BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / What Christmas?

**Posted by nakahara** October 31, 2014 8:44 am

In the light of news about the approaching "Sherlock Christmas special" (allegedly based on "The Blue Carbuncle") there is one thing that I find very puzzling.

During which Christmas will this Christmas special take place?
Christmas that was in full swing during HLV? But that´s highly unlikely! Sherlock shot CAM during that Christmas and was probably being imprisoned for the rest of it.
Next Christmas? But that would mean a very strange gap in the continuity of things - problems with Mary´s past, with baby Watson, with the mystery of "ressurected" Moriarty...
Which then? Where in the continuity of Sherlock storyline can this story be placed?

**Posted by KeepersPrice** October 31, 2014 11:38 am

Does a Christmas special mean the story has to take place during Christmas? Could just mean the show airs sometime December 2015. I'm hoping there is continuity from the end of HLV.

Last edited by KeepersPrice (October 31, 2014 11:39 am)

**Posted by SusiGo** October 31, 2014 11:39 am

Not sure if the creators ever called it a "Christmas" special at all? Does anyone know?

**Posted by SolarSystem** October 31, 2014 11:50 am

I seem to recall that they did, but I can't find any proof right now.

KP, if this works the way the Christmas Specials on Doctor Who work, then it will take place during Christmas. But maybe they will do something completely different, after all there has never been a lot of continuity when it came to the DW Christmas Special - but well, it's about time travel.
I would like it if the Special took place during and around the Christmas we saw in HLV. There are lots of things we haven't seen yet, some gaps could be filled. But I doubt they'll do this, so... let's see.

**Posted by Lilith** October 31, 2014 12:02 pm

Oh, i personally took it being called Christmas special cause it will be screened around Christmas? It is still sooooo long

**Posted by nakahara** October 31, 2014 12:19 pm

I presume that it will take place during Christmas because "The Blue Carbuncle" was a Christmas time story.
Why would they choose this story if they wanted to stick it to the spring or a summer?

**Posted by Lilith** October 31, 2014 12:31 pm

I would love it happening at Christmas cause i am (unlike Sherlock) such a Christmas fan

**Posted by tonnaree** October 31, 2014 1:01 pm

nakahara wrote:
I presume that it will take place during Christmas because "The Blue Carbuncle" was a Christmas time story.
Why would they choose this story if they wanted to stick it to the spring or a summer?

The problem is there has been no official confirmation that it will be based on "Blue."

**Posted by This Is The Phantom Lady** November 1, 2014 8:38 pm

With a special like that they could do anything really... it wouldn't even have to be chronological with the series so far I suppose.

**Posted by Liberty** November 1, 2014 9:18 pm

True ... it could be a flashback. The original stories weren't all chronological, were they?

**Posted by Whisky** November 1, 2014 10:47 pm

Please no more flashbacks. And although I'm excited about specials, I really need them to be continuous, because I do get lost in the timeline otherwise! The last special was good because it fit in, but it wasn't really a big special, more like a teaser really.
Hounds felt already disconnected and when I watch all series in one, it always pulls me a bit out of the chronology. I wouldn't like it very much to have another out-of-usual-timeline (or storyline) special...
just my feeling about this

Last edited by Whisky (November 1, 2014 10:47 pm)

**Posted by nakahara** November 2, 2014 12:18 am

But would flashback be really possible here?
Wasn´t Sherlock still officially "dead" last Christmas?
And the Christmas before too?
And the Christmas before The Reichenbach Fall - that was when Irene´s case took place, wasn´t it? It is highly unlikely that other important cases took place in Sherlock´s life at that time.
So the "future" Christmas seems like the only possible solution....

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** November 2, 2014 5:22 pm

I don't think it will be set at Christmas. They have to carry on exactly from where they left off and answer the Moriarty question.

It's never been officially confirmed that it will be based on Blue Carbuncle. And as far as I know, it's never been officially called a Christmas Special either, just "a one off special", "a full length special" or "special" that will be "shown over Christmas."

Technically it could still be "the Christmas period" in the Sherlock timeline. It was Christmas Day when Sherlock shot Magnussen. His death mission could have been arranged within 2 or 3 days. It might not even be New Year yet.

**Posted by stoertebeker** November 28, 2014 6:21 pm

nakahara wrote:
But would flashback be really possible here?
Wasn´t Sherlock still officially "dead" last Christmas?
And the Christmas before too?
And the Christmas before The Reichenbach Fall - that was when Irene´s case took place, wasn´t it? It is highly unlikely that other important cases took place in Sherlock´s life at that time.
So the "future" Christmas seems like the only possible solution....

Actually there was a chistmas in series 3 we haven't seen. TEH is set at the beginning of November whereas TSoT is somewhere in spring. So the Christmas before the CAM desaster Sherlock was already back.
That was my original idea for the special. That this single episode might take place at that particular Christmas with a nice story but also some hints about Mary's past or Moriarty's return that the audience would recognize but the characters not. It would also be a possibility of doing the special without direct continuation of series 3 which IMO will not happen until series 4.