BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Besleybean's re-watching of the whole show with pointers to S 4.

**Posted by besleybean** August 5, 2017 9:33 pm

I have to confess that once again I got so into watching, I forgot I was supposed to be taking notes!
Didn't think there would be much...but of course there are a few links.
The 'Is that him in there?' question reminded me of 'Sherlock Holmes The Detective', on the boat in TFP.
Mary in black indicates her death in TST.
Mary wants to join in the adventure...she sees a bit too much of it in TST.
Holmes says he will have to go deep into himself. Is this a reference to having to face up to his past in S 4?
'The Abominable Bride', some may say this refers to Mary!
"Poetry or truth?" asks Holmes. This reminded me of Eurus saying "love is poetry" in TFP.
The bride appears to come back to life, by S 4 we know Moriarty is really dead.
The Bride's song reminds me of Eurus' song in TFP.
In Sherlock's MP, Mary works for Mycroft. She does work for the secret services for a while, as we discover in TST
Molly is portrayed as a man here. Is that because of Sherlock seeing her as a friend rather than a love interest?
" a secret twin" says Watson...well we meet the secret sister in S 4.
"deep waters" says Holmes. Of course Eurus refers to these 'deep waters' in TFP.
Mycroft is identified as the clever brother...which is reinforced in TFP.
There is reference to the "large cavity" in Mycroft's chest, which reminds me of the 'small target' for his heart in TFP.
There is a suggested threat to Sir Eustace, which culminates in his death. In TST: AJ directly threatens Mary, tho she's accidentally killed in the end.
Holmes says there are " no ghosts in the world,save what we make for ourselves". Is he remembering the ghosts from his past?
He states " we all have a past, ghosts, shadows that define our every sunny day". Is he remembering? The ghosts appear in TFP.
Watson refers to 'the longest night of his life' If only he knows what poor John has coming to him.
Watson mentions Irene: a reference to John's conversation with Sherlock in TLD.
"What made you like this?" asks Watson.
Holmes hears a dog, " I made me", he states. Then 'Redbeard?' Redbeard is revealed in TFP.
Holmes fails to save Sir Eustace, as he fails to save Mary in S 4.
We see the 'Reichenbach Fall' picture...more deep waters.
Mycroft warns Sherlock that he's ' in deeper' even than he 'ever intended to be.'
The newspaper scene made me think of all the Culverton Smith cuttings in TLD.
Of course there are the parallels between the drug taking here and in TLD.
Moriarty saying 'your room smells so manly', reminded me of Moriarty asking 'do you like my boys?' in TFP.
Moriarty going on about the taste of flesh, reminded me of going on about cannibals in TFP.
Moriarty puts the gun to his mouth, as Sherlock does in TFP.
Mary talks about Moriarty being on every TV screen, as he is in TFP.
John is firm with Sherlock about the drug taking, as he is in TLD.
Mary cracks MI5 security, linking to her working for them in TST.
"this is my fault" states Mycroft. I wonder if Mycroft is also thinking of Moriarty as Eurus' xmas present.
Holmes says "Mary may be in danger". This comes to fruition in TST.
Holmes states he would do anything for Mary...as he tries to in S 4.
"Mary has put herself in the path of considerable danger" says Holmes...she certainly does in TST.
"The clever one" says Mary about Mycroft, a bit like Eurus says about her oldest brother in TFP.
Mycroft "likes to keep an eye on his mad sibling" says Mary...we meet the mad sibling in TFP.
"The slow little brother" says Mary. Well he's ' the slow big brother' to Eurus in TFP.
Holmes states that 'every great cause has its martyrs.' Yet Mary still wonders why the bride would die to make a point...she maybe finds out in TST.
Holmes points out that she decided to make her death count...Mary saves Sherlock in TST, that counts.
"What happened to the other one?" Sherlock asks at the grave...a direct reference to Eurus?!
"This is you needing a fix" says John. Which is like him asking "Do you need another fix?" in TLD.
"Do not forget me" says the song...is it a pointer to Eurus not wanting to be forgotten?
The Reichenbach Scene: Eurus sites The Reichenbach Fall in TFP.
"You're in way too deep" Moriarty says to Holmes. Again like Eurus references "deep waters" in TFP.
Moriarty says to Holmes " every time you stumble I am there". Well I suppose the Eurus trials are a stumble.
Sherlock tears up the list. But Mycroft picks it up and puts it in his notebook and we see 'Redbeard' written. The truth about Redbeard is out in TFP.
Sherlock demands Mycroft goes and gets him a pardon...well he does in TST.
Sherlock says he knows Moriarty is dead and yet exactly what he will do next...don't think he really does foretell TFP!
Holmes talks about " flying machines", like the one we see at the start of TFP.
Holmes states he knows he is "a man out of time."...By TFP, he is a man who has to face his past.

**Posted by kgreen20** August 5, 2017 10:35 pm

Sherlock demands Mycroft goes and gets him a pardon...well he does in TST.

Except that Mycroft doesn't secure a pardon for Sherlock from the Queen; someone has the footage of Magnussen's death doctored so that it looks as if someone else killed him. It gets Mycroft's brother off the hook, which is the same result.

I take it this is the last episode you'll be watching for this purpose? What about "Many Happy Returns"? Have you watched that one yet? It's not available on DVD, but you can find it on YouTube.

**Posted by Liberty** August 6, 2017 6:58 am

I suppose this is the episode which is most directly tied into S4. I still wonder about what Mark said about letting something of S4 slip to Benedict, but he missed it! I wonder if it was something about Eurus?

At the end of TAB, John "vows" to look after Sherlock, and almost fails to do so after Mary's death - but does come back when he thinks he's in imminent danger. It's actually Mary, who hasn't made a vow, who ends up saving Sherlock in TST.

Thinking about Irene in TAB - now we know that Sherlock was actually in touch with her and trying to resist. I don't know if that puts a different slant on that conversation - probably not! But at least it confirms that Irene was his "love interest". I wonder how aware Sherlock can have been by the meaning of "I made me", though? He says it, but doesn't really understand it until TFP.

I hadn't picked up on the significance of Mycroft saying "this is my fault" - yes, it turns out it is! Or the bride using the song as a clue, like Eurus. Yes, I like the idea of "Do not forget me" being about Eurus. Sherlock is in his subconscious, and at some level way down there he must be aware of Eurus. I think you're right about this.

Yes, the "deep waters", "ghosts", etc., do seem like foreshadowing of S4. I also wondered if there was a tiny message about women - as so much of TAB seems to be about Sherlock's relationship with women, highlighted by their place in Victorian society - that people tend to think of a brother but discount a sister?

**Posted by besleybean** August 6, 2017 7:56 am

Apologies, kgreen.
I constantly forget that people never get used to either my attempt at humour or my short hand! Obviously I know what happened. But as you so eloquently pointed out, the result was the same- Sherlock is off the hook! And I was meant to be linking 2 episodes, my way established a link!
I was just thinking about it this morning: no I shall continue watching until the end, just with slight amendments to the thread name.
Rest assured I do own Seasons Greetings. I assure you it is very much so on DVD, though I forget which it's on!(I think at one time I had at least 3 copies of every DVD!)So it was not a memory lapse on my part. I am just dealing with the aired 90 minute episodes. They are the real ones in my eyes. Others are free to do as they choose, of course.
@Liberty Yes, as usual I make a silly throw away comment...but of course it's the episode that most naturally feeds into S 4.
I suspect it was a 'Eurus' slip on Mark's part.
Oh yes, I remember pondering over Mycroft asking John to take care of Sherlock...I think I was more focusing on Mycroft's guilt. But as ever you are right, I missed the most obvious link.
Yep, as ever, Mary goes above and beyond...I do wish more people would give her better credit.
Love your final point.

**Posted by diva** August 6, 2017 8:08 pm

Incidentally I've been thinking about TAB today and decided to watch it again. Somehow it made me incredibly sad to see John saving Sherlock from Moriarty beating him up at the waterfall now that I can't get the image of John beating Sherlock in TLD out of my mind.

**Posted by besleybean** August 6, 2017 8:10 pm

Just as well you posted...I have just watched TST and am supposed to be writing it up!
Oh John comes through in the end..

Last edited by besleybean (August 6, 2017 8:10 pm)