BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Sherlock's voice when speaking to Sarah

**Posted by Jonquille** July 31, 2013 8:59 am

Is it just me, but as I was watching again the Blind Banker the other day, I noticed how soothing Sherlock's voice sounds when he undoes Sarah's ties to set her free. And it seems to me that Sherlock doens't usually speak to anybody with a soothing voice. It proves that Sherlock can be " the most human ... human being ", if one might need evidence.
But do you think he allows himself to show his humanity because he thinks she might be of some importance to John, or because he respects her for discovering that numbers are meant to represent words in the cypher ?

**Posted by Mattlocked** July 31, 2013 10:35 am

I was wondering about it, too.
Don't have any idea why he suddenly does so. Maybe because John is around and he finally learned something?

**Posted by James Norrington** July 31, 2013 10:51 am

Maybe he just read somewhere that it's good for people who are in shock (and are not having a blanket) to talk calm and thought it would be the best way to find out whether it really has in impact if he does so? It's an experiment... ;)

**Posted by kittykat** July 31, 2013 1:16 pm

He does the same thing with Mrs Hudson in Scandal, after headbutting the American guy...

**Posted by sj4iy** July 31, 2013 2:06 pm

Eh, I think the "unsociable" thing is a front he puts on so that he can basically get away with being an a**hole...but when necessary, he can be very gentle. So really, I think he's acting the other way around.

**Posted by Jonquille** July 31, 2013 8:19 pm

kittykat wrote:
He does the same thing with Mrs Hudson in Scandal, after headbutting the American guy...

Yes, that's true. But Mrs Hudson is not a stranger to him. She's part of his life in her own way.

**Posted by QuiteExtraordinary** July 31, 2013 8:58 pm

Jonquille wrote:
But do you think he allows himself to show his humanity because he thinks she might be of some importance to John, or because he respects her for discovering that numbers are meant to represent words in the cypher ?

I think it's mainly because of the numbers. She showed some respect for Sherlock's (and John's) work and she was obviously not stupid. He had to respect her at least a little bit for that.

**Posted by sj4iy** July 31, 2013 9:25 pm

But someone in a life or death situation isn't going to "remember" to be sociable. It's simply a normal reaction to the situation at hand.

**Posted by nicbooful** July 31, 2013 9:27 pm

I always saw it as a very genuine moment of compassion for her. A very genuine moment where he acts exactly as others would act rather than putting on a show for people.

**Posted by Liberty** August 5, 2014 9:53 pm

I was thinking about this after watching the episode again tonight. John, as usual, makes a joke (about the next date not being like this). Sherlock does come across as caring and compassionate. It's quite touching.

Earlier on, he also seemed to be concerned when Soo Lin was crying whilst telling him her story. Did anyone else feel that, or am I imagining it?

**Posted by maryagrawatson** August 5, 2014 10:28 pm

Sarah saved Sherlock's life. I suspect that has something to do with his respect for her.

Mary

**Posted by nakahara** August 5, 2014 10:33 pm

Or does it have to do with the fact that Sarah was observant enough to notice translated words on John´s photograph, while Sherlock, the most observant man on the planet, just sat by it for hours and didn´t notice a thing?

**Posted by maryagrawatson** August 5, 2014 11:36 pm

nakahara wrote:
Or does it have to do with the fact that Sarah was observant enough to notice translated words on John´s photograph, while Sherlock, the most observant man on the planet, just sat by it for hours and didn´t notice a thing?

That, too!

I really liked Sarah and which she could have been on the show longer.

Mary

**Posted by Liberty** August 6, 2014 6:44 am

Yes, I liked the character too. She could fight and solve puzzles - she could have been one of the team! I suppose that she sensibly didn't want a second date.

I suppose Sherlock knew that Shan thought John was him, and that she was threatening Sarah to get to him. So maybe he felt a little responsible too. (Actually, I thought it was a bit of a stupid set-up, because once Sarah was dead, which was going to be quite quickly, Shan wouldn't have her as a bargaining tool And why didn't Sarah tip her chair over? Or Sherlock knock it over or shout to her to do it?).

**Posted by nakahara** August 6, 2014 8:00 am

Liberty wrote:
And why didn't Sarah tip her chair over? Or Sherlock knock it over or shout to her to do it?.

Some people, when faced with immediate danger, stiffen up and are unable to move or to defend herself. I guess that´s what happened to Sarah here.
And Sherlock probably believed he would tear her bounds off in time, but then he was distracted by being caught by Chinese murderer himself and had no time to help or to shout anything to Sarah while he was struggling with him.

**Posted by Liberty** August 6, 2014 8:34 am

Yes, I could understand Sarah being frozen by fear, but either Sherlock or John could have suggested it to her at some point. And if Sherlock had taken a second to move the chair even a few inches, he'd have had all the time in the world to get the bonds off. Even when he was fighting it looked like he could have knocked it. It was just so obvious! I first watched it with somebody else, and we couldn't understand how it wasn't explained - maybe the chair was fixed in position and we couldn't see that, but the characters could? (I also wasn't convinced that John could have changed the path of the spear so accurately as it was firing ... but I'll accept it). I really need to stop bothering about these things and just enjoy it!

I did love this little insight into Sherlock's caring side.

Last edited by Liberty (August 6, 2014 8:42 am)

**Posted by nakahara** August 6, 2014 9:00 am

I guess the authors just wanted that John does something heroic in this scene. Saving your girlfriend and your best friend in one go while you are all tied up is waaay better than just watching the proceedings helplessly.

**Posted by maryagrawatson** August 6, 2014 12:53 pm

nakahara wrote:
I guess the authors just wanted that John does something heroic in this scene. Saving your girlfriend and your best friend in one go while you are all tied up is waaay better than just watching the proceedings helplessly.

That makes more sense than John's behaviour in the previous fight: Sherlock's on the ground, hurt, and badly winded. A bad guy takes a swing at him and John takes a swing at the bad guy, then runs off. Another bad guy goes to deal Sherlock a fatal blow and enter Sarah! Where did John go?!

Sarah's behaviour in that final scene in the chair doesn't fit the woman who saved Sherlock earlier in the episode, either. Sloppy writers!

Mary

**Posted by RavenMorganLeigh** August 28, 2014 5:45 pm

Jonquille wrote:
Is it just me, but as I was watching again the Blind Banker the other day, I noticed how soothing Sherlock's voice sounds when he undoes Sarah's ties to set her free. And it seems to me that Sherlock doens't usually speak to anybody with a soothing voice. It proves that Sherlock can be " the most human ... human being ", if one might need evidence.
But do you think he allows himself to show his humanity because he thinks she might be of some importance to John, or because he respects her for discovering that numbers are meant to represent words in the cypher ?

I agree. I think he does have a core of decency within, we just don't see it that often. After all, look how comforting he is to Mrs. Hudson after her ordeal with American CIA (?) in ASiB? And Sarah proved herself to clever, and loyal. She jumped right in there and fought, at the Chinese Circus debacle.

**Posted by kornmuhme** June 29, 2015 8:59 pm

Just having finished this episode I realized this different voice during this moment, too. To me, it feels like instict: speaking to someone sitting on a chair, bonded, facing death. It's just natural to say some soothing words with a soft voice. Nevertheless I agree, that Sherlock respects Sarah so it's maybe kind of "easier" for him to talk this way.