Wonderful episode. And I love the connection between te birthday DVD and John's blog. 

Thanks, sj4iy 

Commonwealth wrote:

I think Moftiss did know there's no jury system in Germany but wrote it in anyways to get Sherlock in Germany.  Hence the explanation that the "jury was convened under highly unusual circumstances".

That is exactly the explanation Mark gave via Twitter some minutes ago.

I find the Baker Street influence on John's apartment quite amusing 

Also, it was the first time I saw Sherlock and thought: "Wait, he looks so like Benedict!" 

Harriet wrote:

Also, it was the first time I saw Sherlock and thought: "Wait, he looks so like Benedict!"

Sherlock looks like Benedict? Really???  No, to be honest I had the same feeling, he seems to be talking in his own voice, not his Sherlock voice (subtle difference but his Sherlock voice seems have less tones) and his hair is shorter. 

I should really go to bed now, instead of obsessing over the minisode. 

Oh my god... oh my god that was amazing... like someone else said, don't know whether to laugh or cry... *gratefully takes one of the shock blankets*    And overloading my always-visually-imaginative head again with what's been going on in each of their worlds leading up to the return!  Always talked about the others to death and had a general idea, but finding Anderson's side more intriguing now (props to them)  ;)   Like some of us wondered... quit/lost job some time after Sherlock left, either guilt and/or suspicions was unable to let go?  So neat seeing him like that with Lestrade.  And how it tied in to John's blog.  My heart.   

Also, in no particular (happily wound up) order:
(at each little iconic glimpse, knowing him even under a hood)  Sherlock!! 
Awww... John.  Your face.
Hey... waait a minute...  you don't have a moustache!  Does that mean he didn't grow it out for personal reasons during Sherlock's absence, but perhaps after he came back, for a disguise?   
Aww, Sherlock.... so bad yet wonderful at the same time.  (and John knows it)  ;D
omg... was that Sherlock at the door???
And Be - I may be wrong, but I could have sworn hearing about the canon explanation of what he did while away (besides bringing down Moriarty's network), that he traveled around quite a bit, including, yes, Tibet.
And Harriet - ha, yes!  The grin and wink at the end made me think 'Ben' too!
And still love picturing that Sherlock's not just keeping busy, but like canon, is working on making things safe before he comes home ... partly by putting away three gunmen, is what you thought each segment related to?  Neat idea.  Either or (or perhaps connected with) the 'string of terrorist attacks' that was part of the teaser summary for the first ep, that brings him back home to finally finish.   Love it.
Can't wait!

Oh, oh... and almost forgot... couldn't say thanks enough to sj for transcript!  Was hard for me to hear it, as it was!

Last edited by Russell (December 25, 2013 7:40 am)

I don't think the buddhist abbot and the juror were BC at all. Even the silhouette in Delhi was probably his stand-in.

Btw, I've been trawling the net and this is what I found:
- the yellow mask in the box is a nod to the canon story "The Yellow Face",
- the episodes in foreign lands we see are not necessarily "the absolute in-canon truth", but the way Anderson (unreliable narrator) imagines them,
- John's friends don't hate him, but are glaring angrily at Sherlock when John brings him along which Sherlock mistakes at being directed at John (hilarious),
- here is another slightly longer transcript by the excellent Ariane DeVere on LJ, who has done transcripts of all the episodes to date: http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/63401.html

Last edited by kete (December 25, 2013 8:46 am)

miriel68 wrote:

I managed to watch the episode before we set off for family dinner. I enjoyed it very much, it was a perfect Christmas gift for all the fans, but I sort of hope the "true" episode will be different in tone. This one is so much fan teasing and fan winking, which is lovely - when you are engaging fans directly. And as it was observed here already, Sherlock's video is not very Sherlock - like, it is more Benedict - comic con like, both his looks and how he speaks and moves. )
But Lestrade banging his head against the table is fabulous and guilt-stricken Anderson (I guessed that much from the previous teaser trailer) a very good idea.
 

To be fair, Sherlock is out of his element during the video.  He's nervous and not sure what to do.  That's not very "Sherlock", but Sherlock really is not comfortable doing that sort of thing in the first place, so I think it fits the situation.

I saw it today, briiilliaaaant! :D So short, yet powerful enough to make me even more impatient to see the series 3 *bounces up and down on a couch* 
It's exactly one week away from now on!

Sherlock is all bravado and all talk. His arrogance is such a front for his insecurities, and we only get to see through that on very rare occasions. There's a tiny moment where we get to see it when he's making the video. Just before he asks Lestrade to give him a moment. It's perfect.