BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Mary's death and final message

**Posted by Pops** January 3, 2017 4:29 pm

Another question I ask myself : am I the only one to see Mary in TLD trailer ? When there is a group of nurses, there is one that strongly looks like Mary ! And she does say in TST that she is a nurse...

Flashback or not-quite-dead ? I'm hoping for the former...

**Posted by besleybean** January 3, 2017 4:33 pm

I think it will be the former.

**Posted by Lola Red** January 3, 2017 4:35 pm

Are you talking about the group of nurses with the IV stands? It has been speculated that that scene might be mind palace(I hope it is). But yes, Mary has been established as a nurse.

**Posted by besleybean** January 3, 2017 4:37 pm

Personally I also think she has been established as being deceased!

**Posted by Lola Red** January 3, 2017 4:37 pm

True.

**Posted by Pops** January 3, 2017 4:50 pm

Lola Red wrote:
Are you talking about the group of nurses with the IV stands? It has been speculated that that scene might be mind palace(I hope it is). But yes, Mary has been established as a nurse.

Yes, that's what I'm talking about !
I really hope Mary stays dead !

**Posted by besleybean** January 3, 2017 5:02 pm

I think she will.

**Posted by SusiGo** January 3, 2017 5:09 pm

This is very interesting - seven translations of "go to hell, Sherlock":

http://the-seventh-stranger.tumblr.com/post/155349661155/six-out-of-six-translators-agree

**Posted by besleybean** January 3, 2017 5:12 pm

I'm still calling it: Mary means Sherlock will have to go to hell and back to save John.

**Posted by Schmiezi** January 3, 2017 5:26 pm

SusiGo wrote:
This is very interesting - seven translations of "go to hell, Sherlock":

http://the-seventh-stranger.tumblr.com/post/155349661155/six-out-of-six-translators-agree

Oh, that’s convincing. Kudos to the swedish, I love their translation the most. :-D

**Posted by Preceja** January 3, 2017 10:30 pm

I tried the last sentence once more and now it seems to me that it is not the final one of Mary's speach, in which case it could mean something rude, but a part of something in the middle, like " Go to hell, Sherlock, or wherever you will have to go, but save John. "
It does not fit to the Czech translation too much however. It would be more like " Go to hell , Sherlock, now it is not about you, you must save John even if it means to open something in your past." Readbeard?

Last edited by Preceja (January 3, 2017 11:13 pm)

**Posted by besleybean** January 3, 2017 10:31 pm

Redbeard could feature!

**Posted by NicoleCollard** January 4, 2017 12:41 am

NicoleCollard wrote:
Couldn't she be using an acronym? "Go to H.E.L.L., Sherlock"?
We know they're fond of acronyms in this show (H.O.U.N.D., A.G.R.A.)

I shared this yesterday, but nobody commented on it, hahahaha. I understand you don't see it as a possibility, right?

**Posted by Schmiezi** January 4, 2017 6:32 am

NicoleCollard wrote:
NicoleCollard wrote:
Couldn't she be using an acronym? "Go to H.E.L.L., Sherlock"?
We know they're fond of acronyms in this show (H.O.U.N.D., A.G.R.A.)
I shared this yesterday, but nobody commented on it, hahahaha. I understand you don't see it as a possibility, right?

I like the idea. :-) But I am one of those who believe that there is no way that "Go to hell" can have a positive meaning.

**Posted by besleybean** January 4, 2017 8:41 am

Oh no, it can't be positive in the sense that Sherlock is going to have to face hell to save John....but saving John would be a positive, I feel, at least.
Mark obviously chose the words carefully.
But considering Mary has just taken a bullet for Sherlock, it would seem exceedingly strange of her to then tell him to 'f-off'.
In fact it is actually impossible for Sherlock to both 'f-off' and take up Mary's mission.

**Posted by Schmiezi** January 4, 2017 8:46 am

besleybean wrote:
Oh no, it can't be positive in the sense that Sherlock is going to have to face hell to save John....but saving John would be a positive, I feel, at least.
Mark obviously chose the words carefully.
But considering Mary has just taken a bullet for Sherlock, it would seem exceedingly strange of her to then tell him to 'f-off'.
In fact it is actually impossible for Sherlock to both 'f-off' and take up Mary's mission.

Let's not forget that the message was recorded (long?) before Mary took a bullet for Sherlock. Her attitude could have changed.

(I don't hope so but it us possible.)

**Posted by besleybean** January 4, 2017 9:03 am

Yes, so thankfully we now know she made the ultimate sacrifice to save her beloved friend.
What a star.

**Posted by Liberty** January 4, 2017 9:37 am

The message was recorded in advance, but we know that at the time of death, she cared so much about Sherlock that she gave up her life to save him. That's why the ambiguous meaning is so puzzling. I'm also puzzled about how he got the DVD at the right time (did she leave it with somebody, with instructions to post if she died? Who? Janine?). On second viewing, I agree that it doesn't seem as if she thinks her death is imminent, or even certain. Just that if she died, John would be in trouble. Which does seem to indicate that she's talking about grief, rather than him being embroiled in some situation that she can no longer protect him from. I still have my suspicions about bus stop lady, though.

As an acronym - I don't think so. Look at the way she says it - it's very intense, whatever you take it to mean. But of course, it's a possibility!

**Posted by sherlocked** January 4, 2017 10:11 am

We also discussed it in thread about John and his mysterious texting. While I like the idea that hell is an acronym (on second thought: do we really need ANOTHER acronym?) I also believe that Mary is urging Sherlock to descend into some kind of private hell in order to save John. That would explain the intensity of her tone. And it ties in well with what Mofftiss have said lately - that they would go where they have never gone before. Although they might just have channelled Star Trek

Last edited by sherlocked (January 4, 2017 10:37 am)

**Posted by Vhanja** January 4, 2017 10:25 am

Liberty wrote:
I'm also puzzled about how he got the DVD at the right time (did she leave it with somebody, with instructions to post if she died? Who? Janine?).

Didn't Mrs. Hudson say that it came in her mail by a mistake? And she was gone on holiday by the time of the shooting (Mary mentions it when John asks if Mrs. Hudson can babysit). So Sherlock wouldn't be able to receive it until after Mrs. Hudson returned from her holiday, ie after the aquarium event.