BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » John's reaction to Sherlock's deduction

Sherlock Holmes · April 28, 2012 7:20 am

A part that always makes me laugh is when they're in the museum and Sherlock works out why the painting's a fake with seconds to spare, there's this moment where John just stands there for ages looking at the painting being amazed at Sherlock and making these little noises, it's hilarious!

But how did Sherlock manage to work it out anyway with his limited knowledge of the solar system? I know he checked it on his phone but he must have had some sort of idea in order to utilise a phone search. What d'you think?

Irene Adler · April 28, 2012 8:19 am

I think he heard something about supernovas while fighting with the Golem, and that made him look for that in his phone

kazza474 · April 28, 2012 8:28 am

He knew what year the painting was painted and he heard the commentary say that the Supernova was discovered at a later date than that. He just needed to recall all that he had heard. No doubt he went to his 'astronomy' file in his mind.

Sherlock Holmes · April 28, 2012 8:43 am

It's lucky they arrived at the planetarium when that part of the commentary was playing then!

Irene Adler · April 28, 2012 8:50 am

Yes, pretty lucky. But the tape was casually going onwards and backwards all the time (I think Prof. Cairns' falling in the hands of the Golem had something to do with that)

kazza474 · April 28, 2012 8:52 am

Luck has no part in it.
Sherlock always knows where to be and when!

sherlockskitty · May 20, 2012 3:33 am

Love that photo of Mycroft here in this thread!! Sherlock heard something about supernovas...we all did....then he checked his phone....and It still amazes me that he named the CORRECT supernova, because the tape in the planetarium didn't say which supernova had exploded. But, he's smart, and he DID deduce why the painting was fake. Brilliant!!

Last edited by sherlockskitty (May 20, 2012 3:34 am)

kazza474 · May 20, 2012 9:47 am

sherlockskitty wrote:
.....................But, he's smart, and he DID deduce why the painting was fake. Brilliant!!

Do you know you do that out loud?

Irene Adler · May 20, 2012 10:02 am

sherlockskitty wrote:
Love that photo of Mycroft here in this thread!!

You mean my signature? I love Mycroft so much...

sherlockskitty · May 22, 2012 7:03 am

kazza474 wrote:
sherlockskitty wrote:
.....................But, he's smart, and he DID deduce why the painting was fake. Brilliant!!
Do you know you do that out loud?

Oh, sorry, I'll shut up now. LOL

Davina · May 22, 2012 11:07 am

No, no. Carry on. It's fine.

sherlockskitty · May 23, 2012 7:20 pm

hee hee hee!!!

besleybean · October 5, 2012 7:54 pm

Er but Moriarty knew Sherlock would have heard the clue in the tape.

Sherlock Holmes · November 20, 2012 10:07 pm

Yes...and Sherlock probably knew that Moriarty would have dropped them a hint or a clue at some point, and that he just had to work out what it was. When he studied the painting and noticed the supernova, it probably jogged his memory back to the planetarium where the word "supernova" was mentioned and I think a date was mentioned too. Then maybe he put "supernova" and that date into his phone and came up with the Van Buren one and realised the dates didn't work out.

KeepersPrice · November 20, 2012 11:47 pm

Luckily for the captive little boy, Sherlock's smartphone or Blackberry (or whatever it was) worked at lightening speed in this scene and he had the answer in about 1 second. If it were my phone, that poor kid would be dead a hundred times over - and I'd still be waiting for it to connect!

besleybean · November 21, 2012 7:11 am

This is of course discussed on the commentary. Benedict even suggests that lack of phone signal could be a plot aspect in HOUND, but I see Mark completely disregarded this!

hypergreenfrog · November 21, 2012 8:22 am

Phones on TV are always a little SOR... we had a similar discussion regarding the camera phones used in SCANDAL, and of course the same is true for the museum scene.
I don't know what it is like in London, but in Vienna most galleries and museums are old buildings with strong walls and rooms facing inwards, so the phone signal reception would be quite weak.

But then again, right from the start of S1, mobile phones feature heavily (probably even more than necessary) to drive home the idea of "modern Sherlock Holmes" using modern technology.The phones are basically a symbol of 21st century life.
It is therefore a given that all phones work perfectly all the time.

Davina · November 21, 2012 8:37 am

Unless the plot requires them, suddenly, to not work or not have signal. You know, at the time when it will cause the most problems...

hypergreenfrog · November 21, 2012 10:33 am

Davina wrote:
Unless the plot requires them, suddenly, to not work or not have signal. You know, at the time when it will cause the most problems...

True! Such a modern TV/film classic... a character is completely alone and in urgent need of help, when suddenly their phone stops working

Davina · November 21, 2012 10:30 pm

There is a wonderful circularity to The Great Game puzzles, starting with Carl Powers' trainers and finishing with the child with the bomb vest. Just in case Sherlock thought that anyone might be sacrosanct, clearly no-one is. For Moriarty anyone is fair game.