Hello all! Like you and I have been digesting and guessing and waiting anxiously for the return of the series. I've not read all the posts here so this may be discussed elsewhere, but there are a couple of things about this episode I noticed (especially after the fifth watching with closed captioning on).

Mycroft seemed to do almost nothing in this episode to stop what he states as "We both know what's coming John. Mortiarty is obsessed. He's sworn to destroy his only rival." He talks to John and that's it? Really, he practically IS the British government. Seems to me he'd do more to save his brother. Yes, he attempts to protect Sherlock by talking to John on other occasions, but always when it was important enough Mycroft would speak to Sherlock directly. Petty rivalry seems almost too much of a reason this time NOT to speak with Sherlock, at least to me.

I also have a hard time believing that Mycroft would not realize that talking about his brother to his rivalcould be an issue. I just can't see the "ice man" being that easy to manipulate. Would it not have occurred to him when Moriarty's only responses came to details about Sherlock's life (and really, why didhe bring up Sherlock to Moriarty anyway?) that there was a reason for that, to be careful about what he said, or even to discuss this with Sherlock? He seems to be too brilliant a character for such a pedestrian slip up, especially repeatedly. Might he not attempt to use this to his and Sherlock's advantage somehow?

I think that the out of character behavior is the extremely public and boring cases Sherlock takes that grant him all the fame. Suddenly he's posing for pictures and taking gifts? Seems more of a way to draw out Moriarty to me. I think Mycroft is very important to Sherlock's survival of the fall (I won't speculate on how as I have no idea) and the story here. Both Mycroft and Holmes have known this was coming, some type of showdown between Holmes and Moriarty. Moriarty is well known to Mycroft, note Moriarty even texts Mycroft at one point in The Great Game about the jumbo jet. I simply cannot believe there isn't more to Mycroft's involvement in The Reichenbach Fall.

Molly's involved, too, I'm just not sure how. There are many things about her character that could be important; where she works, what her job is, her prior involvement with Jim, etc. She obviously cares for Sherlock and would be willing to do anything for him. 

Just my thoughts... maybe I'm wrong, but I can't wait to find out!