BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Which pill was the poisonous one??

**Posted by kazza474** March 20, 2012 6:32 am

42_and_221B wrote:
.......and the fact that he really needs someone around to keep that part of him in check, to make sure he doesn't do stupid and dangerous things like downing a possibly fatal pill.

Correct, I think this introduces us to the idea that Sherlock will grow to need John around as his 'safeguard'. He will become vulnerable when John is not around, something Moriarty picks up on as the shows progress.

He doesn't become incompetent when he is not with John. But there do appear to be 'weak spots' starting to show through when he is 'blogger-less'. As the friendship grows, so too do those 'weak spots'. All that is 'normal' to the average human being. But we are not talking about 'average' here are we?

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** March 20, 2012 9:23 am

Yeah as he becomes to rely on John more so it becomes harder to function fully when they're apart...that happens with any close relationship/friendship I think. Just shows that Sherlock is human after all.

**Posted by 42_and_221B** March 20, 2012 1:20 pm

@kazza474 Yeah, I totally agree. Sherlock obviously isn't stupid, but to be honest, I wonder sometimes how he survived this long haha. I mean, he doesn't hardly eat, he doesn't often sleep, he puts himself into dangerous situations on at least a weekly basis, he performs questionable (safety-wise) experiments in his kitchen... I mean seriously, how has he not died from starvation, sleep deprivation, or simply a bullet to the head? ;P

@Sherlock Holmes Yep, Sherlock is definitely human, though he does seem to think otherwise. XD

**Posted by Smoggy_London_Air** May 27, 2012 3:33 am

I picked the same pill as Sherlock, so if he was wrong I would have died in the same situation. XD

I was definitely reminded of the Princess Bride but I assumed it was something more potent than "Iocaine Powder" because the police recognized it as being something dangerous. Not something you could build up resistance to although that's an interesting thought.

At first I thought that, like Jefferson Hope, the cabbie might be a vigilante killer trying to administer some kind of twisted justice. Turns out he was just an average (commissioned) serial killer. Oh well.

**Posted by kazza474** May 27, 2012 10:09 am

42_and_221B wrote:
@kazza474 Yeah, I totally agree. Sherlock obviously isn't stupid, but to be honest, I wonder sometimes how he survived this long haha. I mean, he doesn't hardly eat, he doesn't often sleep, he puts himself into dangerous situations on at least a weekly basis, he performs questionable (safety-wise) experiments in his kitchen... I mean seriously, how has he not died from starvation, sleep deprivation, or simply a bullet to the head? ;P

@Sherlock Holmes Yep, Sherlock is definitely human, though he does seem to think otherwise. XD

He eats when he needs to, sleeps when he needs to. We are a society of excess in modern times. Way back when man first walked the Earth, they ate when they needed to, slept when they needed to. The premise of eating 3 meals a day ( or more smaller ones etc) is not necessary for all people & depends mainly on what activity they are dong no doubt.
I eat once or twice a day usually. I don't need any more than that. If I did, I would, lol.
Same with sleep.

So really he does what is necessary when it is necessary, a very basic lifestyle. Once again he applies the KISS method to everything. (Keep It Simple Stupid!)

**Posted by sherlockskitty** May 28, 2012 12:59 am

Hmmmm---Sherlock shud NOT have thrown his pill away. I think John was sort of aiming for Sherlock's hand when he shot the cabbie-- the bullet richocheted off the wall and shot the cabbie instead. If sherlock hadn't throw tn the pill away, Molly could have done tests on it.

I like 42 and 221b's assessment that BOTH pills were poisonous---but one was for the anuerysm in Hope's Brain, so-- he KNEW he was taking a good pill. It would have been fatal for Sherlock, tho. I think that is what happened.

**Posted by kazza474** May 28, 2012 3:59 am

John is a crack shot; if he was aiming for Sherlock's hand he would have got it.

**Posted by Smoggy_London_Air** May 28, 2012 4:20 pm

kazza474 wrote:
John is a crack shot; if he was aiming for Sherlock's hand he would have got it.

If I was John, though, I wouldn't have taken the risk of blowing his hand off, particularly if he made some sudden movement.

**Posted by Molly Hooper** May 28, 2012 4:24 pm

Smoggy_London_Air wrote:
kazza474 wrote:
John is a crack shot; if he was aiming for Sherlock's hand he would have got it.
If I was John, though, I wouldn't have taken the risk of blowing his hand off, particularly if he made some sudden movement.

Yeah, that would have slightly tainted their relationship!!

**Posted by Smoggy_London_Air** May 29, 2012 12:13 am

Molly Hooper wrote:
Smoggy_London_Air wrote:
kazza474 wrote:
John is a crack shot; if he was aiming for Sherlock's hand he would have got it.
If I was John, though, I wouldn't have taken the risk of blowing his hand off, particularly if he made some sudden movement.
Yeah, that would have slightly tainted their relationship!!

I can see the conversation.
"John, you know, I enjoy sharing a flat with you."
"Yes?"
"And, well, you did save my life."
"Yes?"
"You're also a very good marksman."
"So?"
"And a good doctor."
"What's your point?"
"Well, you did blow my hand to bits..."

**Posted by veecee** June 25, 2012 7:02 pm

As far as Sherlock taking the pill anyway after the cabbie was shot --
Without watching again, I'm thinkng that the pills may have just gone flying after the shot, so Sherlock wouldn't have known any more which was which. Anyway, part of the "game" was for them both to take the pill, which wouldn't work since the cabbie was already dying.

Last edited by veecee (June 25, 2012 7:02 pm)

**Posted by sherlockskitty** June 25, 2012 8:35 pm

but sherlock threw HIS pill away. He picked it up off the floor, from where he dropped it. and the mean cabbie didn't answer him about it. And--I've seen that ep so many times...there's just something wrong about where John was aiming, when he fired off the shot. Sherlock's back was too the window, and Hope was facing it. the bullet came thru the window, and would have hit Hope in the FRONT. But, the bullet looked like it hit the BACK of hope, then it flew towards sherlock's hand. Anyone else notice this?

**Posted by veecee** June 25, 2012 11:26 pm

sherlockskitty wrote:
but sherlock threw HIS pill away. He picked it up off the floor, from where he dropped it. and the mean cabbie didn't answer him about it. And--I've seen that ep so many times...there's just something wrong about where John was aiming, when he fired off the shot. Sherlock's back was too the window, and Hope was facing it. the bullet came thru the window, and would have hit Hope in the FRONT. But, the bullet looked like it hit the BACK of hope, then it flew towards sherlock's hand. Anyone else notice this?

I'm still on Belgravia this go-round, but I'm going to look when I get there again.

**Posted by kazza474** June 26, 2012 2:22 am

sherlockskitty wrote:
but sherlock threw HIS pill away. He picked it up off the floor, from where he dropped it. and the mean cabbie didn't answer him about it. And--I've seen that ep so many times...there's just something wrong about where John was aiming, when he fired off the shot. Sherlock's back was too the window, and Hope was facing it. the bullet came thru the window, and would have hit Hope in the FRONT. But, the bullet looked like it hit the BACK of hope, then it flew towards sherlock's hand. Anyone else notice this?

The bullet hit Hope in the front of the chest, (towards the shoulder) , travelled through & hit the wall behind him. Sherlock dropped his pill in fright; the bullet didn't go toward's his hand at all.

**Posted by imane nikko** June 26, 2012 3:28 am

sherlockskitty wrote:
Hmmmm---Sherlock shud NOT have thrown his pill away. I think John was sort of aiming for Sherlock's hand when he shot the cabbie-- the bullet richocheted off the wall and shot the cabbie instead. If sherlock hadn't throw tn the pill away, Molly could have done tests on it.

I thought it was really strange when Sherlock threw his pill down too. If he cared so much about being right, why not keep it for testing?

Maybe his immaturity got the better of him, or maybe knowing he'd picked the right pill wasn't as important as making the cabbie admit he'd picked it for the right logical reason.

**Posted by wwjill** October 14, 2012 4:01 am

the cabbie said the bottles were identicle in every way. they both contained poisonous pills. he's lucky not to have taken his pill

**Posted by Mattlocked** October 14, 2012 7:20 am

When did the cabbie say that?

Last edited by Mattlocked (October 14, 2012 7:21 am)

**Posted by tobeornot221b** October 14, 2012 7:46 am

wwjill wrote:
the cabbie said the bottles were identicle in every way. they both contained poisonous pills. he's lucky not to have taken his pill

The cabbie said that the two bottles were identical but that he knew "which was which" pill. Wouldn't be a game if he didn't know, he said...

**Posted by Mattlocked** October 14, 2012 7:59 am

Thanks, that's why I remember, too.
Someone here was earlier questioning the cabbie's advantage in having killed 4 people.
If I remember right it was money from Jim for each victim.

**Posted by tobeornot221b** October 14, 2012 8:08 am

Mattlocked wrote:
Thanks, that's why I remember, too.
Someone here was earlier questioning the cabbie's advantage in having killed 4 people.
If I remember right it was money from Jim for each victim.

Correct. Moriarty was the cabbie's "sponsor". The money he earned by killing total strangers would go to his children. ("Love" as the "much more vicious motivator", Sherlock said.)