BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Mycroft in TFP

**Posted by besleybean** January 21, 2017 11:23 am

Of that I am not certain...but he obviously didn't want to lose his brother, especially as he's kind of already lost his sister.

**Posted by Naavy** January 21, 2017 12:39 pm

There is no real, palpable proof - just Mycroft's obvious caring, and perhaps his reaction, when Moriarty was supposed to be back. It looked to me, like he wasn't surprised, that Moriarty was back, but when something like that happened ;]
And also his "How is the exile going? (...) Well, I certainly hope you’ve learned your lesson.". It sounds like he had these words prepared for later use, but this was the last opportunity to say them, so he did it.

As you can see - I am very subjective in this case.

Last edited by Naavy (January 21, 2017 1:05 pm)

**Posted by besleybean** January 21, 2017 12:42 pm

Well, possibly we are all subjective, to a certain extent.
I just disagree on this particular point, I think Mycroft's initial reaction is one of total surprise, when he first hears of Moriarty's TV stunt.

**Posted by kgreen20** January 21, 2017 4:43 pm

Yes, I noticed that, myself. He did indeed appear to be quite surprised and shocked.

**Posted by Liberty** January 21, 2017 6:03 pm

Well, I'm just theorising without any evidence, because I don't like the idea of Mycroft sending Sherlock off to near certain death. But what if ... he talks about what he did to the other one, and one of the things he did to the other one was fake her death. So it's quite possible that Mycroft planned to send Sherlock on the death mission, then fake his death and extract him. That seems to be the kind of thing people do in this series! (I'm thinking of Sherlock rescuing Irene).

**Posted by besleybean** January 21, 2017 6:05 pm

When Sherlock had already had one fake death?
I'm not sure.
In the discussion seen with Lady Smallwood et al... Mycroft does seem to think that exile is about the best he can do for Sherlock. Possibly hoping he would survive?

**Posted by Schmiezi** January 21, 2017 6:06 pm

Liberty wrote:
Well, I'm just theorising without any evidence, because I don't like the idea of Mycroft sending Sherlock off to near certain death. But what if ... he talks about what he did to the other one, and one of the things he did to the other one was fake her death. So it's quite possible that Mycroft planned to send Sherlock on the death mission, then fake his death and extract him. That seems to be the kind of thing people do in this series! (I'm thinking of Sherlock rescuing Irene).

Oh that is a clever theory. I like it.

**Posted by Naavy** January 21, 2017 9:03 pm

I am sorry, I prefer my own theory Sherlock already faked his death once. What is worse: pretending to die during his suicidal mission, he never would be allowed to come back to UK, to his life. He needed to obtain the real, even, if unofficial, pardon.
Mycroft is the genius, and he has the real, big, power. He could use the emerging crisis, or manipulate the existing (somewhere in UK) difficult situation, but pretend, he was trying to overcome the problems - until the crisis broke,. Then would be the right time to bring Sherlock back, as the only, irreplaceable, man, who can help.
Mycroft would have 3-4 months to find the right way, and act imperceptibly. I imagine, it was his intention.

Last edited by Naavy (January 21, 2017 9:04 pm)

**Posted by besleybean** January 21, 2017 9:06 pm

But then why weren't we shown this?
Why were we told Eurus and Jim organised the video campaign between them?

**Posted by Naavy** January 21, 2017 9:12 pm

No idea, we should
But this is only the theory, existing, because I believe, Mycroft really cares about Sherlock.

**Posted by besleybean** January 21, 2017 9:15 pm

I have no doubt that Mycroft really cares about Sherlock and he was devastated about Sherlock executing CAM in front of witnesses...because he knew what it meant.
But he did seem surprised about the Moriarty video.

**Posted by Naavy** January 21, 2017 9:27 pm

He was very surprised, but I believe, he should feel also a bit of disbelief to the person, who was reporting him the news (or more of disbelief to the message). It would be natural, since Moriarty was dead. And I miss this part, there is basically only surprise.
Well, it is hard to put words on it, and I have only my impression...

**Posted by NoShipSherlock** January 22, 2017 8:42 pm

Rache wrote, "When [Mycroft] insulted John I was thinking for a second: wtf, Mycroft, how can you say this?? Then I understood. Anybody else who was irritated for the blink of an eye, or did you immediately see what he did? It was the ultimate horror/agony in this episode."

Yes, I had a few seconds where I thought Mycroft was being a real jerk, but I quickly realized what he was doing and it was all the more poignant when I did see through what was happening. And how noble that he would have sacrificed himself so that John would be spared.
      I agree with all of the posts here about Mycroft! Mycroft was extremely well-written and executed, especially in this last episode. Excellent work by Mark Gatiss!
      I love the interactions between Mycroft and Sherlock in this episode. They manage to be heartfelt without becoming maudlin. Those scenes could have easily become over-the-top with emotion or laughable or even just flat and not believable, but they found a such delicate balance and managed to convey both sentiment and humor, and a sense of real history between the two--how a real family or real brothers would interact if their lives were in danger. Just beautifully done.
      These type of male to male character interactions are what draw me to the show (I am female by the way, if it matters). I think, at least in American television and movies, we so rarely see either the deep type of friendship portrayed by John and Sherlock or the brotherly love showed here by Mycroft and Sherlock. The closest I can think of is Lethal Weapon. No one ever thinks twice about female friendships like, for instance, Meredith Grey and Christina Yang on Grey's Anatomy being portrayed in the manner of being soul mates but not sexual partners. That is how I see John and Sherlock. Soul mates, but not partners. To me, that is more special and unique a portrayal than viewing them as a couple. Likewise, I think we rarely see as nuanced a performance as we saw here between two brothers. (Sorry, that got a bit off topic!)
Just really loved the progression of all the characters throughout the series and it was wonderful to get behind Mycroft's motives a bit more and see what made him tick!

**Posted by besleybean** January 22, 2017 8:44 pm

Aw, that's lovely.
Thank you for the post.

**Posted by Naavy** January 22, 2017 10:24 pm

Mycroft was never before such openly, honestly caring brother.
However I wonder, why was he so convinced, that to conceal the truth about past was the better, then to say the truth. Should not Sherlock be told some day (when he was 18 or 22 yrs old), what happened, when he was a boy?

Last edited by Naavy (January 22, 2017 10:24 pm)

**Posted by besleybean** January 23, 2017 6:31 am

I don't know if it's one of those chicken and egg scenarios.
But think how Sherlock turned out?
A druggie.
Now was that because he was dealing with childhood trauma?
Or did Mycroft think if he told Sherlock the truth, it would make him worse?

**Posted by Naavy** January 23, 2017 8:53 am

But Mycroft new, when Sherlock started to suppress his emotions, and why he kept doing it, too.
Sherlock never learned to understand his emotions or to deal with them - that is the reason, he needed some sort of chemical "support". Obviously trauma was the reason, why he started to use (mostly, I not rule out the simple curiosity as part of his motive too).
To tell Sherlock the truth would be initially very distressing, but he needed it.
Perhaps Mycroft did not understand it, because he kept suppressing his emotions too?

**Posted by besleybean** January 23, 2017 7:51 pm

Possibly so.

**Posted by nakahara** February 1, 2017 11:29 am

Poor Mycroft:

https://codenameantarctica.tumblr.com/post/156310471104/hey-sherlock

**Posted by besleybean** February 1, 2017 4:54 pm

Love the siblings.