#Sherlock has a ton from TRF

[iamjohnlocked4life]

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.                                                                         – Mahatma Gandhi

It had been a long night, and John was knackered.

Tromping through the moors, that horrible fight with Sherlock, chasing after fake Morse code signals (honestly, UMQRA? Idiot), and the failed reconnaissance date with Mortimer. God, it had been one strike after another. John just couldn’t win.

And he couldn’t sleep.

His bones ached from the damp, his head throbbed with exhaustion, every muscle begged for release, but his restless mind would not let go. He tossed and turned, twisting up in his sheet, wrapped tightly in guilt.

Sherlock’s voice echoed in his head, scared and terse and tinged with panic.

Look at me. I’m afraid, John. Afraid.

He had confided in him, revealed his emotions, laid himself bare and vulnerable, and what had John done?

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Submitting my THoB fix-it for @hiatustory‘s May theme: bed sharing. Word count: 1954 ~ short and sweet! ♥

[cupidford]

A fic to rec for every day of January! 

517k of loveliness. I’m still catching up with all the Christmas fic that was written, so I’ll probably still have a ton of it even to rec when spring rolls around.

😍😍

Shadows at Midday by alexxphoenix42

The Cardassian empire moves in to claim the planet Bajor and lives are both disrupted and lost. The tale of one Cardassian boy and one Bajoran boy who met on a warm summer's day. ~135.5k

Take Two by Raina_at

Theatre AU. Six years ago, Sherlock, promising young actor, broke Stage Manager John's heart. Sherlock returns to the same theatre, but have they really moved on? ~23.5k

Solstice by Calais_Reno

10 years. He lost John slowly, without either of them deciding that’s what would happen. The way to come back together must be so gradual that it’s almost imperceptible. (Estranged relationship). ~7k

😍

Isosceles by SilentAuror

Sherlock is asked out by a huge celebrity. John agrees to coach him through whatever he might need to know for his date... ~56.5k

It Could Be Us by JaneOfCakes

AU. John is just getting off work and goes straight to Greg's club to meet his boyfriend Jim, but the evening takes an unexpected turn when he sees Sherlock dancing. ~14k

Consulting for Christmas by ohlooktheresabee

The Louvre Museum in Paris wants to exhibit a faberge egg. Rumours of a master-thief convince Sherlock to consult on security, but he's also a bit busy trying to woo a jealous ex-army doctor. ~40k

Rupert Street by WritingOutLoud

Discharged from war and in an effort to understand his newfound queer identity, he heads to a bar one night, where he stumbles across a mysterious stranger in the midst of a murderous case. ~27.5k

Danger Nights by khorazir

An investigation of a series of strange occurrences leads John and Sherlock to the Welsh Marches, to face ghosts weird and ancient as well as close and personal. ~23.5k

😘😘

Do Not Harm by Calais_Reno

1923, Dr John Watson is on trial for the murder of his lover, Mary Morstan, a writer of popular mysteries. Sherlock sets out to prove his innocence, but finds himself infatuated. ~79k

In the New Year by stopthat

Molly has something to say. John listens. (To Sherlock.) ~2.5k

Never Trust to General Impressions by thetimemoves (WriteOut)

Five things John Watson knows for sure about Sherlock Holmes and one thing he completely misses. ~9.5k

The Subtenant by khorazir

221B is haunted. Sherlock and John set out to investigate their new subtenant and find out more than they bargained for. ~12k

😘

a few hours away by weneedtotalkaboutsherlock (Paradoxe1914)

1939. Soldier John meets Sherlock in a bar for just one night. They continue their correspondence in letters. But will John make it through the war? ~5k

Once Upon a Dream by VTsuion

ACD Victorianlock. After spending the evening watching Watson dance with a dozen some young ladies, when they return to Baker Street Holmes decides it's his turn. ~1k

Letters From My Windmill by mydogwatson

Victorian/ACD Epistolary. Holmes is away from home and bored, up until the moment he isn’t. ~1.5k

Take Two - Six Christmases by Raina_at

Theatre AU. Six Christmases in the lives of actor Sherlock and stage manager John, from their first kiss to the present day. ~5.5k

A Thousand Memories by mydogwatson

Point of One Fixed Point series. ACD/Victorian. Holmes and Watson’s courtship continues. ~1.5k

Letting Go by insistentbass

Sherlock and John pretend to be in a relationship at a club for a case. (Wall restraints / handcuffs). ~8.5k

Magnetic Field by Mouse10

Making love is a different prospect and can be full of promises, tenderness, care and comfort. ~3.5k

😊 Honorable Mentions 😊

A Slow Morning at Baker Street by 17stepstobakerstreet

Established relationship sleepy morning cuddles. ~1k

on lovers lips by simplyclockwork

Sherlock stopping john after he tries to kiss him for the first time and says really quietly “john i want you to be very sure ..." ~500

The Tarmac by Calais_Reno

There are things that need to be said. ~5.5k

Am I the Current (Tiger) King of England? by Dee_Laundry

“I had the weirdest dream last night,” John said. Seven times. ~9.5k

The Tailor of Grey Eagle Street by tweedisgood

ACD Holmes buys a new waistcoat and a mystery to go with it; Watson surprises himself. ~6.5k

two idiots, one idea by simplyclockwork

Established relationship. the time Sherlock and John simultaneously proposed to one another and Lestrade tricked them both. ~1.5k

Dogtags, A Scarf and a Coat by OnlyForward

Sherlock comes back after TRF and reveals himself to John during the proposal. But instead of punching him John takes him home to Baker Street, where they confess. ~2k

Shepherd, Joy & Blankets by insistentbass

John pulls back from a kiss. Sherlock disappears for a few days. There's a hill, and snow, and it's almost Christmas. ~6k

Hallelujah by Randomwordsonpaper

If he didn’t know better, he would’ve sworn he’d just fallen in love with a complete stranger. (Sherlock goes undercover as a busker with some carolers, John stumbles upon him and a case). ~8.5k

a pleasant surprise by simplyclockwork

Sherlock's first birthday after his return from the dead. ~3.5K

Angels We Have Heard On High by thewatsonbeekeepers

After Mary's death, Sherlock and John come to terms with their feelings for each other as they live together in Baker Street. ~15.5k

happy birthday, dear heartache by allsovacant

Sherlock comes home on his birthday two years after dismantling Moriarty's network. ~2k

[possiblyimbiassed]

The Man in the Barrel

Some excellent observations from @ebaeschnbliah with an addition from @raggedyblue (X) made me reflect a little over the topic of Nelson in BBC Dracula, and the idea of having someone enclosed in a barrel. In Blood Vessel, when they are searching the ship Demeter for hidden murder victims and murderers, Dracula finds the young deckhand Piotr about to open a big barrel on deck, and tells him the following anecdote - apparently to distract Piotr - about Nelson after the Battle of Trafalgar (1805): 

COUNT DRACULA: Admiral Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar. Died of his wounds, they say. And they wanted to get him back to England with all speed. National hero. The British are very keen on that sort of thing. But Spain is quite a way, and it was hot, so what do you think they did? They put the old admiral into a barrel of rum to preserve him. 

PIOTR: No!

COUNT DRACULA: True. Trouble is, they didn’t tell the crew. So when they got home to England, they found out that those thirsty sailors had been helping themselves to a drop or two all they way back to Portsmouth.

(Continued under the cut)

Then Dracula digs his hand into the barrel and pretends there’s a monster in there that grabs his arm. He does this apparently to joke with Piotr, but then he scares him away by being creepy.

I can’t help thinking that this reference must have some metaphorical meanings, so I took to read some more about Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson (X). 

First of all, the anecdote seemed rather exaggerated to me. Looking it up, Dracula’s version appears very much like a tall tale. According to Wikipedia, Nelson’s body was actually transported ”in a cask of brandy mixed with campher and myrrh, which was then lashed to Victory’s main mast and placed under guard”. Not a barrel, thus, and not rum. If the cask was placed under guard, I very much doubt that any crew member would dare to even approach it, not to mention drink from its content. But there’s apparently a grain of truth in the story; Nelson’s body was preserved in alcohol onboard.

Nelson is one of the most famous British national heroes; a high-ranked naval officer who sacrificed his life for his country in battle and brought Britain to a glorious victory over Napoleon. 

By the way; Thatcher, another (in)famous British leader, is in BBC Sherlock rather compared to Napoleon, since The Six Thatchers is a direct reference to ACD’s The Six Napoleons. And Napoleon, as pointed out in @raggedyblue’s addition (X) has resemblances with Jim Moriarty - the ”Napoleon of crime”. In my opinion Moriarty in BBC Sherlock (among other symbolisms, and maybe this is the case also in ACD canon) represents homophobia.

Anyway, Nelson fought many battles and lost an eye and an arm in them, so the pirate references are actually there too. Dracula even puts emphasis on this:

As Dracula also points out, Nelson is a national hero for the British people.

Going by Wikipedia, Nelson was very popular already when he was alive. He’s described as a skilled strategic war leader who cared about his troops, and the Battle of Trafalgar did lead to a great victory for his country. But he also appears as a rather controversial human being (X); his behaviour is described as self-centered and ”vain” (X), he actively supported slavery (X), and he definitely cheated on his wife (X). He also seems to stubbornly have not listened to some advice from his fellow naval officers at the Trafalgar battle (X), which otherwise might have saved his life. One piece of advice was that he should “remove the decorations on his coat, so that he would not be so easily identified by enemy sharpshooters”, but Nelson refused, and was shot.

Another interesting thing about the Battle of Trafalgar is the marine signal flags that Nelson used on the HMS Victory to transmit the following famous message to the part of the British fleet present on site:

"England expects that every man will do his duty" (X)

Flag combinations represent the three last letters of the message. Picture by J.M.W. Turner, (X). HMS Victory still exists, by the way, and is the world’s oldest naval ship still in commission! (X)

I have tried to explore the meaning of signal flags in TFP, BBC Sherlock, in this meta, including the interesting discussion that followed (X).

A statue of Admiral Nelson (X), on a 52 m high column, stands in the center of Trafalgar Square in London, guarded by four sculpted lions that weigh 7 tons each. The square is a large meeting point in London, which is often venue for different kinds of political demonstrations. I mentioned it in this post about the punk rock musician Tom Robinson (X), who was most famous in the seventies for his fight for LGBTQ rights. There’s this photo of Tom and his band at a protest against the prosecution of the magazine Gay News, London 1978 on Trafalgar Square, where Tom in my opinion looks a great deal like Sherlock, coat and all (X). 

Trafalgar square also figures several times in BBC Sherlock - once per series in fact. In TBB (S1) Sherlock and John cross Trafalgar Square, talking about codes and ciphers: 

In TRF (S2) there’s a scene where the police car carrying Sherlock and John to the court passes Trafalgar Square, while John is telling Sherlock what he ought to remember once they arrive. We see Nelson’s statue reflected in the car window:

And then there’s one moment in TEH (S3), when John and Sherlock are discussing older underground stations via Skype with the nerdy train enthusiast Howard Shilcott. One of the stations mentioned is Trafalgar Square.

Trafalgar Square and the Strand. Hmm...

Last but not least, in TLD (S4) Sherlock and Faith/Eurus pass Trafalgar square on their little night stroll through the streets of London:

Anyway, enough about Trafalgar Square; back to Nelson and his (supposed) barrel. A man being held in a barrel also makes me think of the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes the Cynic (404-323 BC), who used to live in a huge clay wine jar (X). According to Wikipedia Diogenes “made it his life's goal to challenge established customs and values” and also “considered his avoidance of earthly pleasures a contrast to and commentary on contemporary Athenian behaviors. This attitude was grounded in a disdain for what he regarded as the folly, pretence, vanity, self-deception, and artificiality of human conduct.” Quite the opposite of Nelson, I’d say. :) But doesn’t it sound a little bit like Sherlock’s opinion about marriage and weddings in his best man speech in TSoT? ;)

In art Diogenes is often depicted surrounded by dogs (X):

(X) Diogenes believed human beings live artificially and hypocritically and would do well to study the dog. He also carried around a lamp “looking for an honest man”.

There’s also a dirty joke about ‘being in the barrel’, as described by Urban Dictionary (X). (I suggest you look it up for yourselves if you’re interested, though, because I’m not gonna reproduce it here ;))) )

So, in summary: Nelson is a national hero known for having sacrificed his life for his country. But he’s also pirate-like, he takes foolish risks and seems to care little about his own survival. He’s an old ‘war lord’ (like Dracula), and Napoleon (= Moriarty - or Thatcher in BBC Sherlock) is his adversary. He dies in battle in a war against Napoleon, but after his ‘fall’, he gets preserved in alcohol, and (like Dracula) the legend about him lives on for eternity. He’s ‘Un-Dead’ and preserved for ever, but doesn’t seem ‘real’ any more. But there’s also another side of him, where he is a controversial figure; vain (’posh’?) and extravagant. In BBC Dracula we hear a tall tale about his fate, where he ends up inclosed in a barrel. Going with the Diogenes analogy, the barrel and an ascetic living could also be self-inflicted. And the dogs are a strong theme in his life. ;) @raggedyblue​ mentioned ‘Reichenbach vibes’ here (X), and I can only agree. :)

@ebaeschnbliah​ @gosherlocked​ @sherlockshadow​ @shylockgnomes

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi! I loooooove your blog and completely admire how fantastically you run it - was wondering if you knew some fantasy/sci-fi johnlock fics? I’ve read a ton of the classic ones and love the genre. Preferably a bit longer, thank u!

Hi Nonny!

OOOH!! This is a fun rec, yes! I love Sci-Fi and Fantasy fics, I just don’t read them very often! Let’s see what I can dig up for you!

SCI-FI AND FANTASY JOHNLOCK

See also: 

Fairy Tales and Fantasy

TV, Movies, and Books AU (Fantasy Pt. 2)

Faes / Faeries

Immortal Sherlock or John

Shapeshifters

Disney-esque Fics

To Mend A Heart by dee-light (G, 1,472 w., 1 Ch. || Magical Realism, Emotional H/C) – Hearts can be broken, and mended, and broken again. Good thing, then, that hearts are only the seat of all emotion, and not something Sherlock needs in order to live.

Angel by MrsNoggin (T, 1,513 w., 1 Ch. || Winglock, Friendship, Chromoesthesia, Drugging) – John is an angel. That can be the only explanation. A response to the challenging request for a realistic wingfic one-shot.

the fearful passage of death-mark'd love by flibbertygigget (T, 1,980 w., 1 Ch. || Magical Realism, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Life Partners, Name Marks, Referenced Deaths) – The first time that John meets Sherlock Holmes, the younger man has his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, wrists bare of any hint of ink. Within 48 hours, John has added "Jefferson Hope" to his clavicle. (Or: The One Where, When You Kill Someone, Their Name Shows Up On Your Arm)

No Strings Attached by Elster (G, 2,714 w., 1 Ch. || Magical Realism, Fairy Tales, Love Confessions, Fae/Faeries) – To save John from being spirited away Under the Hill, Sherlock challenges the fairy queen to a fiddle contest.

It's After That Hurts by jonnyluvssherlock (T, 2,791 w., 1 Ch. || City of Angels AU || Fantasy, Fallen Angel Sherlock, Soldier John, Pining Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Permanently Incomplete Fic) – Sherlock's an angel stuck as a guardian to danger addict John Watson. Everything is fine until he gets too involved. Now he has to make the choice, eternity alone or one life time with a man who may or may not love him.

De Veritate Unicornis Moderni by tepid sponge bath (T, 5,260 w., 5 Ch. | Fantasy & Drama) – John Watson, a unicorn of this day and age, is trapped in a mortal body. Life as it is seems pretty pointless, almost unendurable, until he meets one Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective and very much a virgin.

The Best Picture of the Human Soul by SwissMiss (T, 5,779 w., 1 Ch. || Magical Realism, Tattoos, Soulmates) – The stories of our lives are written on our skin. Part 1 of Imagines Moti

Second Waltz by Atiki (T, 6,685 w. 1 Ch. || Magical Realism, Missed Chances, Retirement, Sussex, Bees, MCD, Angst with Happy Ending, Fluff, Cancer) – "The night I died, you wished I could wait for you."

Sherlock’s Laboratory, Episode 1: Romance by berlynn_wohl (E, 6,900 w., 1 Ch. || Clones, Sci-Fi AU, Clone Sex, Foursome, Double Penetration) – “John, this isn’t one of your science fiction programmes. This is reality.“ Part 1 of Sherlock’s Laboratory

The Engine by stitchy (T, 8,294 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss, ASiP Do-Over, Sci-Fi, Time Travel) – Shortly after the events of His Last Vow, Sherlock has an opportunity to revisit the night of A Study in Pink and get some perspective on the destiny of he and John's relationship.

Supernova by buttcat (M, 9,178 w., 6 Ch. || Body Swap, Science Fiction, Idiots, Mastrubation, First Time, Anal) – John wakes up in Sherlock's body. He's a little too enthusiastic about it.

Faerie-Touched by Blind_Author (T, 9,283 w., 2 Ch. || Faerie AU || Fantasy, Magical Realism, Pining Sherlock) – In a world of sorcerers and magic, Sherlock is a Faerie-born and John, lacking any kind of magical talent, often seems a bit out of place. But he has a gift all his own…

John Watson’s Moon by patternofdefiance (E, 11,314 w., 1 Ch. || Werewolf John, First Time, BAMF John, First Time, Anal, Fleeting Depictions of Violence) – Sherlock finds out John is a werewolf and wants to see the transformation. It, uh, gets really kinky.

Resistance by Coquillage Atlas (K+, 12,455 w., 8 Ch. || Fantasy, Friendship) – A sequel to "Conductivity," in which there are grave dealings with Mycroft.

Software Malfunction by tiger_in_the_flightdeck (E, 16,679 w., 1 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Android Sherlock, Love Story, Unhappy Ending, Angst, Suicide, Jealousy) – "You think I can’t love you? Just because you’re made with metal, and detailed programming?” The doctor propped himself on his elbow, and looked down at it. “I am nothing but blood and bone, and tissue. Things just managed get mashed together in a manner that made me like this. Just like you were put together to make you how you are. When I kiss you-” he did so, briefly, to prove his point. Then more deeply, and lingering, because he could. “When I touch you, or smile at you, does it make you feel different from when others have done it in the past?”

Everlasting by cypress_tree (M, 16,884 w., 5 Ch. || Magical Realism, First Time, Immortality, Angst & Fluff) – Most lives end. A Tuck Everlasting fusion, in which the Holmes brothers have lived for a very, very long time.

With All My Heart by QuinnAnderson (E, 19,257 w., 4 Ch. || Red Marks / Soulmates || Magical Realism, Growing Up, First Kiss / Time, Falling in Love) – AU in which every time a person falls in love, a red line like a tally mark appears on their wrist. Sherlock is determined to keep himself from ever gaining one of these marks for fear that love will corrode his mental faculties. Then he meets John Watson.

Uncharted Territory by J_Baillier (T, 19,603 w., 4 Ch. || Dystopian Future / Black Mirror AU || Alternate First Meeting, Angst, Drama, Homophobia, Bisexuality, Technology, Humour, Romance, Near Future, Happy Ending) – The System puts people through a series of assigned relationships in order to determine who their Perfect Match is. John believes that it works; Sherlock really, really doesn't. One of them is probably going to be wrong.

Once Upon a Beast Becoming by antietamfalls (T, 24,042 w., 6 Ch. || Beauty and the Beast AU || Magical Realism, Folklore, Celtic Mythology) – An act of pride, a druid’s curse, an enchanted leaf; Sherlock’s torment has lasted an age. Hope arrives in the form of one John Watson, a man uniquely suited to break the spell. But with a single night to win his affections, Sherlock finds his carefully laid plans disrupted by a monstrous killer whose sights are set on the only thing he has left to lose: John.

Invisible by chappysmom (K+, 25,947 w., 11 Ch. || No Slash, semi-canon compliant) – John had had the knack for as long as he could remember. It wasn’t that he could become invisible, exactly. The laws of physics worked quite well in his vicinity, thank you very much. It was just that people tended … not to see him. {{This was one of the first AU’s I read, and I still love it to this day}}. SEQUELS: Still Invisible (ASiB) || Too Visible (THoB) || Invisible Once More (TRF)

Hellfire by testosterone_tea (E, 28,596 w., 9 Ch. || Fantasy / Magic / Mages / Elementals AU || Mage Sherlock, Elemental John, Developing Relationship, Torture, Powerful / BAMF John, POV Alternating, Dark / Blood Magic, UST, First Kiss) – Sherlock is a Mage that gets involved with a case involving Dark Summoning rituals, leading him to John Watson, a man with Berserker blood. The only thing is, Berserkers have been extinct for centuries. And of course, nothing involving Mycroft and his interfering ways is ever simple. This time, even Sherlock may have bitten off more than he can chew.

An Acquired Taste by kinklock (E, 31,059 w., 4 Ch. || Vampires AU || Vampire Sherlock, Misunderstandings, Bat!Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Humour, Magical Realism, Fluff and Angst, Blood Drinking, Holmes Family, Slow Burn) – At Montague Street when Sherlock was forced to sate his body’s needs, he was at least able to wander about the flat as much as he pleased. At Baker Street, it was mini-bags in a mini-fridge and bedroom confinement.

Inexplicable by emmagrant01 (E, 34,664 w., 6 Ch. || Body Swap, TSo3, Magical Realism / Artifacts, Infidelity, Angst) – So what was in that matchbox, anyway? John and Sherlock find out, the hard way.

Malediction by MapleleafCameo (M, 36,680 w., 11 Ch. || Ladyhawke AU || Magical Realism, Romance, Curses, Eventual Happy Ending) – Cursed to a half-life, John and Sherlock must fight the forces of evil to be reunited once again.

The Semantics of Crop Circle Formation: a case study by Sherlock Holmes [unpublished] by canolacrush (M, 41,710 w., 9 Ch. || Post-S2, Sherlock POV First Person, Aliens, Wordplay, Case Fic) – “Look at these photographs,” I said, gesturing to the wall of crop circles. “What do you observe?” “Crop circles,” John replied. “Obvious. What else?” “Are…are those intestines surrounding them?” “Yes. The majority are bovine and ovine in origin. The farmers who have acquired these crop circles in their fields have also had a tenth of their livestock murdered and arranged thus.” “Why?” John said, presumably in a rhetorical fashion. I detest rhetorical questions. “That is what I must find out, John.”

Guidelines by WithLoweredVoices (M, 43,018 w., 15 Ch. || Winglock || Angels, Fantasy, Angst, BAMF! John, War) – The Good Soldier, one of the oldest and strongest of the fallen, is offered a bargain: to live as John Watson and to Guide a fledgling archangel so that he will stay on the path of good. Of course, Sherlock Holmes has different ideas about his destiny. Fantasy AU. Warnings for violence, occasional gore, and a whole load of hurt and angst.

The Soul Remembers by i_ship_an_armada (E, 43,636 w., 10 Ch. || Oblivion AU || Post-Apocalypse, Movie Fusion, Science Fiction, Action/Adventure, Angst, Dreams, Bittersweet Ending) – John Watson is the lone security repairman stationed on a desolate, nearly-ruined future Earth. His dreams are plagued by a tall, dark-haired man, and when his dreams meet reality, he will be forced to question everything he believes is the truth about his life.

Left by lifeonmars (M, 45,153 w., 9 Ch. || Magical Realism, BAMF!John, Slow Burn) – John Watson is left-handed. He’s tried not to let it affect his life, but as any Lefty knows, that’s almost impossible.

Coventry by standbygo (E, 52,020 w., 26 Ch. || Dollhouse AU || Case Fic, Slow Burn, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, First Kiss / Time, Attempted Rape, BAMF John, Falling in Love) – “Let me get this straight,” John said, wondering when his life had become a science fiction film. “Some guy orders up a personality, a person, to his specifications, and they program this into a real live person, who has consented to do this, and she goes to this person and acts as his wife, or lawyer, or Royal Marine, or Navy Seal or what have you, and she has all the skills, all the knowledge, everything? Then you say the magic words, and she follows you back to The House, and they erase it all until her next appointment?”

A Hundred Crimson Sols by elldotsee (E, 55,536 w., 16 Ch. || Astronauts AU || Mars Exploration / Space Travel, Slow Burn, Shy Sherlock, Scientist Sherlock / Biomed Engineer John, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, UST, Angst with Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injuries, Suicidal Ideation, Zero-G Sex) – Will Holmes is a chemical researcher recognized widely for his contributions to the new Mars exploration program. Thanks to his ground-breaking developments, the IMMC (International Mars Mission Corporation) is one step closer to Martian colonization. Will and his team of scientists are headed out on the first of three manned missions before the first group of settlers arrive. Three days before launch, one of the crew has to be replaced. Will panics because...new people. The replacement is of course one John Watson, biomedical engineer and space hottie who was pretty sure he had retired from actual space exploration and was now content to work in the nice, quiet research lab. Can the crew survive this TOTALLY ROUTINE trip? Will they be able to endure each other for the looooooong trip in close quarters? Gonna be a wild ride... prepare for blast off. Part 1 of SpaceBois go to Space

Perdition’s Flames by i_ship_an_armada (E, 63,435 w., 21 Ch. || Treklock AU, Est. Rel, Genetic Engineering, Angst & Fluff, BAMF!John) – Sherlock would do anything to save him. Risk anything. Give anything. His money, his life. His soul. What he does, though, is change both of their destinies forever. Genetic re-engineering is the only option left. It turns out researchers underestimated the life expectancy and potential abilities of genetically re-engineered subjects. The British government and what would eventually become the United Federation of Planets, however, had not. Part 1 of PF Universe

This Thing All Things Devours by cypress_tree (E, 63,844 w., 15 Ch. || In Time AU || Science Fiction, Dystopian Universe, First Meetings, Action / Adventure, Romance) – In 2169, time is money—literally. Humans are genetically engineered to stop aging at 25, when the numbers on their arm start counting down from one year. When that time is up, they die. The only way to get more time is to earn it, borrow it, or steal it.John Watson lives day-to-day in the crowded slums of Zone 13. He never imagined living any differently—until he meets the practically-immortal Sherlock, and helps him on a case to track a local time-thief...

Darkling, I Listen by You_Light_The_Sky (T, 73,254 w., 8 Ch. || Fairy Tale AU || Loosely Based on Beauty and the Beast, Magical Realism, Suicidal Themes, Romance, Creepiness, Adventure) – No one who enters old London ever comes out. They say that the beast devours them. When his sister disappears, John ventures into the dead zone beyond the wall, and finds a brilliant madman under a terrible curse... Part 1 of Darkling I Listen + Extras, Deleted Scenes

Bleed Me Out by antietamfalls (E, 87,987 w., 14 Ch. || Vampire AU || Bonding, Vampire Sherlock, Fluff & Angst, H/C, John Whump, Magical Realism) – John isn’t exactly surprised to discover that Sherlock isn't human. His vampirism doesn't pose a problem, even when their relationship gradually grows into something more. That is, until a deadly revelation about John’s blood sends their lives spinning dangerously out of control.

The Stars Move Still by BeautifulFiction (E, 96,022 w., 5 Ch. || Magical Realism, Demons, Slash to Pre-Slash, AU, Happy Ending, Souls) – "What could I want so desperately that would make me sell my soul? What could possibly compel me to surrender the part of myself that makes me who I am: the source of my magic, my self-control, everything?”

The Cost of a Wish by slashscribe (E, 102,493 w., 12 Ch. || xxxHolic Fusion || Spirits / Ghosts and Magic, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Soul Mates / Fated Lovers, Adventure, Immortal Sherlock, Powerful John, POV John, Frottage, Wish Granting, Angst with Happy Ending, Nightmares) – John has been plagued by a secret his entire life that has made him feel hopeless until he meets a mysterious, seemingly omniscient man named Sherlock Holmes who owns a wish-granting shop. Their meeting sets off a series of inevitable events that will change the course of both of their lives forever.

Maintenance and Repair by patternofdefiance (E, 106,650 w., 71 Ch. || FutureAU, Augmentation || Augmented John, Depression, Body Modification, Slow Burn, Worldbuilding, Sci-Fi, Self-Care, Body Dysmorphia) – John wants to explain the rush of sensation and data, which is just another form of sensation (or is it the other way around?). John wants to say:Augmentation circuits report temperature, pressure, various forms of quantitative input. Sudden changes are reported as pain, since sudden changes are dangerous, and pain is the quickest way to encourage reflexive extraction. But all John can manage is, “Nng.” Because this sudden touch is not reporting as pain. Part 2 of STATIC

Shatter the Darkness (Let the Light In) by MojoFlower (E, 109,683 w., 23 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Genie/Djinn AU || Magical Realism, Kidnapping, Genie Sherlock, First Kiss / Time, Case Fic, H/C, Angst, Clubs, John Whump, Mild DubCon, Hand / Blow Jobs, Torture) – Fairy tales are for those who remember how to dream; not John Watson, broken and hiding from his bleak future in a beige bedsit. But then he discovers a lamp and finds himself in the dangerous riptide of an enigmatic man whose very existence is unbelievable, murder charges against his sister, and the growing pains of feeling alive once more.

The Swan Triad by Pennin_Ink (T, 121,660 w. across 3 works || Swan Lake AU || Magical / Fairy Tale AU, Romance, Falling in Love, Pining, Psychological Torture, Transformation) – Sherlock and John grow up spending every summer together. Their mothers' attempts to play matchmaker only fuel their mutual resentment and scorn. But then, one summer.

The Horse and his Doctor by khorazir (T, 129,003 w., 13 Ch. || Horse / Vet AU || Magical Realism, Horses, Vet John, Horse Sherlock, Implied Alcoholism) – Invalided after a run in with a poacher in Siberia, veterinary surgeon John Watson finds it difficult to acclimatise to the mundanity of London life. Things change when a friend invites him along to a local animal shelter and he meets their latest acquisition, a trouble-making Frisian with the strangest eyes and even stranger quirks John has ever encountered in a horse.

Fallen Series by Belladonna_Q, mamishka (T, 222,094 w. across 3 works || Winglock || Angel!John, Angels & Demons, Faes, Christianity, Changelings) – In a world where myth, mystery, and the supernatural flourish beneath the veneer of modern civilization, Sherlock is a master of magic as well as science and deduction. But there are some things that he cannot see, riddles he cannot unravel, even when they walk right beside him in the form of one John Watson…

MARKED FOR LATER

A Real Deal by toyhto (M, 10,339 w., 1 Ch. || Black Mirror-Inspired, Science Fiction, Post-TRF, Canon Divergence) –  Please be real, he thought and pulled Sherlock closer.

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalize Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

The Kepler Problem by kinklock (E, 24,270 w., 1 Ch. || Sci-Fi AU, Alien Sherlock, Space Repairman John, Alien Biology) – Working in uncharted space exploration was not as exciting as John had hoped, especially when it turned out to be mostly bot maintenance on uninhabited planets. However, the mystery of the repeated, unexplained malfunctions on planet BAK 2212 might turn out to be exactly the kind of adventure he'd been craving.

Impossible Improbable Truth by KaraRenee (M, 24,308 w., 9 Ch. || Labyrinth AU) – John and Sherlock take a case investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl and her toddler half brother. What they find is an impossible adventure that leads them on a journey of discovery of their sexuality.

Through Dangers Untold by hogwartswitch (E, 32,003 w., 13 Ch. || Labyrinth AU) – The Goblin King has fallen in love with John Watson and visits him in dreams. But the evil wizard who cursed the Goblin King cannot allow that to continue. Will John survive the labyrinth? Or will he become a lost goblin like all the rest?

Only To Be With You by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (M, 40,768 w., 4 Ch. || Black Mirror AU || Future Technology, Science Fiction, Canon-Typical Violence, Sickness, Eventual Smut, Character Death, Happy Ending) – I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black. I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.

Dog Days by All_I_need (E, 101,627 w., 24 Ch. || Post-Baskerville AU, Experiments Gone Wrong, Fluff and Humour) – John has an accident in the laboratory of the Baskerville military facility. While they wait for the scientists to find a solution, he and Sherlock must re-examine the nature of their friendship as they navigate daily life and the Work, all while trying to answer the truly important questions: Is it okay to pet your flatmate if he happens to be a dog at the moment? And how exactly do you beg a self-professed sociopath for cuddles? Part 1 of Dog Days

Skeletons by flawedamythyst (T, 174,262 w. across 3 works || Implied Character Death) – Sherlock's refusal to talk about his past hides far more skeletons than John could ever have guessed at. Halloween-esque AU.

Names for the Galaxy by evadne (E, 191,101 w., 38 Ch. || Future Sci-Fi AU || First Time, Violence, Teacher/Student Dynamics, Ableism, Angst, Bigotry, Disturbing Content, Amnesia) – Sherlock Holmes is a recent arrival to 22nd century earth, and determined to find out who he is and where he comes from. John Watson has the unenviable task of teaching him how to be a normal human being. Part 1 of the Names for the Galaxy series

[antisocial-otaku]

S4 Inconsistences

I know we’re already discussed a ton of times how S4 doesn’t make sense (specially TFP) but I wanted to make it even more clear, and explain with this why to me S4 (and again, specially TFP) is fake and why there must be something more to explain all of these inconsistences. I understand there could be continuity errors or some things that they could have not noticed, with such big projects there’s always this kind of things, it can happen, but please look at this:

1) We’re told in ASIB what happens when a person falls from Baker Street window

And then in TFP is just like:

??? Ok Mark, sure!

2) In HLV we clearly saw how a gunshot looks like

But then in TST is like:

What was that? seriously! Why is the blood coming out like that?? Why is Mary flying? 

3) In TGG we’re shown how how a flat explosion looks like 

But then in TFP we get this:

(sorry for the shitty quality but this gif was long af D:) But the wall, them and Mrs. Hudson are perfectly ok. 

4) In TGG we saw how Sherlock reacts when John is in danger and has to save him

But then in TFP we get....this?

WTF Sherlock, mate??? He’s gonna drown! *SIGH*

5) In TRF we painfully see how John reacts when he knows he’s about to see a beloved person die

And yeah, in TST he’s like:

He looks like he was waiting for her to die fgs!!

If you come up with more examples please tell me and I’ll gladly gif them.

I’ll tag some people under the cut, if you want me to untag you please tell me

@jawnlock-is-real @sherchemistlock @inevitably-johnlocked @shawleyleres @jenna221b @marcespot @holmesianscholar @muser92 @tjlcisthenewsexy @whimsicalethnographies

[lifes-a-dick]

The Pilot (a wholock meta)

[I wrote these thoughts after watching Doctor Who ‘The Pilot’ last week and meant to post this. This is really just for myself so sorry in advance if I don’t make tons of sense here. I would say I’’m gonna write something about each ep but I usually don’t stick to what I say I’m gonna do haha so anything could happen]

Oh jeez where do even I start? The Pilot (!). Called as much supposedly because this DW episode can be watched by people new to the show. But me thinks that’s not all there is to it. There’s the flight of the dead and Girl on the Plane from TFP, the “Landing” as johnlock going canon ...and there’s also a Sherlock Pilot. Planes are ships. Pilots are the ones in control of that ship. It crashes, or it lands safely. There’s no planes in this DW episode (there are spaceships tho). But there’s a ‘ship’.

So Bill and Heather are John and Sherlock, obviously yes? But the mirroring works so both Bill and Heather are constantly both John and Sherlock for different sort of threads of the subtext. Heather even has a black coat and scarf in the pic above but then shortish blond hair like John. 

Like @jenna221b said the “defect” in the eye that Heather wants to “fix” is sentiment (nice one), while Bill thinks it’s beautiful (“it looks like a star”). Sherlock thinks this is his weakness that needs to be fixed. But John sees that in him and loves him for it. 

But were you not also reminded of Ben C’s eyes and his heterochromia?? I was. Her eyes were blue and green and gold. It would reinforce the Sherlock mirror. I wouldn’t put it past them because I’ve seen other character mirrors in other DW episodes given the names and traits of ben, martin and amanda because Moffat uses johnlock mirrors in SO many episodes that he must run out of ways to code them.

Heather was coded as suicidal - she in fact DID take her own life. I didn’t see this the first time. DUH! “Everywhere I go I just want to leave”. Then the puddle gets her and she does “leave”, because the puddle gives you what you want. 

I have a feeling that the episode name is a sherlock clue on an extra level. What if it’s also about the Gay Pilot?? I think we’re seeing John and Sherlock where they were at the beginning of their journeys 

(what if this doctor who season somehow takes us through a johnlock romance arc somehow with different mirrors every time?? Might not happen but would be neat. Bonus for any clues about what the heck sherlock s4 was). 

Sherlock in ASiP wants to “leave” like Heather does in this “Pilot”, taking the cabbie’s pill gambling his life on a 50/50 chance. And John with his gun in his drawer, contemplating it for a moment at the beginning of ASiP. By TLD Sherlock’s gotten to the point where he realises, possibly even surprising himself, that he doesn’t want to die. That’s the end of his character arc though. But here we see Heather willingly let the puddle invite her in, just as Sherlock brings the pill up to his mouth in ASiP.

Maybe this is the significance of the chips. In TLD Sherlock gets chips for Faith because she’s suicidal, and Bill “Serves chips”. She keeps people from taking their lives. Sort of foreshadowing John’s arc, and how John saves Sherlock from that by giving him a reason to live (thats what boyfriends do, they feed you up).

We also have the “can I show you something?” “God, yes!” between Heather and Bill. Another pilot reference.

Heather’s last thought was of Bill, so once this evil alien puddle thingy had taken her, she pursued Bill to the farthest reaches of the universe (please stop me thinking of that johnlock fanvid and the song lyric “anywhere I would have followed you”).

And what the hell happens next is confusing but there’s a little metaphor in there and maybe a HLV and a TRF reference too (the Fall and Fall 2.0).

Bill: Oh my god, I understand. Doctor: You what? Bill: The last thing she said to me. She promised she wouldn’t leave without me.

In T6t we hear all this business about Sherlock’s vow. That it was apparently to protect Mary. It’s a TRICK! Word play. And Sherlock never actually said that before T6T began. T6T was Mary as storyteller, twisting Sherlock’s words to fit her own evil narrative. What he did say that I talked about here , was that he would always “be there”. Just that, that’s it. He promised he wouldn’t leave. 

(this gets cooler if you think about EMP starting when Mary shot Sherlock because Sherlock’s vow he made at the wedding was ONE OF THE LAST things he ever said to John before the day of CAM tower) Bill about Heather: “The last thing she said to me. She promised she wouldn’t leave”

The Doctor tells Bill that she needs to release Heather from her promise, to let her go. So she does. They sort of...break up? 

You have to let me go. You have to let me go. I will. I will. I really liked you. I really liked you.

In TRF Sherlock sort of breaks up with John before he jumps from the roof by telling John he was a fake. To maybe somehow attempt to release John from what was between them. But of course it didn’t work very well. And then there’s this parallel too...

Then Bill and Heather grab onto each other.

Doctor: Don't, don't! Bill, let go! Bill, listen to me. Whatever she's showing you, whatever she's letting you see. It's a lure, it's a trap. She's making you part of her, and you can never come back.

So what the hell happens here exactly? I have one idea that’s a bit trippy.

This brief kind of random scene is full metaphor for queerness, and the two opposing ways it is viewed: from the outside in, and from the inside out.

It’s also about John’s fear and internalized homophobia.

From the outside, those who fear it and are against it see it as something dangerous and terrifying, something that spreads and infects and marks you forever. 

From the inside queerness is beautiful, good, and human.

Bill hesitates then grabs a hold of Heather, subconsciously drawn to this “danger” in front of her. We think she’s in danger because in that moment we the audience are seeing queerness from the outside in. But Bill isn’t in danger at all as we find out a moment later. Heather transports her to another world and Bill is sort of filled with a feeling of ecstasy. She doesn’t look scared, she looks happy.

Bill: I see what you see. It’s beautiful. 

But on the outside the Doctor is terrified and thinks she’s in danger.  Doctor: Whatever she's showing you, whatever she's letting you see. It's a lure, it's a trap. She's making you part of her, and you can never come back.

Bill mirrors John here, wanting to enter this world with Sherlock but feeling afraid, with the voice of his internalized homophobia telling him he’s being lured and trapped. That’s why Bill lets go, because she’s afraid. It’s suddenly Sherlock and John reaching for each other again, but that distance between them coming into focus and ripping their hands apart.

Bill: I saw it all for a moment ... everything out there. She was going to let me fly with her. She was inviting me. - But I was too scared.

Check out Moffat’s specific and meaningful word choice bolded above. Out there (out of the closet). Fly (because falling’s just like flying). And a reminder that John’s afraid. 

So often with villains or monsters in DW, they simultaneously mirror something beautiful and something threatening. It’s the danger of those things that we long for but which could also hurt us. It’s a truth that will either kill you in trying to uncover it, or will set you free.

(there’s loads more i know. @jenna221b covered a lot of it. i just wanted to add these few details. thanks for reading. Here’s a Bill x Heather fanvid I found)

[mychakk]

Sherlolly Fanfiction Week - Day 3

Hi,

Thank you to all who reblogged Day 2 post  and sorry for the delay with posting Day 3. Thank you also for the comments. I’m glad there are stories some of you don’t know. Now off to the reccing!

A story not well known:

You've Got the Wrong Holmes » by darthsydious - This is mostly Mollcroft brotp, but the Sherlolly undertones are very strong. You’ll feel for Molly and cheer for Mycroft, you’ll hope for Molly and be very satisfied with the ending. Go shoo read! ;)

Someone I Used to Know » by Mid-Nite-Potter - this is a classic post TRF fic, and yet it’s something different. Sherlock keeps in touch and asks for help and then he comes back but in disguise and along it all they come to be some much more to each other. Give it a go, definitely worth checking out. 

To kill, to die, to live » by Arienhod - this three-shot will break your heart, then tear it apart, then mend back into whole. A gut-wrenching, sobs-inducing piece. But you’ll be happy with the ending, I assure you. Go shoo read!

A story that I love for not necessarily the reason you may think:

To Win Her Heart » by TheSapphireSky (@the-sapphiresky) - This was one of the very first stories I’ve read when I joined the fandom. A Victorian!lock arranged marriage with Sherlock needing to win back the heart of his wife. BUT! The reason the story stands out in my mind is that it was the very first story I read with this plotline that showed the both parties of the relationship being at fault. This is a story of forgiveness, yielding pride and learning to trust. Give it a go!

A story well known to be reread:

Life After Death - A Post-Reichenbach Trilogy » by thedragonaunt (@thedragonaunt) - If I had to pick up my top fav trope it’ll be without a doubt the parent!lolly one. And this was the very first parent!lolly story that I’ve read. Molly’s BAMF, Sherlock’s willing and thus growing as a character, Uncle Myc has a heart. Real, dramatic, fluffy, and believable. If you don’t know this series (and the Trilogy is only the very beginning of a series of stories) you are missing out!

A long one shot that might have been skipped:

Be Mindful of the Roses by idreamedofstardust - A very unique tell told from Sally Donovan’s POV. SHe even gives Molly advice (to Sherlock’s dismay, lol). If you are a fan of Women of Sherlock, this is a must-read for you. 

A shortie to be read:

Accidentally in Love (Or: Sherlock's Seven Steps Toward Sentiment) by 16magnolias - a wonderful progression of Sherlock’s accidental stumble into love. Based on the song Accidentaly in Love, yet not cheesy at all. A very well written and great one-shot. 

Dressing Gown by Liathwen - even if you are not a fan of jealous!lock you should check out this little hilarious one-shot. Worth it. :)

An Author of old worth being dusted

Lady Dudley - Tons of Sherlolly drabbles mostly from S2 and S3. In character, with feels and all. Very enjoyable read, go check out yourself. :)

An Author less known but worth checking out:

Emma Lynch - This Author has a very unique style and way with words. English is not my native language, so I find her stories challenging in a good way. There is always something left unsaid, something for your imagination. It’s subtle, undercurrent of the main plot. Wonderful original way to tell the tales. I’m a huge fan, go see for yourself. 

An Author you know, but I’m going to rec anyway 😉

MizJoely (@mizjoely) - Do I even need to say anything? :D My top fav are the prompts fill and the Sherlollipops collection, but I also loved the Encounter series, Bad Boys, The one with Moriarty possessing Sherlock, The Ruination of Miss Hooper, A Fate Worst than Death, and I’m affriad I might list them all here ;) Every new Sherlolly Shipper should start here with our Captain of the Ship. Duh. 

An Author that débuts 

EllisHendricks - I decided to add another category. This is an Author who appeared post s4. I discovered her by checking out the series Completely Backwards. Funny, witty, fluffy and totally Sherlolly. Perfect in character. Definitely worth checking out and encouraging to write more for our ship.

[uff, I fread I’ll not manage to post it, as halfway through my typing, my laptop decided to turn off... of course I needed to type it all over again...]

Tagging (with permission) @mizjoely @elennemigo @mae-jones

[redvanillabee]

The Mysterious Number Cipher: preliminary analysis

In the past couple of days, several blogs in the Heart of the Conspiracy have received anon messages written in a number cipher that has yet to be broken. In chronological order,

1. 

2. 

3. 

Let’s break this down

I haven’t broken these ciphers yet, but I thought I’d offer some preliminary analysis, and see where we can go with these codes.

Structure. All three messages have acronyms of episodes interspersed among the numbers, as well as ‘sh’ and ‘jw’ (presumably meaning Sherlock Holmes and John Watson). They all have a sign off of some kind: they all end with ‘space dash space’, then a key, a signature, or a name in cipher. 

I consider the first two messages to be a pair, or from the same source.They are of similar length, the sign off in both messages are short and mention TLD. The third message is significantly longer, and the sign off is very different.  I also can’t verify the accuracy and authenticity of the third message, since I also saw this follow up message on @kinklock​‘s blog: 

I consider the third message to be an odd one out in this trilogy of ciphers because of the episodes mentioned. Message 1 and Message 2 cover similar episodes: they both talked about ASiP, HLV, TAB, and TLD. Message 1 also mentions TBB, and Message 2 presumably mentioned TRF (there’s the mysterious ‘tf’ in the message. Could be a typo, but who knows). Message 3, on the other hand, mentions none of the above episodes, and talks about instead TGG, ASiB, THoB, and TEH. 

(If anyone’s interested, the only episodes not mentioned are: Many Happy Returns, The Sign of Three, The Six Thatchers, and The Final Problem). 

Since both messages 1 and 2 sign off with TLD, if we can work out what the sign off means, maybe it will shine some light on what the content of the messages say. 

Number ciphers. I have done a bit of research on number ciphers, but most of them still need a key, and I haven’t had any luck with it yet. At the same time, very few number ciphers have words sprinkled in the midst of it, and the numbers in these messages are spaced very strangely. So either the spaces are deliberately fucky to throw us off, or the numbers (whether they refer to time, or can be translated into words) refer to specific things in the episodes mentioned. I believe several people have already looked into this but so far nothing has come up. 

Are they times in an episode? I have tried that with the first message and ASiP. ‘02 170 7′ is a very strange way to write down a time. If we assume it means 02:17:07, it makes no sense in the hour-minute-second format, since ASiP is only an hour and a half long. My DVD player cannot display milliseconds. At 02:17 (2 mins 17 secs) in ASiP, it is near the end of the opening credits (the red blood cells bit, just before the words ‘based on works by Sir ACD’ appear). In the ASiP commentary version, 02:17 is the time when Moffat says Sue is the ‘provider of impetus’ of the production. In the ASiP pilot version, 02:17 is when John says ‘I don’t know’ to Mike Stamford.

I know this post doesn’t have a ton of new information, but I just want to bring together the three messages on different blogs to see if we can make sense of them, and to group together the similarities and differences spotted in them so far. Please do add on if you have other insights and discoveries.

@teapotsubtext @jenna221b @swishyspock @nondeducible 

[teaandforeshadowing]

How do people even watch 'Sherlock' as a casual. I watch a ton of shows, and this is the one show I can't watch without being completely consumed by it. There's so much subtext and mystery to be read, how do people just watch it and miss stuff or not analyse it later!?!? That was until S4. I could tell from the first five mins something was wrong. The parts where Sherlock was high in TST and when he said 'the game is on, because I love it' made me cringe so hard.

I think it’s actually pretty easy. 

I was a casual before I watched season 3, but only because I didn’t have a big internet presence before then. I talked with my friends about the show a lot irl, about how devastating TRF was, how clever all the deductions were, how amazingly creative the cinematography was. The show already has a lot of merit without the ‘subtext and mystery’, which is why it draws in so many people. honestly tho I can barely remember who I was before TJLC bc I see subtext in everything I watch now

Viewers also may not have the exposure they need to understand what’s there, whether that be having a tumblr, or an education in writing, or film, or directing, or queer Victorian literature. Lots of people thought season 4 was bad, but because they weren’t as invested in or aware of hidden meanings and the like as we were, they didn’t realize why. I think that most of Sherlock’s audience subconsciously knowing something’s not right may even be part of the rug pull Steven talked about - instead of looking closer and digging deeper to find out why, they simply stepped away and moved on. They should have seen this coming. They were told, but they didn’t listen.

In dozens of other shows, when things getting Fucky and OOC it means the show is just jumping the shark, so to think that’s what happened to Sherlock is actually a realistic reaction.

[hudders-and-hiddles]

It's not the end! Please keep hope for them. ❤

I understand where you’re coming from, nonny, and if you want more, then please, absolutely keep hope that there will be a series 5 and that it will be everything you dream it will be.

For me though, at this point I would very much like for this to be the end, if this is how they’ve chosen to proceed. I won’t deny that the show they have given us through TAB has been beautiful and well-crafted, and I would have loved to see more of that show. I don’t know what happened with this series, but all of that seems to have gone out the window. Here we get plot holes so large you could drive a freight train through them. And yes there have always been plot holes–even small ones crop up in the most carefully crafted of stories–but there are so many nonsensical things done here or plot lines that start and then go nowhere or are waved away again with a single line of exposition that it’s sometimes hard to see the threads of story that remain around them. 

What I find most unforgivable though is the drastic 180 in characterization for almost everyone. We get Mary being repeatedly tied to actions Sherlock believes to be related to Moriarty and drugging people and running off to do whatever the fuck she wants even though it means continuing to lie to and gaslight the husband she’s supposedly trying to protect, and then apparently some kind of wildly over-the-top, sacrificial death is supposed to redeem her completely. We get Molly who was given the chance to finally move on and get over Sherlock in s3, and then she’s just been dragged kicking and screaming back into s1-style pining hell for the purpose of… actually I’m still not even really sure what the purpose of that scene was other than emotional cruelty to everyone involved. We get Mycroft who was so concerned about protecting Sherlock that he apparently ensured his baby sister remained locked away in a secret prison facility for her entire life, and then he still brings James Moriarty to have a fun little chat with her, despite knowing that Eurus wants him there entirely because he wants to fuck with Sherlock. We get John promising to look after Sherlock at the end of TAB, and then he does nothing of the sort anywhere in s4–ignoring his growing drug abuse problems, beating the shit out of him, going so far as to barely even protest when Sherlock threatens to actually kill himself to end Eurus’ game. (I honestly have a ton more complaints about what was done with John this series, but I’ll stop there for now.) 

Sherlock is the only character who hasn’t really done some kind of ridiculous flip-flopping here, but what they put him through in TFP in particular was entirely unnecessary. He has repeatedly sacrificed everything for John, has again and again shown his heart in how he treats his friends and his clients, particularly with [the woman he thought was] Faith Smith who he spent all night with just to keep her from killing herself, and the writers here decided that for whatever bizarre reason he really just needed to hug his rapist, murderer sister, who he didn’t even know existed before this episode, in order to be fully humanized. But he already was. He already was. The real highlight of this series has been that they showed that off so well–Sherlock was incandescently human throughout all three episodes–but really he’s been so human for so, so long now. Since the moment that he stepped off of a rooftop to save three lives. Hell, since the moment he asked a suicidal army doctor to move in with him and took him out on a case because he thought it would give that man a purpose again. Sherlock’s beautiful heart has always been on display. TFP wasn’t at all necessary to show us that. We could all see it–all of us except Mark and Steven, I guess. 

Admittedly, yes, there are parts of this series that I have liked, in all three episodes. There are parts I have even loved, including the majority of TLD where both Ben and Martin’s talents were given so much beautiful room to play. But Moftiss have made egregious, unforgivable missteps here, sacrificing so much of their previously careful storytelling and characterization at the altar of the “cleverness” of the Eurus puzzle. And the sad part is that it wasn’t even really a puzzle. The thing about puzzles is that there have to be clues there to help you figure them out along the way. When Mary was revealed in CAM Tower in HLV, there had been clues throughout TEH and TSOT that she wasn’t perhaps the woman she seemed. There were no clues within the story that pointed to Eurus being the woman John was texting or being Faith Smith (and what even was the purpose of her doing either of those things anyway? yet another thing that was never addressed). There were no clues that Moriarty’s “final problem” that he referenced way back in TRF was ever going to turn out to be a jigsaw prison game with Sherlock’s unknown, psychopath sister. This wasn’t a puzzle. It was a mess, and they went all in on it, reshaping their characters and outright ignoring the show’s history to cram this series into a Eurus-shaped tin. And it didn’t work. It didn’t work, and I don’t want to see more of this version of the show.

[chitarra10]

Wait... Moriarty couldn’t have died on St. Bart’s rooftop and Mary was part elephant... or have I missed something? X-)

Seriously, if I’ve missed something here, please let me know because this is kinda bugging me. X-)  But I wanna preface this by saying that even if everything I’m about to say is correct, it really doesn’t make any difference in my opinion of Sherlock as a show in general… in fact, I seem to be in the minority that really enjoyed season 4 and is really hoping that we’re gonna get season 5 and beyond. :-)  I love it, and even if these things are the case, I’m still gonna continue to love it. :-)  But I also can be a stickler for details sometimes, so I just need to work this out… like I said, tell me if I missed anything that changes things. X-)

So at what point in time do the episodes of season 4 actually happen?  Cuz I’m kinda thinking it all happens in the future as of this point in time… this point in time being 22nd January, 2017.  But that seems to pose a bit of a timeline problem because if it does, then that means that either Moriarty had to have died somewhere other than St. Bart’s rooftop somewhere around 2 years after TRF, or he’s not actually dead.  Not only that, it means that Mary had the longest pregnancy in the history of life itself, spanning almost 3 years.  I’m not snarking or anything, I’m just trying to work out when all this stuff happened because of the conundrum it poses.

At the end of TLD, John wishes Sherlock a happy birthday, the date of which can be found on the Baker Street Wikia page as 6th January, 1977 according to the gravestone in TRF.  You have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page just before the Gallery section… it says the “Casebook” gives his birth year as 1981, but the gravestone says it’s 1977, and since the gravestone is seen in the show, I’m going with 1977 (either way, though, it’s mostly the 6th January that makes the difference here).  So according to that, Sherlock would be 40 years old as of today’s date.  However, John would’ve had to be wishing him a happy 41st birthday in January of 2018… the events of TLD would have to have taken place after John had been mourning Mary’s death for about a year.

It has to be because Rosie’s birth announcement was published in the actual Telegraph newspaper IRL on 12th December 2016, which means Rosie would be just about 2 months old as of today’s date, and she would’ve been born about 3 weeks before Sherlock’s 40th birthday.  However, Rosie is shown to be significantly older than that in TST in the scene where Sherlock tries to reason with her about not throwing the rattle and then she throws it in his face (my favorite scene of the entire episode, btw, I love it so much :-)).  She’s quite a bit bigger and more physically grown and developed than a 2-month-old at that point.  It takes at least 4 to 6 months for a baby to even hold their own head up without neck support, and we see her sitting upright in a baby seat on John’s chair.  She seems to be still in that same age range when Molly is holding her at the end of the episode while having that devastating conversation with Sherlock about John not wanting his help.

This all happening in the future would be perfectly fine if it wasn’t for the fact that it means Mary was pregnant for almost 3 years.  That’s longer than an elephant.  I’ll get to Moriarty’s questionable death momentarily.  But first…

What’s making me think this is that back in HLV, when Magnussen was at 221B talking to Sherlock about Lady Smallwood’s case, his “mind palace” files show that Sherlock was officially deceased for two years, which we see on the screen were from 2011 to 2013.  And we know Sherlock was pretending to be dead for 2 years from tons of canon references, among them being John raging at him, “Two years!!” when he interrupted his marriage proposal to Mary, and then again in TLD when Sherlock tries to tell John he’s never been a malingerer (well… ACD!Sherlock kinda was in The Reigate Squire, but that was just to solve a case, but I digress X-)), and John responds by shouting about the time that he’d pretended to be dead for 2 years.

Sherlock came back to London just in time for “Remember, remember the 5th of November,” and if he was gone for 2 years, then that makes this 5th November 2013.  So that puts John and Mary’s wedding in May of 2014.  It was at the wedding that Sherlock figured out that Mary was pregnant, however she wasn’t showing at all, so she would’ve had to be less than 3 months pregnant.  If she was between newly pregnant and 3 months along at the time, then biologically speaking, Rosie’s birth would have to be between November 2014 and February 2015, which would mean the events of TST happened 2 years ago, give or take a couple of months.

But then we have the problem of Rosie’s birth being announced in the real life Telegraph newspaper on 12th December 2016.  And even still, if that’s not enough to prove Rosie was born in 2016, don’t forget about the scene in TLD where Lady Smallwood asks Mycroft on a date… she tells him that she’s going to go home “unless she calls.”  Mycroft elaborates that “she” is the Prime Minister.  Theresa May became Prime Minister on 13th July 2016, and before that, from 2010 when the show first began up to then, the Prime Minister was a “he,” David Cameron.  So if this was all happening before July 2016, Lady Smallwood would’ve said “unless he calls.”  So all this is in fact happening in 2018.  With that being the case, a little bit of mathematical gymnastics that included an online conception date calculator says that Mary would’ve have to be pregnant for 2 years, 8 months, and about 3 weeks.  Almost 3 years.  That’s 4-6 months longer than an elephant.

So what gives? X-)

And that brings me to Moriarty’s death.  If he died, then it was on the same day in 2011, just moments before, in fact, that Sherlock, Molly, and Mycroft initiated Project Lazarus and Sherlock was declared officially deceased.  And we already know by the working of the timeline of Mary’s inhumanly long pregnancy and Rosie’s canonically established birth date that these events are taking place in 2018 when Rosie is about a year old.  Hence the conundrum… Moriarty met Mycroft and Eurus at Sherrinford 5 years previous to the events of TFP, which obviously happen after TLD, which would’ve been in 2013.  If he died in 2011, how did he manage to meet Mycroft and Eurus in 2013?  The only way he could have done is if he didn’t die on St. Bart’s roof 2 years earlier.  Either he died at some point by means unkown between 2013 when he met with Mycroft and Eurus and 2014 when Sherlock insists in TAB that Moriarty is definitely dead, or he’s not actually dead.

So which is it? X-)

Anyone have any details that might be able to clear this up for me? X-)

[just-sort-of-happened]

Sherlock, through the looking glass

Sherlock’s gone through the looking glass, like Alice, that’s why John’s flat is backwards.  

Remember the white rabbit next to the pink lady in ASiP?  Remember all the other rabbits on the show including Rosie?  

Well, now, not only are we seeing tons of reflections and mirrors, including that strange wobbly mirror in Morocco, but John’s flat is, in fact, actually backwards? We also see John and Mary lying in the opposite side of the bed as we’ve seen them do in HLV and we look upon them in bed twice through a mirror’s reflection.

Chapter One ~ Looking-Glass House

Alice steps through the looking glass and finds a book of, ‘looking-glass poetry whose revered printing she can only read by holding it up to the mirror’,

Chapter Two ~ The Garden of Live Flowers

‘Alice meets the Red Queen... who impresses Alice with her ability to run at breathtaking speeds. This is a reference to the chess rule that queens are able to move any number of vacant squares at once, in any direction, which makes them the most "agile" of pieces.’

This excellent post by @riteofashkente discussed the physics of Mary taking a bullet for Sherlock.  She would have to be inhumanly fast to get in front of him when Vivian shoots him.  We’ve also seen her literally zigzag her way across the world.  If she’s the Red Queen then she’s extremely fast and can move in any direction she wants.

Alice also meets flowers who perceive her as one of them but a, ‘flower that can move about’.  The flower in John’s hair and the other flowers in the costumes could be a reference to this.  (I know John’s flower is a TPLoS reference but something can be a reference to more than one thing).

Chapter Three ~ Looking-Glass Insects

The whole countryside is revealed to be a giant chessboard.  In ASiP Jeff Hope, the show’s first killer tells us, ‘It’s not chance, it’s chess’. 

The most recent promo pictures for series 4 are of Sherlock throwing chess pieces and disrupting a game he’s playing with Mycroft while John watches on. 

‘Alice is placed in second rank as one of the White Queen’s (Mycroft’s?) pawns’.

Chapter Four ~ Tweedledum and Tweedledee

The Tweedles tell Alice that she’s just a part of the Red King’s dream and will cease to exist if he wakes up.  Is Moriarty the Red King?  With his red apples and red-jewelled crown in TRF?

The brothers suit up for battle (’Into battle’, from ASiB and TSoT) and are frightened by a crow (The Woman, x, x).

Chapter Five ~ Wool and Water

Tons of water imagery in TST and throughout the show.  Mycroft says that freelance spies are, ‘too woolly’, so he stopped using them.  Sherlock and Mycroft discuss Wool and the tensile strength of natural fibres in TEH.

‘The White Queen... boasts of... her ability to remember future events before they have happened’.  Mycroft asked Sherlock if he’s having a premonition and they discuss predestination in TST.  Maybe the White Queen is Sherlock, after all.

Alice and the White Queen cross a river, on a boat, and the latter turns into a talking sheep.  Sounds woolly.

Woolly means messy and unclear; this is how Mycroft views sentiment, as something that makes things messy and nebulous.  And yet, he often leads Sherlock to discover and understand his feelings so it would make sense for him to turn into a woolly talking sheep.  He uses tons of reverse psychology to manipulate (or entice because I doubt Sherlock doesn’t see the manipulation) Sherlock into doing what he wants and this could also be said for his famous advice about not getting involved.  Maybe he means exactly the opposite.

Chapter Six ~ Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty introduces Alice to the concept of portmanteau words (like Johnlock).

Chapter Seven ~ The Lion and the Unicorn

“‘All the king’s horses and all the king’s men’, come to Humpty Dumpty’s rescue”.  That sounds like the cavalry of humans that Mycroft sends to extract Sherlock and John from Appledore at the end of HLV.  And the resources he uses to keep hi out of trouble at the beginning of TST.

Chapter Eight ~ “It’s my own invention”

This immediately reminds me of TAB and Sherlock saying, ‘Nothing made me.  I made me’.

Alice enters the territory of the Red Knight, who is trying to capture her (the White Pawn).  The White Knight (John?) comes to her rescue.  The Knight is clumsy because he moves only in, ‘L’, shapes like chess knights.  (That doesn’t sound like John but it doesn’t have to be a literal reference, maybe it’s about his actions and how they’re sort of perpendicular to what Sherlock does sometimes.  Like when he finds the cyphers in or when he finds Lukis’ journal in TBB).

Chapter Nine ~ Queen Alice

Alice is suddenly crowned as a queen and the Red and White queens tell her she’s throwing a party and she did not know that she was.  Possibly a reference to the ASiB Christmas party, he seems pretty flummoxed to be hosting it.  

Chapter Ten ~ Shaking

The party turns chaotic (like the Christmas part in ASiB).  Alice blames the Red Queen (Mary) for this and shakes her, ‘thus capturing’, her and putting the Red King (Moriarty) into checkmate.  PS the Red King has, ‘remained stationary throughout the book’, like a spider at the centre of a web, which is what Sherlock says about Moriarty in TRF.

Putting the Red King in checkmate allows Alice to wake up.

Chapter Eleven ~ Waking

Alice wakes up in her chair holding her two kittens whom she figures were the Red and White Queens all along.

Chapter Twelve ~ Which dreamed it?

Alice remembers the Tweedle brothers saying that everything might be a dream of the Red King and that she might only exist in his imagination.  Moriarty has been a very surreally omnipresent villain so I can see a parallel there.

‘One final poem is inserted by the author as a sort of epilogue which suggests that life itself is but a dream.’

Anyway, guys, I got all this straight from Mycroft, I mean wikipedia, so it must be true.

Here’s a gnarly illustration of Alice fighting a Jabberwocky.  Looking a whole lot like a dragon slayer,

[adventureofthedancinggirl]

All the signs are there...the signs of 4

“People always give up after 3″ but BBC Sherlock is FULL of four.

Signs of 4 in BBC Sherlock:

4 serial “suicides” in ASiP

Jeffrey Patterson, James Phillimore, Beth Davenport, Jennifer Wilson

4 targets in TBB

Eddie Vancoon, Brian Lukis, Soo Lin Yao, Sherlock Holmes (or if you want to get technical, John Watson who they mistook to be Sherlock Holmes)

4 completed “pips” in TGG

Carl Powers, Ian Monkford, Connie Prince, the lost Vermeer painting

*note: the pool confrontation was not initiated by pips so I’m not counting it for the purposes of this list.

4 top international assassins relocate to within spitting distance of 221B in TRF

TSo3 was inspired by ACD’s The Sign of Four.

4 members of AGRA

4 Holmes siblings (possibly)

Probable 4th (real) episode of series 4

Symbolism of 4:

4 directions/seasons/winds

Boreas / North Wind / Winter

Zephyrus / West Wind / Spring

Notus / South Wind / Summer

Eurus / East Wind / Fall

4th act of a 5 act play: Falling action [x]

In comedy: a series of intense confrontations between the lovers

In tragedy: a lull as the protagonist seeks a solution and misses his last chance at a happy ending 

4 leaf clover = luck

The number 4 = death in East Asian superstition.

Symbolism of 4 in the Bible [x]

LAZARUS rose from the dead after 4 days.

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. -John 11:17

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” -John 11:40 [THEY WERE TOLD BUT THEY DID NOT LISTEN]

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Revelation 6:1-8) 

Also known as “the Apocalypse of John” [x]

White horse: has the power to conquer

Red horse: has the power to remove peace from the earth

Black horse: has the power to bring famine

Pale horse: his power is death

There are tons more, but this will suffice for now while we wait for TFP.