Rewatch: Sherlock - A Study in Pink (Part 1)

[hells_half_acre]

This rewatch will be posted in 3 parts over 3 days, because it clocks in at ~14,500 words.

For those of you who read my Supernatural Rewatches, you will be very familiar with the format. However...

Special Sherlock Disclaimer: I talk a lot about love, falling in love, being in love, etc. in this rewatch. If you choose to read this as romantic love,

Comments

[et_tu_lj]

I completely agree with your interpretation of the gun. It makes perfect sense for him to have a backup plan, and he's low enough here to be considering it, though not enough to have taken it yet. (Didn't know it was that difficult to have a handgun there though.)

The marksmanship is interesting. Things happen, and a Doctor taking a bullet could reasonably occur. But his shooting skills don't match, and leave all sorts of things to consider/play with.

On the why does Sherlock want a flatmate bit. I never read it as needing a flatmate, because the money seemed obvious. (Since Sherlock had already moved in and all.) I saw two possibilities, the first being that he wasn't actually saying he needed one, but was just reacting to some comment someone made, as a way of saying of course he lived alone. The other is an extension of Sherlock being bored. Very few things entertain him, and IF there were someone actually interesting, it would be a way to fill the time between cases. Plus being able to pass off the dull bits of life. But such people are rare, and the likelihood of finding one was interesting AND found Sherlock tolerable is unlikely. I like the second explanation in my head, but as far as saying it out loud I've always thought the first.

Poor Molly. I love his reaction, because it's obvious he picks up details by course, cataloguing them automatically in the background even when he's not focusing. But he doesn't necessarily interpret them correctly. On first viewing, I thought it was a deliberate reaction, misinterpreting to keep her at a distance without dealing with the emotional implications. Now I'm not sure. With the Christmas present in season 2, he doesn't realize the implication until he's said it aloud, and he does react in a way that tries to mitigate the damage. If he'd picked up on her attraction here, I'd think he'd have realized it sooner there. Though he's definitely learned more by then, because I don't think he'd have been capable of that reaction in the earlier scene (John's teaching him to be a friend, awwww.) But still, it doesn't feel like he's noticed her attraction before that moment. So I think now I'm leaning towards being emotionally oblivious here, primarily through lack of attention.

Oh god I love your backstory for Mrs. Hudson. <3 I need to read a story with this now! *is hopeful*

I'm not sure I have an explanation for why Sherlock puts so much hope in John right away. (Because I do think you're right that he wants desperately for John to be interesting, to meet his standards and be good enough for Sherlock.) What I've come up with is John's amazement at his analysis back at the lab. That's at the heart of everything Sherlock is, and such an absolute pure reaction of admiration and wonder isn't typical. John affirms something important about Sherlock, where others don't, and in that he surprises Sherlock. Everything after that feels like testing, hoping desperately that he's actually found someone INTERESTING and maybe John won't disappoint him by turning out to be just as dull as everyone else.

I hope they never confirm Sherlock's sexuality either way. It will ruin everything for me. Sherlock's not meant to be figured out and categorized. As much as I do believe the relationship between John and Sherlock is about love, I want it to be full of all the possibilities and complications and confusions, not settling into a yes/no. I love this interpretation for stating the possibility openly, but I don't want them to ever pin it down.

And god yes, the smiling while looking away from each other at the end just does me in.

[hells_half_acre]

Didn't know it was that difficult to have a handgun there though

Most of the police force don't even have guns in Britain. THAT's how hard it is to have a handgun there. (You can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_United_Kingdom)

I saw two possibilities, the first being that he wasn't actually saying he needed one, but was just reacting to some comment someone made, as a way of saying of course he lived alone. The other is an extension of Sherlock being bored. Very few things entertain him, and IF there were someone actually interesting, it would be a way to fill the time between cases.

Hmm, interesting first possibility...I'd counter-argue that if he didn't actually need/want one, then he wouldn't have even entertained the notion of rooming with John, let alone start the testing process to see if John was suitable. Secondly, I'm not sure Sherlock is entertained by many people...actually, I'm not even sure if he's entertained by John. He LIKES John, but I was always under the impression that Moriarty's comment about John being a source of entertainment in 2x03 made Sherlock angry...but, I haven't rewatched that episode yet, so I could be wrong.

On first viewing, I thought it was a deliberate reaction, misinterpreting to keep her at a distance without dealing with the emotional implications. Now I'm not sure. With the Christmas present in season 2, he doesn't realize the implication until he's said it aloud, and he does react in a way that tries to mitigate the damage.

That's a very good point. I only assumed that he recognized Molly's infatuation because you can see him deliberately using it to get what he wants in...either the 2x02 or 2x03, I forget which now (but I'll comment on it in the rewatch when it comes up.)

Oh god I love your backstory for Mrs. Hudson. <3 I need to read a story with this now! *is hopeful*

I've been toying with the idea of writing something for over a year now, but I'm not sure how it would work...and I'm a little bit worried that I won't get the voices right. So, yeah, not sure if I will - but I'm glad you like the way it is in my head!

What I've come up with is John's amazement at his analysis back at the lab. That's at the heart of everything Sherlock is, and such an absolute pure reaction of admiration and wonder isn't typical.

True, if I can see the amazement on John's face, then certainly Sherlock can...maybe that IS the point where Sherlock decides that John may actually be a good candidate.

I hope they never confirm Sherlock's sexuality either way. It will ruin everything for me. Sherlock's not meant to be figured out and categorized. As much as I do believe the relationship between John and Sherlock is about love, I want it to be full of all the possibilities and complications and confusions, not settling into a yes/no. I love this interpretation for stating the possibility openly, but I don't want them to ever pin it down.

My thoughts and feelings exactly.

[et_tu_lj]

I only assumed that he recognized Molly's infatuation because you can see him deliberately using it to get what he wants in...either the 2x02 or 2x03.

Probably why it jumped out to me then. I just watched 2x01 for the first time this week, and haven't seen 2x02 or 2x03 yet.

Along the same vein I haven't seen Moriarty's comment yet, but I could see it making him angry regardless of whether it had been true in the beginning. Because it's Moriarty, who hasn't earned the right to comment on it, and because they've come a long way since the beginning so I'd think it'd be more complicated than that by now. Idk, I'll have to come back and comment when I've caught up and can incorporate the new stuff in my head. :)

[hells_half_acre]

Oh wait...I meant 1x02 or 1x03. :P Sorry...so, you would have seen it. It's a really fleeting scene where Sherlock compliments Molly and gives her an adorable smile in order to get into the morgue. But, maybe I have to watch it again myself, because he could just be thinking that complimenting Molly works and he hasn't realized WHY yet.

Anyway, yeah...I could be wrong on this one! Interpretation: It's different for everybody! :P

[et_tu_lj]

lolol. Well then. :)

I have friends who use flirting as a default way to get what they want, without it occurring to them that the other person might want there to be something more to it. They're always shocked if it turns out the other person actually likes them, and usually feel bad about it once they realize. I think my mind just jumps to that pattern easily.

That's why I enjoy reading meta. I love seeing the thought process behind someone else's interpretation. Especially when it makes me think deeper than I did before and figure out my own reaction, which yours always does. :)

[hells_half_acre]

Hmm, yeah, actually, now that you bring it up, my bestfriend is/was a crazy flirt. It often got ridiculous AND DID lead to hurt feelings...which my friend really never saw coming, because to him it was all harmless fun. He didn't do it to get what he wanted, it was just his default "I want to be your friend, so now I'm going to flirt with you like I want to get into your pants, even though I don't." (FYI: He really did do it with friends - guys, girls, he led them all on!)

So, yeah, actually, I guess it's totally plausible that Sherlock really doesn't see it.

And obviously, I like reading meta for the same reason you do! Haha, and I love it when people comment on my meta with their own interpretations so that I'm constantly re-evaluating the possibilities. :)