BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / True reason why he didn't tell John???

**Posted by Punch me in the face** January 4, 2014 9:27 pm

Ok, this may sound a stupid question, but I'm still not sure I understand why Sherlock didn't tell John he was alive...

Because I'm not buying this:

"I worried that, you know, you might say something indiscreet. Well, you know, let the cat out of the bag."

If there was one person he really trusted, it was John. John had proved in the past that he could be trusted and secret is part of his profession too, he's used to it.

He's surely less discreet that Molly (btw, that girl doesn't seem like the kind of girls who can lie easily. She's so kind and honest she must rather be the kind to be spotted within seconds when she is lying. I have no difficulty imagining her keeping a secret, but I certainly have imagining her telling lies... I could imagine her stammering, getting red and all while trying to lie... Well...), still it's not like he was going to write on his blog "Hey! You know what? Sherlock is alive!".

And to be honest, even if I understand why Sherlock's parents had to know, they seem to be more the type of people who would "let the cat out of the bag", probably not delibarately but still. And I'm not talking about the "25 (tramps) at most" who knew, and probably a lot of Mycroft's men too.

I understand that it was far too risky for Sherlock to go back to Baker Street to tell John he was alive, but seriously, with Mycroft as a brother, there were plenty ways to let John know he was alive without going noticed.

So what's the real reason?

Was Sherlock afraid that Moriarty's men (who probably kept an eye on John "just in case") realise that John wasn't mourning anymore and find that suspect?

Did he realise he cared a lot about John (and "caring is not an advantage", huh, Mycroft? ) and that John believing him dead would make things easier for him to spend time away to dismantle Moriarty's network?

........ ???

And if I'm right and that trust wasn't the real issue, why Sherlock doesn't give John the true reason of his silence?

What are your thoughts?

**Posted by NotYourHousekeeperDear** January 4, 2014 9:31 pm

I've been wondering the same. I thought it was that John's grief needed to be believable for Moriaty's men to back off, but why didn't he just tell John that?

**Posted by tobeornot221b** January 4, 2014 9:36 pm

Here's what ACD wrote:
"I had only one confidant -- my brother Mycroft. I owe you many apologies, my dear Watson, but it was all-important that it should be thought I was dead, and it is quite certain that you would not have written so convincing an account of my unhappy end had you not yourself thought that it was true. Several times during the last three years I have taken up my pen to write to you, but always I feared lest your affectionate regard for me should tempt you to some indiscretion which would betray my secret."

**Posted by RavenMorganLeigh** January 4, 2014 9:56 pm

tobeornot221b wrote:
Here's what ACD wrote:
"I had only one confidant -- my brother Mycroft. I owe you many apologies, my dear Watson, but it was all-important that it should be thought I was dead, and it is quite certain that you would not have written so convincing an account of my unhappy end had you not yourself thought that it was true. Several times during the last three years I have taken up my pen to write to you, but always I feared lest your affectionate regard for me should tempt you to some indiscretion which would betray my secret."

Makes a lot of sense. And , yes-- I think John would have tried to follow Sherlock-- Not Good.

**Posted by Mary Me** January 4, 2014 10:07 pm

Yeah, well, don't forget that Sherlock and Mycroft are both sociopaths - making John believe Sherlock is dead was the easiest way for them. I'm a bit angry at Mycroft because now we know that Sherlock didn't jump to stop the snipers because it's obvious now that they weren't a real danger. It was all just for John. Making him believe that Sherlock was dead. Maybe it's likely that after the reunion Sherlock saw how hurtful that would have sounded to John and kept quiet. Okay, that's lame but I really have no idea.

**Posted by besleybean** January 4, 2014 10:12 pm

I just think it is the practical answer: the fewer people who know, the less likely the chance the cat will be let out the bag.
Also and I know I sound like a broken record: John just happened to be there!
Having said that..Moriarty couldn't guarantee that John would be there...
Unless: he did arrange the call about Mrs Hudson and knew then how long it woul take John to find out the truth and also then knew that John would go straight back to Sherlock...

Last edited by besleybean (January 4, 2014 10:13 pm)

**Posted by Biggles86** January 5, 2014 11:17 am

I just think that John would not have been so convincing if he knew that Sherlock was alive and as his greatest friend Moriarty's men would look to his reactions first. If they were not convinced that John knew Sherlock was dead maybe john would be in danger.

besleybean - I think it was definitely planned that John would be there but this was Sherlock's plan - his death witnessed by the one person who everyone would believe.

ahhh I love Sherlock!!!

**Posted by Sanaz** January 5, 2014 12:04 pm

I think it's odd for Moriarty's network to use John's grief as a proof of Sherlock's death. John's reactions were important in canon but not in modern-day version of Sherlock, because they could've used many other method like DNA testing instead of watching John for any sign of fake sadness.

**Posted by tonnaree** January 5, 2014 12:12 pm

He did it to protect John. Full stop. No matter how they did it, if Moriarty's people discovered Sherlock was not dead they would kill John.

Sherlock just doesn't have the courage to tell John that yet.

**Posted by Sanaz** January 5, 2014 12:21 pm

tonnaree wrote:
He did it to protect John. Full stop. No matter how they did it, if Moriarty's people discovered Sherlock was not dead they would kill John.
.

Would they do that even after Moriarty's death? They could do it out of loyalty but he didn't seem a very loyalty inspiring person to me.

**Posted by RavenMorganLeigh** January 5, 2014 11:04 pm

In the Reichenbach Fall, you don't see the snipers put away their weapons (trained on John, Mrs. Hudson, and Lestrade) untill after Sherlock is "dead". So, yes-- to protect his freinds.

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** January 6, 2014 12:11 am

It's the same reason he uses in the canon so I'm happy to accept it...

**Posted by Davina** January 6, 2014 11:13 pm

He didn't tell John because in canon he does not tell John nor does he contact him during his years away.

**Posted by zeratul** January 10, 2014 8:25 pm

Hmm... I don't remember the Reichenbach episode fully, I only saw it on German TV and as I preordered 1-3 on blu-ray I cannot watch it at the moment, so I was wondering, how would Sherlock know, that: there would be snipers and that Moriaty would force him to jump off that roof?

And finally: I think Sherlock told John, because he says: "It's a trick, just a magic trick", but he does not get it...

**Posted by lil** January 10, 2014 8:37 pm

In the solution SH told Anderson the snipers were taken out by Mycrofts men before SH jumped tho .
The reasons work in canon , but don't in this vers. Afterall 1 homlesss person blab on the internet the cats out anyway.
Seems like canon for Canon's sake (-:

Last edited by lil (January 10, 2014 8:42 pm)

**Posted by SherlocklivesinOH** January 20, 2014 4:52 am

Mary Me wrote:
Yeah, well, don't forget that Sherlock and Mycroft are both sociopaths - making John believe Sherlock is dead was the easiest way for them. I'm a bit angry at Mycroft because now we know that Sherlock didn't jump to stop the snipers because it's obvious now that they weren't a real danger. It was all just for John. Making him believe that Sherlock was dead. Maybe it's likely that after the reunion Sherlock saw how hurtful that would have sounded to John and kept quiet. Okay, that's lame but I really have no idea.

Wait...did I miss that? (Everything happens so fast.) I did see Mycroft calling off the snipers...so Sherlock really wasn't saving John's life with his faked suicide?

Back to "telling or not telling,": I have often felt, even with canon, that Sherlock had another ulterior motive for faking his death: showing those who didn't like him (especially those law enforcement) that they needed him, at least to solove crimes. ("See how you like it when you don't have me to turn to when you're out of your depth!")

Last edited by SherlocklivesinOH (January 20, 2014 5:38 pm)