BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / The not-so-empty house

**Posted by SusiGo** August 22, 2014 7:38 am

(First a disclaimer - I did not find this myself but read it, checked it, and made some screenshots.)

In HLV Sherlock tells us about Leinster Gardens:
"Only the very front section of the house remains. It’s just a façade."
Not quite. Because have a look at this shot taken from John's perspective. There is the narrow hallway but what do we see to the left? Laboratory apparatus, maybe even a microscope. So this seems to be more than just a hiding place. We are shown this corner more than once.

(And an interesting afterthought about this place in general - once again the geeks, the conspiracy theorists were right - like they always are in Sherlock.)

Last edited by SusiGo (August 22, 2014 2:27 pm)

**Posted by Liberty** August 22, 2014 7:54 am

Oh, that's really interesting. I didn't notice that. Thank you! What do you think it means?

I did wonder about the place having electricity if it was just a facade (somebody is paying those bills, unless it's stolen from next door). One thing that puzzled me was where exactly Sherlock was during the conversation, because it had to be somewhere that Mary couldn't hear his voice (except through the phone) and locate him.

**Posted by SusiGo** August 22, 2014 8:01 am

I am not sure. Does he have a second lab? The funny thing is I always thought that his hiding places were just a canon reference because they are never mentioned before HLV. But this here looks as if he has been doing scientific work in here. And it is a place only Anderson and his network know about, not even Mycroft.

One would have to try and draw up a floor plan. Because from above there only seems to be facade but from the inside there is at least the hallway and some rooms or niches where the lab equipment is placed and Sherlock hides before revealing his trick.

**Posted by SolarSystem** August 22, 2014 8:08 am

I would think that he was standing outside when he was talking to Mary on the phone. Maybe he also started the projector to project Mary's picture onto the front of the building from outside.

It's funny you should mention that little corner on the left, Susi. I never saw it up until last weekend when I watched HLV again. But it seems I saw it and forgot about it right away. But it really seems he's been there more than once.

Last edited by SolarSystem (August 22, 2014 8:09 am)

**Posted by gently69** August 22, 2014 8:13 am

They are also talking about a "bolt hole" in the script. Which includes more to me than just a facade. I can imagine that Sherlock really uses it if he doesn't want ANYBODY to know about his work.

**Posted by SusiGo** August 22, 2014 8:16 am

Maybe there was part of the house left or he built something for himself. I really like the idea of him having a place that even escaped Mycroft's monitoring.

**Posted by gently69** August 22, 2014 8:21 am

Which is a real challenge, Susi.

**Posted by SusiGo** August 22, 2014 8:26 am

Yes. Just imagine Anderson and his club knowing more than the British Government. But as I said, the geeks are usually right - just think of Howard Shilcott and his trains or Anderson himself or the tourist guide in HoB or little Kirsty and her glowing rabbit.

**Posted by Liberty** August 22, 2014 8:43 am

Just like in Galaxy Quest (love that film)!

It's interesting that Sherlock doesn't mind Mary knowing about it (although I suppose she wouldn't see the lab from her angle). Or maybe it was the only place he could think of which met his requirements for the meeting with John, and he had to move quickly.

**Posted by SolarSystem** August 22, 2014 8:46 am

Has it ever occured to you that Anderson might be in on this? That Sherlock might have expected Mary to talk to the people nobody else would talk to and given Anderson an explicit briefing of what he should say to Mary in case she really comes to him? It's funny, but since the very first time I saw HLV I always thought that Anderson did collaborate with Sherlock on this one.

**Posted by gently69** August 22, 2014 8:49 am

Liberty wrote:
It's interesting that Sherlock doesn't mind Mary knowing about it (although I suppose she wouldn't see the lab from her angle). Or maybe it was the only place he could think of which met his requirements for the meeting with John, and he had to move quickly.

I think both is right. That Mary couldn't see the lab or whatever it is from her position. And that this is the best place to realise Sherlock's plan.

**Posted by SusiGo** August 22, 2014 8:53 am

SolarSystem wrote:
Has it ever occured to you that Anderson might be in on this? That Sherlock might have expected Mary to talk to the people nobody else would talk to and given Anderson an explicit briefing of what he should say to Mary in case she really comes to him? It's funny, but since the very first time I saw HLV I always thought that Anderson did collaborate with Sherlock on this one.

I agree. This might be true. Although the last time they met Anderson was searching his flat for drugs, ordered there by Mycroft.

**Posted by SolarSystem** August 22, 2014 9:11 am

That's true, but somehow I don't think that Sherlock would be too cross with Anderson because of this for too long. And even if so, I'm sure Sherlock would do anything that serves his purpose, and if that means that he has to approach Anderson even though he hasn't spoken with him since they met in 221B... I think he would do it.

**Posted by SusiGo** August 22, 2014 9:18 am

Agree. And I must say, I really love what they did with Anderson in series 3. Unexpected, funny, moving, and now him secretly helping Sherlock.

**Posted by SolarSystem** August 22, 2014 9:43 am

Absolutely. It's great to see a character change in such a convincing way. He's really different from the Anderson we saw in S1/S2, but it works.

**Posted by tonnaree** August 22, 2014 11:39 am

Love this. Just when you think there's nothing left to find in an episode something new and interesting witll catch your attention.

**Posted by Russell** August 22, 2014 7:11 pm

tonnaree wrote:
Love this. Just when you think there's nothing left to find in an episode something new and interesting witll catch your attention.

I agree! Love all the comments… and if that -is- what it is, love that they put in the existence of his hidden 'bolt-holes', too.

**Posted by maryagrawatson** August 22, 2014 7:43 pm

This is astounding! Just when you think you've analysed an episode to death, someone comes up with a screen grab that opens up a whole new discussion!

Mary

**Posted by La Jolie** August 26, 2014 9:12 am

Interesting observation!

I don't mind that there's a narrow hallway behind the facade. I thought it was just the ground floor hallway that they left standing, and on the upper floors it really is no more than a facade.

Don't they say in HLV that Sherlock deliberately dropped a hint to Anderson about this place so that Anderson would unwittingly pass it on to Mary? So no need for it to have been an open collaboration. It would be much more like Sherlock (the master manipulator) to do it behind Anderson's back rather than openly. I still don't think he thinks much of Anderson. Why "honour" Anderson with a collaboration? Sherlock would only do that if there was something in it for himself, and I can't see what that would be.

What I can see is Sherlock throwing away the secret of this bolt-hole in favour of a quick and thorough resolution of the trouble with Mary. I don't think he'd hesitate for a moment to give the place up if he thought it had to be sacrificed in order to sort things out for John and Mary.

Last edited by La Jolie (August 26, 2014 9:13 am)