BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Semtex

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** June 11, 2012 10:09 pm

As far as I know it's not actually possible to detonate semtex with a gun so when Sherlock points the gun at the bomb at the end it's really a bit redundant. There is a chance that he could shoot the lemon detonator but it's not 100% that he will blow them all up. If you shoot the actual semtex itself nothing will happen, you would have to shoot the detonator and even then there's a chance that it would just malfunction and not do anything.

**Posted by Davina** June 12, 2012 11:01 am

Yeah, an explosive plot hole, I'm afraid.

**Posted by kazza474** June 12, 2012 11:32 am

Pfftt
Sherlock's an expert marksman, how dare you question his abilities in this aspect.

**Posted by sherlockskitty** June 12, 2012 8:12 pm

what brought THIS on? I didn't even know this. What I do know is this--- any kind of bomb will explode, if you know WHAT to shoot. I've seen it done in Blazing Saddles....and other movies....

**Posted by kazza474** June 13, 2012 2:36 am

Ah well if they do it in Blazing Saddles, it must be so.

**Posted by Morton** July 8, 2012 10:32 am

Sorry, how do we know it was semtex?

**Posted by kazza474** July 8, 2012 11:36 am

Lestrade says " somewhere out there some poor bastard is covered in Semtex"
Also, the explosive is red = Semtex
Also, Wiki wouldn't lie " Semtex is also the explosive used by Jim Moriarty (portrayed by Andrew Scott) in episode three, The Great Game, of the popular series Sherlock."

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** July 8, 2012 4:36 pm

Haha brilliant, love wiki.

**Posted by Morton** July 9, 2012 2:49 pm

Thanks for the confirmation I was meaning the explosive on John's vest. I'm watching on my PC and couldn't see if it was meant to be Semtex.

edited add on - bad case of seeing explosives and not observing the type. I can now see it is the orange coloured Semtex and as it was the commentary of the Great Game I played while working I know what had initially thrown me was Mark Gatiss referring to it on that commentary as Gelignite.

Mystery solved : )

Last edited by Morton (July 10, 2012 10:34 am)

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** July 12, 2012 8:52 am

I had this idea that Sherlock knew it wouldn't blow up if he shot it, but he also knew that Moriarty probably didn't know that. He's a criminal mastermind who is great at orchestrating things, pulling strings, threatening people etc...he doesn't claim to be a chemistry expert unlike Sherlock. Also, there's no reason why John would know that either, despite his military career he was really only on the medical side and wouldn't have had to have a great deal of knowledge on explosives. So basically Sherlock was bluffing, knowing that Moriarty would back down anyway.

**Posted by Arya** July 12, 2012 6:56 pm

Cool idea

But if Semtex doesn't blow up when it's shot at, wouldn't the marksman have been pointless, too? Stupid errors

**Posted by Davina** July 12, 2012 9:00 pm

The Semtex won't blow up but the detonator would if that was shot.

**Posted by Arya** July 12, 2012 10:15 pm

True. I'm just saying that the marksman would have to be a pretty good shot to blow it up, too. And he was waving the laser thing (whatever the heck it's called) around a lot...

Oh well. I suppose we just have to assume they're both expert marksmen.

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** July 16, 2012 3:27 pm

Well Sebastian Moran is supposed to be one of the greatest in the world so I should imagine Moriarty has all top men working for him.

**Posted by kazza474** July 17, 2012 4:52 am

And Sherlock certainly is, he excels in all areas because, he is Sherlock.