to make him do so. Only when Moriarty kills himself does Sherlock truly have no option but to go through with the supposed suicide.

Hi meghana (and anyone else who's interested)

I have written my own take on what I think happens on the rooftop on my website. It's too long to re-type and it wouldn't let me copy it here (because my blog has white letters on black background!)

Anyway, if you're interested, you can take a peek here: http://shenanigans1895.livejournal.com/2607.html

Yeah, not everything has to have a complicated solution. At least...that's what Jim Moriarty told me.

Let's remember:
Moriarty is not actually gay. He changes his persona constantly, like a chameleon. This is done to unnerve his rivals. Everything is a huge game to him and his game against Sherlock is the ultimate game with the ultimate ending.
Sherlock was telling Moriarty that no matter how far Moriarty will go to try & win, Sherlock will go just as far. This was a dare from Sherlock to make Moriarty go as far as he wanted to try & win the game.
So he did.
OOPS!

I think that much of this scene owes a debt to ACD's original story The F inal Problem (see this week's story to read). In this Moriarty says to Sherlock  Holmes, ' I tall you that you will never beat me. If you are clever enough to bring destruction upon me, rest assured that I shall do as much to you.'
To which Sherlock Holmes replies, ' you have paid me several compliments Mr. Moriarty...Let me pay you one in return when I say that if I were assured of the former eventuality I would, in the interests of the public, cheerfully accept the latter.'
Sherlock also asserts that in the thousand cases he has undertaken he has never been working for the wrong side.
Later in the story he leaves a letter for John Watson in which he says not only that his career was reaching a crisis ( another interesting parallel here) but also ' I am please to think that I shall be able to free society from any further effects of his presence, though I fear it is at a cost which will give pain to my friends , and, especially to you, my dear Watson to you.'

Since Moftiss are very great fans of the original Sherlock Holmes stories I am convinced that they would try to keep to the original spirit of the story, particularly in this denouement.

Ahh it's nice to see people reading up on their canon's!!


Remember, keep reading them all, it's a good feeling when you see the new shows and think " hey, I know that bit !"