BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Where did John go?

**Posted by Danielle80** April 28, 2016 8:34 pm

I also wondered how Moriarty managed to arrive at Sherlock's flat so fast after the court proceedings and I found something else odd during the hearing :

1. Moriarty's lawyer declared, that Moriarty would not defend himself. The clock showed 11:19.
2. The judge and jury went back to the court after discussing 6 minutes. I looks like the clock showed 10: 51.

**Posted by besleybean** April 28, 2016 8:36 pm

Continuity has a lot to answer for!

**Posted by Ariane DeVere** April 29, 2016 12:14 pm

That first screencap is from the wrong scene. The clock shows 11:19 just after Gatiss' husband ... I mean Moriarty's defence barrister says that they're mounting no defence.

The next time we see the clock is after the judge's summing up, and the clock now shows 10:42. I assume, therefore, that the summing up takes place on the following day. It does seem quite likely that the judge would adjourn the case for the day after the shock revelation from the defence, and then he does his summing up the next day.

**Posted by Danielle80** May 7, 2016 8:49 am

Oh, that's cool, I didn't know that the actor who plays the lawyer is the husband of Mark Gattis I like it very much that they involved their family members in the show (like the the son of Steven Moffat or the real parents of Benedict Cumberbatch).

I always thought that the court hearing last two days, because as far as I remember you could see the sun goes up and down between day one and day two. Between the two scenes I took the screenshots nothing happened like that and this is a bit confusing. But unless the clock was broken or the time went backwards it had to be the next day.

**Posted by besleybean** May 7, 2016 11:10 am

Yes, I certainly took it to be over 2 days.

**Posted by ukaunz** May 10, 2016 9:39 am

I think the props people made a mistake with the clock. They moved the minute hand but forgot to move the hour hand! If you look carefully at what people are wearing, it's clear it happens over two days*. John is wearing the same tie in scenes shown before and after the clock shots. I'm pretty sure it's meant to be the same day even though the clock shows 11:19 and then 10:42.

As for what took John so long to get home, perhaps he was held up by the press asking him questions when he tried to leave the courthouse? Surely it would have been a big story, and he would have been swamped by reporters. I actually think this should have been shown, it would have been a good way to explain him not being able to go straight home.

Then he had to find a taxi or walk all the way back to Baker Street; I don't think he would have been in any mood to deal with the Tube! Moriarty would have had someone whisk him away in a car. I don't think there would have been any paperwork to stop him leaving court, he was found not guilty so he would be free to go immediately.

* Any longer than two days and I think they would have had to show the time passing, with a montage perhaps. Instead they show the sun setting and rising indicating only two days elapsing.

Last edited by ukaunz (May 10, 2016 9:50 am)

**Posted by Danielle80** May 10, 2016 10:16 am

Perhaps Sherlock did something to keep John away from home. It looked like that Sherlock expected the visit of Moriarty and so he didn't want John around as long he was in their flat.

**Posted by besleybean** May 10, 2016 5:12 pm

I think it was meant to be TV magic.
Moriarty gets to Sherlock before John does.
I thought that was the best scene ever.
Then it's topped by the rooftop scene...
But then we got TAB!
Holmes and Moriarty smoldering together in 221B.