BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Sherlock's Worst Fear

**Posted by Lestrade's division** February 19, 2015 4:56 pm

So I was just watching HoB and I realised something about the Moriarty/gas mask scene - the one where Sherlock hallucinates Moriarty's face on Bob Frankland in Dewer's Hollow. The H.O.U.N.D drug promotes fear, we all know that. So the fact that Sherlock 'sees' Moriarty when under the influence of the drug suggests that he is very, very afraid of him. But why? Sherlock had always foiled Moriarty up until that point, and on the outside, treats the challenge presented by Jim as a fun game.

This suggests that Sherlock knows what Moriarty could do (and does do) in The Reichenbach Fall - he is afraid because of what Moriarty could do to his friends.

The thing Sherlock is most scared of is something happening to his friends.

And people call him a machine.

**Posted by Vhanja** February 19, 2015 6:24 pm

Interesting thought. I am not sure I agree with your conclusion, though. There is nothing to say that it was what Moriarty could do to his friends that got Sherlock so scared. If that was the case, then I think that would show more clearly in the hallucination. It is interesting, however, showing Moriarty as something Sherlock fears.

To take that a bit further, Sherlock is able to snap out of that fear quite quickly with rational thought. Something he was not able to when almost having a panick attack over doubting his own senses. So in a way, it seems that was really Sherlock's worst fear - not being able to trust his own senses and his own rational mind.

Last edited by Vhanja (February 19, 2015 6:25 pm)

**Posted by Harriet** February 19, 2015 6:25 pm

http://sherlock.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=1270

It's better to keep things together, actually we have two similar threads already. Thanks.

**Posted by Lestrade's division** February 19, 2015 7:29 pm

Vhanja wrote:
Interesting thought. I am not sure I agree with your conclusion, though. There is nothing to say that it was what Moriarty could do to his friends that got Sherlock so scared. If that was the case, then I think that would show more clearly in the hallucination. It is interesting, however, showing Moriarty as something Sherlock fears.

To take that a bit further, Sherlock is able to snap out of that fear quite quickly with rational thought. Something he was not able to when almost having a panick attack over doubting his own senses. So in a way, it seems that was really Sherlock's worst fear - not being able to trust his own senses and his own rational mind.

That's a good idea Or maybe, as Moriarty is Sherlock's intellectual equal, he is afraid of someone being better than him, of someone beating him? This could be down to insecurity which we see hinted at quite a lot in series 3

Harriet - Sorry about that, I didn't know there was another thread! I'll be sure to check more carefully in future.

**Posted by Harriet** February 19, 2015 7:41 pm

There's a search function and there are topic lists, and you can guess that by now almost each topic has its own thread.