reblog from Tumblr: Sherlock Holmes meta post
Watson is SO subby in the books, but SO toppy in the movie. WHAT DO I DO???
Like, for movieverse I am content with their relationship being submissive-focused; that is, even though Watson’s the top, Holmes’ health and pleasure are the goal. He throws open the curtains and causes Holmes pain despite his protests, but he does so in the interest of creating a more healthy environment for Holmes. The types of orders Watson gives are things like “clean yourself up” and when he ruins an experiment (by letting out the flies) he does so because the experiment is frivolous, and Holmes has a professional obligation to attend to (visiting Blackwood in prison.)
I would say that Watson mostly tops in the domestic arena, and steps up his game when Holmes is between cases and devolves into a total mess without someone to tell him what to do. But when there’s on a case, Holmes is in charge, and Watson gladly steps back in action, though his words continue to be fairly bossy.
It’s a complex relationship, with (for some people) counter-intuitive dynamics. You could say that they switch, but I think the shift in power is much more fluid and subtle than that.
However, in bookcanon, Watson is the subbiest sub that ever subbed. Holmes is always directing him physically (a hand on the arm or wrist, sending him on investigative trips) and mentally (training him in observation, criticizing the tone and focus of his writings, etc.) The narration frequently mentions Holmes’ “masterful air” and how he refuses to reveal his plans even to Watson until they’ve come to fruition; Watson spends a lot of time running across dark moors and into dangerous alleys on Holmes’ command, without any knowledge of the aim or the extent of the danger.
But here’s the kicker: Watson is very invested in Holmes’ opinion of him. He craves his approval, and becomes embarrassed, angry, or depressed when Holmes is dissatisfied with his performance. Holmes is attentive to Watson’s moods, and will placate him if necessary, but again that is focused on Holmes’ aims; if Watson is unhappy, he will be a less effective assistant (I do not mean to say that Holmes does not genuinely care for Watson, only that Watson’s emotions do not motivate his actions.)
Again, in either ‘verse Holmes is the focus. I can imagine movie!Watson basing his own emotional mood on Holmes’ reactions-did you see his face during that silence after he reminds Holmes that he’s leaving during that first domestic scene?-but I can’t imagine bookverse Watson snapping orders or manipulating Holmes’ environment/experiments the way that movieverse Watson does. Even if movie!Watson is only performing as the dom while Holmes drives the relationship in actuality, book!Watson isn’t even doing that.
Holmes is the driving force in either ‘verse, but the mechanisms by which he attains and exerts power are drastically different. The mechanisms-though they may appear to be piddling details or pedantic hair-splitting to others-are very important to me (far more important than differences in Holmes’ body shape, for instance, or Mary’s introduction, or whether or not Holmes boxes on a regular basis.)
I much prefer the movieverse relationship because of the above-mentioned complexity (not to mention the visual stimulation and modern acknowledgment of sexuality), but I love bookcanon, too, and it takes some precedence because 1) it’s the original canon and 2) there’s much more material to draw from. When writing fic I can focus on one or the other-that’s why the ‘verses are traditionally specified in the header-but when I’m idly musing on the characters and *cough* imagining scenarios, there’s a stultifying dusjunct.
tl;dr bookverse and movieverse are different and it’s affecting my schlicking.
:/
pls advise
Like, for movieverse I am content with their relationship being submissive-focused; that is, even though Watson’s the top, Holmes’ health and pleasure are the goal. He throws open the curtains and causes Holmes pain despite his protests, but he does so in the interest of creating a more healthy environment for Holmes. The types of orders Watson gives are things like “clean yourself up” and when he ruins an experiment (by letting out the flies) he does so because the experiment is frivolous, and Holmes has a professional obligation to attend to (visiting Blackwood in prison.)
I would say that Watson mostly tops in the domestic arena, and steps up his game when Holmes is between cases and devolves into a total mess without someone to tell him what to do. But when there’s on a case, Holmes is in charge, and Watson gladly steps back in action, though his words continue to be fairly bossy.
It’s a complex relationship, with (for some people) counter-intuitive dynamics. You could say that they switch, but I think the shift in power is much more fluid and subtle than that.
However, in bookcanon, Watson is the subbiest sub that ever subbed. Holmes is always directing him physically (a hand on the arm or wrist, sending him on investigative trips) and mentally (training him in observation, criticizing the tone and focus of his writings, etc.) The narration frequently mentions Holmes’ “masterful air” and how he refuses to reveal his plans even to Watson until they’ve come to fruition; Watson spends a lot of time running across dark moors and into dangerous alleys on Holmes’ command, without any knowledge of the aim or the extent of the danger.
But here’s the kicker: Watson is very invested in Holmes’ opinion of him. He craves his approval, and becomes embarrassed, angry, or depressed when Holmes is dissatisfied with his performance. Holmes is attentive to Watson’s moods, and will placate him if necessary, but again that is focused on Holmes’ aims; if Watson is unhappy, he will be a less effective assistant (I do not mean to say that Holmes does not genuinely care for Watson, only that Watson’s emotions do not motivate his actions.)
Again, in either ‘verse Holmes is the focus. I can imagine movie!Watson basing his own emotional mood on Holmes’ reactions-did you see his face during that silence after he reminds Holmes that he’s leaving during that first domestic scene?-but I can’t imagine bookverse Watson snapping orders or manipulating Holmes’ environment/experiments the way that movieverse Watson does. Even if movie!Watson is only performing as the dom while Holmes drives the relationship in actuality, book!Watson isn’t even doing that.
Holmes is the driving force in either ‘verse, but the mechanisms by which he attains and exerts power are drastically different. The mechanisms-though they may appear to be piddling details or pedantic hair-splitting to others-are very important to me (far more important than differences in Holmes’ body shape, for instance, or Mary’s introduction, or whether or not Holmes boxes on a regular basis.)
I much prefer the movieverse relationship because of the above-mentioned complexity (not to mention the visual stimulation and modern acknowledgment of sexuality), but I love bookcanon, too, and it takes some precedence because 1) it’s the original canon and 2) there’s much more material to draw from. When writing fic I can focus on one or the other-that’s why the ‘verses are traditionally specified in the header-but when I’m idly musing on the characters and *cough* imagining scenarios, there’s a stultifying dusjunct.
tl;dr bookverse and movieverse are different and it’s affecting my schlicking.
:/
pls advise