BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / There's something I don't understand.

**Posted by kgreen20** February 16, 2017 5:38 pm

Why did Mycroft address John as Dr. Watson during the 4th season? In "The Great Game" and "The Reichenbach Falls" (and at least once during "A Study in Pink"), he addressed the doctor by his first name, but during "The Abominable Bride" and every time they met during the 4th season, he addressed him as Dr. Watson.

**Posted by ewige** February 16, 2017 6:03 pm

My head canon is that Mycroft disapproves of John hurting Sherlock by marrying somebody else and making Sherlock watch, but that's just me...

**Posted by besleybean** February 16, 2017 6:09 pm

I think Mycroft is just showing respect to John.
I also think Mycroft knows Sherlock has feelings for Irene.

**Posted by tobeornot221b** February 16, 2017 8:14 pm

besleybean wrote:
I also think Mycroft knows Sherlock has feelings for Irene.

And that's why he addresses John as "Dr Watson"?

**Posted by besleybean** February 16, 2017 8:16 pm

No, I was responding to ewige's head canon.

**Posted by tonnaree** February 16, 2017 8:43 pm

In TAB he calls him Dr. Watson because that was what he would've done in Victorian times.

**Posted by besleybean** February 16, 2017 8:44 pm

This is so.

**Posted by SusiGo** February 16, 2017 9:15 pm

True, but I do not see why Mycroft's way of address for John has changed in S4 as well.

**Posted by besleybean** February 16, 2017 9:17 pm

Well certainly thinking of the drone scene: it's possibly a kind of formal 'goodbye'.

**Posted by kgreen20** February 17, 2017 12:57 am

tonnaree wrote:
In TAB he calls him Dr. Watson because that was what he would've done in Victorian times.

In the Victorian-era scenes, yes, I can see him doing that, but once the episode shifted back to modern times, and to the airplane scene near the end of the episode, it should have been a different story. He should have called the doctor "John", as he did in previous episodes.

Last edited by kgreen20 (February 17, 2017 12:58 am)

**Posted by besleybean** February 17, 2017 7:09 am

I think it's because he is getting all serious when the Game is On, also perhaps emphasising John needs to care for Sherlock.

**Posted by Rache** February 17, 2017 8:01 am

Hm interesting, never noticed.
Has nobody else got their extended mind palace alarm bells ringing? :D

**Posted by SusiGo** February 17, 2017 8:44 am

Sure I have, Rache, can't you hear them? And someone just wrote an interesting post on Tumblr about the fact that John's new hairstyle is basically his TAB hair.

**Posted by ewige** February 17, 2017 9:02 am

Rache wrote:
Hm interesting, never noticed.
Has nobody else got their extended mind palace alarm bells ringing? :D

I hear them too, and I'm even not really into EMP ;)

Last edited by ewige (February 17, 2017 9:02 am)

**Posted by Vhanja** February 17, 2017 10:03 am

I figured he called him Dr. Watson to distance himself from John. Make him out as more of a "bad guy" to make it easier for Sherlock to make the choice.

**Posted by SusiGo** February 17, 2017 11:20 am

I just checked all episodes. N/A = not applicable, Mycroft does not meet John or does not address him by name:

ASiP - Doctor Watson
TBB - N/A
TGG - John
ASiB - John calling Mycroft by his first name, so we can assume it is mutual
THobB - N/A
TRF - John
TEH - John
TSoT - N/A
HLV - John calling Mycroft by his first name, so we can assume it is mutual
TAB - Doctor Watson, BOTH modern and Victorian scenes!!
TST - N/A
TLD - N/A
TFP - Doctor Watson

So there is a sort of arc to this. They start with the formal address when they meet, changing over to first names some time between ASiP and TGG, remain like this until some time after Mycroft's drugs bust in HLV. From TAB onwards Mycroft addresses John as Doctor Watson until the end of TFP. So this does not have anything to do with it being Victorian. Nor does it have to do with Mycroft keeping his distance in TFP to facilitate Sherlock shooting him. He addresses John as Doctor Watson throughout the episode, even when they are alone.

**Posted by ewige** February 17, 2017 11:27 am

Yay! Research!

**Posted by Vhanja** February 17, 2017 11:45 am

Ooo, for science! Nice work, Susi!

I wonder if it's intentional or if the name he used is just random.

**Posted by SusiGo** February 17, 2017 11:54 am

I would say it was random if they changed it just like that from one episode to the next or within an episode. Which they did not. There is a clear line: Doctor Watson - John - Doctor Watson. No exception I could find.

**Posted by tonnaree** February 17, 2017 12:17 pm

Very interesting.