BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / About that chair

**Posted by cmb711** October 14, 2016 11:30 pm

I hate to nitpick, because I love that scene. As John is wondering if Sherlock is protecting the shooter or someone else, he is automatically sitting down in his chair. Then he realizes it's back, and asks Mrs. Hudson, "Why does Sherlock think I'm moving back in here?" And then he sees the bottle of cologne on the table beside it. Hint, hint. And then the phone rings.

Just one problem. OK, several. The shooting was nearly a week ago, but Sherlock has been in the hospital the whole time. He has not been to the flat since he and John left it to rob CAM's office. So we are supposed to believe that in the past several hours at most, Sherlock has escaped from his second-floor hospital room by climbing out the window, stopped at a store for a bottle of cologne, returned to the flat, moved a heavy armchair, placed the cologne, and gone to Leinster Gardens--all with a wheelchair from the hospital, in which John is sitting in the abandoned house. Either Mrs. Hudson is cooperating, or Sherlock used his homeless network to great effect. Or the writing got sloppy, which is most likely, but I don't care because this episode is fantastic in its emotional impact and character development. Oh, well.

Last edited by cmb711 (October 14, 2016 11:34 pm)

**Posted by Linda31652** October 15, 2016 3:02 am

I'll have to think about all this to fully address your theories but...Sherlock couldn't have gone out the window at the hospital and taken a wheel chair with him. And, we don't know he was as Leinster Gardens at the time he called John, just that at some point later they two of them were there together. I don't think Mrs. Hudson is complicit but like your idea that the Baker Street Irregulars might well have been at work. I also don't understand why John automatically assumed that Sherlock believed he was moving back in because the chair was back. He could have moved it back in response to John's earlier remarks about the chair being moved. We also don't know that Sherlock didn't return to the flat between the time he and John left earlier in the day - so Sherlock could shop for an engagement ring. He might well have returned to the flat before meeting John in the evening and could have moved the chair before he left to meet John at CAM's office. That just leaves the bottle of perfume. He would have had to obtain that between the time he left the hospital and meeting John at Leinster Gardens. Sorry, I'm rambling, but like you I love the episode and really enjoyed your post.

**Posted by Liberty** October 15, 2016 7:18 am

In the commentary for HLV, Moftiss say something about wishing they'd made it clearer that Sherlock had returned to the flat. So yes, I think he did.

**Posted by besleybean** October 15, 2016 7:21 am

I don't actually remember them saying that...but I always just assumed Sherlock did just that!
He loves a touch of the dramatic!

**Posted by cmb711** October 15, 2016 7:28 am

Makes me wonder if John had some kind of niggling suspicion somewhere in the very back of his brain already, that he would think, "Why does Sherlock think I'm moving back in?" rather than just, "Oh, good, he put my chair back." And the combination of chair and cologne definitely set him thinking. I don't really think Mrs. Hudson is complicit either, but it's hard to imagine how she couldn't be. I'm going to assume Sherlock had help from Billy Wiggins, now that I think about it, as we know he is involved in the evening. Maybe he met Sherlock outside the hospital with a wheelchair and took him to Leinster Gardens, picking up cologne on the way. That part's not too hard. It's just the chair.

Last edited by cmb711 (October 15, 2016 7:30 am)

**Posted by besleybean** October 15, 2016 7:30 am

I don't think Mrs H had anything to do with it.

**Posted by Liberty** October 15, 2016 7:32 am

Ariane DeVere to the rescue! From the commentary:

STEVEN: Can I point out a mistake? This scene, I think, doesn’t play quite as strongly because we cut the bit from the beginning where it’s been clear that Sherlock has been to the flat. It says that there’s some food missing, and by cutting that it’s not as immediately impactful that he’s left the perfume bottle. I regret that; I wish we’d kept that. That didn’t occur to me until the screening. So, I resign.

I don't think he actually shinned down a drainpipe outside the hospital. I imagine he would just have walked out (Billy or whoever, could have brought him clothes, perhaps, but he seems to manage to walk out later, complete with drip attached, so it wouldn't be that hard. He's not a prisoner). I'm a bit concerned that the staff didn't notice the heart monitor being disconnected, but that's the NHS for you.

Last edited by Liberty (October 17, 2016 12:31 pm)

**Posted by besleybean** October 15, 2016 8:12 am

I have always presumed Sherlock was in a private hospital!
But thanks for the link and thanks again @Ariane.
Yes, I do vaguely remember now...though Steven occasionally mumbles in his Paisley brogue- possibly easier for you to pick up, Liberty. Ha!
Bless him, he's such a perfectionist.

EDIT; for spelling error:

Last edited by besleybean (October 17, 2016 4:22 pm)

**Posted by Ariane DeVere** October 17, 2016 12:20 pm

Ah, always lovely to see that the transcripts come in helpful!

And one day maybe people will learn how to spell my name. ;-)

**Posted by Liberty** October 17, 2016 12:30 pm

They are extremely helpful! And sorry about the mispelling (it's not a first for me, sadly). I'll correct it.

**Posted by cmb711** October 17, 2016 3:45 pm

So Sherlock did return to the flat from the hospital, without Mrs. Hudson noticing. Not that hard, I guess; it's not like she never leaves. And if Billy was with him, Billy could have moved the chair for him. Sherlock never moved it himself; he has a hard enough time bending down to pick up a coin.

**Posted by besleybean** October 17, 2016 4:22 pm

I apologise Ariane...I think I just copied somebody else!
In my defence, people spell my name wrong all the time!
Oh I can edit my post, too!

**Posted by Ariane DeVere** October 19, 2016 12:09 pm

Thank you!