BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / First Thoughts...

**Posted by Sherli Bakerst** January 6, 2014 2:54 am

I want to post first, then I'll go back and read everyone's comments.

Basically, I loved it! I didn't think the wedding would take up so much time in the episode--I had the idea that it would be the climax. But I should have known that "Sherlock" would not be so conventional.

I thought the direction was way better this time around. The jump cuts back and forth as the soldiers were marching was fun and didn't bother me at all, unlike the blurry, nebulous shots in TEH. I liked how the on-screen text was displayed, especially when it wrapped around the women's faces and I loved the wording of Sherlock's deductions when he was drunk--that was hilarious.

Ben's performance was terrific and I'll have to watch it several more times to come close to appreciating all the subtle nuances he gave to it. Martin was great--loved the bar-hopping scenes as well as his double-take reactions to so many things that happened here. Amanda played Mary well but now the character is, just a bit, beginning to grate on me: She's always right about everything--it's annoying. It's almost like the writers are making her out to be a saint, raising her so high up that she's got to fall and fall hard.

The venue where the wedding took place looked lovely; I bet they'll get tons of bookings now!

The Mayfly Murder mystery was interesting, I thought, and I loved how Sherlock went about solving it. His speech at the wedding, a melange of best man and exposition, was a tour de force. John's reactions throughout were great.I kept thinking: Keep up, John!

I thought all Sherlock's unique characteristics were on full display in this episode. He reverted back to type from the previous series but he also incorporated the more human qualities that he began to dsiplay in TEH. I liked the combination.

Can't wait for the next episode...and can't believe it's the last! The mention of a vow in this episode made me wonder if that was foreshadowing. Time will tell!

**Posted by Sherli Bakerst** January 6, 2014 3:21 am

Okay, just finished reading that which came before. Additional comments:

* The expression on Mary's face when Sherlock said she was pregnant--I thought that was because she herself hadn't known yet.
* Mycroft exercising: I didn't even recognize him until I saw him in close-up! Hilarious scene.
* The bridesmaid Sherlock hung out with... Her name was Jeanine; I made sure to look in the end credits for verification. That was very weird, I thought--a woman with a name so similar to one of John's former girlfriends.
* Sherlock at the very end: Yeah, I thought Sherlock was going to ask Jeanine to dance but when he saw her with another man, he realized that she was out of reach and that symbolized his aloneness, which was accentuated when the camera panned on Molly and Mrs. Hudson watching Sherlock walk away and they didn't follow. Yes, it was sad seeing Sherlock exit the party by himself--although flinging the coat on was a great touch!--but I really liked that as the end because it reinforced how different Sherlock really is from everyone else. Yes, he's human but as much as he wants to fit in--whether he knows/realizes it or not, he's trying to--he never will. Sherlock is still Sherlock.

Last edited by Sherli Bakerst (January 6, 2014 3:24 am)

**Posted by Wholocked** January 6, 2014 3:32 am

Ok so just before I watched the episode I was talking to Neptune Centari and she was gushing that it was the best episode of Sherlock ever ever EVER and I thought "Geez, over selling it a bit it can't be that good"

OH MY GOD IT WAS THAT GOOD

I watched it on a poor quality stream so I can't wait to get home from work and watch it again properly. I missed a lot of facial expressions and more subtle things.

So many things to love about this episode!

(BTW, people speculating on Mary's response to Sherlock deducing she's pregnant - is a perfectly normal response. She's not planning it, not expecting it and her first flash of thoughts would be all the ways this is going to change her life. I think most people who learn they are pregnant when it's not planned have that same initial panic reaction. It takes a while to sink in and for you to decide it's not a bad thing)

**Posted by Montag** January 6, 2014 4:55 am

Liked it a lot. Very well written with the whole episode leading to a solution to the crimes, all told in an excellent speech.

I do think Mary is going to be a big deal in the last episode. I need to check it tomorrow bt when Sherlock first read Mary wasn't one of the words liar? Also last episode Mary was the one who got the message about john and she recognized the code. She will somehow be involved. My prediction is that Sherlock knows she is in deep with the bad dude and his vow to protect them both is actually a vow to get her out of her problem. Do think she will loose the baby tho' not sure she will die.

**Posted by tobeornot221b** January 6, 2014 5:38 am

Still feeling kinda flashed - not in my best office condition after two and a half hours sleep, I'm afraid.
That was really extraordinarily awesome. Have to watch again tonight.

**Posted by gently69** January 6, 2014 6:24 am

tobeornot221b wrote:
Still feeling kinda flashed - not in my best office condition after two and a half hours sleep, I'm afraid.
That was really extraordinarily awesome. Have to watch again tonight.

I have to agree in all points.... office condition, sleep, watch it again. How will it be next week? No sleep at all? Together with 10 other Sherlockians? Depends on how worse it will get.... Oh, I'm a little bit afraid...

**Posted by stoertebeker** January 6, 2014 8:04 am

gently69 wrote:
tobeornot221b wrote:
Still feeling kinda flashed - not in my best office condition after two and a half hours sleep, I'm afraid.
That was really extraordinarily awesome. Have to watch again tonight.
I have to agree in all points.... office condition, sleep, watch it again. How will it be next week? No sleep at all? Together with 10 other Sherlockians? Depends on how worse it will get.... Oh, I'm a little bit afraid...

No sleep at all next week I suppose. I envy you, you'll all at least have each other to hold on.

**Posted by Ozma** January 6, 2014 8:14 am

stoertebeker wrote:
gently69 wrote:
tobeornot221b wrote:
Still feeling kinda flashed - not in my best office condition after two and a half hours sleep, I'm afraid.
That was really extraordinarily awesome. Have to watch again tonight.
I have to agree in all points.... office condition, sleep, watch it again. How will it be next week? No sleep at all? Together with 10 other Sherlockians? Depends on how worse it will get.... Oh, I'm a little bit afraid...
No sleep at all next week I suppose. I envy you, you'll all at least have each other to hold on.

Same here. I am alone! Slept 3 hours (couldn't fall asleep for some reason) now office, and there is currently a flipping storm in London - awesome.

How do the young kids say....? FML

**Posted by shylock** January 6, 2014 8:46 am

Well....that was an hour and a half of my life I'll never get back!!!!

WTF just happened?

Gonna have to watch it again.....and again.....and again.

**Posted by the_dancing_woman** January 6, 2014 8:59 am

I absolutely loved this episode, perfection! I was happy, sad, intrigued, and I am still a little heart broken. There was so much in there. I loved how the whole episode evolved around the wedding speech, that was really well done.
I felt sorry for Sherlock (and also a bit for Lestrade) so many times. Watching him give that speech was beautiful and painful at the same time. I loved the wonderful things he said about John, I loved the hug. I felt so bad Sherlock never got to dance after giving it so much thought and after confessing that in fact he likes dancing.
The stag night was perfect, loved seeing them drunk together, they are perfect together and always will be.
I liked the canonical nods, eg Major Sholto, Jonathan Small , the slipper.
I still like how encouraging and kind Mary is when it comes to Sherlock.
And, yes, I am very much afraid of "His last Vow".

**Posted by sherlocked4ever** January 6, 2014 9:00 am

Well ... it's not gonna be my favorite episode, but it was good. Very good. The only damn thing was that my subtitles vanished somewhere in the middle of the episode so I had to watch the rest without them (which was okay because Sherlock didn't talk too fast, but with subs it'd have been better to understand for me).
Oh I loved the ending - Mary is pregnant! *yay*

**Posted by SusiGo** January 6, 2014 9:02 am

Well, I slept well but not for very long. And the more I think and read about this "bright and funny" episode the sadder it gets. Underneath all this light and airy atmosphere there is always a sense of loss and sadness. Sherlock's look to John's empty chair - Mrs Hudson talking about the friend who left the wedding early - there are some many moments and I have work to do.

Btw - did you notice that the prison where Sherlock and John spend the stag night is the same as in TRF?

**Posted by SolarSystem** January 6, 2014 9:03 am

KeepersPrice wrote:
I would just like to mention that this episode was a tour d'force for Benedict Cumberbatch. This whole show was basically on his shoulders the entire way through. Longest best man speech in history and all those deductions in his mind with the girls who dated the "ghost". He was funny and touching and just all around wonderful. He needs an award of this!

I agree wholeheartedly. If not for anything else, this episode will definitely always have a special place in my heart because of Benedict. He was... amazing. There aren't enough awards out there to reward him with for this. It was pure joy to watch him doing what he did... and Martin had a really hard job, I would say, because at times there wasn't a whole lot to do for him apart from reacting... and he also did this brilliantly. Those two guys... are killing me. They made me laugh, they made me cry, they made me spill my tea... and really, what more can you ask for...?

**Posted by SusiGo** January 6, 2014 9:14 am

And could we please appreciate his elegant jump over the table?

**Posted by SolarSystem** January 6, 2014 9:23 am

SusiGo wrote:
And could we please appreciate his elegant jump over the table?

Absolutely! And there is so much more to appreciate...

But you are right, Susi, there almost always was that underlying sadness... yes, when Sherlock looked over to John's empty chair... that's all you need to know, no words are necessary, just that look...

**Posted by SusiGo** January 6, 2014 9:32 am

I had to control myself because my son was watching with me. He does not like my fangirling very much.

**Posted by SolarSystem** January 6, 2014 9:42 am

Having to control yourself because of your son might not even be a bad thing... just imagine you start crying and can't stop again... which might happen next sunday...

**Posted by the_dancing_woman** January 6, 2014 10:48 am

SusiGo wrote:
Well, I slept well but not for very long. And the more I think and read about this "bright and funny" episode the sadder it gets. Underneath all this light and airy atmosphere there is always a sense of loss and sadness. Sherlock's look to John's empty chair - Mrs Hudson talking about the friend who left the wedding early - there are some many moments and I have work to do.

Btw - did you notice that the prison where Sherlock and John spend the stag night is the same as in TRF?

I agree!
But we all also agree, I think, that those quotes and moments were planted there quite deliberately to make us feel that way. I think there is a reason for that. I really wonder how all of this is going to play out next week...

**Posted by Basileus** January 6, 2014 11:15 am

At first thought "This is a bit slow" but then warmed to it. Still think last episode was better, but thoroughly enjoyed it

**Posted by Basileus** January 6, 2014 11:19 am

SusiGo wrote:
And could we please appreciate his elegant jump over the table?

Have to admit I was impressed by that. My wife whooped beside me !
Something I couldn't mage thats for damn sure, though I'd love to !