BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Some comments about Sherlock's interactions with Irene and Molly

**Posted by SherlocklivesinOH** January 13, 2014 2:06 am

These are comments I found on Youtube and such with clips of SCAN: do you agree:

After Irene says her infamous "have you on the desk," line - that if John hadn't been there, Sherlock would have taken her up on it (I do think he seems a bit too attracted to her, considering this is supposed to be based on a character who is apparently either asexual or somewhat in love with a male friend) The fact that they both claim to be "playing" with the other HEIGHTENS the tension...like in Harlequinn romances.

Sherlock's saving Irene means he loves her

Irene's smile at the end means she's in love with Shelock, and happy, not just to be alive, but to be saved by her "prince"

Sherlock apologizing to Molly shows he finally knows what love is - because he's in love with Irene.

When Sherlock tells Molly what Moriarty is up to and tells her to avoid relationships for the sake of law and order, it's Sherlock-speak for "Don't date anyone else because I want you for myself."

Now, I'm a Johnlock person...but if I hadn't read canon and had seen only this series, I would probably have thought Sherlock was into Irene, too.

**Posted by nicbooful** January 18, 2014 10:56 pm

I've only ever seen Sherlock being interested in Irene due to the interesting case she poses. He is intrigued by her and he does not like to be beaten. He saves her out of respect for how well she played the game.

Molly is different. There are so many instances now where he looks at her with such emotion. He usually keeps himself in check though and hides it brilliantly which leads me to believe he has something to hide with regards to her.

He never looks at or treats Irene with underlying emotions. He composes a tune which can be taken as him having feelings for her but I see it more as him composing as an outlet to deal with having to grow emotionally during the case anyway and not because he is in love with her.

A very telling scene for me is when he goes to view the body with Mycroft. He shows no emotion when he sees it and even asks Mycroft if he ever thinks 'there's something wrong with us? ' This proves to me that Sherlock is wondering why he can feel nothing towards seeing someone he knows with their face bashed up.

Now Mycroft is very perceptive. He says 'caring is not an advantage' therefore we must presume he believes Sherlock has become emotionally compromised to the extent he calls John about a 'danger night'.

So, if Mycroft has seen something to worry him, what could it be?

If you watch the morgue scene again Sherlock does show emotion when he looks at Molly. It's just after she says everyone else was 'busy with Christmas'. This takes him back to the scene in Baker Street where he has just embarrassed her and he is genuinely upset about it.

Sherlock's emotional side is triggered by John and Molly mainly which means Molly counts.

I've never shipped him with Irene because she has proven she would screw him over to get ahead of the game. Molly will do anything for him and he now knows it.

This has been longer than I intended so I will just say one last thing.

When Sherlock sees Irene in his mind palace he tells her to get out and the moment is gone in an instant. When he is shot the 1st person he sees is Molly and she plays a major part. He defers to her expertise yet they speak as equals. He doesn't tell her to leave like he did with Irene. She seems to be a fixed point in there, just like Mycroft.

Molly matters to Sherlock and always has done.

**Posted by Sherlockismyfix** July 27, 2014 12:45 pm

I think Sherlock has feelings for both women, in different ways. We must be careful not to reduce everything to lust; humans are complicated beings, and Sherlock is a complicated human.

For Irene, he feels fascination. She excites his imagination. He has always been dangerously attracted to challenges; look how he nearly took that pill in ASIP. And the fact that she is able to play with his feelings and manipulate him to decode the email for her demonstrates that she has gotten under his skin.

His feelings for Molly are entirely different, and not at all sexual, I think. He has become fond of her and feels considerable affection for her. She is smart, competent, dependable, loyal and forgiving. He has moments where he recognizes all these things, and also that he really is undeserving of her devotion. He appreciates her and I think loves her like a sister.