#Lucy and Arthur’s storyline hurts so much

[paris-in-space]

They were meant to be getting married this week…

[i-am-just-a-kiddo]

favourite male fictional characters

Thank you @vishcount​ for tagging me, this was a lot of fun! 💞 I originally planned to follow your example and put ten characters here but suddenly it became a lot more oops. also i hope you forgive me for following your format, it’s neat 

I am tagging @isabellaofparma​ , @the-cloud-whisperer​ and @sassyassassy​!

I chose the characters that impacted me deeply on a personal level throughout my life (often shown by how long my love lasts over the years and if i was inspired to write for them). 

In no specific order under the cut: 

Legolas

The Lord of The Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien. 

I think it’s only fitting I start off with this magnificent guy. Maybe I gotta admit, i’ve just had a crush on him ever since I was like, nine years old? He’s the character I will fight tooth and claw for (though I guess he doesn’t need me to do that). I love Orlando Bloom’s portrayal of him, eventhough he is vastly different from the books. Book Legolas is such a delight as well, he feels so whimsical and playful and his banter with Gimli is just gold. I was sad when The Hobbit trilogy came out and I was so disappointed by how they butchered his character, it just did not feel authentic anymore (maybe I am also just bitter about the forced hetero storyline for him. makes no cents, this elf is GayTM your honour. and he will meet his soulmate Gimli in a few decades).  Either way, Legolas is the love of my life, thanks for coming to my tedtalk,

Peter Pan 

Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie

Another childhood crush of mine. The gif I chose if from the 2005 movie because we always used to watch it and it is to this day one of my favourite movies. It’s so dreamy, so magical, yet also incredibly sad and sweet.  I have this very strange fascination with Peter Pan. There is something incredibly unsettling about him, especially in the book. He represents something every child wants - who doesn’t want to escape their bedroom and fly away to experience magical adventured far from the adult world? And yet he also represents the impossibility of it, the curse he carries around with himself because he will forever stay alone, no matter how many lost boys he gathers around himself. And Wendy - it’s a love that was never meant to grow and mature, it’s a fleeting dream for the both of them.  I have seen many different adaptations of Peter Pan and I have my favourites, though I want to give a special mention to the book Peter Darling by Austin Chant. It’s a retelling of the story how we know it, in which Peter returns to Neverland after having finally grown up BUT the main points I want to highlight is trans Peter? Heck yes. Gripping and compelling gay love story with our favourite original lost boy Captain Hook? YES. 

Snufkin

Moomins, Tove Jansson.

I have discovered Snufkin for myself only last year, and yet I know he will stay with me forever. In short - I vibe with him, he vibes with me. His anxieties about being with people and longing for solitude? His fear of being loved and being important to someone to a point he doesn’t know what to do with himself? This man just wants to roam freely with his own mind and yet he always returns for something that captures him. Mum, I love him because I have rarely felt this seen before. Also, Snufkin said ACAB. 

Prince Jing - Xiao Jingyan

Nirvana in Fire (2015)

This too is a darling I have only discovered recently. I watched Nirvana in Fire this year and let me tell you, it’s the best show I have seen in a long while. It’s absolutely amazing and it also ripped my heart out. All the characters are absolutely amazing and I am still not over it.

To be honest, I contemplated between Xiao JIngyan and Mei Changsu, because character-wise I think the latter is a lot more interesting and compelling. He makes for a fantastic heartbreaking and flawed protagonist.

However I have to admit - it was love at first sight with Prince Jing for me and I’m still lowkey mad abt it rip. Seems like I am not immune to Pretty Prince Propaganda. But apart from that, I adore him for his genuine

goodness,

his almost naive drive to be better and seek justice. He lost everything, and for the longest time did not have anything to fight for. So alone and lost and bitter, it makes me sad how much it hardened him. He is heartbreak and clumsy kindness hidden under a skin of scars that was inflicted by his father and many others. I see his sad cat-eyes and I cry, that’s just how it is.

Edmund Pevensie

The Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis

I grew up with these books and movies - they have always been part of my life and it will probably always stay that way (only last night I rewatched the first movie and sobbed).  Imagine my surprised when I finally watched the last movie about five years ago and was incredibly impressed by how they adapted the book; also imagine my brain suddenly going CASMUND in bold letters at Skandar Keynes’ and Ben Barnes’  performance in that movie.  From there, I rediscovered this story completely anew for myself. My favourite Pevensie sibling has always been Lucy (and still is, because I identify with her so much and she feels like home to me); however this new discovery of Edmund’s character was overwhelming. It’s interesting to see characters you’ve grown up with from a more grown up point of view. I don’t want to lay out all my thoughts here, just know I am so heartbroken for him, and so so proud as well. His character arc is amazing and maybe that’s how the last movie makes me even more emotional. Seeing Edmund and Lucy still holding on to Narnia but knowing that that door was closing for them? Not to mention what happens in the later books (we don’t talk about that).  Also did I mention Casmund. Here, have my incredibly emo and depressing take on Edmund’s character that I started writing four years ago and which will forever stay a WIP. 

Nie Huaisang

The Untamed (2019)

My son. My soul. My bane of existence. The tragic thing about him is, that he does not really exist in canon as I have created him for myself. He’s a secondary character in the show, always so relatable yet still brings the ultimate twist of the story, yet he still remains this incomplete shadow. The movie

Fatal Journey

gave him a lot more and I cried tears of joy and devastation. I don’t know why I latched on to him so much, but apparently he is the one that I project on, the one that feels like he sits somewhere inside my chest. I don’t know what else to say - this year he has been everything to me. I spend a lot of time in his head while writing, and maybe that’s how he’s there forever now. Nie Huaisang saw my brain and went it’s free real estate. All my love for you, you dramatic art hoe.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Ah, another lifelong companion. There are many adapations that I adore - starting from the origin of it all, the books and stories which I have all devoured; the 80s adaptation with Jeremy Brett which was incredibly wonderful; to BBC Sherlock which shaped and traumatised me (I still like the first three seaons but I am too hurt to think about it); to the numerous movies -  but by far my most favourite performance is Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. Somehow he manages to capture the Holmes I see in my head when I read the books, the sharp yet polite eccentric detective, who loves his companion so much and who has desire to help others.  Sherlock Holmes will always stay special to me, in so many different ways. He shaped my youth and I know he will stay with me. (also what would you say when I told you he helped me discover that I can, in fact, be queer AND ace at the same time? thanks pal).  What else is there to say? Sherlock Holmes is a universe that you can dive into and find many amazing treasures. 

Isak Valtersen 

SKAM (2015)

There he is, the boy that changed my life. SKAM changed my life. All of the characters did. However, Isak is special for many, as I imagine. I remember winter 2016, when tumblr was flooded by these norwegian white boys kissing in a pool and cuddling and I was like ‘nah’, this doesn’t look convincing.  I don’t know what changed my mind but I remember sitting down at last and watching all that was released of season three and it was only downhill from there. I remember starting to follow the real life updates religiously while watching the other previous seasons in between. The one clip that completely wrecked me was when Isak went to the school nurse about his struggles with sleep - it felt like for the first time I saw someone on screen that could understand me on so many different levels. The entierty of seaons three is so personal, I would tell you to go watch it if you don’t know what I mean. The entire show in fact. It’s a masterpiece and it feels so real. This show impacted my life in a way that no show has managed to do before. I miss it so much. I miss Isak too sigh. 

Shang Xirui

Winter Begonia (2020)

Technically, for me personally, Shang Xirui is the nonbinary, gay and ace representation I need in my life (or at least that’s my own personal take on him), but since that is not official, he’s still here on this list. Of course he is because wow, it’s been a long while since I’ve seen such a compelling character on screen. I went from disliking him to being absolutely heartbroken over him. I don’t think any other character in this show captured me as much as he did. There are so many layers to him and discovering all of his sides is a wonderful, heartbreaking, painful and also beautiful journey. I’m not sure I understand all of him yet, but I am willing to try and dig and just ponder his existence. This too, is a perfect example for a flawed yet authentic protagonist. Also he is the most beautiful thing on this planet, or at least that’s how I have been feeling ever since I watched this. I wish to write more of him in the future. 

Aang

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)

I grew up watching ATLA and my favourite characters have always been Toph, Zuko and Uncle Iroh. In recent years however, I completely fell in love with Aang all anew. 

I think especially in the past, I had these prejudices against main characters and found them all the most boring personalities ever. In recent years this changed a lot and especially Aang is a prime example for that. Watching him from the perspective of older me, I find so much wisdom in this young boy. Somehow he represents all I wish to be in my life but at the same time he shows his flaws, he carries this sadness with him that will accompany him all his life. This inner battle and chaos that he has to face day to day and in the end - he is just a young boy. So much has been taken from him and yet he learns how to not let it overtake him, that anger and hurt. He tries his hardest to be better than the day before, even if sometimes the world crashes down on him and he gets overwhelmed. He is a child recruited by adults to manage their mistakes and play into the hands of predestined fate and in this essay I will -

Harry Potter 

Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling

I am surprised myself. I thought I would put Fred and George here, or Remus and Sirius, however I realised that none of them quite capture this feeling of lifelong change, of personal, deep impact that Harry had on me. 

As with Aang above, I used to think Harry was the most boring protagonist, yet my opinion took a 180° turn in the past years. Many of the things I wrote for Aang apply to him too - the fact that he was a child, that lost so much, and was always faced with challenges that a child should never have needed to face. Something I want to address is how my favourite book, The Order of the Phoenix, lays all of this out. Harry is just as flawed, just as vulnerable and angry as anyone else. I know some people did not like his ‘emo behaviour’ in the fifth book but for me it just showed how human he is, how he was just a teen like myself at that time. As for many, this boy shaped my entire life, shaped a generation, and I will forever be grateful. I’m sad and angry at how J*R behaves, and how she puts us in the position of doubting our love for these stories. I know I will always love them, but I will not turn a blind eye on all the problematic shit is carries with itself and what the author piles upon us. 

Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian 

The Untamed (2019)

I will try and keep this short, because if you want to read my thoughts about Wangxian just go to my ao3 and find the  over 70k i wrote for them.  I decided to put them here together because I can’t seperate them and I can’t choose between them. Each of them carries something I recognise in myself, and each of them is the opposite of me. They each own my heart and soul and I know there will never be a fictional couple like this for me ever again. They’ve snuck their way into my heart and have never left. They deserve to be here, together, because my love for them is indescribable. Bless them.  + Bonus:

The Doctor

Doctor Who (1963/2005)

Technically, the Doctor doesn’t count as a “male” character, but since he has been presenting as male up until recently, I needed to include him. I chose the Tenth Doctor because he is the one that broke my heart the most. I adored Nine but he was there too short, and I do love Eleven and Twelve a lot, and Thirteen absolutely owns my heart, Ten has just always been the one that made me cry the most. I loved this era of Doctor Who, I loved how sad and hopeful he was, how heartbroken and yet determined to help wherever it was needed. Doctor Who is always that show, when I return to it, I am reminded that maybe, humanity and the universe isn’t all that bad. 

phew, this took ages damn. but i had so much fun! i decided to leave out honorable mentiones because we would be sitting here until tomorrow lol. 

[squidproquoclarice]

Would you be able to explain your thoughts on not liking characters dying for redemption more? Like other people have said, you make things easy to understand.

All right, gather round the campfire, kids, and we’ll sing a round of Jack O’ Diamonds or Ring Dang Doo and let’s talk about the trope of “This character has done bad things, and deliberately choosing to sacrifice themselves for the survival of other people, in dying, finds their ‘redemption’.”Which can be powerful and eloquent.  The issue is when it becomes the only acceptable ending for a character with problematic actions, where it becomes an equation of “redemption=death”.  Establishing the notion that there is no redemption possible in life, that this character has done things that render them unworthy of surviving, of living, of happiness.  And that’s…kind of an issue.There’s a conflict between the viewpoints of retributive and restorative justice.  Retribution, which is more the Western legal system, and has become largely our cultural view, tends to take the notion that you can’t escape your past.  You can’t erase it.  Your sins will catch up to you, and you will pay the price for them in some kind of suffering.  Eye for an eye.  Action, consequence.  Crime, punishment.Restorative justice looks more at the balance of things.  You’ve done wrong.  What can you do to fix that specific sin to your victim, or if not, how can you make the world around you better and pay for your wrong in that way?Look, this is a moral conflict that Victor Hugo explored in detail in “Les Miserables” (and you can bet your ass that’s a very pertinent novel Arthur will be reading during his TB convalescence).  Jean Valjean is an escaped convict.  Javert is very much the retributive justice POV: you still need to pay your punishment to society.  Others, like the Bishop of Digne, tell Jean that the best way to pay for his sins is to look at the world around him, to do good, and to make it better.  Can Jean make up for being a dick to Fantine in her hour of need and helping cause her suffering and death by becoming an amazing adoptive father to her daughter?  Can he make up for his criminal past by it?  Debate at 11!This is why I love RDR, to be honest.  You have two very different men and situations, and the notion of “redemption” is handled in interesting ways for both of them.I love John Marston.  We see him now in 3 different eras, and the evolution between 1899, 1907, and 1911.  And he’s a fascinating character presenting that dilemma of an ex-criminal living a quiet life. He’s made up for his mistakes as a husband and father, but has he truly earned a peaceful life?  As of 1907, he’s still fucking up, getting into fights, taking Abigail and Jack for granted, pursuing revenge for Arthur which is the last thing the man would want.  As of 1911, I’d say “no”, he hasn’t quite earned absolution.  He’s not hurting anyone any more, and he’s a fantastic husband and dad, but he’s running from his past.  He’s not adding to the red in the ledger, but he’s not really putting any black to offset it either.  He still seems to have left the gang mostly because of it breaking apart and Dutch’s betraying him, rather than genuine soul-searching and contrition.  He goes after Bill and Javier and Dutch because he’s forced to, not because they’re hurting people.  Though I’d say by the end of RDR1, he is becoming more the man who deserves the peace he seeks.  He’s making more honorable choices to make the world around him better, helping strangers rather than looking out for only his own family.  Unfortunately, it’s too little, too late, as he’s caught in Ross’ snare and is killed to tie up loose ends.  John is a great character who can’t quite leave his past behind, or come to terms with it, and it catches up with him before he can complete that evolution.  (And man, that really sucks for Arthur, because John’s becoming a good man living a good life is what he hoped for so much.)Arthur?  Gaaaah, much as I loved John, R* found a new level of storytelling with this boah.  By the end of RDR2, yes, from a restorative justice POV, I think he’s earned that chance at a happy life.  He’s squarely faced who he is and what he’s done in the past, sincerely regrets it, recognizes he can’t directly fix many of his past actions (though damn, does he try where he can, in cases like the Downes family) but he’s actively chosen to do good.  To spread kindness and mercy, to make the world better where he can.  And I have to believe given another 30 years of life, he’d continue taking on that role of fighting for the downtrodden where he can, because this is a man who now genuinely believes.  But from a retributive justice standpoint, he still deserves to die for the things he’s done.  So therein lies the dilemma: which justice system wins?  Restorative, and the good he can do for so many, or retributive, and “making him pay”?  While I respect the tragic poetry of his sacrifice for John, I choose to believe that Arthur surviving the TB, finding a way to challenge himself to continue to be better, and doing so, and finding peace with himself, is a really profoundly meaningful ending.  Like Sister Calderon says, we’ve all lived bad lives, but to choose to love others, and to selflessly help them, makes a big difference.  So yeah, flipping over to Timeless, the notion as per the writer of the Christmas special that Garcia Flynn has “done too many bad things” and doesn’t “deserve” a happy ending so he should randomly go sacrifice himself for the happiness of Lucy and Wyatt is kinda BS-y.  He acknowledges his sins.  He fights for others, fights to try to become a good man again, without hope of personal gain for himself at this point.  He’s saved a hell of a lot of lives.  Compared to Wyatt, who’s been equally violent, hurt many people, and genuinely seems to believe his needs always take precedence, and yet “deserves” happiness including Babies Ever After, that’s really kind of a shitty reductive claim compared against the thoughtful complexity R* put into the “death via redemption” trope.In conclusion, use retributive justice where appropriate, but c’mon, let’s stop hitting the lazy button and see more restorative justice storylines for characters with “bad” pasts who are desperately trying to be better.Thank you for coming to my RED Talk.

[only-the-gentle-survived]

1-100 of the Holby asks 😎

okay buckle up kids, it’s gonna be a long ride(would also just like to apologise right now for the fact 90% of these questions will have the same answers… three guesses as to which)

also I tried to do a “read more” so this wouldn’t take up your dashes but it didn’t work, soz

100 Questions about Holby City

1. Favourite present character?The queen of my life Jac Naylor obviously2. Favourite past character?My precious child Jasmine Burrows (although it pains me to call her a past character)3. Least favourite present character?Fredrik Johanssen, I literally just don’t care about him at all4. All time favourite character?Jac Naylor5. All time least favourite character?Isaac Mayfield maybe? 6. Favourite recurring character?Does Emma Naylor count??? Also Lexy the vicar7. Favourite nurse?Present - Essie, all time - Chantelle8. Favourite senior doctor?Always has to be Jac9. Favourite junior doctor?Jasmine10. Favourite ward?Darwin without a doubt11. OTPs?Jac/Jonny (also lowkey Ollie/Tara, Ollie/Zosia, Arthur/Morven, Jas/Morven, Jac/Zosia)12. NOTs?Essie/Raf!!! Also Jonny/Bonnie for obvious reasons, Jac/Matteo13. Favourite friendship?Jac/Mo, Jac/Zosia, Jasmine/Morven, Mo/Jonny14. Favourite family relationship?Do I even need to answer this??? Jac and Jasmine forever until the end of time15. Favourite actor/actress?Rosie Marcel16. Favourite quote?Current fave is still “you got the cheekbones, she got the smile” but the “foetus in scrubs” line will always be iconic, as will most of Jac’s lines 17. Favourite current storyline?Jac grieving over Jasmine even though it’s not properly kicked off yet18. Least favourite current storyline?Fredrik, also Essie/Raf19. All time favourite storyline?Jac and Jonny’s relationship/Jac’s pregnancy20. All time least favourite storyline?In terms of boring??? idk but in terms of painful then Tara’s death/Arthur’s death/Jas’s death (sensing a theme here)21. Favourite series? Of what I’ve seen, 15, 16 or 1922. Least favourite series?Don’t really have one23. Favourite episode(s)?I mean… the list is endless but my most faves are probably S14 E41 From Here To Maternity, S16 E13 Self Control, S19 E26 It’s Only Love If It Hurts, S19 E38 Paper Wishes 24. Least favourite episode(s)?Again, there’s loads of boring ones but in terms of most painful it has to be S15 E27 Great Expectations and S19 E37 (I can’t even bring myself to write the title lol), even though the episode itself is incredible25. Favourite scene?Too many… Jac helping Mo give birth, Jonny asking Jac to move in (almost all of their scenes tbh), every scene from Self Control, Jac comforting Zosia after Arthur’s death, Jac and Zosia in the taxi, Jac protecting Jasmine from Serena, Jac and Jasmine laughing in the locker room, both Jac’s locket scenes… I’ll shut up now26. Saddest scene?Jasmine’s death (see also Tara’s death and Arthur’s death)27. Funniest scene?I genuinely can’t even pinpoint one off the top of my head, there’s so many but the locker room scene is up there 28. Scene you’ve re-watched multiple times?Again, loads but Jac and Jasmine’s locker room scene and Jac helping Mo give birth are probably my most watched 29. Most inspiring moment?Idk??? Not so much inspiring as makes me proud, but Jac realising she can be a good mother springs to mind30. Favourite patient?Maybe the young farmers on Darwin31. Favourite cast photo?The second to last one they released32. Favourite cast member?Rosie Marcel33. Describe Holby City in five words.A truly life ruining show34. Describe your favourite character in five words.Queen of my fucking life35. Character you want to return?Jonny Maconie36. Character you want to be treated by?Jac 37. Character you least want to be treated by?Isaac38. Character you never expected to like as much?Jasmine, Zosia39. Character that deserves more screen time?Morven40. Character with the best bedside manner?Mo41. Character with the worst bedside manner?Fredrik42. Character you’d like to be more like?Jac43. Character you first fell in love with?Jac44. Character that you like/love that everybody else dislikes/hates?Idk I can’t think of one??? 45. Character that you dislike/hate that everybody else likes/loves?Can’t think of one46. Character you used to love but no longer do?Idk47. Character who has the best one-liners?Obviously Jac48. Character with the coolest name?Estelle Ava Harrison49. Hottest character?Jac and Ollie50. Sassiest character?Jac51. Best-dressed character (out of scrubs)?Jac, Zosia52. Most caring character?Mo53. Funniest character?Jac54. Most boring character?Fredrik55. Most intriguing character?Jac56. Most entertaining character?Jac (am boring myself with the repetition here, don’t say I didn’t warn you)56. Most relatable character?Jasmine, Mo, Donna57. Most misunderstood character?Jac, Jasmine58. Character you feel most sorry for?Jac, Morven59. Character that annoys you the most?Fredrik60. Character you’d most like to slap?Fredrik61. Character that you have mixed feelings about?Nina and Matteo62. Character(s) you’d like to see get their own spinoff show? Jac, Jasmine, Jonny and Emma pls63. Characters that you’d like to see interact more?64. Jac and Morven bonding over Jasmine, Jac and Damon, Ollie and Morven 65. Character you would bring back from the dead?…..if you don’t know the answer to this by now you’re in the wrong place (of course it’s Jasmine)66. Which character’s death would you never get over?I’ll never get over Jasmine’s obvs, but I actually don’t think I’d cope at all if it was Jac67. Character(s) you’d like to leave?Fredrik68. Which character’s past would you like to learn more about?Morven, Damon69. Most upsetting exit?Jasmine, Arthur, Tara70. Favourite character rivalry?Jac vs everyone 71. Last character to make you cry?Jac72. Last character to make you laugh?Damon73. Last character to make you angry?Fran fucking Reynolds74. Last character to break your heart?Jac75. Last character to make you proud?Morven76. Character you’d like to see develop more?Morven, Damon 77. Thoughts on last week’s episode?Quite enjoyed it but am in serious need more Jac coming soon 78. Which character’s name do you first look for in the cast list whenever looking at spoilers?Jac79. Earliest memory of the show?Jac and Jasmine meeting for the first time80. How did you get into the show?The Casualty30 crossover81. Which colour scrubs do you think would suit you the most?Probably the Keller burgundy ones, but I’d only wear Darwin blue bc I’m loyal to my squad so x82. If you could choose any one of the current characters to remain on the show forever, which character would it be?Jac83. How long have you been watching the show for?Just over a year84. Have you ever had any Holby-related dreams?Yes, about Jac and Jasmine 85. Things you’d like to see happen in the 20th anniversary episode(s)?Anything as long as it involves Jac taking centre stage (and she has to be okay)86. Five things you’d like to see happen on the show?Jac and Jonny reuinion, Jac and Morven to interact more, a Casualty crossover where Jac meets Sam Nicholls, Mo/Zosia/Cara to return87. Three things you love about the show?How relatable the characters are, how inspiring they are, the fact it’s such a good show to escape from your own issues88. Cast member you’d most like to meet?Rosie 89. Have you ever watched any films/shows/shorts starring any of the cast members (in a different role to their character on Holby)?Some of Rosie’s and Lucy’s90. Three things that you’ve learned from watching the show?Lots of medical stuff, that the best friendships are often the unlikely and unexpected ones, not to put a scalpel in your pocket (thanks for that one Jas x)91. Do you have any predictions about anything that might happen on the show in the future?Not really beyond the spoilers of Jac and Fletch growing closer, I’m still praying for a Jac/Jas grave scene like the one in Casualty tho92. Famous person you’d like to see make a guest appearance as a patient?Can we get Lorraine on??? She’s the biggest stan I swear93. If you had the opportunity to appear on the show, would you?Um YES, in a heartbeat94. Do you sing/hum along to the opening theme tune?No I get palpitations bc this show ruins me x95. Is there anything that you would like to see be made canon on the show which probably never will?Is it too much to ask for Jasmine to rise from the dead??? And for Jac and Jonny to reunite??? And Morven and Jac to be friends???96. What do you think would be an interesting storyline for the show to explore?I wish they’d show Jac having a full scale mental breakdown after everything that’s happened to her, it’s almost inevitable at this point plus time be great to have more mental health rep 97. If there was something that you could change about the show, what would it be?For Jasmine not to be dead x 98. Favourite Holby City fanfiction?As in which pairings or which stories? There’s way too many of the latter, but I read anything Jac-related and occasionally some Zollie tbh99. Favourite Holby-related blog? I have loads100. Favourite thing about the Buckle Fandom? How sweet and respectful everyone seems to be!!! It’s the least problematic fandom I’ve ever been in honestly and I love it

THIS WAS LONG AF IM SORRY but I had so much fun answering all the questions ahhhh, thank you!!!

[fandomsandfeminism]

Sherlock Holmes on Elementary is definitely a jerk. But he's also a good person with a deep sense of empathy. Let's explore how Elementary fits into the legacy of Holmes Adaptions, and how the character is depicted in these complex, contradictory ways. Transcript below the cut

Today we are going to look at the massively popular TV adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous Sherlock Holmes. ….No, not that one. The good one. Yes. Yes, that one.

Elementary premiered on CBS on September 27, 2012, starring Jonny Lee Miller as recovering drug addict Sherlock Holmes with Lucy Liu as ex-surgeon, now sober companion, soon to be detective in training Joan Watson. We are currently in season 5, and I have to be honest friends, I adore it. This video isn’t here to compare Elementary to BBC Sherlock, Elementary’s flashy british older cousin who only shows up to family gatherings once every 2 or 3 years and then disappears back into the void. No. Partly because any real comparison between them has the potential to bring out the...unpleasant side of the internet, but mostly because having to spend any amount of time with Moffat’s writing is...not something I want to do.

So yes. We are looking at Elementary. Elementary is back on TV, so I’ve been thinking about it a lot. It’s so common to update and adapt the Sherlock Holmes mythos in our media- from BBC miniseries, to Hollywood blockbusters, to Disney films about mice, to anime about dogs, that for an adaption to be truly GOOD it must first set itself apart. It has to differentiate itself while still maintaining the mental and emotional core true to the original series in meaningful ways. You can’t just grab a british guy in a silly hat and send him out to solve crimes if you want to make waves.

And honestly, there is so much about Elementary that we would talk about. We could talk about Joan, and how Lucy Liu’s rendition of Watson is one of the most unique in the plethora of Sherlock adaptations, how she is such a genuine, interesting character, who stands are Holmes’s equal, not just fan; who always dresses like a goddess and needs more of her own story lines dammit, because she’s great, and fun.

We could talk about Mrs. Hudson and how really cool it is to have a trans character on the show, played by a trans woman, and how her storylines were sincere and interesting and I’d like more of this too please.

We could talk about how the show handled Sherlock Holmes essentials- Irene Adler and Moriarty and Mrs. Hudson and Lestrange and Mycroft with such a fresh and unique twist, how they avoided the lazy or obvious routes with each and every one of them.

We could talk about how the New York portrayed in Elementary is so much more accurately diverse than most popular movies would have you believe. About how the show takes such time and care is portraying addiction and recovery. About how it’s a show that cares more about WHY Sherlock and Watson solve a case instead of HOW they do it, because the show cares about human relationships and emotional growth.

But what I want to focus on today is the factor that I think, for most people, really sets Elementary a cut above, and that is the character of Sherlock Holmes himself and how in Elementary he is able to embody so well two normally contrary traits: Intense Anti-socialness and extreme empathy for others.

Some backstory:

Sherlock Holmes, as a character, first appeared in the world in 1887 with the publication of A Study in Scarlet. If you have never read this story, it is...an odd ride. It’s in the public domain, so you can find it pretty easily online. There’s a murder and flashbacks and evil Mormons. Lots of evil mormons. (Doyle apparently really disliked them?) From then on it was one adventure after another, eventually accumulating 4 novels and 56 short stories into the canon. Sherlock Holmes in the books is a master of not only detective work, but also a master of disguise, excellent at fencing, singlestick, and boxing. He raises bees, plays violin, and does a lot of cocaine.

So, there’s a lot of content to draw on when people work to adapt Sherlock Holmes. And oh boy, have people adapted Sherlock Holmes. The Guinness book of world records has him listed as “the most portrayed movie character” with more than 70 actors playing the part in over 200 films. There have been comic books and Star Trek. He’s been sent into the future. He’s reimagined as a doctor, mouse, and a dog. (Sherlock Hound, by the way, is an anime series that was co-directed with Hayao Miyazaki. So, pretty great stuff.)

And how Sherlock has been played has varied from time to time. Our most canonical, classic vision of Sherlock Holmes, has been mostly formed from the Basil Rathbone portrayal, wearing the Deerstalker hat and smoking a calabash pipe (both features that are never seen in any of the books or short stories, but rather pulled from the 1899 stage version of Sherlock Holmes. They were chosen because they looked good on stage)

Most of these earlier portrayals see Holmes are a rather stoic, upper crust British gentleman who solves the most grisly murders at a glance and makes it home in time for tea. More modern adaptations have tried to modernize or liven up the character- making him a mad genius or a calculating human robot.

But not Elementary. Elementary, better than most adaptations, taps into something within the Holmes character that most miss I think. There will be spoilers from this point on. Fair warning.

Elementary Sherlock has all the bells and whistles of a modern Sherlock adaptation- he’s super deductive, he raises bees, he had a drug problem (making recovery a major story element and theme). He’s got the brother and the singlestick, and the network of homeless as informants. Many, though not all, of the episodes pull plots straight from the short stories, but technology is abundant.

And yes, he’s an anti-social asshole. He says things with no regard for people’s comfort. He does things without regard for people’s boundaries. He’s blunt and coarse with his words. Abrasive would be an understatement. He leaves weird experiments in the fridge and plays loud music at all hours of the night and is the worst kind of housemate.  When Marcus Bell is relegated to desk work after being shot, Sherlock goes through a slew of detectives who aren’t up to his standards, annoying them and insulting them relentlessly. He avoids parties and is initially unwilling to open up at his group meetings.

And yet.

And yet, is Sherlock “Empathetic”? Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the emotions of others. People who are empathetic often act on this empathy with kindness or compassion. Does Asshole Elementary Sherlock do this?

Well, In the pilot Sherlock gets so angry and attacks a doctor who deliberately took advantage of a mentally ill man, because how could he? Sherlock feels such a deep anger towards this main, I would argue, because he feels a deep sense of empathy for his victim. He knows what it is like to lose control, and to be at the mercy of healthcare professionals. So to see a man who has been so exploited by his doctor is infuriating for Sherlock.

In episode 2 of the first season, Sherlock pulls aside a man they had been questioning because, with all his observation, he can see how the man is struggling with addiction horribly. Not to chastise him, but to tell him to get help, to recommend rehab for him. Because how can he watch someone suffer the way he had?

In episode 3 of season 1, Sherlock looks at a boy he knows has been abused, and in all sincerity says “Victims of horrific abuse are often protective of their abusers; it doesn't mean we should send them back for seconds.” And we can argue that Sherlock was emotionally abused in some way by his father, that he was emotionally abused by Moriarty. So he feels empathy for this abused boy in this moment,

In episode 19 “Snow Angels” he gives a homeless man a wad of money and tells him to find someplace warm to stay before the blizzard comes in. Not related to a case, just because he can’t walk past and do nothing.

In episode 7 "One Way to Get Off",  he rescues and comforts a woman who had been held captive in a basement. Stopping everything, all investigation and observation, until he knows she is ok.

In episode 9 "You Do It to Yourself", he sits with Joan in the clinic where she hopes her ex will come to get treatment. Waiting with her in this silent almost-vigil, he offers her an unspoken comfort.

In Episode 15 “A giant gun filled with drugs”, Sherlock agrees to help his former drug dealer, even though his presence is a very real risk to his sobriety, because he can’t turn his back on the fact that his daughter has been kidnapped.

In the season 1 finale, he was willing to throw everything away to run away with Irene before he discovers her true identity. And in the season 2 finale, he helps Moriarty save her daughter, despite the pain she has caused him in the past.

He takes in Kitty Winter, not because she shows any particular promise as a detective, but because he sees how hurt she is, how damaged, and wants to give her some chance to recover, an outlet for her anger and fear. When she goes beyond the law to get her revenge on the man who hurt her, Sherlock helps get her out of the country.  

He deliberately tampers with evidence to protect Shinwell from going back to prison, wants to give him a second chance at life, offers to help train him as an informant to keep him safe.

He notices and cares about Gregson’s divorce, about Joan’s boyfriends, about Marcus’s mother and brother. When Eugene, the medical examiner, develops a drug addiction, struggling with PTSD and the loss of a woman he loved, Sherlock cared. He stepped in, spoke up. Even if it means intruding into personal matters where he was not invited, he notices and steps in, again and again, even when it makes him, and everyone else, uncomfortable.

Sherlock can work the most gruesome murder case with calculating patience and wade through cold cases decades old for fun, but when, as was the case in the most recent episode (Season 5, Episode 11), he knows that a person’s life is in danger RIGHT NOW, that his action or inaction could save or condemn a human life, his work becomes more and more frantic. There’s too many examples to even go into them all.

And I think that’s an aspect of Holmes that a lot of people overlook in their adaptations. Sherlock Holmes is no crime solving robot. (Though Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd century does have a Watson Robot.)

Sherlock Holmes is a deeply empathetic person. Even if he isn’t the most emotionally open person, he sees people’s struggles, he cares deeply, and when he can, he reaches out to help. His empathy isn’t reserved for those who are close to him, those who have somehow earned his notice. He extends it to strangers and acquaintances alike, even if he struggles to express it in the most...charming of ways at times.

And what makes all this work is that being empathetic, acting out of love or concern, never absolves him of BEING an asshole. When he hurts people, or oversteps boundaries, he never gets away with it- ESPECIALLY with Watson. He is always growing as a person, learning to channel his empathy and his concern in more and more helpful and healthy ways.  

Elementary certainly has it’s own problems as both an adaptation and as just a show. It has highs and lows, like any long running show will. I honestly don’t watch a lot of long running American TV shows. They are, by their nature, often fairly episodic and cater to as wide an audience as possible. I have found very few that I can commit to week after week, season after season. But Elementary has kept me coming back all this time, and the way it handles emotions and human empathy with such dignity and respect is no small part in that.

So thank you everyone for watching this video! This channel is still really new, so all comments and likes are really appreciated! Did I talk about your favorite Sherlock moment? Or did I totally forget a really good one? Tell me down below! I’ll see yall in the comments, and if you enjoyed listening to this queer, millennial feminist ramble about things I like for a while, feel free to subscribe