You know I'm unconvinced John will move back in with Sherlock? Although I suppose Baker Street provides a built-in babysitter for when they go out on cases.
Couldn't she just be a regular woman? Did she need to be a "psychopath" to be attractive?
I don't understand that. I don't get the sort of thinking that connects "strong female character" to "extraordinary abilities", because you can totally have a regular woman who is complex and interesting and strong.
You know I'll actually defend this one, although I get why it bothers you. Sherlock does provide normal women who're strong and interesting in Molly and Mrs Hudson. More to the point for me, although yeah, women shouldn't be required to be superlative to be interesting - what usually happens is that men have superpowers and women support them. And much as being normal and yet interesting and strong is valuable, it also ends up feeding into our discourse of power in some worrying ways. Having a Mary and a Sherlock sister still doesn't match Sherlock and Mycroft for narrative power and screentime, and they are ALL ABOUT being a league of extraordinary gentlemen.
And the thing is, Watson goes off with Holmes to fight crime and has a nice ordinary wife to connect him to the real world? It's not a bad story but it's been done, and I think the key representation-wise is in variety of women. And actually the assassin with a difficult past, who leaves their spouse and baby to protect the family from the assassin's old enemies, is usually not a woman. Ordinary characters also, in a superhero story (which BBC's Sherlock is in many ways) pretty much by definition locked out of being a full part of the story. Making Mary extraordinary, and in a way Sherlock and John can't really do (much as her skills were underutilised) let her stay super involved.
It's also been part of John's character from the beginning that he loves excitement and danger. Mary isn't a psychopath any more than Sherlock's a sociopath but John's attraction to danger and crazy amoral people who will do a lot for those they love, it's well-established. Sherlock's John Watson isn't, I think, all that interested in marrying a normal woman.
While do you think John won't move back? I honestly thought that the fridging of Mary was done because of this reason.
You know I'll actually defend this one, although I get why it bothers you. Sherlock does provide normal women who're strong and interesting in Molly and Mrs Hudson. More to the point for me, although yeah, women shouldn't be required to be superlative to be interesting - what usually happens is that men have superpowers and women support them. And much as being normal and yet interesting and strong is valuable, it also ends up feeding into our discourse of power in some worrying ways. Having a Mary and a Sherlock sister still doesn't match Sherlock and Mycroft for narrative power and screentime, and they are ALL ABOUT being a league of extraordinary gentlemen.
That's true. I just liked Mary in the first two episodes of S3, just for who she seemed to be, and the shocking reveal bored me.
While I agree with you on Moffat's women in terms of being different (Amy, River, Molly, Irene ... are different characters) Mary seemed to me too much like a River 2.0 for my taste.
It's also been part of John's character from the beginning that he loves excitement and danger. Mary isn't a psychopath any more than Sherlock's a sociopath but John's attraction to danger and crazy amoral people who will do a lot for those they love, it's well-established.
Totally! John loves the danger, it's established since episode 1.
Yeah, I totally get the frustration when you liked her already.
Mary and River have a lot in common for SURE. I mean, I don't find it too much basically because most of Mary's life is unaffected by John Watson, and there's gravitational force between her and this whole other dude plotwise (Sherlock) which shifts her central relationships. But yeah as a character absolutely (even if Mary's not half the wisecracker River is): tough, violent, adventurous, somewhat ruthless and perhaps even sociopathic; central role/plot is about all of that versus being a wife, and sacrificing herself for her dudes with never a regret.
I wish I could post photos of CC too!! Will have to settle for talking about it forever.
Couldn't she just be a regular woman? Did she need to be a "psychopath" to be attractive?
I don't understand that. I don't get the sort of thinking that connects "strong female character" to "extraordinary abilities", because you can totally have a regular woman who is complex and interesting and strong.
You know I'll actually defend this one, although I get why it bothers you. Sherlock does provide normal women who're strong and interesting in Molly and Mrs Hudson. More to the point for me, although yeah, women shouldn't be required to be superlative to be interesting - what usually happens is that men have superpowers and women support them. And much as being normal and yet interesting and strong is valuable, it also ends up feeding into our discourse of power in some worrying ways. Having a Mary and a Sherlock sister still doesn't match Sherlock and Mycroft for narrative power and screentime, and they are ALL ABOUT being a league of extraordinary gentlemen.
And the thing is, Watson goes off with Holmes to fight crime and has a nice ordinary wife to connect him to the real world? It's not a bad story but it's been done, and I think the key representation-wise is in variety of women. And actually the assassin with a difficult past, who leaves their spouse and baby to protect the family from the assassin's old enemies, is usually not a woman. Ordinary characters also, in a superhero story (which BBC's Sherlock is in many ways) pretty much by definition locked out of being a full part of the story. Making Mary extraordinary, and in a way Sherlock and John can't really do (much as her skills were underutilised) let her stay super involved.
It's also been part of John's character from the beginning that he loves excitement and danger. Mary isn't a psychopath any more than Sherlock's a sociopath but John's attraction to danger and crazy amoral people who will do a lot for those they love, it's well-established. Sherlock's John Watson isn't, I think, all that interested in marrying a normal woman.
CURSED CHILD IS AMAZING OMG
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You know I'll actually defend this one, although I get why it bothers you. Sherlock does provide normal women who're strong and interesting in Molly and Mrs Hudson. More to the point for me, although yeah, women shouldn't be required to be superlative to be interesting - what usually happens is that men have superpowers and women support them. And much as being normal and yet interesting and strong is valuable, it also ends up feeding into our discourse of power in some worrying ways. Having a Mary and a Sherlock sister still doesn't match Sherlock and Mycroft for narrative power and screentime, and they are ALL ABOUT being a league of extraordinary gentlemen.
That's true. I just liked Mary in the first two episodes of S3, just for who she seemed to be, and the shocking reveal bored me.
While I agree with you on Moffat's women in terms of being different (Amy, River, Molly, Irene ... are different characters) Mary seemed to me too much like a River 2.0 for my taste.
It's also been part of John's character from the beginning that he loves excitement and danger. Mary isn't a psychopath any more than Sherlock's a sociopath but John's attraction to danger and crazy amoral people who will do a lot for those they love, it's well-established.
Totally! John loves the danger, it's established since episode 1.
CURSED CHILD IS AMAZING OMG
Awww, I truly wish you could post photos! ;O;
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Mary and River have a lot in common for SURE. I mean, I don't find it too much basically because most of Mary's life is unaffected by John Watson, and there's gravitational force between her and this whole other dude plotwise (Sherlock) which shifts her central relationships. But yeah as a character absolutely (even if Mary's not half the wisecracker River is): tough, violent, adventurous, somewhat ruthless and perhaps even sociopathic; central role/plot is about all of that versus being a wife, and sacrificing herself for her dudes with never a regret.
I wish I could post photos of CC too!! Will have to settle for talking about it forever.
Reply
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