Sherlock - stone me!

[mylodon]

For the first 45 minutes, I thought this series was going to end with a whimper, managing to be both dull and OTT at the same time. Half way through, someone flicked a switch. Suddenly the programme was exciting and profoundly moving, finishing in a completely fitting manner (very much in keeping with canon). Some lovely lines for Watson (who is the star of this show, folks) - including his outrage at being described as a "confirmed bachelor" (newspaper code for gay).

So, in conclusion:

- Keep with canon, boys. The closer the two series have kept to canon-type storylines and charaterisations, the stronger they've been. Conan Doyle knew his stuff.

- A light touch works best. The last two episodes have been brilliant in re the "are they a couple?" thing, as opposed to the clunkiness of the first one, with all its heart to heart stuff.

- Martin Freeman continues to give a masterclass in acting. Never OTT or histrionic, just all his inmner feelings shining through by body langauge or vocal intonation. The end of this episode broke my heart.

And, now for a theory or two. Behind cut.
Molly and Mycroft helped Holmes engineer it. Is Holmes needed to do espionage work or something else which requires that he's deep in cover - and you can't get deeper than very publically dead. Holmes didn't go off the building, Mycroft did - the bodies were switched when John was so conveniently knocked out. Must watch on iplayer with this in mind.

Comments

[jl_merrow]

But then, if Molly's involved, why not use an actual corpse to do the falling bit? But I like the Mycroft involvement idea--he could easily have arranged John's little accident! :)

[tomatoe18.livejournal.com]

Your theory about the body switch is one of my theories, but I don't know about Mycroft. I'm pretty sure Molly's involved somehow and there's a cadaver or two missing from Barts!

[helenajust.livejournal.com]

My theory is that Sherlock knew he would have to fake his own death, and he arranged with Molly that she would help by conducting the autopsy and confirming that the body was his. The fact that the death occurred at Barts would ensure that the body was taken into her lab. He told her that he needed her, but we didn't see what for - and isn't it likely that he needed her in her capacity as a forensic pathologist, rather than as a woman/individual?

I think that the body which fell off the roof was Moriarty's - Sherlock put his scarf and his trademark coat on Moriarty's body, held him up on the rooftop when he saw John return, and the distance combined with his phone call to John convinced John that he was seeing Sherlock on the roof, and that it was he whom he saw fall. Moriarty's face was destroyed by the bullet, so it was unrecognisable. Molly would say that the injuries resulted from the fall. We didn't get a clear shot of the face, and John was too upset by seeing him fall to look closely.

My niece's clever gloss on this theory is that Sherlock got hold of the Sherlock mask and wig which Moriarty must have used when he kidnapped the children (the girl "recognised" him), and he told Molly he'd use it and she must not reveal it. I'm not sure if Mycroft knows - I rather think he doesn't.

I do hope that the ending means that we will have more series, and as soon as possible.

(Off to check what everyone else thinks about the episode!)

[beckyblack]

The DVD is out on Monday! How many people will be going through the roof scene frame by frame do you reckon? :D