BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Sherlock & Moriarty Tea Scene

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** February 16, 2012 11:27 pm

Watched this episode again today and I really think the tea scene contains a lot of interesting stuff...

1. Moriarty talks about the Final Problem several times (which was of course the title of the original story), and he tells Sherlock he's already told him what it was but did he listen...what does he mean by that? And what is the final problem - Sherlock himself, and how to get rid of him?

2. Is it coincidence that when he talks about a "fall" he mimics falling from a great height and smashing on the floor (like what happened)...is he talking about a metaphorical fall or is he planning a literal fall - does he already know that a tall building will be involved??

3. What is it about I.O.U.? I know what it means of course (I Owe You) and I know that people use the letters IOU but does it have any special significance within this episode...Moriarty really put emphasis on the words at the end - was he trying to give a clue to something?

**Posted by besleybean** October 7, 2012 4:15 pm

No. I think Moriarty was just being dramatic. He owes Sherlock a fall, as he keeps stopping Ms' work.
I think he could possibly mean BOTH senses of the word fall.
Tho he does imply on the roof that the tall building was Sherlock's suggestion. Maybe Moriarty gave Sherlock a hint...

Last edited by besleybean (October 7, 2012 5:46 pm)

**Posted by NW16XE** October 7, 2012 4:30 pm

He has 'told' him what the final problem is by his ringtone, I think, which Sherlock has heard at least twice. (Unless he really just is a huge BG's fan. )

I think 'IOU a fall' and St Bart's are not coincidental, in as far as Moriarity's choice of words is what gives Sherlock the idea to use the roof of the hospital. He lures Moriarty up there meaning to force a final confrontation under circumstances he knows will appeal to the storyteller in Moriarty. Sherlock is counting on Moriarty wanting him to jump, and thinking it is his own (Moriarty's) idea; he sets up an escape plan in case it works, which it did.

Last edited by NW16XE (October 7, 2012 4:36 pm)

**Posted by veecee** October 7, 2012 5:44 pm

NW16XE wrote:
He has 'told' him what the final problem is by his ringtone, I think, which Sherlock has heard at least twice. (Unless he really just is a huge BG's fan. )

I think 'IOU a fall' and St Bart's are not coincidental, in as far as Moriarity's choice of words is what gives Sherlock the idea to use the roof of the hospital. He lures Moriarty up there meaning to force a final confrontation under circumstances he knows will appeal to the storyteller in Moriarty. Sherlock is counting on Moriarty wanting him to jump, and thinking it is his own (Moriarty's) idea; he sets up an escape plan in case it works, which it did.

Yup.

**Posted by besleybean** October 7, 2012 5:47 pm

Very clever!

**Posted by miriel68** January 29, 2013 11:27 pm

Well, I think that he was very clear indeed as far as the "final problem" is concerned:

"Every person has their pressure point. Someone they want to protect from harm"

And in fact, this is the way he uses to end the "final problem": forcing Sherlock to commit the suicide in order to protect his friends from harm.

**Posted by sherlockian111** January 30, 2013 1:22 am

miriel68 wrote:
Well, I think that he was very clear indeed as far as the "final problem" is concerned:

"Every person has their pressure point. Someone they want to protect from harm"

And in fact, this is the way he uses to end the "final problem": forcing Sherlock to commit the suicide in order to protect his friends from harm.

I agree with that, remember the pool scene, it would've been pretty easy for Moriaty to work out what Sherlock's pressure point is.
But what would Moriaty's have been? I guess he might not have had a pressure point, but then, why would he have said "every person", I guess Moriaty, being Moriaty maybe didn't think of himself as a person.
And also, Moriaty is always like 'we're just alike, u and I', well, they obviously weren't that alike. I don't know, maybe that's why Moriaty says that Sherlock's ordinary, because he can be manipulated by his pressure point (if that makes sense)

**Posted by Davina** January 30, 2013 6:46 am

Moriarty does not consider himself to be ordinary people.

**Posted by besleybean** January 30, 2013 6:47 am

Well he's obvioulsy as human as the rest if us.
But he doesn't behave in a very humane way.

**Posted by Cabear5** March 26, 2013 4:35 pm

In the tea scene, the camera plays the two characters at several different angles encouraging the engaging tit-for-tat exchange going on until Sherlock says, "I don't know," puts down his tea, and closes his hands together. This is when playtime is over. The camera locks in on Moriarty with quite a bit of space to the right. Moriarty stays fairly rigid during this cut. (Sorry, don't know filming/editing technical language.) I think that in the third season, that whole time Moriarty is doing his short monologue there, it is going to show a bunch of white labels flying around him and helping lay out everything Sherlock "knew/deducted" about him and his plan at that time.

**Posted by Schmiezi** March 26, 2013 4:42 pm

Cabear5 wrote:
I think that in the third season, that whole time Moriarty is doing his short monologue there, it is going to show a bunch of white labels flying around him and helping lay out everything Sherlock "knew/deducted" about him and his plan at that time.

I would surely love to see that. Excellent idea!

**Posted by IamSherLock3d** June 1, 2013 9:07 pm

There IS a lot of tea floating about in this episode; this meeting begins it. At all three break-ins someone is drinking tea, then Mycroft has some at the end... hmmm
Is it a something or just very British??

**Posted by besleybean** June 1, 2013 9:08 pm

Very stereotypical of it is.
I can't remember the last time I had a cup of tea.

**Posted by Davina** June 1, 2013 9:54 pm

It might have been coffee in some of the cups!

**Posted by nicbooful** June 1, 2013 10:33 pm

Tea is very British. Whenever I have visitors I always ask if they would like a cup of tea.

**Posted by sherlockian111** June 1, 2013 10:42 pm

There's quite a bit of diamons/jewels and quite a bit of tea in the episode

**Posted by IamSherLock3d** June 2, 2013 10:23 am

I think it must have SOME relevance; they did put it in slow-mo

**Posted by besleybean** June 2, 2013 10:26 am

The tea prep?
Surely it was speeded up!

**Posted by IamSherLock3d** June 2, 2013 11:15 am

When Moriarty broke in to the 3 places... they all spilt it in slow motion

**Posted by Mary Me** June 2, 2013 11:19 am

Well, that's true. But we shouldn't mistake simple effects for clues