BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / The lighting in the episode

**Posted by TornadoAli** February 2, 2016 11:27 pm

I’ve not seen anyone mention it, but in almost all the shots, Holmes is silhouetted by really bright light behind him. Looking at him is kind of blinding; he kind of glows. By the end of the episode though, when he and Watson are sitting across from each other in their chairs, the light is equal. I think that by the end of the episode Holmes has realized that Watson is equally important to him as himself, so now they share the light. Just an idea I had..?

Last edited by TornadoAli (February 2, 2016 11:27 pm)

**Posted by Yitzock** February 3, 2016 12:38 am

I had noticed the lighting of Holmes, but I hadn't thought about there being a transition to equal lighting at the end.
Also, I don't recall one of them being lit more than the other in the Diogenes Club scene at the front with the sign language, but maybe because it didn't warrant the significance for that to matter?

Interesting, though. Well, I think even though Watson is with him throughout the episode, Sherlock does seem to realize more that "there's always two of us," that John will always be there to help him and such, and we see them chatting at the end. So could be that Sherlock realizes that he is not alone, that John is there for him?

**Posted by miriel68** February 3, 2016 7:59 am

Well, I loved the use of light in the episode and I felt it really worked brilliantly with the swings of Sherlock psyche: for example the difference of the light in the first and the second meeting with Mycroft in the Diogens Club, but also the shift in light in the train, when S. says "ghost that we made by ourselves".

**Posted by TornadoAli** February 3, 2016 7:36 pm

I've never really gotten into a movie or tv show before now deep enough to consider "oh that prop was placed there - why?" or "they MUST have filmed this scene from this exact direction, because..." It's fascinating both how much goes into making one of these episodes and how much fun we can have nitpicking them to death. They seem to me like little puzzles in themselves. (Maybe to keep us busy while we wait 5 years for the next one??? hehe) It's just fun all around!