See, I think Sherlock's character has always been done amazingly, and this episode was a big step forward for him. He's been taking baby steps from the first episode of the first series to get out of his selfish shell of obsession with whatever he wants to be obsessed with at the moment. He actually tries to care for people, and uses his observational ability to help him do it now, and in the end of The Reichenbach Fall, he shows his care by sacrificing his reputation (which, in Hounds, it is established he cares more about than anything else) to save those he loves. Now in The Empty Hearse, he really really REALLY grows.
Remember that exchange in TRF: "Alone is what protects me." "No, friends protect people." While he actually did protect his friends, he still chose to be alone on his hiatus. In particular, he did not tell John what was going on -- which he did to protect himself. And when he got back, he was cocky. He figured John had nothing but him (which, to be fair, was true when he left). John gave him a slap in the face, in every sense of the word. And when he's done realizing that he hurt John, and that he can't just presume on John to be at his beck and call, he realizes that he needs friends. He befriends Molly, he actually tells Mycroft to make friends and actually beats him in the conversation! (that was the most powerful scene in that regard, in my opinion). He doesn't selfishly keep running after John and forcing him to join him -- he saves John's life and even then, waits for John to come to him. And when he tells John to leave the train, that's before he knows how to disarm the bomb. Yes, he does manipulate John in the end. That's how they work -- partly because John NEEDS to be pushed to be emotional (see the way his proposal to Mary was going) and partly because Sherlock's a person with a dramatic personality.
Sherlock was never a sociopath. He was a selfish genius, partially pushed into his shell of selfish by the way others treated him, who really didn't care to change. And then another (very differently) needy person came into his life, and made him want to help someone else for some reason. And that's been rippling outward to caring about more people. I think the growth he showed in this episode is just the continuation of what's been happening in the beginning, but one of the more dramatic instances of growth.
The brilliance of this show is its subtlety and realism. People don't go from intensely selfish to lovingly generous in a day, and they also don't stop being themselves. Sherlock's growth has to be understood within the parameters of his personality, and looked for subtly, just like John's does. And if you keep that in mind, you couldn't ask for a better written character.
"See, I think Sherlock's character has always been done amazingly, and this episode was a big step forward for him."
Firstly, my apologies for not responding sooner. RL has been harassing me most unkindly :(
In the context of the series, I actually am in agreement (mostly) with your assessment of the way Sherlock's character has been handled and developed by the writers. The level of effort going into molding out both Sherlock & John far exceeds how I've ever seen any other tv series handle their attentions to characterization.
It's also an interesting point you brought up about alone being what protects him - I had forgotten that bit, and can see its bearing on his actions. My main problem, though, is that in making a comparison between Holmes of Canon and BBC Sherlock, Holmes's reasoning for his "hiatus" was the polar opposite - to protect others, not himself. Granted, I expect storylines and motivations to play out differently in this adaptation, and in many ways I enjoy the playing with how Sherlock would react under varying circumstances.
Maybe I need to do a re-watch, because its always possible I missed something in the first go, but I was actually puzzled by his insistence Mycroft was lonely - he's still, pardon my french, acting like a complete douchebag to John at certain points and for all I massively enjoyed that episode, the scene on the train was screaming OOC and inconsistencies to me. Because we are to suppose he's learned a lesson after his return, then goes and abuses John's trust like that???!!! I even thought John's anger was warranted in this version - didn't think I would care for it, but it was handled VERY well.
IMHO, I've always seen loads of character development in this series, but at times it seems forced, and more often its deviating so far from the original stories as to be ridiculous. Canon!Holmes changed and grew, and so should this one, but I suppose what I am trying to say and making a long-winded hash of is that Sherlocks' development always seems to go one step forward, two steps back. IDK, that may simply be me though...
But if you've seen 'The Sign of Three' - which I will not spoil if you haven't - it was fantastic at times but painfully OOC for Sherlock Holmes of any incarnation at others. It was... Cumberbatch at a wedding, not Sherlock. I think, after some contemplations, that's my entire gripe with the show. OOC writing and Cumberbatch not working well with scripts that have the potential to make the character stray too far from the originals.
Remember that exchange in TRF: "Alone is what protects me." "No, friends protect people." While he actually did protect his friends, he still chose to be alone on his hiatus. In particular, he did not tell John what was going on -- which he did to protect himself. And when he got back, he was cocky. He figured John had nothing but him (which, to be fair, was true when he left). John gave him a slap in the face, in every sense of the word. And when he's done realizing that he hurt John, and that he can't just presume on John to be at his beck and call, he realizes that he needs friends. He befriends Molly, he actually tells Mycroft to make friends and actually beats him in the conversation! (that was the most powerful scene in that regard, in my opinion). He doesn't selfishly keep running after John and forcing him to join him -- he saves John's life and even then, waits for John to come to him. And when he tells John to leave the train, that's before he knows how to disarm the bomb. Yes, he does manipulate John in the end. That's how they work -- partly because John NEEDS to be pushed to be emotional (see the way his proposal to Mary was going) and partly because Sherlock's a person with a dramatic personality.
Sherlock was never a sociopath. He was a selfish genius, partially pushed into his shell of selfish by the way others treated him, who really didn't care to change. And then another (very differently) needy person came into his life, and made him want to help someone else for some reason. And that's been rippling outward to caring about more people. I think the growth he showed in this episode is just the continuation of what's been happening in the beginning, but one of the more dramatic instances of growth.
The brilliance of this show is its subtlety and realism. People don't go from intensely selfish to lovingly generous in a day, and they also don't stop being themselves. Sherlock's growth has to be understood within the parameters of his personality, and looked for subtly, just like John's does. And if you keep that in mind, you couldn't ask for a better written character.
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Firstly, my apologies for not responding sooner. RL has been harassing me most unkindly :(
In the context of the series, I actually am in agreement (mostly) with your assessment of the way Sherlock's character has been handled and developed by the writers. The level of effort going into molding out both Sherlock & John far exceeds how I've ever seen any other tv series handle their attentions to characterization.
It's also an interesting point you brought up about alone being what protects him - I had forgotten that bit, and can see its bearing on his actions. My main problem, though, is that in making a comparison between Holmes of Canon and BBC Sherlock, Holmes's reasoning for his "hiatus" was the polar opposite - to protect others, not himself. Granted, I expect storylines and motivations to play out differently in this adaptation, and in many ways I enjoy the playing with how Sherlock would react under varying circumstances.
Maybe I need to do a re-watch, because its always possible I missed something in the first go, but I was actually puzzled by his insistence Mycroft was lonely - he's still, pardon my french, acting like a complete douchebag to John at certain points and for all I massively enjoyed that episode, the scene on the train was screaming OOC and inconsistencies to me. Because we are to suppose he's learned a lesson after his return, then goes and abuses John's trust like that???!!! I even thought John's anger was warranted in this version - didn't think I would care for it, but it was handled VERY well.
IMHO, I've always seen loads of character development in this series, but at times it seems forced, and more often its deviating so far from the original stories as to be ridiculous. Canon!Holmes changed and grew, and so should this one, but I suppose what I am trying to say and making a long-winded hash of is that Sherlocks' development always seems to go one step forward, two steps back. IDK, that may simply be me though...
But if you've seen 'The Sign of Three' - which I will not spoil if you haven't - it was fantastic at times but painfully OOC for Sherlock Holmes of any incarnation at others. It was... Cumberbatch at a wedding, not Sherlock. I think, after some contemplations, that's my entire gripe with the show. OOC writing and Cumberbatch not working well with scripts that have the potential to make the character stray too far from the originals.
And yeah. I'll shut up now :)
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