BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Richard Brook

**Posted by tobeornot221b** February 19, 2012 3:57 pm

When Sherlock and John meet Richard Brook in Kitty’s flat they are shown some copies with his contact details and a newspaper article with Richard in medical scrubs and a stethoscope.
The headline reads: "Award Winning Actor Joins The Cast of Top Medical Drama"

Top medical drama! Is it just me or does anyone else consider this to be subtle?

**Posted by Davina** February 20, 2012 5:05 pm

Also the reference to being a children's story-teller. Especially when you bear in mind the references throughout the episode to fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel being very obvious, but also the Gingerbread Man who is burnt to a crisp. In that story the Gingerbread Man declares ' run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man. The witches house in Hansel & Gretel was also made of Gingerbread, she also gets burnt to death in the story. He also says that every fairy tale needs a good old-fashioned villain. ( you can interpret that as him referring to himself but perhaps that is also a reference to Sherlock. Recall the final roof-top confrontation when Moriarty refers to how he loves newspapers because they sell fairy tales. Certainly the newspapers have cast Sherlock, by then, in the role of 'a good old-fashioned villain'.

Recall also, in the cab, when Moriarty is driving Sherlock the story that comes on screen is also given a fairy tale working and is done very much in the way that a children's fairy tale would be on television.

Of course we also have the apple scene when Moriarty meets Sherlock in the flat- an allusion perhaps to Snow White?

Some food for thought here everyone.

**Posted by MaggieM** September 25, 2012 3:34 am

I almost don't want to figure it out until Season 3 tells us all; but there is a LOT going on with the duality theme in all the story lines. I just want to add, I felt almost sick during the scene in O'Reilly's apartment. For the first time, Jim Moriarty had NOTHING funny/likable about him, he just seethed evil and it was just a matter of reflex who would snap him in half first. Actually, it was a shock to see Sherlock explode with such rage--I really thought he was going to kill him. Brilliant.

**Posted by veecee** September 26, 2012 12:49 am

Andrew Scott was amazing in that scene -- really like he was a different person. Completely believable as RB, except when we saw him give Sherlock that sly look.

Anyway, yes, the whole fairy tale thing probably deserves more attention. Someone else just came up with quite a bit about it in another thread, but I don't remember where.

**Posted by Sam** October 1, 2012 1:22 am

This is the best theory I've read about Moriarty/Richard Brook. It's long but SO worth it. It makes complete sense to me.

Reichenbach Explanation - Richard Brook was real - Rumpelstiltskin

I knew Sherlock was a step ahead of Moriarty but I couldn't put it all together in my head until this.

What do you guys think??

**Posted by Sherli Bakerst** October 2, 2012 12:15 am

Sam wrote:
This is the best theory I've read about Moriarty/Richard Brook. It's long but SO worth it. It makes complete sense to me.

What do you guys think??

Wow! The way the writer spells it out does make complete sense. She must be right about her boring day job (I read her profile) to have the time to a) think that through so well and b) have the time to write it up.

**Posted by Sam** October 2, 2012 12:25 am

^ Right?? It totally makes sense! She must be, haha

**Posted by NW16XE** October 2, 2012 12:46 am

Occam is weeping, but the name bit does make sense. Nicely put analysis of Moriarty's death wish and his identification with Sherlock.

**Posted by Wholocked** October 2, 2012 2:00 am

Oh that's the most convincing theory so far on the game they're playing. Doesn't actually go into how Sherlock fakes his death (except for the rubber ducky comments) but I love the analysis of Moriarty/Brook. Very clever.

I honestly think some of the theory writers should be writing episodes of Sherlock themselves hahah

**Posted by besleybean** October 6, 2012 7:58 pm

I think some on here will, one day!

**Posted by aWorldlyPhilosopher** October 19, 2012 5:03 am

Sam wrote:
This is the best theory I've read about Moriarty/Richard Brook. It's long but SO worth it. It makes complete sense to me.

Reichenbach Explanation - Richard Brook was real - Rumpelstiltskin

I knew Sherlock was a step ahead of Moriarty but I couldn't put it all together in my head until this.

What do you guys think??

I see three viable options regarding the Jim Moriarty/Richard Brook "chicken or the egg" line of questioning:

1. Moriarty's background was unknown during the "trial of the century," but nobody thought he looked enough like Richard Brook (an "Award Winning Actor" from a top medical drama) to make the connection during the 6+ weeks he is in custody.

2. Kitty Riley (a hungry and desperate journalist) overlooks, ignores, or helps create inaccurate documents that we are shown as part of the "evidence" of Richard Brook so she can publish a front page story.

3. Plot hole.

This "Rumpelstiltskin" theory is a very enjoyable read, but requires many generous assumptions.

**Posted by besleybean** October 19, 2012 6:17 am

I think Moriarty provided the documents and why would anybody be looking to make a connection with Richard Brook?
It all happens very quickly in the end.
I know The Kiss and Tell has already been published, but that's not a criminal offence in itself! Possibly there was no pic of him in the story.
Maybe Richard Brook is being investigated now!
But remember, only Sherlock, John, and Kitty were in the room during' Brook's' exposure...
I think that would be the last of John's concerns.

**Posted by Schmiezi** October 19, 2012 11:00 am

Thank you for posting the link, Sam, it´s very entertaining, whether you decide to be convinced by it or not. "Mycroft Holmes doesn’t blab" - my words exactly.

Plus, I´ve been trying for ages to re-find the link with the screencaps that can be found at the end of the article.

**Posted by besleybean** October 19, 2012 4:08 pm

But there are theories of Mycroft providing/trading the information for some reason...

**Posted by besleybean** October 27, 2012 7:36 am

It's possible, but personally I think she is.
Because tabloid journalists tell fairy tales everyday of their lives.
Sherlock knows this and Moriarty did too, which is why he used Kitty.
It may just be coincidence that Moriarty and Riley are both Irish names.

Last edited by besleybean (October 27, 2012 7:37 am)

**Posted by Davina** October 27, 2012 10:05 am

I would not see the necessity for Kitty to also be a fake. As implied in the post above tabloid journalists are usually falling over themselves at the thought of a 'sexy' story such as this. She would however have been lax if she had not checked her sources, which she clearly has done. Moriarty knows how 'ordinary people' including journalists think so he just has to use her.

**Posted by veecee** October 27, 2012 2:35 pm

Well, she's not a good one, anyway.

**Posted by besleybean** October 27, 2012 2:37 pm

But that's Sherlock's whole point. He tells her in no uncertain terms that she is not an investigative journalist.

Last edited by besleybean (October 27, 2012 2:37 pm)

**Posted by Harriet** October 27, 2012 2:39 pm

veecee wrote:
Well, she's not a good one, anyway.

LOL, cabbies, journalists, who next?

Last edited by Harriet (October 27, 2012 2:41 pm)

**Posted by veecee** October 27, 2012 2:54 pm

Harriet wrote:
veecee wrote:
Well, she's not a good one, anyway.
LOL, cabbies, journalists, who next?