BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Why was Sherlock in Minsk?

**Posted by m0r1arty** April 9, 2012 11:51 pm

We can see Barry Berwick approach Sherlock for assistance here on Sherlock's site and according to a comment Sherlock left on John's blog this was on 28th March 2011 (Immediately after 'The Blind Banker' and before 'The Great Game').

Why would Sherlock fly all the way to Belarus (Where he claims he's never been before)?

It could be as simple as he felt he should meet this Be(r)wick in person, however he could have deduced from all manner of things (Not least his sentence syntax) without leaving London - was/is there an ulterior motive for him taking the time to look into this case? It does seem like a shocking waste of his efforts.

What are your thoughts upon this? Worth musing over or just an oddity of Sherlock?

-m0r

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** April 10, 2012 7:17 am

Maybe that's why at the beginning of Scandal he's decided he won't leave the house for anything less than a 6?

**Posted by Davina** April 10, 2012 9:15 pm

The suggestion in the script is that he thought it was going to be a good case but that it turned out to be a simple domestic murder. In the commentary in the DVD it is clear that the whole scene is basically just a joke revolving around him correcting the prisoner''s grammar. As to why Belarus was chosen as a location? Not sure.

**Posted by kazza474** April 11, 2012 2:59 am

He went to Belarus to consult with the accused man due to utter boredom. He obviously hoped for something juicy, which could have happened due to the setting.
Belarus is considered to be governed in a similar way to a dictatorship, regardless of what politics are claimed to be there. Human Rights is a big issue there, so we in Australia could compare it to one of our people being detained on charged in Bali.
The setting in the prison (no lights, extreme cold) set up the scenario of it being a dingy, nasty place to be imprisoned.
And after hearing the prisoner's story & concerns, we see Sherlock being so bored that he in fact sets his mind to being a Grammar Nazi rather than a consultant.
It shows him as being so clinical, cold & unfeeling for this chap's circumstances as well, that all he can do to help is correct his English.
Had this been a case of any worth, the setting would no doubt have been one of the best challenges to date for the budding consulting detective. He would have had to deal not only with proving innocence, but with a dictatorial Government. - Juicy.

At this stage of the stories, he had not shown that level of boredom, hence he had never considered consulting in anyway other than face to face. It was only later that he devised a plan of not putting too much effort into the initial consultations until he knew the case was worth it.

Last edited by kazza474 (April 11, 2012 3:00 am)

**Posted by m0r1arty** April 11, 2012 3:37 am

Well thought out ladies.

I think that (The collective boredom quantification) makes a lot of sense.

Thanks!

-m0r

**Posted by tobeornot221b** April 11, 2012 3:43 am

I think Belarus was chosen to be the location because Belarus is - apart from Mexico - the only state where there is a death penalty by hanging. Otherwise the joke wouldn't work.
btw: In the German dubbed version they changed the hanging bit - quite incorrectly - into "here you will be shot".

**Posted by m0r1arty** April 11, 2012 5:11 pm

tobeornot221b wrote:
In the German dubbed version they changed the hanging bit - quite incorrectly - into "here you will be shot".

It's a punctilious pedants joke, with some of its origins in 'My Fare Lady'. Paintings are hung, people are hanged.

So the whole scene was just to set up that joke?

Most amusing

-m0r

**Posted by Davina** April 11, 2012 7:41 pm

I forgot that the commentary mentioned about it needing to be in a country that still had capital punishment by hanging or the grammatical joke wouldn't work...yep like in My Fair lady Professor Higgins (I mean Moriarty).

**Posted by sherlockskitty** May 20, 2012 3:51 am

Want to know what I think? Sherlock had to go to Belarus because the police there could NOT get a confession out of the prisoner there. I think the prisoner asked for Sherlock, personally. The Belarus police called Lestrade, and Lestrade summoned Sherlock. Sherlock went, and he did the grammar corrections bit, only because he wanted the prisoner to be caught off guard and confess. That worked, right?

**Posted by kazza474** May 20, 2012 5:36 am

I would very much doubt a country like Belarus would ask Scotland Yard for help.
The guy openly said he did it & wanted Sherlock to help him prove it was an accident. Sherlock wouldn't need to play games with someone such as that to ascertain innocence really. He was there to try & help the guy, but soon worked out it wasn't possible.

**Posted by sherlockskitty** May 20, 2012 5:48 am

I suppose then, we'll not find out why sherlock went there. Bored? He came back and told John, "Not worth my time"

**Posted by kazza474** May 20, 2012 5:56 am

Well he was looking for cases, he sussed it out & decided it was worthless.
The scene could have been deleted but it does show his indifference to someone on Death Row. Many would stay & try to fight for a reduced sentence, etc.

**Posted by m0r1arty** May 20, 2012 5:58 am

It is stretched that there was so many police forces involved - however it's still a fine question as to why he'd think Sherlock could get him off.

Certainly not resolved to my mind, at least!

-m0r

**Posted by kazza474** May 20, 2012 6:04 am

Well the guy did say ' they say you are the best" so no doubt someone recommended him probably from reading his blog.

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** May 20, 2012 8:27 am

The case just wasn't interesting enough for Sherlock...as he commented to John later "straight forward domestic murder". His job isn't to help guilty people get reduced sentences, he's a detective not a lawyer..

But anyway, love that scene for his incessant grammar correcting. I'm a bit like that when I'm in an annoying mood. Oh God, I do hate it when people say "learnt" instead of "taught" though, grrr!!

**Posted by tobeornot221b** May 20, 2012 8:47 am

Sherlock Holmes wrote:
Oh God, I do hate it when people say "learnt" instead of "taught" though, grrr!!

Funnily, it's the same in German.
"I taught him" = correctly "Ich lehrte ihn"
but people often go "Ich lernte ihm"

**Posted by kazza474** May 20, 2012 9:13 am

Actually, the grammar correction was Sherlock testing out the guy's ability to keep his anger in check.

**Posted by Davina** May 20, 2012 1:31 pm

The whole scene is there for a joke about grammar. The Moftiss says so.

**Posted by kazza474** August 9, 2012 5:54 am

On the dangers of being in Minsk, Belarus I offer you advice.
Do not take you Teddy Bear there & especially do not let teddy go parachuting.
(Now whilst I don't need it to be pointed out that there is a serious side to all of this, it is however open season with my sense of humour!)....

Belarus withdraws embassy staff from Sweden as row over teddy bear parachute drop escalates

A diplomatic row between Belarus and Sweden over teddy bears escalated today when the eastern European country withdrew its embassy staff from Stockholm.
Belarus also told Sweden to take similar action with its diplomats in Minsk.
It all stems from a stunt by a Swedish PR which parachuted 800 teddy bears into Belarus last month.

Yep, gotta watch those teddy bears, who knows which one is really THIS one!:

**Posted by The Doctor** August 9, 2012 11:20 am

About Sherlock starting paying attention to the grammar because he was bored: I read it differently in so far that Sherlock quickly deduced that the man actually did commit the murder. Thus he had no interest in getting the man of the charges and concentrated on correcting his grammar instead.