'i could order you'...'i'd like to see you try'....

[subtle1science]

So--what's up with Mycroft? He's become the biggest puzzle, to me, of both seasons of Sherlock.

Massive spoilers to follow, so, you know--don't read if you don't want to find out anything.

In "A Study in Pink," he identifies himself as Sherlock's "arch-enemy," immediately clarifying that that's how Sherlock views him.  He offers Watson a small

Comments

[anonymous]

Oh, so it’s “live-in” instead of “living”? It would make sense, since that’s actually what Moriarty does later; he moves in with Kitty under the name of Richard Brook… :)

Now that I’ve almost finished the books I must say I do get a kind of ”gay” feeling from Sherlock’s and Watson’s relationship there as well; there are quite a few references, for example, of them holding hands in one way or another… Sometimes they seem to pick on each other like a married couple, and Watson seems to be extremely devoted to Holmes, admiring him greatly. In one sequence of the later books Sherlock makes quite a lively description where he “reads” John’s passionate thoughts about war heroes by secretly watching his face and gestures, and in The Bruce-Partington Plans we get this:

”He sprang up and shook me by the hand.
 ’I knew you would not shrink at the last,’ said he, and for a moment I saw something in his eyes which was nearer to tenderness than I had ever seen. The next instant he was his masterful, practical self once more.”

In addition, Holmes is said to be not particularly fond of women, while he still always treats them with respect. After Watson’s wife has died, he moves in with Sherlock again…

As for Mycroft’s ”Mothering”, couldn’t it also be that their mother was in some ways absent, so that Mycroft felt that he must step in in her place to take care of his little brother?

I agree that Sherlock seems to be rather emotional, in spite of all his efforts to hide it. I read a passage in one of the book stories that seems to confirm this. It’s in “The Six Napoleons”, which takes place long after Holmes’ faked death:
“Well,” said Lestrade, “I’ve seen you handle a good many cases, Mr. Holmes, but I don’t know that I ever knew a more workmanlike one than that. We’re not jealous of you at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are very proud of you, and if you come down to-morrow, there’s not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable, who wouldn’t be glad to shake you by the hand.”
 “Thank you!” said Holmes. “Thank you!” and as he turned away, it seemed to me that he was more nearly moved by the softer human emotions than I had ever seen him. A moment later he was the cold and practical thinker once more.

I’d love to see this scene played out somehow in the TV-show, because I think Sherlock has never sincerely been told that people are proud of him this far - especially not by Scotland Yard (and I don’t count the media show with the deer stalker hat in RF). Instead, he’s mostly met with jealousy and suspicion from the police, with Lestrade as one of the few exceptions.

/Nyctalus

[subtle1science]

I would love to see that scene as well--especially after Lestrade's remark in "A Study in Pink" that he considers Sherlock is "a great man, and some day he may even be a good man." Yet another aspect of the show that is incredibly well developed is the relationship between Lestrade and Sherlock....Obviously, Lestrade knows a great deal about Sherlock, as he proves with the drug raid on 221B; by RF, it's clear that Lestrade has a great deal of respect for Sherlock. Interesting that he combines tweaking Holmes with an element of, well, caring, when he reassures Sherlock after the little girl's hysterics: "Don't worry. I always feel like screaming when you walk in the room. So do most people."

Holmes and Watson do come across as rather gay in the original stories....But I think it has more to do with Victorian sensibilities than actual intent on Doyle's part: there's the cultural bias that elevates the so-called masculine traits and masculinity; women and traits that are considered feminine are inferior. Holmes is put on a pedestal: he is the ideal man, who is unsullied by "weaker" emotions and associations.

I think one of the most amazing achievements of the Moffat/Gatiss writing and Cumberbatch's performance is that this Holmes is wholly ambiguous. As Watson says, "Who the hell knows about Sherlock Holmes?" Even though Sherlock reacts to Irene Adler, it's never with absolute clarity--again, Watson has the line: "Has he ever had a girlfriend? Boyfriend? A relationship of any kind?"