BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Shotgun Wedding

**Posted by TornadoAli** February 3, 2016 8:32 pm

So in TAB, the Bride says "shotgun wedding!" just before shooting her husband...the term shotgun wedding usually refers to being forced to marry due to a pregnancy, BUT, in a way John was forced to marry Mary because Sherlock came back too late...Just one day earlier and do you think John still would have proposed? (Or would he have at least put it off a bit?) He was kind of forced to since he was in the middle of it (!!!) when Sherlock reappeared. Plus, since TAB is mainly in Sherlock's head, I wonder if in Sherlock's mind does he resent himself for coming back too late? All of that work to just to get back to his normal bachelor life with John, and he missed it by a day (an hour? a half-hour?). John was forced to move on by Sherlock himself, when he jumped and pretended to be dead. Is that one of the ghosts that haunts him? Does he see it as his failure?

**Posted by Harriet** February 3, 2016 9:41 pm

Interesting connection. No, I guess John wouldn't have proposed, I asked myself the same question.
Your ideas make a lot of sense to me.

**Posted by Little Weed** February 3, 2016 9:45 pm

Also it's actually a phrase that didn't come about till the 20's I think so it's another of those this that happen in Sherlock's head that point to something else...

**Posted by Liberty** February 4, 2016 7:56 am

If there's a connection, I think it's probably that Mary was pregnant when they married (the usual reason for a shotgun wedding). John might have felt some obligation to Mary, but as she wasn't pregnant when he proposed, there was no pressure on that front (not that it's even an issue these days!), and no coercion from anybody else. Even after proposing, he could have cancelled the wedding at any time.

**Posted by Mothonthemantel** February 4, 2016 10:21 am

Shotgun reunion I think is more appropriate.
John would not have reunited with Mary if she wasn't pregnant.

**Posted by Russell** February 4, 2016 6:29 pm

Liberty wrote:
If there's a connection, I think it's probably that Mary was pregnant when they married (the usual reason for a shotgun wedding). John might have felt some obligation to Mary, but as she wasn't pregnant when he proposed, there was no pressure on that front (not that it's even an issue these days!), and no coercion from anybody else. Even after proposing, he could have cancelled the wedding at any time.

Um, also, he didn't even know she was, at the time, but yes, definitely part of the factor in choosing to stay with her afterwards. But I agree, neat connection of tangents.

**Posted by Liberty** February 4, 2016 6:50 pm

Yes, I do kind of wonder if one of the (storytelling) reasons for Mary's pregnancy, was to make it more believable that John would stay with her. (That, and to confuse us about who the "three" were!)

**Posted by TornadoAli** February 4, 2016 7:29 pm

Did Mary get pregnant in the Doyle stories?

**Posted by ukaunz** February 4, 2016 7:44 pm

There's no mention of it.