For me this is without doubt Stephen Thompson's finest moment.
Having said that, I do wonder if this raises issues for us:
By S 3, Stephen was hardly writing for the show and by S 4 he wasn't writing for the show at all.
So how much of the story did he know, bearing in mind some of the most important decisions appear to have been made very last minute...
However, I am aware this is the favourite episode of many and boy can I see why, I had actually forgotten just how good it is.
I also wanted to say that I felt it was a stunning piece of direction from Toby Haynes...so maybe we don't just need Paul McGuigan.
Anyway...I digress!
SEVEN pages of notes I took for this one: so here goes!
The opening scene is John with his counselor: the link to S 4 is obviously Sherlock visiting Ella.
However I did also want to add that I really had forgotten the gut wrenching nature of John's distress and it really does herald his animal like cries of pain in S 4.
At this stage, John only thinks he has lost his best friend, obviously in S 4 we really see him losing his wife.
The newspaper article has John as a 'confirmed bachelor', by S 4, he is a widow.
John advises Sherlock to " stay out of the news", well I'm assuming he achieves this in S4 when I expect all of the Eurus arc was hushed up.
We have Moriarty listening to classical music, as he does his thing...by TFP, he arrives to rock music.
Here we have the story of the pretend use of a code, whereas in TFP, cracking the code really is key.
Of course Moriarty leaves the message ' Get Sherlock' and it's Sherlock who Eurus wants in TFP. But of course Sherlock(I presume) leaves the message: 'Tell my sister I'm here', in TFP.
Of course the security goes down at Pentonville, just as it does at Sherrinford in TFP.
We see Moriarty garbed as a queen..by TFP he's listening to Queen!
Moriarty is referred to as a 'consulting criminal', well of course he consults with Eurus.
"I felt we had a special something", Sherlock says of Eurus, which reminded me of the special little dance Eurus and Moriarty perform together.
We have the fabulous shot of Moriarty and Sherlock in juxtaposition, which again reminded me of Eurus and Jim, either side of the Sherrinford glass.
Moriarty is threatened with a 'long custodial sentence'...can't imagine anything would be as long as the one for Eurus.
Moriarty offers 'no defence and walks free'...a bit like Eurus not being secured and leaving Sherrinford.
Moriarty visits Eurus in her cell, just as Sherlock does.
Sherlock is playing violin when Moriarty visits him, like Eurus is when Sherlock visits her in TFP.
Moriarty tells the story of Bach not being able to cope with an unfinished melody. Possibly neither can Eurus, as she plays along with Sherlock.
Moriarty refers to the fact that he managed to break into The Tower, so worming his way into a few TV screens is nothing...we see him on TV again in TFP.
We have Moriarty mentioning The Final Problem...which of course in fulfilled at the close of S 4.
Moriarty speaks of the terror cells who all want him as suddenly he is Mr Sex.
Of course Eurus is able to predict terror attacks, but she seems to find Moriarty a bit sexy, too.
Moriarty tells us that " falling is just like flying, except there's a more permanent destination." Clear reference to lost, little girl Eurus on the crashing plane.
Sherlock tells us he's never liked riddles and Moriarty advises he should learn to...sound advice for Sherlock in TFP.
John gets dragged off by the two Diogenes ushers, as he gets hauled off by the Sherrinford security.
Mycroft says of Sherlock, "there's too much history between us, John."  We get the full history in TFP.
He adds " Moriarty is obsessed with Sherlock", this of course leads him to work with Eurus.
John is right when he tells Mycroft" so I have to watch out for your brother, because he won't accept your help".
We have the story line of the kidnapped Children who have vanished, an obvious nod to Victor.
Sherlock is able to discern the kidnapper's shoe size, gait and his pace...a bit like he notices such difference between Eurus in his flat and Culverton Smiths' daughter!
Joohn tells Sherlock "don't do the smiling thing...kidnapped children", which reminded me of Eurus making Sherlock scream over the disappearance of Victor.
In the stunning 'Molly scene'(still remember how this struck me the first time I saw it!), Sherlock tells her " I need you"...he certainly does in TFP.
Here Sherlock tells Molly " don't fee the need to make conversation", he isn't saying that in TFP.
"I don't count," says Molly...little does she know.
"What can I need from you?" Sherlock asks Molly, well it's 3 magic words in TFP.
Molly nudges Sherlock that he" probably should say thank you".  Steven assures us in TFP, freed Sherlock thanks Molly.
Sherlock receives a note about the children which says "Hurry up, they're dying", which is like the TFP prompts about the girl on the plane.
Sherlock mentions murder by 'remote control', which references the drone in TFP.
Sherlock realises the murderer could be thousands of miles away...well Eurus is certainly hundreds of miles away on Sherrinford.
Happily these kidnapped children are safely found: there isn't such a good outcome for Victor.
Greg warns Sherlock that the girl is in shock and is in 7 years old...part of this could have described Eurus in her day.
Sherlock reminds the girl of the kidnapper...which made me think of the closeness and resemblance between Sherlock and Eurus.
The girl is in such shock, "she won't say another word". A similar thing happens to Eurus.
The interrupted TV show in the taxi, reminded me of Mycroft's interrupted movie in TFP.
Greg tells Sally Sherlock is "better" than the cops.  IN TFP he becomes a "good man".
Moriarty warns Sherlock "that wasn't the final problem", we have to wait until the end of S 4 for that.
Sherlock tells John, " you can't kill an idea, once it's made a home there(brain)" This reminded me of Eurus re-programming people.
Sherlock says Moriarty is trying to "destroy me inch by inch", a bit like Eurus attempts with her increasing challenges in TFP.
There is a shot of a cleaner hoovering Greg's office and it just reminded me of Mrs H hoovering in TFP!
The chief demands Greg brings Moriarty in a s suspect, whereas in TFP he is called to Sherrinford as a Xmas present!
Sally asks "What sort of man would kidnap those kids?" We know a young girl kidnapped Victor.
Sherlock refers to " our imminent and daring escape"...Eurus makes a couple of those in TFP.
John becomes a hostage, as he does in TFP.
Sherlock references " a lie that's preferable to the truth", just as Mycroft lied to his parents about Eurus.
Sherlock states that " a big family reconciliation? Now's not really appropriate."  It is by the end of TFP.
Sherlock speaks of Moriarty's code; " he planted it when he came around". Eurus planted the song in Sherlock's brain.
Kitty tells Sherlock" I wanted to be on your side", which reminded me of Eurus and "Play with me, Sherlock".
Moriarty says to John, " Dr Watson, I know you're a good man." John is told this by both David and Mycroft in TFP.
Sherlock yells at Moriarty to " Stop it now," just like Mycroft tells Eurus in TFP.
John asks Sherlock if it's possible Moriarty could completely change his identity... Eurus does a lot of that in S 4.
Sherlock speaks of how to " wrap a lie in a truth, to make it more palatable", which I guess is relevant to how all the Holmes dealt with each other...but also what Sherlock told himself.
Sherlock states that Moriarty has " my whole Life story". Well he does once he's visited Eurus.
The blazing contrast: in TRF, Sherlock deals with Moriarty alone(but with Mycroft's help).  By TFP it's Sherlock and Mycroft, but with John fully integrated.
Sherlock tells Molly " You do count. " He will only find out how much in TFP.
Sherlock says "I think I'm going to die"...I wonder if he thinks the same in TFP. But Eurus wants him alive.
Molly asks Sherlock what he needs and he replies "You".  So true of TFP.
So we now realise that Mycroft really is confessing to John about providing Moriarty with 'Sherlock's entire life"
" I never meant..." Mycroft begins...he's already regretting the permitting of that Xmas present to Eurus.
John really does need to "watch Sherlock's back," as Mycroft explains, " I made a mistake". 
We learn that Moriarty is only willing to speak to Mycroft a little , but in return he " is granted certain favours".
John again stumbles upon the truth with his" one big lie...people will take it, because the rest of it is true."
As John asserts " you have given him(Moriarty) the perfect ammunition." After TFP, we know the ammunition was Redbeard.
"John I'm sorry, tell him "...Mycroft really means this.
Mycroft confesses fully to both Sherlock and John in TFP.
Sherlock says if he can clear his name he can 'Bring back Moriarty'...only a shame he can't do that with Victor.
Sherlock tells Moriarty " I have something of yours you may want back". Reminded me of Eurus and her hair band!
In TRF we have the whole distraction to try and keep John away from the action..in TFP he is right in the middle of it.
" Alone protects me" asserts Sherlock, but John knows the truth : "Friends protect people". We see this in TFP.
We have Moriarty's Stayin' Alive theme tune...changes to 'I want to break free' in TFP'.
Moriarty says that if Sherlock dies his friends will be saved...in TFP, Sherlock is told he has to kill a friend.
Sherlock says Moriarty is clever referencing The Reichenbach Fall, " the case that made my name".
In TFP, Eurus references " The Musgrave Ritual", Sherlock's first case.
Moriarty has to tel, Sherlock there is " no key code, the digits are meaningless". in TFP, Sherlock does have to break the code.
Moriarty used " willing participants" to help him commit his crimes. Eurus brainwashes people, though she does co-opt one of the Garrideb bros.
With Richard Brook, Moriarty created " An entirely false Identity," this is a speciality for Eurus.
Moriarty asks Sherlock to die "for me", Eurus wants Sherlock to kill for her.
"Your friends will die if you don't " says Moriarty.  Sherlock is asked to kill a friend in TFP.  Also Eurus applies the pressure of the girl on the pane, as Moriarty adds the pressure of the snipers on Sherlock's friends.  Eurus does her own sniping.
Moriarty's people need to see Sherlock comply.  By TFP, we have Eurus who operates alone.
Sherlock asks for one moment of privacy...Eurus and Moriarty had five minutes together.
Sherlock starts laughing when he thinks he won't have to play Moriarty's game...by TFP he is preparing to commit suicide rather than comply with Eurus.
As Sherlock points out to Moriarty:  " I am you, prepared to do anything, prepared to burn". He is prepared to burn for Mycroft and John in TFP.
Moriarty says goodbye and shakes Sherlock's hand, unlike his little dance with Eurus.
Moriarty explain to Sherlock that as long as he has him, he can save his friends...but obviously he isn't going to let that happen. He commits suicide to try and enforce Sherlock to jump.  Eurus stops Sherlock committing suicide.
Sherlock sheds fake tears in TRF. In S 4, he sheds very real ones.
Sherlock says he created Moriarty for his own purposes...but he seems very alive to John in TFP!
John reminds Sherlock how when they first met, he told him all about his sister...Sherlock then didn't know about his own sister!
Sherlock says he researched about John.  Moriarty didn't have to research Sherlock, Mycroft and Eurus gave him all he needed.
John is knocked out, this happens again in TFP.
" I'm his friend" John proclaims of Sherlock...by TFP, Sherlock considers him a brother.
John is no longer a target as Sherlock does what Moriarty wanted. By TFP, Sherlock is prepared to commit suicide to save both Mycroft and John from being targets.
We see John alone in the flat.  Widow John is shown alone in his house.
John tells Mrs H he is angry... this should possibly have been an early warning of how he would react in TLD.
John tells 'dead' Sherlock, " no-one will ever convince me that you told me a lie."  Shame how he forgets this in TLD... but really, this was a horrible thing to do to John. Mrs H tells him there is " nothing unusual" in his feeling angry.
John stands to attention by the grave, which reminded me of them playing soldiers in TFP.
Before John leaves the grave, he gives it a nod.  I feel this is him acknowledging Sherlock is dead and that he has to move on. It's like when he finally lets go of Mary in TLD.
John cries buckets, but hell how he will cry in TLD.
The last image of Sherlock, is like Mary's post-death appearances.



 

Last edited by besleybean (July 14, 2017 7:36 pm)