5 things about Sherlock 3x01
Jan. 9th, 2014 01:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
minxyRight, so Sherlock series 3 is happening, and imo, way too fast. I'm able to download the episodes much earlier than I'm ready to watch them, because I'm still processing the last episode. If that makes sense. So I'm a little behind here, but it means I've had a little more time to think, at least.
So, I shall respond as I'm able (read: when I find my words again)
1. Martin Freeman is pretty amazing. I haven't seen that kind of still close-up on a person not talking since Farscape. I love that he goes from happy banter to shock to hurt to anger and you can see ALL OF THAT ON HIS FACE. John's face is a story on it's own.
2. I loved Mary. I still love Mary. Folk are annoyed that she liked Sherlock so fast and feel manipulated by the creators or something, but people, what show have you been watching? Sherlock is a manipulator, he hides in plain sight! You thought fen were going to be allowed to behave badly and escape ridicule? May no, my people. Not even John escapes ridicule when he has been ridiculous. And Mary is consistent: she's smart enough to see important things and make decisions about them quickly (see: nursing scene) and hilariously unable to not mention things to John (see: first attempt at proposal scene and most thereafter.) I also enjoy that she is not a substitute for John or Sherlock, but a new element altogether. Certainly some of her traits would be compatible with John for the same reason that Sherlock was compatible with John, but she absolutely does add a new dynamic. And, on first impression, it seems to both speed things up (the pacing of this season is very different, but I need to think about it a little more before I really commit to the idea that it has to do with Mary's presence) and derail some of Sherlock and John's tendency towards loggerheads.
2b. Back to John. He says at one point in this and in ep 2 that speaking about emotions isn't easy for him. I think that's shown in the proposal scene* long before he states it so baldly, and the reason he can start stating things about his emotions is also shown in the proposal scene, as Mary prods and takes joy in the things John tells her.
3. Sherlock's joy at being with John. I mean, John is ready to bash him sideways and Sherlock is clearly trying really hard to comprehend why, but he's also just so gleeful and breaking out into SMILES all over the place (inappropriately)! and asking silly questions about John's moustache (which, frankly, I was a little worried about.) And really a silly bouncy puppy a lot.
And... this is a side note, but Sherlock was only gone two years--would his hair really have gotten that long? Leaving aside how carefully he maintains it during the series, if he never once got it cut in two years... that much length with curls? Lazy.
4. Speaking of which, it's interesting how being out of communication has changed not only what John says to Sherlock, but what Sherlock says out loud to everyone. Fic often plays with the trope that Sherlock doesn't have a filter and says everything he's thinking out loud; this is not a bad read on the first two series. Now, though, it seems that Sherlock has lived so long inside his head that he actually came to appreciate his audience a bit--he bit back comments about Molly's boyfriend, which would not have happened before. He strives to say thank you in very, very odd ways, which I think he would have assumed was unnecessary before. (Speaking of, I like Kres's read on this very much.) Like trying to tell Mycroft (super awkwardly) that he's missing something in human interaction. Or making John work through his anger (which may have been more in Sherlock's best interest, of course), or taking Molly on a crime scene investigation. I do love Molly.
5. The mirror of John neglecting Mrs. Hudson and then Sherlock's inability to bring John into the loop was very interesting. Poor Mrs. Hudson did scream her face off, though. Is there any chance we can get John and Mary to move into 221C, do you think? That would be nice.
bonus 6: Anderson was interesting in this ep, in that I think we can take away that the guy has lost his connection with the Met and his former life, but it made me wonder where Donovan was. Also I don't think there was enough Lestrade. I seriously hope that is remedied in the future.
Wait! No, 2 again. 2c. This is partly informed by the next episode, but I need to remind myself to talk about when one of the threesome realize something is wrong without asking. Like, Mary realizing John was very very upset about the waiter for some reason, and being really concerned and wonderful at the time. She was all, all about John, there.
It's been a while since I've watched a series I was fannish about and watched it on time (mostly), so a collection of other reactions:
Other reactions to 3x1: Kres on 3x1 as well as the above link about the train scene.
Alizarin_nyc pro/con list.
Cesperanza's meta on the show's kinky relationship with fandom
Astolat's fic interpretation of same. Not work-safe, I should mention.
Liviapenn's critiques of 3x1 and 3x2 (the bad and the good!)
*interesting side note about the music choices: you just don't expect one of your local jazz ensemble bands from grad school to make an appearance in Sherlock's... er, reappearance. Go, Pink Martini!
So, I shall respond as I'm able (read: when I find my words again)
1. Martin Freeman is pretty amazing. I haven't seen that kind of still close-up on a person not talking since Farscape. I love that he goes from happy banter to shock to hurt to anger and you can see ALL OF THAT ON HIS FACE. John's face is a story on it's own.
2. I loved Mary. I still love Mary. Folk are annoyed that she liked Sherlock so fast and feel manipulated by the creators or something, but people, what show have you been watching? Sherlock is a manipulator, he hides in plain sight! You thought fen were going to be allowed to behave badly and escape ridicule? May no, my people. Not even John escapes ridicule when he has been ridiculous. And Mary is consistent: she's smart enough to see important things and make decisions about them quickly (see: nursing scene) and hilariously unable to not mention things to John (see: first attempt at proposal scene and most thereafter.) I also enjoy that she is not a substitute for John or Sherlock, but a new element altogether. Certainly some of her traits would be compatible with John for the same reason that Sherlock was compatible with John, but she absolutely does add a new dynamic. And, on first impression, it seems to both speed things up (the pacing of this season is very different, but I need to think about it a little more before I really commit to the idea that it has to do with Mary's presence) and derail some of Sherlock and John's tendency towards loggerheads.
2b. Back to John. He says at one point in this and in ep 2 that speaking about emotions isn't easy for him. I think that's shown in the proposal scene* long before he states it so baldly, and the reason he can start stating things about his emotions is also shown in the proposal scene, as Mary prods and takes joy in the things John tells her.
3. Sherlock's joy at being with John. I mean, John is ready to bash him sideways and Sherlock is clearly trying really hard to comprehend why, but he's also just so gleeful and breaking out into SMILES all over the place (inappropriately)! and asking silly questions about John's moustache (which, frankly, I was a little worried about.) And really a silly bouncy puppy a lot.
And... this is a side note, but Sherlock was only gone two years--would his hair really have gotten that long? Leaving aside how carefully he maintains it during the series, if he never once got it cut in two years... that much length with curls? Lazy.
4. Speaking of which, it's interesting how being out of communication has changed not only what John says to Sherlock, but what Sherlock says out loud to everyone. Fic often plays with the trope that Sherlock doesn't have a filter and says everything he's thinking out loud; this is not a bad read on the first two series. Now, though, it seems that Sherlock has lived so long inside his head that he actually came to appreciate his audience a bit--he bit back comments about Molly's boyfriend, which would not have happened before. He strives to say thank you in very, very odd ways, which I think he would have assumed was unnecessary before. (Speaking of, I like Kres's read on this very much.) Like trying to tell Mycroft (super awkwardly) that he's missing something in human interaction. Or making John work through his anger (which may have been more in Sherlock's best interest, of course), or taking Molly on a crime scene investigation. I do love Molly.
5. The mirror of John neglecting Mrs. Hudson and then Sherlock's inability to bring John into the loop was very interesting. Poor Mrs. Hudson did scream her face off, though. Is there any chance we can get John and Mary to move into 221C, do you think? That would be nice.
bonus 6: Anderson was interesting in this ep, in that I think we can take away that the guy has lost his connection with the Met and his former life, but it made me wonder where Donovan was. Also I don't think there was enough Lestrade. I seriously hope that is remedied in the future.
Wait! No, 2 again. 2c. This is partly informed by the next episode, but I need to remind myself to talk about when one of the threesome realize something is wrong without asking. Like, Mary realizing John was very very upset about the waiter for some reason, and being really concerned and wonderful at the time. She was all, all about John, there.
It's been a while since I've watched a series I was fannish about and watched it on time (mostly), so a collection of other reactions:
Other reactions to 3x1: Kres on 3x1 as well as the above link about the train scene.
Alizarin_nyc pro/con list.
Cesperanza's meta on the show's kinky relationship with fandom
Astolat's fic interpretation of same. Not work-safe, I should mention.
Liviapenn's critiques of 3x1 and 3x2 (the bad and the good!)
*interesting side note about the music choices: you just don't expect one of your local jazz ensemble bands from grad school to make an appearance in Sherlock's... er, reappearance. Go, Pink Martini!
no subject
Date: 2014-01-10 02:32 am (UTC)Haha, I had a weird reaction to that too. "Where have I heard this song before? Wait, I've heard this song LIVE. OMG PINK MARTINI." <3
Have you ever heard of "Brimstone," a very weird one-season show about a policeman brought back from hell by Satan (aka John Glover) to catch escaped demons? There's one episode of that show where they must have bought the rights to an entire CD or something, because it's wall-to-wall Pink Martini songs. Very weird.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-10 03:40 am (UTC)*is mildly creeped out*