BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / When will S4 be set?

**Posted by ukaunz** January 13, 2016 2:20 am

We left off the main series with HLV in 2014, and TAB is set the same day as the tarmac scene, so we haven't progressed forward in time since then. I wonder how the Sherlock timeline will go now? By the time s4 airs in 2017 it'll be 3 years behind real time. I assume Moftiss want to keep things as up-to-date as possible (so Sherlock can use the latest technology etc.) so I wonder if there will be any jumps forward in time to catch up in s4? This is the problem with such long hiatuses! (or whatever the plural of hiatus is).

Last edited by ukaunz (January 13, 2016 2:21 am)

**Posted by Liberty** January 13, 2016 8:00 am

I've been wondering about that too. It would be possible for them to just start in at the present day, then flashback. Or they could clear up the Mary/baby/drugs/what Moriarty is doing next in episode one and go forward in time over the other two episodes (S2 seemed to stretch over a longer period of time).

Both S2 and TAB led directly on from the previous episode, I suppose. So jumping forward in time has only been done once, and then with a good reason (Sherlock was gone for 2 years).

I think it makes sense to keep it contemporary as it will suit the actors' ages too! Not that there's a huge amount of aging over a couple of years, and there's such a thing as makeup and lighting, but it will add up.

**Posted by ukaunz** January 13, 2016 11:34 am

Oh yes, the actors' ages was another thing I had been thinking of, but forgot to include in my post. It will certainly make it harder to do continuations of scenes from the end of one series to the beginning of the next with 2 or 3 years of "real life" in between. In the commentary for SiB, Benedict was quite concerned about how his face had changed since TGG for his closeup!

**Posted by besleybean** January 13, 2016 5:01 pm

Wasn't that when he beefed up for Star Trek, though?

**Posted by Little Weed** January 17, 2016 4:33 pm

Yes watching Series 1 it always strikes me that Sherlock looks so babyfaced, then bam Series 3 he suddenly looks grown up. But for the worlds oldest toddler I guess it's about time.

**Posted by nakahara** January 18, 2016 12:23 am

Little Weed wrote:
Yes watching Series 1 it always strikes me that Sherlock looks so babyfaced, then bam Series 3 he suddenly looks grown up. But for the worlds oldest toddler I guess it's about time.

Toddler again, huh?

**Posted by besleybean** January 18, 2016 6:44 am

Well it's a long time ago now and a lot has happened in his life.

**Posted by Little Weed** January 18, 2016 8:36 am

nakahara wrote:
Little Weed wrote:
Yes watching Series 1 it always strikes me that Sherlock looks so babyfaced, then bam Series 3 he suddenly looks grown up. But for the worlds oldest toddler I guess it's about time.
Toddler again, huh?

It's a paraphrase of an Actual quote from ASiP... I don't think he's a toddler... though it's very obvious his brother does and it's affected his self esteem... TPoT tells us that... it's actual canon...

EDIT: Omg my Whovian came out to play... The Sign of Three... not the power... sorry folks. Nothing to see here... ,

Last edited by Little Weed (January 18, 2016 5:58 pm)

**Posted by tonnaree** January 18, 2016 4:52 pm

S4 will open on a sunset beach somewhere. In the distance we see a couple walking in the immenent twilight. As they get closer we see that it is John and Sherlock. They stop, and with their arms around each other they turn to watch the sea. Sherlock's face is full of awe as he whispers "I can't believe we're here." John looks up at him and reaches a hand to cup his face. "Well" John says, "it was a strange journey but here we are." As the two lean forward for a tender kiss we flash back to the final scene of TAB and watch how we got to this perfect happy ending.

**Posted by mrshouse** January 18, 2016 5:41 pm

Aw, tonnaree.... I'm melting...
Lovely headcanon. Absolutely corny but most lovely.

**Posted by SolarSystem** January 19, 2016 7:59 am

tonnaree... stop it! It's nine o'clock in the morning and I need to get some work done!

**Posted by Ariane DeVere** January 19, 2016 1:21 pm

Dammit, tonnaree, and you expect me to write the transcript for that scene without melting into a puddle of drool?!!

**Posted by tonnaree** January 19, 2016 2:09 pm

*not sorry*

Wish I had the energy to write an actual fic.

**Posted by besleybean** January 19, 2016 4:37 pm

Anyhow...
I think S4 will pick up exactly from where we left them at the tarmac.

**Posted by Little Weed** January 19, 2016 10:25 pm

besleybean wrote:
Anyhow...
I think S4 will pick up exactly from where we left them at the tarmac.

Either at Baker Street, the Police Station or Mycroft's office as they all just left in a car... And there were four of them... so possibly not in the back of the car.

**Posted by besleybean** January 20, 2016 6:31 am

Mycroft in the front, the Watsons + Sherlock in the back.
Will Mycroft dump them all at their respective homes?
Will Watsons + Sherlock go to 221B?
Or, will we see all 4 of them huddled together plotting, in Mycroft's campaign office?