Picspam Reaction: SHERLOCK (BBC) Series 2 Episode 3 (2/3)
Sherlock Series 2 Finale time continues.
WARNING: IF YOU ARE NOT WATCHING SHERLOCK SERIES 2 AT UK PACE, THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILED SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 2.03
CONTENT WARNING: Scenes in this episode (and images and discussion in this post) may be very triggery or disturbing for some, so please tread carefully.
Picspam Reaction for Sherlock Series 2 Episode 3
PART ONE
PART TWO - "The Reichenbach Fall"
-Another article by the reporter with the burning inbox. Ooo, and a date! November 10, 2011. Which... reeeeeeally screws the timeline up, unless Scandal in Belgravia was happening simultaneously to this when it obviously wasn't. SO, I'm ignoring it. It's a typo. Or something. No! Nonono. Wait. Scandal was Christmas 2010, wasn't it? Ahhhh. So. A little less than a year later, after all the things have happened. There. All good. Timeline not weird. Also... Science correspondent Ian SAMPLE? Really? [Ha! Really Apologies, Mr. Sample for thinking you were the Sherlock graphics department being cute.]
-SNEEEEEERK! Editorial cartoons are never flattering. At least they didn't put the hat on him.
-Two months later? So... wait. That plus the case montage, plus six weeks of Moriarty's trial puts this at least two weeks after John talking to Ella about Sherlock's death. Or is it two months later than the three months earlier? Or is the timeline weird after all? I mean, I'm willing to handwave or something, but I need to know which way to wave. *gets into waving position*
-Heh. And so it begins? I doubt Moriarty's just drained John's account. Probably more in it now than when he started out, but still there wouldn't be much point.
-Heheheheh. Or are we back to two weeks after Ella and this is Sherlock messing with him?
-Or Mycroft. Of course. And that would be a probable yes to two weeks after Ella and NO HANDWAVING REQUIRED. Maybe. *tentatively stands down active handwave preparedness*
-Well, it's number Ten something street, if not Downing. XD
-*gasps* *flails* Eeeeeee!
-John: *barging in and talking to people like a normal person would* Club Members: *from mildly irked to near apoplectic* Heeeeee! The polite thing would have been to give him a heads-up about the rules, Mycroft.
-Ahahahahahahahahh! And John gets pseudo-abducted by people in booties. Hee! They should really look into getting some signs, like Wile E. Coyote. Might help. Just a thought.
-"We don't want a repeat of 1972." *itches to Google* [Lots of things Mycroft could be referring to there.]
-Yeah, figured she'd turn up again. Like Rita Skeeter. And who is 'Brook'?
-"School friend?"/"Of Sherlock's?" Now Mycroft, don't be a meanie.
-What's wrong with inviting an Albanian hitman around for drinks. I'm sure they love to party.
-Ooo. Four assassins moving into the neighbourhood. ...so...Is this pre or post Ella? It feels like post and if so... Oh crap, John's being targeted to *glances around* I'm going to proceed here as though everyone knows what happened at the original Reichenbach, and what's likely to happen with this one. If we are post Ella, John's being targeted to try to gain control over Sherlock as he rampages through Moriarty's organization. Ooooooooo.
-"He promised Sherlock he'd come back." Oh did he? And if this is post Ella... 'Scuse me a minute. *flailflailflail* Right, better now.
-"Why don't you talk to Sherlock if you're so concerned about him?" *brakes screech* Wait, what? Gaaaaaaaaah. Okay. Either John knows Sherlock's not dead, but after talking to Ella, or this is two months later than the three months earlier, making it two weeks after the end of Moriarty's trial, or John thinks Mycroft's taken up having seances, or, or CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME A CONCRETE EVENT STAMP NOW PLEASE SO I CAN HANDWAVE ALL THE THINGS?? I'M GETTING A CRAMP. *reactivates active handwave preparedness measures and huffs*
-"Nicked all his Smurfs, broke his Action Man." *chokes on tea*
-"So you want me to watch out for your brother because he won't accept your help." Thank you. Sherlock is currently alive, everyone knows it, I HEREBY DECREE THAT IT IS TWO MONTHS LATER THAN THREE MONTHS BEFORE. OR THEY MEANT ONE MONTH INSTEAD OF TWO. OR FOUR MONTHS INSTEAD OF THREE. OR SOMETHING. WHATEVER. WE ARE ETA NO MORE THAN FOUR WEEKS TO THERAPY FOR JOHN. I THINK. *HANDWAVE WITH GREAT EFFORT AND FEROCITY* Jeez! Honestly, Moffat and Gatiss, (and writer of this episode, Stephen Thompson, you aren't off the hook either), you need to keep better track on your timelines. This isn't Supernatural. Snap it up. ;-P
-Or, OR! Oh my frigging god. *headdesk* It's all a great big meta-canon reference by the biggest ACD fanboys ever to the lack of timeline meshing in the original ACD canon stories! Attempting to determine a chronology has been worked on by multiple fans since the original stories were published, and I don't think anyone's got a concrete one yet. [See the grey sidebar here, then check out some of the close reading this guy has done to try to figure out a date for each story that makes sense.] THERE. DONE. *HANDWAVEY CANON-REFERENCEY FIST-PUMP* Done. Forever. Timeline simply is, the timeline has no logic because the timeline needs no logic. Jeeeeeeez.
-Now, where was I? "If it's not too much trouble." Ah, Mycroft being creepy.
-I think between this and Scandal, the fanon of 'Mycroft keeps sending black cars around to get John rather than phoning or emailing like a normal person' has been quite thoroughly confirmed, yes?
-Four new assassins in the neighbourhood and a lumpy envelope sealed with wax. YAY, party time!
-Oh. And a wide open front door. That's not worrisome at all. Though it looks like John's standing next to some kind of tool chest so who knows. Maybe there's workmen in.
-UM. CRAP. WHITE POWDER. Anthrax isn't really Moriarty's style though. Coke? Framing for drugs? Also JOHN YOU IDIOT, YOU HAVE A CRAZED MURDERING BOMBER AFTER YOU AND SHERLOCK, DO NOT OPEN STRANGE UNADDRESSED LUMPY ENVELOPES WITHOUT AT LEAST A CURSORY EXAMINATION.
-Okay, yellowish powder, not whitish. And then he sticks it in his jacket pocket while letting random workman guy go past. Okay, John? I'm going to assume this level of not-thinking is a reflex rebellion after being face-to-face with the paranoia factory that is Mycroft. Because holy crap. O.O
-Also, I'm kind of wondering now about the 'four assassins' thing. If Moriarty has a key to anywhere, could he not put these people into secure databases as known assassins, when they are just random people who've moved on to Baker Street? But why? Distract Mycroft? Spread fear and paranoia without paying assassin fees? *ponders*
-Missing ambassador's kids. This sounds familiar, one of the original stories? *itching to Google* [Not finding anything conclusive, my knowledge of the canon stories is far from full but I'm sure this is a reference to one of them.]
-And in the shallow details end of the pool, Lestrade has had a haircut.
-HI HIDDEN CAMERA! Okay, if there was someone in the flat and they knew about it, why not sweep the place for bugs? Or is it Mycroft's? Or is it that they get invaded so often by random people that to check every time there was proof of a break-in would be paranoid? Or is that why they didn't sweep the place for bugs, because the bug detector melts down as soon as it's turned on? Gotta say, excellent angle on Sherlock's laptop screen.
-*sighs wistfully at the school buildings*
-"Go easy."/"Ms. McKenzie you were in charge of pupil welfare yet you left this place wide open last night, what are you an idiot a drunk or a criminal!" *facepalm* Literally. *smack*
-"I do, I just wanted you to speak quickly." And again. *facepalm*
-"Ms. McKenzie will need to breathe into a bag now." Hahaha. And John, just stunned on the sidelines.
-Well hello, same kind of seal. See, John, this is why you share mysterious envelopes with your flatmate. ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE FULL OF MYSTERY POWDER. Have you even washed your hands yet, John? Doubt it. Yeesh.
-I don't know, I just like the framing on this or something.
-"He'd recognize every shape, every outline." Actually, I think you might be projecting there Sherlock. I doubt he'd recognize more than someone passing by unless they were right close.
-Okay, yeah, fair enough. That'd freak any kid out.
-"Get Anderson." And the entire room and majority of the fandom boggles. Really though, he's the one with the equipment and labour force for mass info gathering. Though if the kid's written a secret message on something with *squints* lemon oil, that doesn't require a lot of labour to find. And why do I get the feeling Sherlock isn't going to like what they find? Oh yeah, because Moriarty's out to break him and ruin his reputation.
-"Linseed oil." Linseed, lemon, whatever. My screen's crap and so are my eyes. In other news, that's just frigging creepy.
-"Yes, brilliant impression of an idiot." Bit of a step up from the last time Sherlock mocked Anderson, isn't it? Now he's just doing an impression instead of actually being an idiot.
-"Nothing. Except his shoe size, his height, his gait, his walking pace." Hee! But those shoe-prints are looking a little too familiar...
-HI MOLLY! Getting some isolation in darkness framing... That makes me nervous.
-"Cancel it, you're having lunch with me." Pfffft. Poor Molly.
-"One of your old boyfriends we're trying to track him down, he's been a bit naughty." Oh my god, poor Molly! D-:
-"For the sake of law and order I suggest you avoid all future attempts at a relationship, Molly." Ha! Ass. Again, poor Molly.
-"Thank you, John."/"Molly."/"Yes." Seriously, Molly needs something. Maybe a giant anime rage hammer.
-Wherever that shoe's been, there's a lot of bacteria. That's the second slide of it.
-"You're a bit like my Dad. He's dead. No, sorry." For a second, that was coming off as a very oblique death threat. O.o
-"You look sad, when you think he can't see you." Oh. My. God. Molly Hooper I frigging love you.
-"You can see me."/"I don't count." *FLAILS AND FLAILS* Oh Molleeeeeeee!
-"If there's anything you need, anything at all, you can have me. No, I mean-" HA! Well. A little Freudian slip is good for the soul now and then.
-And Sherlock goes all uncappably blinky-stunned for a bit, processing. Aww.
-*flails all over the Molly and Sherlock scene, with the awkward and the pain and the things and awww* And I like this shot at the end. Because it's like he's actually seen her as something other than just a part of the lab, because she's noticed something about him others haven't. SO MUCH AW, YOU GUYS.
-And John sees the crime scene photo. DUN! John. You twit. I hope Sherlock gives you an earful about hiding mysterious powder-filled envelopes.
-"Breadcrumbs." Ha. And Grimm's Fairy Tales in the other envelope, so, Hansel and Gretel. And okay, fine, John's slightly forgiven for not Showing Sherlock an envelope of breadcrumbs before now. It looked like mystery powder, what can I say.
-"All fairy tales need a good old-fashioned villain." Ha ha ha. Never thought he meant that literally. And if that's the first time John's heard of Moriarty visiting the flat for tea, you are about to get your ears yelled off, Sherlock. Not likely though, since John probably had to wash the cups.
-Ohhh. Poisoned candy? Nasty man. Very non-specific fax though. And missing a comma.
-"Far more relaxed about taking bribes." Oooh, that nets a bit of stink-eye from Anderson. There's a story behind that. *nods*
-"Addlestone." Lestrade's perked up, but the officer at the terminal looks half-asleep. An all-nighter would make sense under the circumstances though.
-I have a very bad feeling about this.
-Sally barking search orders at the constables is awesome. Just saying.
-Licking things! Very Tenth Doctor.
-"Mercury." Yeaaaaaaaugh!! O.O
-"The more they ate the faster they died. Neat."/"Sherlock." Yeah. Rescue the kids first, then call the method they might have been killed by 'neat'. But not in front of any parents.
-"She's in shock, and she's seven years old, so anything you can do to-"/"Not be myself."/"Yeah." Pfffft.
-And then Sherlock looks at John and deliberately TURNS DOWN HIS COLLAR. HA!!!! XD
-Yeah. I kind of figured. Moriarty's got a double of him, or one close enough to fool a scared seven year old, and she's going to be jumping up and down shrieking that Sherlock's the one who kidnapped them. You boys are screwed.
-Aw Sally, come on. *sigh* And so it begins.
-Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. And just in case Sherlock missed the hint, put a big bright message right outside the nearest 'moody staring' window.
-"Well don't let it get to you. I always feel like screaming when you walk into a room. In fact, so do most people." Heeeee! Point for Lestrade.
-"Unbelievable." And yeah. Sally's nibbling at the the bait. Damn it, Sally. You were being relatively cool there for a while.
-"This is my cab, you get the next one."/"Why?"/"You might talk." Ooof. Oh wow. And he hasn't said a word about that message turning up, has he. He's protecting John, or he's going off after Moriarty himself. Again. And trying to protect John, sort of, and we all saw how well that worked last time. Semtex. But either way, ooooof.
-"Problem?" And it spreads. But really, they're following the planted evidence. They aren't stupid, Sally's got a bit of a grudge against Sherlock, but she is looking at the evidence rather than just going on suspicion and a screaming kid, and if the evidence is deliberately there to be found... they are so screwed.
-"This is the story of Sir Boastalot." Hahaha, yep. And John's not there to see this either. Sherlock, you screw yourself over worse than Moriarty ever could by excluding John from things, whether you're trying to protect him or just being a prat.
-Also, I claim full victory arms and the right to say called it on Moriarty burning out Sherlock's heart by cutting him off from the work. Sort of. Whatever. \o/
-"CSI: Baker Street." Heeeeeeeeee!
-"You know what my point is, you just don't want to think about it." Ow. Ow ow ow. And there might not be any more evidence, just Sherlock being Sherlock and a child who's been mislead shrieking and pointing her finger. And the innate suspicion I'd really hoped Sally had worked past over the last year and a bit gets some slight backing, and becomes infectious. And Moriarty uses Sally and anyone else with issues with Sherlock to bring him down. Ow. Ow ow.
-And now Anderson's in on the discussion. That's not going to help at all.
-Oh Lestrade.
-Mad love for Moriarty's dynamic background graphics. XD
-Sherlock angry twitchy-nose!
-*gasp* Okay, I figured the cabbie was in on it but okay, that got me.
-Yeah, you aren't the first cab he's chased, Moriarty. I suspect you're a better cabbie than the last though and won't need to take fifty million detours and bypasses.
-Congratulations, Sherlock! You just had your life saved by an Armenian assassin. ...Which John hasn't told you about, has he? *headdesk* FOR PETE'S SAKE, JOHN! SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT ENCROACHING ASSASSINS WHEN YOU GET IT!!! Between this and the envelope, I'm starting to wonder if John's being drugged or something. :-P
-Well, shit. And any odds on those bullets matching a weapon registered to John? And the guy is no more an Armenian assassin than I am, and John's being framed for a murder he didn't commit? Or something? Oh dear.
-"He saved my life but he couldn't touch me, why?" Because you'd look at his hand and know it wasn't the hand of an Albanian assassin, and the sniper doesn't know that John Watson is currently pants at passing on vital information? Though I guess to be fair, he walked in off the street with the envelope in his pocket and straight into a kidnapping case, so he was distracted. Saving kids comes before ridiculous stories about assassin block parties and envelopes of bread crumbs. John, you're off the hook. Marginally. *nods* *handwaves*
-Sooooo, they are assassins, they all want something from him and will kill each other to keep the rest from getting it? What, though?
-Yeah, network IDs in Cyrillic character sets kind of stand out. Not quite as much as "CIA Surveillance Van" or "Alien Invasion Fleet" but still notable. Also, *miniscule moment of squee* I not only have the same laptop as Sherlock, I use the same default background/wallpaper, and he probably uses it for the same reason as me; I never see the thing anyway with all the windows open, so why bother changing it. *geeks out*
-Aw, they woke up Mrs. Hudson. No biscuits for you boys for a week.
-"Dust is eloquent." Pfffft! So eloquent it makes Sherlock want to do the flamenco!
-*gleeeeee* Indoor parkour!
-Found it, yay! Aw come on, now the flag pillow is oblong again. It was square in Scandal, I swear. Nuts. Aaand here's Lestrade with questions and things.
-"You want to take me to the station, just saving you the trouble of asking." Ow ow ow ow ow.
-"The scream?"/"Yeah." Oh poor Lestrade. Oh poor everyone.
-"You can't kill an idea, can you?" Nope. Though many have tried, one way or another. The kind of assassination Moriarty is committing on Sherlock is character assassination, not as lethal, far more insidious and it's already taking root.
-"Not once it's made a home, there." *doink* Hee. Aw.
-"It is a game, Lestrade, and not one I'm willing to play." But right now, he's screwed either way. He goes in for questioning, Moriarty gets his photo. He doesn't go in voluntarily, anyone at the Yard inclined to be suspicious will be doubly so, pressure will mount, and he'll be taken in for questioning involuntarily, or he'll run from it. This has been planned so all routes are leading to victory for Moriarty right now. Well played, I have to say. *golf clap*
-And she's there. Because I bet Lestrade said, 'give him a chance to come in, answer some questions, clear it all up, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding.' Maybe he put a personal stake on it. But now Sherlock's not coming to answer questions, and that looks nothing but bad to anyone, no matter how much faith they have in Sherlock. *flails*
-"You'd care if they thought you were stupid, or wrong." Hehehe. That's the way to get him to pay attention.
-"That would just make them stupid or wrong." Except it didn't. Well, it's what other people think, isn't it, and Sherlock doesn't have much use for that.
-"Sherlock, I don't want the world believing you're-"/"That I am what?"/"A fraud." Aw, John.
-"You're worried they're right about me."/"No." And he never would. For a smart guy, Sherlock's a bit of an idiot in some areas, particularly areas where people believe in him and are on his side against all comers. I don't know if he's ever had that before John. Maybe even within his own family. In short: *FLAILFLAILFLAIL*
-"Moriarty is playing with your mind too, can't you see what's going on?" Moriarty's splitting Sherlock's support system away, and isolating him, ruining his reputation and turning people he knows against him, and taking away his work. No one will trust him with a case if they think he's a fraud who abducts and poisons kids to further his own reputation. Moriarty wants him isolated from everyone and everything. Broken and completely vulnerable. John's one of the few people who won't let that happen.
-"No, I know you for real." Yes, exactly, that. Not just by reputation or notoriety. God damn.
-"No one could fake being such an annoying dick all the time." BWAH! JOHN WINS EVERYTHING. \o/
-"Not used him on any proper cases though, have we?" Man, if this guy is Lestrade's DCI, he's an oblivious idiot. Or offering Lestrade an out. If he's his DCI.
-"One or two."/"Or twenty or thirty." Anderson, I know you're bitter and probably have a right to be, but now is not a good time to... tell the truth. Well. Okay, maybe... Gaaaah. *headdesk*
-"I'm not the only senior officer who did this-"/"Shut up!" And that's a completely botched fast-talk roll there. Lestraaaaade, why did you not get an exemption, or paperwork, or at least a nodding agreement of some kind before this? You're screwed too, and you're the only one at the Yard who's got a chance of seeing through the bullshit and being on Sherlock's side.
-"What if he's done this to us every single time?" He'd be hellaciously busy for one. That's a lot of crimes he'd have to perpetrate. Anderson really can be an idiot, can't he?
-OH LESTRADE YOU ARE WARNING SHERLOCK AND JOHN, AND YOU HAVE BAKER STREET ON ONE BUTTON SPEED DIAL. I LOVE YOU EVEN MORE THAN I ALREADY DID!!! YAY LESTRADE!!! \o/
-"Every single officer you ever made feel like a tit, which is a lot of people." Sadly, yes. Consequences of being an ass, even if you are good at things no one else can do.
-Oh yay, another envelope! Full of doom. And the person who delivered it has now got Mrs. Hudson's signature. God only knows what they might get up to with that. O.o
-"Funny name. German. Like the fairy tales." Oooooorrrr it's been a while since Moriarty's blown anything up... Not that it would help his plan at all, but still. Opening packages you know are from Moriarty without x-raying them first could be hazardous to your health.
-Nastiest-looking gingerbread man ever. 'Run, run as fast as you can' being the message? Far too late for a quiet little chat at the Yard with lestrade now.
-"Burnt to a crisp." Yes, that too. Toast in fact. Har har.
-Oh Sherlock. With the putting on the scarf and coat. Armoring up. So very toast.
-"He's not resisting."/"It's alright John."/"No it's not alright. "I think I'm just going to flail and cap for a little bit, don't mind me. *flail flail flail*
-And a little Lestrade tongue to provide a momentary brightening of events.
-"Don't try to interfere or I should arrest you too." Oh my god, just Lestrade looking all, all *flappy hands* with the eyes, and all distressed and conflicted and things. Awww! *flail*
-"I said it." Oh no, do not go there Donovan, unless you really want John to get arrested too.
-"Looked a bit of a weirdo if you ask me." Oh good. Lestrade's DCI has shown up just in time to provide John with someone who isn't Donovan to punch. Go for it John.
-Ha ha ha! Yus! \o/
-Oh, the Chief Superintendent! Bit higher than DCI, that. Good. Hope the nose is broken. The man's a fool.
-"I was thinking more about our imminent and daring escape." Oh, Sherlock, honey, that really will not help your situation at all. If anything looks worse than refusing questioning, and then being arrested, it's escaping lawful custody. Are you helping Moriarty beat you or what now?
-*Sherlock does the exact thing I was going to have John do in a post 1.03 fic I never posted except for a summary, find link later [ Here!]* ...Holy crap. I feel vaguely psychic! :-D
-Really, really, really not helping, Sherlock. They were idiots to bring an Armed Response team though. They just make guns more available in situations like this. *facepalm*
-Lestrade's little uncappable 'well, shit' arm flop of despair. HAHAHAHAH. Awwwww. Poor Lestrade.
-Discharging a firearm randomly in an urban area, also not helping.
-"Do as he says!" Poor Lestrade. Everything's gone to hell for everybody.
-"Just so you know, the gun is his idea, I'm just-"/"My hostage!" *choking again* Are you seriously trying to make the situation as worse as it can be? I mean, that does make John look less like an accomplice and might stand him better down the road, but seriously. ...Orrrrr is he trying to make things as bad as they can be for real. Cut to the end of Moriarty's plan and get it over with now. *ponders* Seriously though, there is no way Lestrade would believe John's his hostage, or couldn't take that gun off Sherlock if it suited him. So it's a good thing Lestrade's still on their side.
-Ha, ha. Moriarty's taken up more advanced graffiti, I see. Hee! It's like Bad Wolf! XD
-"*something* at once." Nope, can't make that out. "I'm becoming a fugitive. Run." That's clear enough.
-You guys are seriously giving Lestrade an aneurysm, I hope you realize that.
-"Take my hand." Hee! Best way to run in handcuffs though, less jerking.
-"Now people will definitely talk." Ha! Probably more about the fleeing from arrest, assaulting the Chief Superintendent, stealing a weapon from an Armed Response officer, pointing a gun at all the cops ever, firing a gun in a semi-residential area, pseudo-hostage-taking, probably a city-wide manhunt, etc. And those things are all things you did do or cause, never mind what Moriarty wants everyone to think you did. A little practical hand-holding will fly right under the radar.
-At least you've dropped the firearm, that's limiting the amount of stupid options you have open to you at this point.
-*snerk* Poor John.
-"We're going to need to co-ordinate." Yep, because like it or not, Sherlock, John's backing you up. You aren't running off alone.
-*anticipatory wibbles*
-"A lie that's preferable to the truth." *nods* Sad but true. People would rather believe someone is a fake than genuinely ...anything, really, if the anything is something that makes them feel uncomfortable or inferior. Of course Sherlock really wasn't helping people not feel uncomfortable or inferior. Silly boy. *ruffles hair*
-"What about Mycroft? He could help us."/"Big family reconciliation? Now's not really the moment." And yet he had no problem calling Mycroft about Baskerville. That's a bit suspect, isn't it? *ponders*
-"It's one of my new neighbours from Baker Street." Well yay. Cops on the left of me, assassins to the right and here I am, stuck in the middle with you?
-"We're going to jump in front of that bus." Okay! Dropping the gun obviously didn't completely eliminate the stupid options available! O.O
-Riiiiight. Because these assassins are trying to keep Sherlock alive. For some reason. Okay then!
-John's gun. ... Ya know. If Scotland Yard let him put his coat on and get his gun after punching the Chief Superintendent, someone there is either really slacking, or someone deliberately looked the other way. But was it to help John and Sherlock, or to ensure they had more incriminating equipment to wave around. *ponders* [...eeeeexcept it's not John's gun at all. Sherlock grabbed it off the assassin guy. I had another look at which side whose rear-end was in that dogpile (oh hush), and John's on the other side, so there goes a fine and fascinating bit of pondering.]
-Moriarty left the key code at Sherlock's flat. *headdesk* OF COURSE HE DID. If it's in the skull, I might make many loud noises. Also, looking at the cap here and which arm John's having wrenched around, it's a good thing it's not the left arm, because that's the wounded one, but that shoulder is still gonna hurt like fire.
-Okay, car passing this little tableau right now, you win the "Most Oblivious" award. People threatening each other with guns and it didn't even slow down, or more sensibly, speed up. But I guess this could be a bad part of town.
-And a runner-up for "Most Oblivious"! Does no one in London notice gunplay, or is it a kind of 'that can't be what I just saw' effect?
-Or it could just be a bad part of town with really effective snipers.
-'Out-of-work actor' revealed he was hired by Sherlock to help fool the British Public. Oh ho ho. I didn't see that part before. I was wondering when this Brook person would show up again.
PART THREE
(PLEASE, NO SPOILERS OR RUMOURS REGARDING ANY FUTURE SERIES OF SHERLOCK.)
WARNING: IF YOU ARE NOT WATCHING SHERLOCK SERIES 2 AT UK PACE, THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILED SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 2.03
CONTENT WARNING: Scenes in this episode (and images and discussion in this post) may be very triggery or disturbing for some, so please tread carefully.
Picspam Reaction for Sherlock Series 2 Episode 3
PART ONE
PART TWO - "The Reichenbach Fall"
-Another article by the reporter with the burning inbox. Ooo, and a date! November 10, 2011. Which... reeeeeeally screws the timeline up, unless Scandal in Belgravia was happening simultaneously to this when it obviously wasn't. SO, I'm ignoring it. It's a typo. Or something. No! Nonono. Wait. Scandal was Christmas 2010, wasn't it? Ahhhh. So. A little less than a year later, after all the things have happened. There. All good. Timeline not weird. Also... Science correspondent Ian SAMPLE? Really? [Ha! Really Apologies, Mr. Sample for thinking you were the Sherlock graphics department being cute.]
-SNEEEEEERK! Editorial cartoons are never flattering. At least they didn't put the hat on him.
-Two months later? So... wait. That plus the case montage, plus six weeks of Moriarty's trial puts this at least two weeks after John talking to Ella about Sherlock's death. Or is it two months later than the three months earlier? Or is the timeline weird after all? I mean, I'm willing to handwave or something, but I need to know which way to wave. *gets into waving position*
-Heh. And so it begins? I doubt Moriarty's just drained John's account. Probably more in it now than when he started out, but still there wouldn't be much point.
-Heheheheh. Or are we back to two weeks after Ella and this is Sherlock messing with him?
-Or Mycroft. Of course. And that would be a probable yes to two weeks after Ella and NO HANDWAVING REQUIRED. Maybe. *tentatively stands down active handwave preparedness*
-Well, it's number Ten something street, if not Downing. XD
-*gasps* *flails* Eeeeeee!
-John: *barging in and talking to people like a normal person would* Club Members: *from mildly irked to near apoplectic* Heeeeee! The polite thing would have been to give him a heads-up about the rules, Mycroft.
-Ahahahahahahahahh! And John gets pseudo-abducted by people in booties. Hee! They should really look into getting some signs, like Wile E. Coyote. Might help. Just a thought.
-"We don't want a repeat of 1972." *itches to Google* [Lots of things Mycroft could be referring to there.]
-Yeah, figured she'd turn up again. Like Rita Skeeter. And who is 'Brook'?
-"School friend?"/"Of Sherlock's?" Now Mycroft, don't be a meanie.
-What's wrong with inviting an Albanian hitman around for drinks. I'm sure they love to party.
-Ooo. Four assassins moving into the neighbourhood. ...so...Is this pre or post Ella? It feels like post and if so... Oh crap, John's being targeted to *glances around* I'm going to proceed here as though everyone knows what happened at the original Reichenbach, and what's likely to happen with this one. If we are post Ella, John's being targeted to try to gain control over Sherlock as he rampages through Moriarty's organization. Ooooooooo.
-"He promised Sherlock he'd come back." Oh did he? And if this is post Ella... 'Scuse me a minute. *flailflailflail* Right, better now.
-"Why don't you talk to Sherlock if you're so concerned about him?" *brakes screech* Wait, what? Gaaaaaaaaah. Okay. Either John knows Sherlock's not dead, but after talking to Ella, or this is two months later than the three months earlier, making it two weeks after the end of Moriarty's trial, or John thinks Mycroft's taken up having seances, or, or CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME A CONCRETE EVENT STAMP NOW PLEASE SO I CAN HANDWAVE ALL THE THINGS?? I'M GETTING A CRAMP. *reactivates active handwave preparedness measures and huffs*
-"Nicked all his Smurfs, broke his Action Man." *chokes on tea*
-"So you want me to watch out for your brother because he won't accept your help." Thank you. Sherlock is currently alive, everyone knows it, I HEREBY DECREE THAT IT IS TWO MONTHS LATER THAN THREE MONTHS BEFORE. OR THEY MEANT ONE MONTH INSTEAD OF TWO. OR FOUR MONTHS INSTEAD OF THREE. OR SOMETHING. WHATEVER. WE ARE ETA NO MORE THAN FOUR WEEKS TO THERAPY FOR JOHN. I THINK. *HANDWAVE WITH GREAT EFFORT AND FEROCITY* Jeez! Honestly, Moffat and Gatiss, (and writer of this episode, Stephen Thompson, you aren't off the hook either), you need to keep better track on your timelines. This isn't Supernatural. Snap it up. ;-P
-Or, OR! Oh my frigging god. *headdesk* It's all a great big meta-canon reference by the biggest ACD fanboys ever to the lack of timeline meshing in the original ACD canon stories! Attempting to determine a chronology has been worked on by multiple fans since the original stories were published, and I don't think anyone's got a concrete one yet. [See the grey sidebar here, then check out some of the close reading this guy has done to try to figure out a date for each story that makes sense.] THERE. DONE. *HANDWAVEY CANON-REFERENCEY FIST-PUMP* Done. Forever. Timeline simply is, the timeline has no logic because the timeline needs no logic. Jeeeeeeez.
-Now, where was I? "If it's not too much trouble." Ah, Mycroft being creepy.
-I think between this and Scandal, the fanon of 'Mycroft keeps sending black cars around to get John rather than phoning or emailing like a normal person' has been quite thoroughly confirmed, yes?
-Four new assassins in the neighbourhood and a lumpy envelope sealed with wax. YAY, party time!
-Oh. And a wide open front door. That's not worrisome at all. Though it looks like John's standing next to some kind of tool chest so who knows. Maybe there's workmen in.
-UM. CRAP. WHITE POWDER. Anthrax isn't really Moriarty's style though. Coke? Framing for drugs? Also JOHN YOU IDIOT, YOU HAVE A CRAZED MURDERING BOMBER AFTER YOU AND SHERLOCK, DO NOT OPEN STRANGE UNADDRESSED LUMPY ENVELOPES WITHOUT AT LEAST A CURSORY EXAMINATION.
-Okay, yellowish powder, not whitish. And then he sticks it in his jacket pocket while letting random workman guy go past. Okay, John? I'm going to assume this level of not-thinking is a reflex rebellion after being face-to-face with the paranoia factory that is Mycroft. Because holy crap. O.O
-Also, I'm kind of wondering now about the 'four assassins' thing. If Moriarty has a key to anywhere, could he not put these people into secure databases as known assassins, when they are just random people who've moved on to Baker Street? But why? Distract Mycroft? Spread fear and paranoia without paying assassin fees? *ponders*
-Missing ambassador's kids. This sounds familiar, one of the original stories? *itching to Google* [Not finding anything conclusive, my knowledge of the canon stories is far from full but I'm sure this is a reference to one of them.]
-And in the shallow details end of the pool, Lestrade has had a haircut.
-HI HIDDEN CAMERA! Okay, if there was someone in the flat and they knew about it, why not sweep the place for bugs? Or is it Mycroft's? Or is it that they get invaded so often by random people that to check every time there was proof of a break-in would be paranoid? Or is that why they didn't sweep the place for bugs, because the bug detector melts down as soon as it's turned on? Gotta say, excellent angle on Sherlock's laptop screen.
-*sighs wistfully at the school buildings*
-"Go easy."/"Ms. McKenzie you were in charge of pupil welfare yet you left this place wide open last night, what are you an idiot a drunk or a criminal!" *facepalm* Literally. *smack*
-"I do, I just wanted you to speak quickly." And again. *facepalm*
-"Ms. McKenzie will need to breathe into a bag now." Hahaha. And John, just stunned on the sidelines.
-Well hello, same kind of seal. See, John, this is why you share mysterious envelopes with your flatmate. ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE FULL OF MYSTERY POWDER. Have you even washed your hands yet, John? Doubt it. Yeesh.
-I don't know, I just like the framing on this or something.
-"He'd recognize every shape, every outline." Actually, I think you might be projecting there Sherlock. I doubt he'd recognize more than someone passing by unless they were right close.
-Okay, yeah, fair enough. That'd freak any kid out.
-"Get Anderson." And the entire room and majority of the fandom boggles. Really though, he's the one with the equipment and labour force for mass info gathering. Though if the kid's written a secret message on something with *squints* lemon oil, that doesn't require a lot of labour to find. And why do I get the feeling Sherlock isn't going to like what they find? Oh yeah, because Moriarty's out to break him and ruin his reputation.
-"Linseed oil." Linseed, lemon, whatever. My screen's crap and so are my eyes. In other news, that's just frigging creepy.
-"Yes, brilliant impression of an idiot." Bit of a step up from the last time Sherlock mocked Anderson, isn't it? Now he's just doing an impression instead of actually being an idiot.
-"Nothing. Except his shoe size, his height, his gait, his walking pace." Hee! But those shoe-prints are looking a little too familiar...
-HI MOLLY! Getting some isolation in darkness framing... That makes me nervous.
-"Cancel it, you're having lunch with me." Pfffft. Poor Molly.
-"One of your old boyfriends we're trying to track him down, he's been a bit naughty." Oh my god, poor Molly! D-:
-"For the sake of law and order I suggest you avoid all future attempts at a relationship, Molly." Ha! Ass. Again, poor Molly.
-"Thank you, John."/"Molly."/"Yes." Seriously, Molly needs something. Maybe a giant anime rage hammer.
-Wherever that shoe's been, there's a lot of bacteria. That's the second slide of it.
-"You're a bit like my Dad. He's dead. No, sorry." For a second, that was coming off as a very oblique death threat. O.o
-"You look sad, when you think he can't see you." Oh. My. God. Molly Hooper I frigging love you.
-"You can see me."/"I don't count." *FLAILS AND FLAILS* Oh Molleeeeeeee!
-"If there's anything you need, anything at all, you can have me. No, I mean-" HA! Well. A little Freudian slip is good for the soul now and then.
-And Sherlock goes all uncappably blinky-stunned for a bit, processing. Aww.
-*flails all over the Molly and Sherlock scene, with the awkward and the pain and the things and awww* And I like this shot at the end. Because it's like he's actually seen her as something other than just a part of the lab, because she's noticed something about him others haven't. SO MUCH AW, YOU GUYS.
-And John sees the crime scene photo. DUN! John. You twit. I hope Sherlock gives you an earful about hiding mysterious powder-filled envelopes.
-"Breadcrumbs." Ha. And Grimm's Fairy Tales in the other envelope, so, Hansel and Gretel. And okay, fine, John's slightly forgiven for not Showing Sherlock an envelope of breadcrumbs before now. It looked like mystery powder, what can I say.
-"All fairy tales need a good old-fashioned villain." Ha ha ha. Never thought he meant that literally. And if that's the first time John's heard of Moriarty visiting the flat for tea, you are about to get your ears yelled off, Sherlock. Not likely though, since John probably had to wash the cups.
-Ohhh. Poisoned candy? Nasty man. Very non-specific fax though. And missing a comma.
-"Far more relaxed about taking bribes." Oooh, that nets a bit of stink-eye from Anderson. There's a story behind that. *nods*
-"Addlestone." Lestrade's perked up, but the officer at the terminal looks half-asleep. An all-nighter would make sense under the circumstances though.
-I have a very bad feeling about this.
-Sally barking search orders at the constables is awesome. Just saying.
-Licking things! Very Tenth Doctor.
-"Mercury." Yeaaaaaaaugh!! O.O
-"The more they ate the faster they died. Neat."/"Sherlock." Yeah. Rescue the kids first, then call the method they might have been killed by 'neat'. But not in front of any parents.
-"She's in shock, and she's seven years old, so anything you can do to-"/"Not be myself."/"Yeah." Pfffft.
-And then Sherlock looks at John and deliberately TURNS DOWN HIS COLLAR. HA!!!! XD
-Yeah. I kind of figured. Moriarty's got a double of him, or one close enough to fool a scared seven year old, and she's going to be jumping up and down shrieking that Sherlock's the one who kidnapped them. You boys are screwed.
-Aw Sally, come on. *sigh* And so it begins.
-Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. And just in case Sherlock missed the hint, put a big bright message right outside the nearest 'moody staring' window.
-"Well don't let it get to you. I always feel like screaming when you walk into a room. In fact, so do most people." Heeeee! Point for Lestrade.
-"Unbelievable." And yeah. Sally's nibbling at the the bait. Damn it, Sally. You were being relatively cool there for a while.
-"This is my cab, you get the next one."/"Why?"/"You might talk." Ooof. Oh wow. And he hasn't said a word about that message turning up, has he. He's protecting John, or he's going off after Moriarty himself. Again. And trying to protect John, sort of, and we all saw how well that worked last time. Semtex. But either way, ooooof.
-"Problem?" And it spreads. But really, they're following the planted evidence. They aren't stupid, Sally's got a bit of a grudge against Sherlock, but she is looking at the evidence rather than just going on suspicion and a screaming kid, and if the evidence is deliberately there to be found... they are so screwed.
-"This is the story of Sir Boastalot." Hahaha, yep. And John's not there to see this either. Sherlock, you screw yourself over worse than Moriarty ever could by excluding John from things, whether you're trying to protect him or just being a prat.
-Also, I claim full victory arms and the right to say called it on Moriarty burning out Sherlock's heart by cutting him off from the work. Sort of. Whatever. \o/
-"CSI: Baker Street." Heeeeeeeeee!
-"You know what my point is, you just don't want to think about it." Ow. Ow ow ow. And there might not be any more evidence, just Sherlock being Sherlock and a child who's been mislead shrieking and pointing her finger. And the innate suspicion I'd really hoped Sally had worked past over the last year and a bit gets some slight backing, and becomes infectious. And Moriarty uses Sally and anyone else with issues with Sherlock to bring him down. Ow. Ow ow.
-And now Anderson's in on the discussion. That's not going to help at all.
-Oh Lestrade.
-Mad love for Moriarty's dynamic background graphics. XD
-Sherlock angry twitchy-nose!
-*gasp* Okay, I figured the cabbie was in on it but okay, that got me.
-Yeah, you aren't the first cab he's chased, Moriarty. I suspect you're a better cabbie than the last though and won't need to take fifty million detours and bypasses.
-Congratulations, Sherlock! You just had your life saved by an Armenian assassin. ...Which John hasn't told you about, has he? *headdesk* FOR PETE'S SAKE, JOHN! SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT ENCROACHING ASSASSINS WHEN YOU GET IT!!! Between this and the envelope, I'm starting to wonder if John's being drugged or something. :-P
-Well, shit. And any odds on those bullets matching a weapon registered to John? And the guy is no more an Armenian assassin than I am, and John's being framed for a murder he didn't commit? Or something? Oh dear.
-"He saved my life but he couldn't touch me, why?" Because you'd look at his hand and know it wasn't the hand of an Albanian assassin, and the sniper doesn't know that John Watson is currently pants at passing on vital information? Though I guess to be fair, he walked in off the street with the envelope in his pocket and straight into a kidnapping case, so he was distracted. Saving kids comes before ridiculous stories about assassin block parties and envelopes of bread crumbs. John, you're off the hook. Marginally. *nods* *handwaves*
-Sooooo, they are assassins, they all want something from him and will kill each other to keep the rest from getting it? What, though?
-Yeah, network IDs in Cyrillic character sets kind of stand out. Not quite as much as "CIA Surveillance Van" or "Alien Invasion Fleet" but still notable. Also, *miniscule moment of squee* I not only have the same laptop as Sherlock, I use the same default background/wallpaper, and he probably uses it for the same reason as me; I never see the thing anyway with all the windows open, so why bother changing it. *geeks out*
-Aw, they woke up Mrs. Hudson. No biscuits for you boys for a week.
-"Dust is eloquent." Pfffft! So eloquent it makes Sherlock want to do the flamenco!
-*gleeeeee* Indoor parkour!
-Found it, yay! Aw come on, now the flag pillow is oblong again. It was square in Scandal, I swear. Nuts. Aaand here's Lestrade with questions and things.
-"You want to take me to the station, just saving you the trouble of asking." Ow ow ow ow ow.
-"The scream?"/"Yeah." Oh poor Lestrade. Oh poor everyone.
-"You can't kill an idea, can you?" Nope. Though many have tried, one way or another. The kind of assassination Moriarty is committing on Sherlock is character assassination, not as lethal, far more insidious and it's already taking root.
-"Not once it's made a home, there." *doink* Hee. Aw.
-"It is a game, Lestrade, and not one I'm willing to play." But right now, he's screwed either way. He goes in for questioning, Moriarty gets his photo. He doesn't go in voluntarily, anyone at the Yard inclined to be suspicious will be doubly so, pressure will mount, and he'll be taken in for questioning involuntarily, or he'll run from it. This has been planned so all routes are leading to victory for Moriarty right now. Well played, I have to say. *golf clap*
-And she's there. Because I bet Lestrade said, 'give him a chance to come in, answer some questions, clear it all up, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding.' Maybe he put a personal stake on it. But now Sherlock's not coming to answer questions, and that looks nothing but bad to anyone, no matter how much faith they have in Sherlock. *flails*
-"You'd care if they thought you were stupid, or wrong." Hehehe. That's the way to get him to pay attention.
-"That would just make them stupid or wrong." Except it didn't. Well, it's what other people think, isn't it, and Sherlock doesn't have much use for that.
-"Sherlock, I don't want the world believing you're-"/"That I am what?"/"A fraud." Aw, John.
-"You're worried they're right about me."/"No." And he never would. For a smart guy, Sherlock's a bit of an idiot in some areas, particularly areas where people believe in him and are on his side against all comers. I don't know if he's ever had that before John. Maybe even within his own family. In short: *FLAILFLAILFLAIL*
-"Moriarty is playing with your mind too, can't you see what's going on?" Moriarty's splitting Sherlock's support system away, and isolating him, ruining his reputation and turning people he knows against him, and taking away his work. No one will trust him with a case if they think he's a fraud who abducts and poisons kids to further his own reputation. Moriarty wants him isolated from everyone and everything. Broken and completely vulnerable. John's one of the few people who won't let that happen.
-"No, I know you for real." Yes, exactly, that. Not just by reputation or notoriety. God damn.
-"No one could fake being such an annoying dick all the time." BWAH! JOHN WINS EVERYTHING. \o/
-"Not used him on any proper cases though, have we?" Man, if this guy is Lestrade's DCI, he's an oblivious idiot. Or offering Lestrade an out. If he's his DCI.
-"One or two."/"Or twenty or thirty." Anderson, I know you're bitter and probably have a right to be, but now is not a good time to... tell the truth. Well. Okay, maybe... Gaaaah. *headdesk*
-"I'm not the only senior officer who did this-"/"Shut up!" And that's a completely botched fast-talk roll there. Lestraaaaade, why did you not get an exemption, or paperwork, or at least a nodding agreement of some kind before this? You're screwed too, and you're the only one at the Yard who's got a chance of seeing through the bullshit and being on Sherlock's side.
-"What if he's done this to us every single time?" He'd be hellaciously busy for one. That's a lot of crimes he'd have to perpetrate. Anderson really can be an idiot, can't he?
-OH LESTRADE YOU ARE WARNING SHERLOCK AND JOHN, AND YOU HAVE BAKER STREET ON ONE BUTTON SPEED DIAL. I LOVE YOU EVEN MORE THAN I ALREADY DID!!! YAY LESTRADE!!! \o/
-"Every single officer you ever made feel like a tit, which is a lot of people." Sadly, yes. Consequences of being an ass, even if you are good at things no one else can do.
-Oh yay, another envelope! Full of doom. And the person who delivered it has now got Mrs. Hudson's signature. God only knows what they might get up to with that. O.o
-"Funny name. German. Like the fairy tales." Oooooorrrr it's been a while since Moriarty's blown anything up... Not that it would help his plan at all, but still. Opening packages you know are from Moriarty without x-raying them first could be hazardous to your health.
-Nastiest-looking gingerbread man ever. 'Run, run as fast as you can' being the message? Far too late for a quiet little chat at the Yard with lestrade now.
-"Burnt to a crisp." Yes, that too. Toast in fact. Har har.
-Oh Sherlock. With the putting on the scarf and coat. Armoring up. So very toast.
-"He's not resisting."/"It's alright John."/"No it's not alright. "I think I'm just going to flail and cap for a little bit, don't mind me. *flail flail flail*
-And a little Lestrade tongue to provide a momentary brightening of events.
-"Don't try to interfere or I should arrest you too." Oh my god, just Lestrade looking all, all *flappy hands* with the eyes, and all distressed and conflicted and things. Awww! *flail*
-"I said it." Oh no, do not go there Donovan, unless you really want John to get arrested too.
-"Looked a bit of a weirdo if you ask me." Oh good. Lestrade's DCI has shown up just in time to provide John with someone who isn't Donovan to punch. Go for it John.
-Ha ha ha! Yus! \o/
-Oh, the Chief Superintendent! Bit higher than DCI, that. Good. Hope the nose is broken. The man's a fool.
-"I was thinking more about our imminent and daring escape." Oh, Sherlock, honey, that really will not help your situation at all. If anything looks worse than refusing questioning, and then being arrested, it's escaping lawful custody. Are you helping Moriarty beat you or what now?
-*Sherlock does the exact thing I was going to have John do in a post 1.03 fic I never posted except for a summary, find link later [ Here!]* ...Holy crap. I feel vaguely psychic! :-D
-Really, really, really not helping, Sherlock. They were idiots to bring an Armed Response team though. They just make guns more available in situations like this. *facepalm*
-Lestrade's little uncappable 'well, shit' arm flop of despair. HAHAHAHAH. Awwwww. Poor Lestrade.
-Discharging a firearm randomly in an urban area, also not helping.
-"Do as he says!" Poor Lestrade. Everything's gone to hell for everybody.
-"Just so you know, the gun is his idea, I'm just-"/"My hostage!" *choking again* Are you seriously trying to make the situation as worse as it can be? I mean, that does make John look less like an accomplice and might stand him better down the road, but seriously. ...Orrrrr is he trying to make things as bad as they can be for real. Cut to the end of Moriarty's plan and get it over with now. *ponders* Seriously though, there is no way Lestrade would believe John's his hostage, or couldn't take that gun off Sherlock if it suited him. So it's a good thing Lestrade's still on their side.
-Ha, ha. Moriarty's taken up more advanced graffiti, I see. Hee! It's like Bad Wolf! XD
-"*something* at once." Nope, can't make that out. "I'm becoming a fugitive. Run." That's clear enough.
-You guys are seriously giving Lestrade an aneurysm, I hope you realize that.
-"Take my hand." Hee! Best way to run in handcuffs though, less jerking.
-"Now people will definitely talk." Ha! Probably more about the fleeing from arrest, assaulting the Chief Superintendent, stealing a weapon from an Armed Response officer, pointing a gun at all the cops ever, firing a gun in a semi-residential area, pseudo-hostage-taking, probably a city-wide manhunt, etc. And those things are all things you did do or cause, never mind what Moriarty wants everyone to think you did. A little practical hand-holding will fly right under the radar.
-At least you've dropped the firearm, that's limiting the amount of stupid options you have open to you at this point.
-*snerk* Poor John.
-"We're going to need to co-ordinate." Yep, because like it or not, Sherlock, John's backing you up. You aren't running off alone.
-*anticipatory wibbles*
-"A lie that's preferable to the truth." *nods* Sad but true. People would rather believe someone is a fake than genuinely ...anything, really, if the anything is something that makes them feel uncomfortable or inferior. Of course Sherlock really wasn't helping people not feel uncomfortable or inferior. Silly boy. *ruffles hair*
-"What about Mycroft? He could help us."/"Big family reconciliation? Now's not really the moment." And yet he had no problem calling Mycroft about Baskerville. That's a bit suspect, isn't it? *ponders*
-"It's one of my new neighbours from Baker Street." Well yay. Cops on the left of me, assassins to the right and here I am, stuck in the middle with you?
-"We're going to jump in front of that bus." Okay! Dropping the gun obviously didn't completely eliminate the stupid options available! O.O
-Riiiiight. Because these assassins are trying to keep Sherlock alive. For some reason. Okay then!
-John's gun. ... Ya know. If Scotland Yard let him put his coat on and get his gun after punching the Chief Superintendent, someone there is either really slacking, or someone deliberately looked the other way. But was it to help John and Sherlock, or to ensure they had more incriminating equipment to wave around. *ponders* [...eeeeexcept it's not John's gun at all. Sherlock grabbed it off the assassin guy. I had another look at which side whose rear-end was in that dogpile (oh hush), and John's on the other side, so there goes a fine and fascinating bit of pondering.]
-Moriarty left the key code at Sherlock's flat. *headdesk* OF COURSE HE DID. If it's in the skull, I might make many loud noises. Also, looking at the cap here and which arm John's having wrenched around, it's a good thing it's not the left arm, because that's the wounded one, but that shoulder is still gonna hurt like fire.
-Okay, car passing this little tableau right now, you win the "Most Oblivious" award. People threatening each other with guns and it didn't even slow down, or more sensibly, speed up. But I guess this could be a bad part of town.
-And a runner-up for "Most Oblivious"! Does no one in London notice gunplay, or is it a kind of 'that can't be what I just saw' effect?
-Or it could just be a bad part of town with really effective snipers.
-'Out-of-work actor' revealed he was hired by Sherlock to help fool the British Public. Oh ho ho. I didn't see that part before. I was wondering when this Brook person would show up again.
PART THREE
(PLEASE, NO SPOILERS OR RUMOURS REGARDING ANY FUTURE SERIES OF SHERLOCK.)