BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Memory sequence

**Posted by Whisky** March 16, 2015 9:21 pm

Just watched HLV again. At minute 41, there is the moment when Sherlock comes back to life. There is this short, very quick sequence, like a memory of Sherlock, where he sees different pictures of the things that have happened. The sequence ends with a look at the 221b door.

I really would like to know which other pictures appear in that sequence, but as it only lasts a few seconds, I cannot catch much. Magnusson is in there, Mycroft too, but a few other moments I cannot really catch. Was someone able to split that down to individual frames to see it? I cannot do that with my player, it seems

Last edited by Whisky (March 16, 2015 9:23 pm)

**Posted by SusiGo** March 16, 2015 9:30 pm

This is what Ariane de Vere says:

In his mind’s eye, Sherlock sees a rapid montage of images: several moments from when Magnussen showed him the edge of the papers in his jacket pocket in 221B’s living room; then Mary aiming her gun down at Magnussen in his flat before Sherlock knew who the potential killer was; then the front door to 221B. His inner vision closes in on the door and settles on it.

**Posted by Whisky** March 16, 2015 9:50 pm

Oh, thanks, I didn't think of checking her scripts.
But I don't think that's all. E.g. there is Mycroft's office I think as well.
But then it might be just Sherlock trying to make sense of what has happened to him, just a memory. I'm just interested what's going on in Sherlock's mind in that moment. I would for example expected to see a memory of John?

**Posted by SusiGo** March 16, 2015 10:01 pm

I have no way of slowing down the scene. And so far I could not find any more detailed information although I am sure someone has done it. I seem to remember reading something about it but it was quite some time ago. But I think John is not present in the whole mind palace scene at all although he is the reason for Sherlock to come back to life.

**Posted by Whisky** March 16, 2015 10:13 pm

Yes, I would think seeing Sherlock on the stairs, all that's on his mind is "John John John". But then in the sequence it's anything but. It's a bit strange.

**Posted by nakahara** March 16, 2015 10:21 pm

Whisky wrote:
Yes, I would think seeing Sherlock on the stairs, all that's on his mind is "John John John". But then in the sequence it's anything but. It's a bit strange.

It´s only his desire to save John, to desperately reach him, that keeps him alive. Maybe, if John was already present inside him in that moment, he would loose the reason to "resurface" from the throes of death?

+ that´s why is he trying to enter Baker Street in his vision? It´s his home and he believes John is waiting inside?

Last edited by nakahara (March 16, 2015 10:22 pm)

**Posted by ukaunz** March 16, 2015 10:30 pm

I was able to slow down the scene frame by frame, and it looks to me like there is a shot of Sherlock-as-a-boy standing with his hands behind his head from the helicopter scene, then a closeup shot of Mary's gun, which merges into different angles of Mary pointing her gun at Magnussen with her back to Sherlock, Sherlock standing in front of the mirror, the gun at Magnussen's temple, and then the shot of the door of 221B. I didn't see any shots from the scene where Magnussen shows the letters tucked in his jacket.

I think Sherlock's mind was on the danger that Mary and Magnussen pose to John, and he wants to get John safe back home to Baker Street where he can protect him.

**Posted by Whisky** March 16, 2015 10:34 pm

ukaunz wrote:
and it looks to me like there is a shot of Sherlock-as-a-boy standing with his hands behind his head from the helicopter scene

wait, in the memory scene? why would there be the helicopter scene already?

I can stop the scene like at three points. one of these I always catch is Magnusson showing the letters. He's definitely in it. The second is Sherlock looking at Mary after she shoot him. The third is the door :D

Last edited by Whisky (March 16, 2015 10:42 pm)

**Posted by nakahara** March 16, 2015 10:36 pm

Clairvoyance?

**Posted by ukaunz** March 16, 2015 10:45 pm

Oops I just realised I have been looking at something that may have been edited by someone else. Ignore me!

**Posted by ukaunz** March 16, 2015 10:57 pm

Okay, I'm an idiot

I was looking for a YouTube clip of the scene to slow down because I found a website called Pause House where you load a YouTube video and it lets you click through frames, but I must have used a video that a fan had edited. So now I'm working on another way to slow down my dvd copy of the episode so I know I'm looking at the real thing.

Windows Media Player seems to be the go. I'll let you know soon

**Posted by ukaunz** March 16, 2015 11:35 pm

Here are the frames I've managed to capture

Interesting that the fourth screenshot shows a view we didn't see in the original scene, it's from a different angle and it's been colour-edited as though to show it from Sherlock's POV.

Sorry about my earlier silliness, I should have realised how ridiculous it would have been for Sherlock to see himself in the helicopter scene before it had happened, I didn't think about it until I had already clicked send

Anyway, I still think what I wrote earlier, that Sherlock is worried about the danger to John, which is why he is thinking about Mary and Magnussen, and then his mind fixes on the door of 221B because he wants John back where he can keep him safe. The scenes they chose to illustrate this danger are ones that show Magnussen as a blackmailer, and Mary as an assassin.

Last edited by ukaunz (March 17, 2015 2:40 am)

**Posted by Whisky** March 17, 2015 3:36 pm

Wow, thank you!
yes, I think that's it then. It's about Magnusson and Mary. He seems to search for the connection between them, already puzzling what it could mean.
It's interesting that's what he has in mind when coming back to life. He could think about so many other things in that moment - his parents, John, ... but he is totally focussed on the case. Magnusson, himself, and Mary.

I also had again this thought about Moriarty. When Sherlock is down in the basement with Moriarty in that room, Moriarty is very much alive. Sherlock is too - until he dies. When his heartmonitor goes flat, he is also lying very still in the basement room (mind palace room)... but Moriarty, who should be lying there dead somewhere, is still pretty much alive. Could that be a hint that Sherlock kind of knows (subconsciously?) that Moriarty is alive? Is it just his fear keeping Moriarty alive in his mind palace, or is it more?
There was a thread discussing that... somewhere...