BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / IOU; a few theories

**Posted by Eve** May 23, 2013 10:02 pm

So other people have picked up on the religious imagery in The Reichenbach Fall ... angels, hell, holy grail, 'bless you'

Here's a few more ...

'AE' IOU - Adam and Eve who ate the apple in Genesis chapter 3 nicely titled 'The Fall'

The Diogenes Club - Not only do the letters IOU feature (dIOgenes clUb) but also 'genes' -> Genesis. Is Moriarty trying to tell Sherlock that Mycroft was the person who told him all of Sherlock's secrets?

Eve is also described as 'the woman' - could Miss Adler be involved in all this?

Thoughts and theories appreciated!

**Posted by Davina** May 23, 2013 11:17 pm

The Diogenes Club is canon I.e. it is in the original stories. I don't believe this has any direct relevance as to what Moriarty may, or may not, have been telling Sherlock.

The IOU thingy has been picked up specifically a while ago. I'll have a rummage around and see if I can find the specific thread. If I am successful I will post the link here for you.

Certainly there is a connection between the apple and IOU since Moriarty carved this upon the apple he had a nibble from in the flat whilst having a cuppa with Sherlock, following the court case.

**Posted by Mary Me** May 24, 2013 5:02 am

As Davina pointed out, the Diogenes Club is canon and is definitely not important to the IOU thing.

As for Adam und Eve, that's an interesting proposal. I personally don't think Irene Adler is involved (Apple -> Eve -> Irene Adler is too far-fetched imo) but I haven't thought of the bible. Wasn't it an angel who watched the paradise after 'the Fall'?

**Posted by Punch me in the face** May 24, 2013 7:23 am

Same here, I think the theory about the Diogenes is a bit far-fetched too.

But I have never read the Bible, and didn't know about that thing you mentioned. That's very interesting. We've got nearly all the vowels (AEIOU), and Moriarty tells Sherlock "I owe you a fall" (IOU a fall), fall having both a figurative meaning (the fall of Sherlock Holmes, because everyone would think he's a fake: that leads to Sherlock's professional "death") and a proper sense (falling, jumping to death from the building). And Adam & Eve would explain the apple. And if an angel is then involved, it would explain the wings on the graffiti.

Nice

**Posted by Be** May 24, 2013 7:50 am

Sure the apple/paradise theme is strong.
Some random things:

Once "Moriarty" was innocent and he lost his paradise at some time and became the criminal mastermind. The apple with the IOU is not untouched when Moriarty passes it to Sherlock.
Eve gave the untouched apple to Adam. She deliberately provoked his falling from grace.
With the fake Hänsel und Gretel case Moriarty reverses the roles to make Sherlock the criminal.

I think almost everything is already said about the apple metaphor. I am curious to know whether Moriarty or the writer has thought about anything of that. Or are we like Sherlock who wants everything to be clever? And the apple is just a convenient object accidentally at hand to write something threatening?

Last edited by Be (May 24, 2013 8:15 am)

**Posted by Tantalus** May 24, 2013 4:43 pm

Punch me in the face wrote:
...We've got nearly all the vowels (AEIOU)...

But what about "sometimes Y"??

Why does everyone always forget about Y?

Why? Why?

...

**Posted by Davina** May 25, 2013 10:58 am

Wh? Wh?

**Posted by Mary Me** May 25, 2013 11:03 am

But wh do ou think that everbod alwas forgets about that letter?

**Posted by Punch me in the face** May 25, 2013 11:09 am

Tantalus wrote:
Punch me in the face wrote:
...We've got nearly all the vowels (AEIOU)...

But what about "sometimes Y"??

Why does everyone always forget about Y?

Why? Why?

...

If i had forgotten about Y, I wouldn't have said "We've got NEARLY all the vowels"