SHERLOCK: The Lying Detective {Roundtable}

Sherlock never lets the audience have a few moments of peace and quiet, especially after Mary’s death last week.

This week, Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) looks like he’s gone off the rails and needs help, but that’s not even the true focus of the episode.

Remember that woman John (Martin Freeman) started to flirt with last week? She was at the heart of a big reveal and that sent everyone into a fit.

1. What do you think of the final reveal?

Melissa: I KNEW THAT WOMAN WASN’T WHO SHE SEEMED!!!!!

Of course it never crossed my mind that she was the secret Holmes sister (!), but I knew something was up with her. Everything means something on this show.

So we’ve now met Eurus. And she’s not only the woman John emotionally cheated on Mary with, she was also part of bringing down Culverton Smith. We also heard Mycroft say “Sherrinford is secure”, presumably referring to wherever Eurus has been kept all these years. The “locked tower” John jokingly refers to when prodding Mycroft about the missing Holmes brother. Add in Mycroft tracking Sherlock because him being on the loose is a threat to national security, and I think I see where this is going – Eurus is probably even more brilliant than Sherlock and Mycroft, but without any moral code to keep her in check.

Also, with her use of the phrase, “Miss me?” on the list, are we meant to think she’s behind the release of Moriarty’s “Miss me?” video? Has she been taunting her brothers? Did she use it to keep Sherlock in the country?

Roz: So I have a friend who loves ACD and all things Holmes, and since this reveal about Eurus had me going “WHAT?”, I also needed to know if she’s part of canon. So, I’m sad she’s not part of the books, but I am impressed that there really was a red herring in a mystery like this. Watching John revealing so much to her as he also hears Mary’s voice is a concern, but I doubted that John’s going to grieve in a way that won’t cause him some harm.

Cay: Yeah, totally didn’t in any way see that coming! There is no show on TV that makes me feel dumber than Sherlock! I spent most of the episode wondering whether someone had slipped something into *my* drink and that it was not just Sherlock who was high. Both Eurus and Mary seem to have outwitted the boys this time around. Maybe it makes me feel better that John was basically entrapped to emotionally cheat on Mary?

2. Other comments or concerns?

Melissa: So much to process from this episode. Tumblr is going to have a blast dissecting it. I did have an inkling that Sherlock was purposely putting himself in danger to get John’s attention and fulfill Mary’s last request, but that didn’t make it any less fun to watch. Culverton Smith was super creepy – those teeth! that laugh! the disgusting come-ons! – and yet he never felt like a real threat. We got a lot of “tell” but no “show” in that respect. He would have been more effective as a villain if we’d seen him kill someone and make something out of the body, although I can’t say I’d want to see it. *shudder*

Sherlock being 2-3 weeks ahead of John’s schedule was delightfully Sherlock. And John’s exasperation was delightfully John. There’s hope for their friendship, especially now that each has made peace with Mary’s death and their respective parts in it. Well, maybe not peace just yet, but the hurt and grief that caused their split seems to have healed.

What do we make of Irene Adler resurfacing just now? A throwaway, giving John the opportunity to tease Sherlock? To show off his deductive skills? To get them back on firmer ground? Or will she make a reappearance soon?

Roz: Yes, I’m tempted to watch it at a point this week when I’m not dead on my feet to see if there’s really as much going on as I thought.

Mel, Culverton Smith (Toby Jones) has always been someone who creeps me out, especially as we first met him. But even the actor is creepy and I should have taken that as a sign he wasn’t meant to be the big bad.

As to your comments about Irene, I don’t know what to make of her text and finding out something personal about Sherlock.

It feels like in these episodes, I’m just as behind as John was for Sherlock here. I’m missing something and I just don’t know it until hits me over the head.

Cay: As I mentioned above, I spent most of this episode wondering what the heck was going on and what was real. Culverton was super creepy in every way, but I’m still not 100% sure all the scenes were real. Especially the cereal commercials – cereal killer? Thinking about it makes my brain hurt!

I did really like how Mary wasn’t gone, even though she died last episode. It makes her loss a bit easier for the viewer, not unlike when Person of Interest had The Machine take on Root’s voice and personality. Surprisingly enough, Mary’s death actually allowed her to bring quite a bit of humor into this episode.

Sherlock likes to think that he’s smart, but it seems to me that Mary had his number (and John’s) for a lot longer than the two weeks Sherlock was able to plan ahead. I wonder if Sherlock has any idea about Eurus?

As far as Irene, it seems like nothing surfaces on this show without a meaning, so I suspect she will play a role in the final episode next week. Yeah, it could have just been a “don’t let love pass you by” kind of sermon from John, but it just seems unlikely that that is all it was.

Sherlock has one more episode this season at 7PM on Sunday, January 15th on PBS.