Ahhh yes, I see what you're trying to say. There are three IOUs - one on the apple, one outside the flat on the wall and one on the windows opposite Scotland Yard.

So, are you saying that the one on the apple is a warning for John, because it was left IN the flat, the graffiti for Mrs Hudson (it's possible that it may have been visible from her ground floor flat window) and the Scotland Yard one for Lestrade, and that was how Sherlock knew the third sniper was for Lestrade and not Molly, as Molly would have been the far more obvious choice.

Interesting and fun theory, I like it a lot, even if it's not right I think it's a nice idea.

"By confronting Molly with "IOU" Sherlock wants to find out whether Molly has got or seen an IOU recently as well"

gosh, that's why I love this forum. That's brilliant!

But consider this:

IOU carved into the apple - John would ask Sherlock 'what did you do that for?' after finding it in the flat.

And an IOU graffiti opposite 221 Baker Street would have been noticed by Mrs Hudson, who would have bickered about it to Sherlock ('vandals, couldn't you find them and hold them responsible" etc

And Molly would have indeed said, 'funny you should say that as...".


I am, however, the first to admit that our discussions and ideas are pretty much a bit out there by now. It is a wonder we are not any more bonkers seeing how long we have already been waiting for more episodes

To me Sherlock mutters 'IOU' under his breath because he is pondering what Moriarty means by it, what challenge it poses and how he can plan accordingly. It is a subconscious muttering that Molly was not supposed to hear because he was oblivious to her being right beside him at the time.

kazza474 wrote:

The Doctor wrote:

"By confronting Molly with "IOU" Sherlock wants to find out whether Molly has got or seen an IOU recently as well"

gosh, that's why I love this forum. That's brilliant!

You see that is one bit I find laughable, not 'brilliant'.
Molly is not too fast on the uptake when things are right in front of her; Sherlock knows this only too well & yet he is obtusely 'confronting' her about this supposed 'message'?

I'd sooner swallow the bible theory with the apple, etc.

Oh silly me forgot that you are the one who knows a lot more than the rest of us, Kazza!
I've been under the distinct impression for some time that you might be Mofftiss' ghostwriter.
Anyway, I'm always happy to be of service to you when it comes to having a good laugh over ridiculous theories. (No offence!)

Ouch, Molly is not that numb. A mortuary technician is by nature pretty independent and used to paying attention in line of their work.

Remember , we are supposed to see her emotional clumsiness but she is surely an exceptional professional!

I haven't got an inkling as to what IOU means. It's baffling and I don't think there are any red herrings.

There are many forshadowings and repeated images. The most obvious is the clues leading to "fake suicide".

There are also dozens of links to TRF from all the preceeding episodes. More like Forsyth Saga than Inspector Lewis. I tell people to be sure to watch Sherlock series from the beginning.

I have a weak idea what IOU means: Moriarty owes Sherlock for creating him (Moriarty) as a notorious, going-down-in history master criminal. He found an equal intellectual and was finally able to match wits against him. A real rival finally after being surrounded by boring ordinary people.

But then why was he surprised at the end to find out Sherlock was him, listening intently and saying yes, you are me.

IOU could mean a lot of other things but I'm unable to unravel them to find out what.

Also IOU for something Sherlock did to him and he wants revenge. But what?

Maybe he thinks Sherlock stole the affection of Irene and Molly from him and that's why he takes Kitty away from Sherlock. (allegiance nor love I would say.)

Or Sherlock ruined his career as not only master criminal in charge of things in London and the world. Plus Sherlock ruining his career as a TV storybook man for children? That may be how he scared the children to scream when they saw Sherlock. Putting Sherlock as the villian/ogre in a fairytale. "Every story needs a good villian...

IOU has something to do with The Final Problem element?

Or the painting Sherlock recovered The R. Fall. Was Moriarty also an art thief and Sherlock twarthed him? By the time he comitted suicide he'd given up on caring about anything...too boring and mundane. Sherlock was the Final Problem to him. Not only did Sherlock make him a famous criminal, Sherlock then took that away from him. He wanted to return the favor. IOU means IOU for making me a notorious criminal and IOU for taking that away from me by the end of the show.

It may relate to Doyle's story more directly. Did Holmes kill Moriarty or did Moriarty kill Holmes?

I don't think any element in a good screenplay is insignificant. Everything is there for a reason. But the screenwriters have a penchant for explaining everything very simply (cliffhangers with simple explanations).

We're taking this all way too seriously. It's entertainment and fun. And I love it.I hope it runs as long a Poirot.

In effect in the original story they both died. That is how the original story was written and that should have been the end of Sherlock Holmes. HOWEVER, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was forced by pressure from the readership to resurrect Holmes. Therefore he had him surviving the fall at Reichenbach through the mysterious use of a martial art baritsu. Finally therefore it was just Moriarty who died at Reichenbach. One should conclude form this that Moriarty IS dead.

Lupin wrote:

An exceptional professional at her job of being a mortician, not at being a detective, especially when she's oblivious to what's going on with Moriarty. She doesn't know about their game until Sherlock brings her in when he asks for her help. I don't think muttering IOU would trigger someone to say "Oh wait, I saw an IOU spray-painted outside the hospital today. What do you think it means?" Plus, for all Sherlock knows, the apple IOU is meant for him, not John. There's no reason to believe he would link IOUs to murdering his friends, since Moriarty gave NO indication this was part of his plan before the fall outside of John.

Also, Sherlock looks down on everyone else for their deductive reasoning. It seems unlikely he'd expect Molly to pick up on a subtle cue. I'd imagine he'd outright ask Molly if she'd seen an IOU. The knowledge of IOUs doesn't put Molly in danger if she hadn't seen one.

Agreed. and if these IOUs were supposed to warn the people involved, John never saw the apple. It would have been more likely that Mrs H saw it than John. I doubt lestrade would look out the windows of his office often & there would have to be someone there to turn the lights on & let him read it, IF he noriced it at all. I agree that I doubt 'the game' would rely on these three ordinary people being observant enough to notice & understand the graffitti etc.
They were simply in places where Sherlock would see them, forever taunting him. Near where his 'friends' were? Possibly but really that is more coincidence than anything, he really doesn't regularly visit any more places than these three, lol.
You can rely on him being in his flat & seeing the apple; you can rely on him leaving his flat & you can rely on him being at the police headquarters.

I noticed that John echoed the sentiment at the very end, when giving his little heartfelt funeral speech. Significant? I have no idea.