#The Dying Detective

[contact-guy]

Holmes's reaction when Watson gets near the trapped box full of deadly poison vs. a random cop

[always-too-many-daisies]

I've noticed there aren't many gifs out there from the last season so here I go. I've just watched The Dying Detective today and I really liked Jeremy in it. He's amazing.

[helloliriels]

There once went a man to the gallows,

Hoping only his doctor would follow ...

His last desperate act,

Saving him from attack;

Long before his remit to the hallows.

May is for Limericks - collection on Ao3

@johnlocky @chinike @rhasima @fluffbyday-smutbynight @totallysilvergirl @barachiki @friday411 @ghostofnuggetspast @topsyturvy-turtely @whatnext2020 @wizama @jobooksncoffee @amyreadsandstresses @a-victorian-girl @theofficialinternetloner @safedistancefrombeingsmart @weeesi @thetimemoves @sarahthecoat @7-percent @inevitably-johnlocked @dapetty @kettykika78 @keirgreeneyes @meetinginsamarra @gaylilsherlock @lisbeth-kk @gregorovitch-adler @peanitbear @solarmama-plantsareneat @impalaparkedat221b @naefelldaurk @thegildedbee @bs2sjh @calaisreno @john-smiths-jawline @raina-at @jolieblack @ohwhataniight @notjustamumj @meledol84 @janetm74 @sgam76 @stellacartography @dinner--starving @jawnn-watson @estrella-creek @youcouldcallmegus @hasenkind687 @thalialunacy

[ofbakerst]

[fireguardianblog]

The C-Word//The Adventure Of The Dying Detective

Rewatching the magnificent Brett made me reread the Dying Detective and that reminded me of the C-Word situation and I realized how similar they are in some scenes and got all emotional...

("I'd feel like I deserved it" paralleled to "Let it be someone in whom I have confidence" aren't too similar but they are two quite hurtful things the sick one says in anger so yeah)

[blistering-typhoons]

watched granada dying detective earlier today and FIRST OF ALL THAT'S JANE BENNET- and secondly, holmes is such a delight in it oh my goodness <3 i loved all his interactions with children, and his general silliness contrasted incredibly well with that INCREDIBLY badass reveal- jeremy brett you will always be famous ✨

[tremendously-crazy]

True story: the first time I read his last bow (when I was binge reading all the sherlock holmes stories in like 5 days) my heart LITERALLY DROPPED when I saw "the dying detective" in the table of contents and I read it IMMEDIATELY.

[dathen]

With this permission I stole into the darkened room. The sufferer was wide awake, and I heard my name in a hoarse whisper. The blind was three-quarters down, but one ray of sunlight slanted through and struck the bandaged head of the injured man. A crimson patch had soaked through the white linen compress. I sat beside him and bent my head.

“All right, Watson. Don't look so scared,” he muttered in a very weak voice. “It's not as bad as it seems.”

THIS IS THE GOOD SHIT THIS IS THE TASTY CHARACTER-DRIVEN WHUMP nom nom nom nom

Also such a contrast to the Dying Detective bullshit!! Holmes is actually badly hurt, but doesn’t want to frighten Watson and encourages him when he sees how shaken he is. None of this bullshit of “I have to convince Watson I’m actually dying, and if that’s not painful enough for him, I have to cruelly insult everything about him.” Dying Detective is OUT The Illustrious Client is IN!!!!

[teaspoonnebula]

The first time I watched Granada's adaptation of the Dying Detective, I was so distracted by how pale and sick Jeremy Brett looks throughout the whole thing (in the scenes where he's not supposed to) that I didn't enjoy it very much. It's a harsh reality that Holmes' actor is literally dying in this episode, and it's so difficult to watch this man who was a maestro at knowing exactly which muscle to twitch to bring to life a living persona within him clearly strugging with his own physical limitations.

I told myself I wouldn't watch it again.

Rewatching it in the Letters from Watson server actually made me appreciate it a lot more? I found that since i knew what to expect, I wasn't comparing it so much with the performances in his prime and wondering about what could have been (if they'd filmed it earlier, if Jeremy Brett hadn't been so unwell etc) and instead appreciating it for what it is.

The writing on some of the later Granada episodes is a little wonky, but it's on top form here: there are some excellent decisions which improve the emotional coherancy no end and help make this a more fully fleshed out story. I actually enjoyed Holmes' theatrics with Watson this time around, appreciating more that here is Jeremy Brett doing what he loves - acting - as long as he could, giving it his all.

The rug skatey scenes are just very, very silly though.

[eirinstiva]

The most evil man

Today I read the first part of "The Adventure of Charles August Milverton" (thanks to Dr. Watson as always) and in a few lines you can already know the type of adversary he is.

There are many types of antagonists in all Holmes' stories, but those who are smart have a special place in the canon. Let's see some examples:

Irene Adler in "A Scandal in Bohemia" is the rival of Sherlock Holmes in that case. She left so strong impression in the detective that he calls her The Woman. She's smart, charming, beautiful and bit playful character, but above all she is not a villain. All that she does is to run away with her lover husband and start a new life. A smart woman with strong character that outsmarted Holmes.

In "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" we have Culverton Smith as opponent. He use a tropical disease to kill his nephew for money (IIRC) and tries to do the same with Holmes. He's evil because he kills his own family for what he wants and he has the willingness to do it again with whoever dares to search the truth.

Professor James Moriarty from "The Final Problem" is so far the most famous rival of Holmes, mathematics professor and criminal mastermind. Moriarty is essential in every adaptation of the canon and his intelligence is one of his higlights as a character. What makes Moriarty evil? The professor is the one who plans crimes for other people to execute in exchange of money. He doesn't seem the type of person who commits the crime for himself, he perfectly could be in his office, eating fish and chips while his minions do the dirty work. The evil in Moriarty is that he uses his brilliant mind for planning crimes and apparently he loves that.

We just have the first part of this story, but Charles August Milverton seems to be a completely different type of antagonist. He is smart but instead of making many different plans like Moriarty he uses blackmail. Just like Smith he wants money and is ready to take action himself and see the victim. He looks like a harmless person just like Adler but, contrary to all of these examples, Milverton enjoys to see his victims suffering. There's pleasure in watching the blackmailed person begging for a new deal, extra time or whatever they need to keep everything behind the rug. Charles August is the type of villain who wants to see the world on fire.

Speaking in chilean, él es un conchesumadre.

[paradises-library]

Mrs. Hudson, the landlady of Sherlock Holmes, was a long-suffering woman. Not only was her first-floor flat invaded at all hours by throngs of singular and often undesirable characters but her remarkable lodger showed an eccentricity and irregularity in his life which must have sorely tried her patience. His incredible untidiness, his addiction to music at strange hours, his occasional revolver practice within doors, his weird and often malodorous scientific experiments, and the atmosphere of violence and danger which hung around him made him the very worst tenant in London. On the other hand, his payments were princely. I have no doubt that the house might have been purchased at the price which Holmes paid for his rooms during the years that I was with him.

-"The Dying Detective," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

[coolartist1110]

L + Ratio + You are only a general practitioner with very limited experience and mediocre qualifications + You have never heard of Tapanuli fever/black Formosa corruption

[johnlockifconvenient]

At which point Sherlock Holmes became so aroused his dick actually flew across the room

[athenasdragon]

Got to the Dying Detective in my rewatch and I couldn't remember if Holmes really said "if you love me" in the books and he does. God. I need to reread.

Transcript below the cut

[A screenshot of text, reading as follows:

"I must wait and hear his opinion, Holmes."

"Of course you must. But I have reasons to suppose that this opinion would be very much more frank and valuable if he imagines that we are alone. There is just room behind the head of my bed, Watson."

"My dear Holmes!"

"I fear there is no alternative, Watson. The room does not lend itself to concealment, which is as well, as it is the less likely to arouse suspicion. But just there, Watson, I fancy that it could be done." Suddenly he sat up with a rigid intentness upon his haggard face. "There are the wheels, Watson. Quick, man, if you love me! And don't budge, whatever happens--whatever happens, do you hear? Don't speak! Don't move! Just listen with all your ears." Then in an instant his sudden access of strength departed, and his masterful, purposeful talk droned away into the low, vague murmurings of a semi-delirious man.]

[no-side-us]

I found this illustration of Holmes and Watson for a French magazine, and I love it because Watson looks so rightfully upset, just absolutely done with Holmes' shenanigans from this story. His face is so simple yet so full of pure irritation.

Drawn by Richard Wallace

Source (with many other illustrations)

[mariana-oconnor]

The Dying Detective pt 1

Mrs. Hudson, the landlady of Sherlock Holmes, was a long-suffering woman.

Yes! Mrs Hudson content. The recognition she deserves.

His incredible untidiness, his addiction to music at strange hours, his occasional revolver practice within doors, his weird and often malodorous scientific experiments, and the atmosphere of violence and danger which hung around him made him the very worst tenant in London.

Yep, long-suffering. Let's be honest, the woman should have thrown him out long ago. But at least he's paying her good money.

She was fond of him, too, for he had a remarkable gentleness and courtesy in his dealings with women. He disliked and distrusted the sex, but he was always a chivalrous opponent.

Have we seen any examples of him actually disliking women? We've seen him frustrated by them, certainly, or rather by his lack of ability to read them clearly. We've seen misogyny, yes, in line with some of the thinking of the time 'can't tell Mary Sutherland she's being financially abused because it wouldn't do any good'. But Holmes has on multiple occasions, only in the few stories we've read so far, championed women in many ways. I haven't reread A Study in Scarlet or The Sign of Four before reading these, so I can't say about them, but this insistence on Watson's part that he doesn't like women is just weird.

Is that just Watson not understanding that Holmes isn't attracted to women? Like, Watson just can't comprehend how anyone wouldn't see a pretty woman and be overcome, so the fact that Holmes is apathetic to that just Does Not Compute and therefore must mean he dislikes them? Like an on/off switch?

Hoo boy, Watson, I'd love to introduce you to the Kinsey scale.

"He's dying, Dr. Watson," said she. "For three days he has been sinking, and I doubt if he will last the day."

Mrs Hudson is not a trained physician... although I'm not sure how accurate actual doctors were during this period of time. Had germ theory made the big time yet?

Wikipedia says that the in-story date (1890s) is about the time when germ theory was taking over from miasma theory, so by the time this story was published (1913) it would have been pretty well established.

That's not really relevant, I just find the history of medicine and disease fascinating in a lot of ways. For so much of history we just made shit up and hoped it would work. Some of it really did and some of it really didn't, but we didn't know why, so we made up reasons. And given that this was set at a major transitional period in that history, honestly Watson's medical expertise is probably half guess work and wishful thinking... sorry Doctor. I mean, hysteria is still a diagnosis at this point.

"He took to his bed on Wednesday afternoon and has never moved since. For these three days neither food nor drink has passed his lips."

I think I know why he's not looking too good.

"Stand back! Stand right back!" said he with the sharp imperiousness which I had associated only with moments of crisis. "If you approach me, Watson, I shall order you out of the house."

We've already had at least one story in which 'don't look at me too closely' was a massive red flag. It's sort of a nice symmetry to have Holmes using it here. Why can't he come any closer, Sherlock? Huh? Why?

"But why?" "Because it is my desire. Is that not enough?"

Oh look, that's another red flag right there. Honestly, Holmes, you could have at least made some effort at 'you might catch this illness' or something like that. Although I guess maybe Holmes doesn't believe in germ theory? Is he a miasma kind of guy? Or is this one of the areas in which he's just nonsensical and believes in the humours or something like that?

But 'you can't come closer to me because I don't want you to' to your friend the doctor who was summoned specifically to try to help you is just... No, obviously, Watson isn't entitled to an explanation or a reason. Holmes doesn't owe him anything. But on the other hand, Holmes specified that he would allow Mrs Hudson to get Watson. What did he think was going to happen?

I don't remember this story at all, but based on context clues and knowledge that there are more stories to come, I'm going to guess that he's faking it.

"I know what is the matter with me. It is a coolie disease from Sumatra--a thing that the Dutch know more about than we, though they have made little of it up to date. One thing only is certain. It is infallibly deadly, and it is horribly contagious."

Ah, there we are. You couldn't have led with that?

Did you get it from a giant rat?

Sorry, I should be more serious, Holmes is dying. He's dying.

(He actually is if he's not drunk anything in 3 days. Holmes, you moron.)

"Good heavens, Holmes! Do you suppose that such a consideration weighs with me of an instant? It would not affect me in the case of a stranger. Do you imagine it would prevent me from doing my duty to so old a friend?"

I mean obviously Watson wasn't going to listen to him, but whatever.

"Holmes," said I, "you are not yourself. A sick man is but a child, and so I will treat you."

Watson, you're being creepy again. Like, people do need to consent to treatment, my man. I guess, probably not in this time period? You could just say 'they're hysterical' and have done with it, but still. Consent is important. Agency is important. Let's be ethical about this, huh?

Do I think this is all fake and Holmes is only saying this so you won't see through his ingenious ruse? Yes. Do I think you should still respect his wishes and not touch him? Also yes.

✨Consent✨

"If I am to have a doctor whether I will or not, let me at least have someone in whom I have confidence," said he.

Dude, you literally asked for him. Literally. Asked. For. Him.

You are gaslighting him so bad right now. Holmes! Stop abusing your friend. Stop it! Bad detective! No biscuit!

No one in this scene is coming across well, rn, by modern standards.

"In your friendship, certainly. But facts are facts, Watson, and, after all, you are only a general practitioner with very limited experience and mediocre qualifications. It is painful to have to say these things, but you leave me no choice." I was bitterly hurt.

Holmes is being a bitch here, and I will absolutely say it. Watson, your ethics are shaky, but your feelings are valid.

"Possibly not. But I happen to know that Dr. Ainstree, the greatest living authority upon tropical disease, is now in London. All remonstrance is useless, Holmes, I am going this instant to fetch him."

Uno reverso, Holmes!

Honestly, Holmes's worst misjudgement here is thinking Watson would let him get away with dying without doing anything. Did you really think he was just going to say 'oh well, that's a pity; I'd best go home and start writing your eulogy.'

His misreading of the person he is literally closest to in the world is just such a massive blind spot here.

"You won't take the key from me by force, Watson, I've got you, my friend. Here you are, and here you will stay until I will otherwise. But I'll humour you." (All this in little gasps, with terrible struggles for breath between.) "You've only my own good at heart. Of course I know that very well. You shall have your way, but give me time to get my strength. Not now, Watson, not now. It's four o'clock. At six you can go."

Such a dramatic bitch right now. OMG. 😂😂😂

"You will seek help, not from the man you mention, but from the one that I choose."

I get that there's a time issue here, clearly, because Holmes is so insistent on 'six o'clock', but I feel like he could have handled this better.

"By all means." "The first three sensible words that you have uttered since you entered this room, Watson."

Wow.

All modern adaptations are based entirely on this scene, huh?

With fairness to Sherlock, it does seem like Mrs Hudson is at least correct about the starvation and dehydration and we all know being hungry makes people irritable. And being dehydrated makes you kind of loopy and gives you a killer headache. So he's not making the best decisions right now, if that's the case.

We all know what he really needs right now:

Then, unable to settle down to reading, I walked slowly round the room, examining the pictures of celebrated criminals with which every wall was adorned.

I love this description. Imagine sitting in this room with just the worst criminals of all time staring down at you from every wall. True crime chic. Serial killers watching you from every angle. It's absolute nightmare fuel and more what I'd expect from, like, a themed bar that was set up in an old prison.

I' can't imagine it. I'm glad he keeps this to his bedroom and out of the public areas. I can't imagine it would put his clients at ease.

To tell the truth, my desire to fetch a doctor had somewhat weakened, for poor Holmes was so obviously delirious that it seemed dangerous to leave him.

To be fair to Watson here, while often in the stories he seems unnecessarily dense about things, in this case his thoughts are entirely justified.

How much money in his pockets, only half the gas to the fire, pick the box up with sugar tongs. (Poison one assumes)

It may surprise you to know that the man upon earth who is best versed in this disease is not a medical man, but a planter. Mr. Culverton Smith is a well-known resident of Sumatra, now visiting London. An outbreak of the disease upon his plantation, which was distant from medical aid, caused him to study it himself, with some rather far-reaching consequences. He is a very methodical person, and I did not desire you to start before six, because I was well aware that you would not find him in his study.

So this guy poisoned a lot of people with this, huh? That's what I'm getting. And you couldn't have provided this information earlier in such a way that Watson would have stayed with you until then? You had to go the mad route of locking you both in a room together, while not letting him touch anything or talk to you?

"You will tell him exactly how you have left me," said he. "You will convey the very impression which is in your own mind--a dying man--a dying and delirious man. Indeed, I cannot think why the whole bed of the ocean is not one solid mass of oysters, so prolific the creatures seem."

I like to think that Holmes always has at least one little tangent like that going on in his brain, and he's just decided that he'll say it out loud right now to increase the impression of delusion and madness. But actually this is just a glimpse into his head on a normal day.

I do something similar, but I actually do ask the random questions out loud. My immediate family take them seriously, but other people tend to look at me like they are worried there is something wrong with me.

But the answer I have to Holmes' question is predation. Lots of things nomming on oysters. Humans, for one.

His nephew, Watson--I had suspicions of foul play and I allowed him to see it. The boy died horribly. He has a grudge against me.

So, he already poisoned his nephew. Good to know. Good to know

Make any excuse so as not to come with him. Don't forget, Watson. You won't fail me. You never did fail me. No doubt there are natural enemies which limit the increase of the creatures. You and I, Watson, we have done our part. Shall the world, then, be overrun by oysters? No, no; horrible! You'll convey all that is in your mind.

That's what I was saying, Holmes. Predation. I'm glad to know you've done your part to prevent the Oysterpocalypse. Good man.

I have never eaten an oyster, I am falling down in my duties.

I left him full of the image of this magnificent intellect babbling like a foolish child. He had handed me the key, and with a happy thought I took it with me lest he should lock himself in. Mrs. Hudson was waiting, trembling and weeping, in the passage.

Clearly everything is going according to plan, but Holmes you owe these two so much for putting up with you this time.

I still don't remember this story. I am feeling very Gandalf in Moria right now, but my nose says there's something very fishy about Holmes' illness, and it's not the oysters I'm smelling.