#acd thor

[sarahthecoat]

and another example of a man coming to holmes as a client, but holmes prioritizes the needs of the woman who is involved in the case. he really did learn something important from irene adler norton.

Person: Sir I am in desperate need of help do you think you can do something

Sherlock Holmes: Why of course! I’ll gladly figure out any vexing issue! Don’t even bother paying me! The challenge is its own reward!!!!!

Some Asshole: solve this case u piece of shit

Sherlock Holmes: That will be £10000 sorry I don’t make the rules

[moroniccats]

What are some of your favorite quotes of Watson just unabashedly adoring Holmes? (Doesn’t have to be in a shipping way) Here are a few of mine, although they BARELY scratch the surface:

“‘What do you think of it, Watson?’

‘A masterpiece. You have never risen to a greater height.’” - The Bruce-Partington Plans

“I have so deep a respect for the extraordinary qualities of Holmes that I have always deferred to his wishes, even when I least understood them.” - The Dying Detective

“Had I not feared to give the public a surfeit which might react upon the reputation of the man whom above all others I revere.” -The Problem of Thor Bridge

“His eyes shone, and his cheek was flushed with the exhilaration of the master workman who sees his work lie before him. A very different Holmes, this active, alert man, from the introspective and pallid dreamer of baker street. I felt, as I looked upon that supple figure, alive with nervous energy…” - The Priory School

“Lestrade and I sat silent for a moment, and then, with a spontaneous impulse, we both broke out clapping. A flush of colour sprang to Holmes’s pale cheeks, and he bowed to us like the master dramatist who receives the homage of his audience.” - The Six Napoleons

“The strong, masterful personality of Holmes dominated the tragic scene, and all were equally puppets in his hands.” - The Solitary Cyclist

I just think it’s really sweet.

[clearwingedmaven]

So we tied. And for the starting blog:

Favorite underrated Sherlock Holmes stories, and why you should read them!

1) The Five Orange Pips: Look. I am a sucker for examinations of consciousness, and this was like the first time we've seen Sherlock Holmes feel and seem human. Be vulnerable. Be angry, despairing, haunted, even. He's lost a client, and as far as we know, that's the first time that's ever happened to him. It's the first time he's failed at this magnitude.

And his rant to Watson before he goes to chase down Openshaw's killers is definitely a worthwhile read.

2) The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb: After doing the research for the fic, and finding the terrifying Paget drawing for this one, yeah, this one's good. It's a little bizarre, given the ending, but the implications of Colonel Stark still being out there, and maybe doing this to other people is chilling. If you like... well, horror, definitely worth a read.

3) The Adventure of the Naval Treaty: I don't see this one talked about a lot! I find the cottagecore aspects appealing, and the interwoven political intrigue and little bits of back story for Watson are fun, too. An absolute bonus is the ending: I would also be jumping up and down if I got my important document given to me for breakfast, and the monologue with the rose... also a plus!

4) The Adventure of the Lion's Mane: I do like cottagecore Holmes, I guess! I love this little story, especially that Holmes, despite being retired, still immediately rushes in to help solve this mystery. I feel like it's a great demonstration of Holmes's humanity and kindness, rather than just his logic and rationality.

5) The Problem of Thor Bridge: I can't say that this... elaborate plan made sense, but it was deeply intriguing. I love how again, it's a great showcase of Holmes’s humanity and kindness, and the woven cold blooded rivalry, and plotting made for an intriguing short story in the long run. Extreme bonus points for the Granada adaptation: Jeremy Brett strutting across the bridge was an incredible image.

And finally:

6) The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter: I really don't see people talking about this one, either! There were bits of mystery that were deeply intriguing, such as the papers that were left about, and it's a very bittersweet tale, but also as a deeply human tragedy. There's no real villain here(apart from Lord Mount-James), but there is death and despair with the death of Godfrey's young wife. If you like an angsty read, this is worth it.

And that's my two cents.

[blogginmyfavoriteshit]

"We had a first-class carriage to ourselves-- and laying a hand upon each of my knees he looked into my eyes with the peculiarly mischievous gaze which was characteristic of his more imp-like moods." The Problem of Thor Bridge.

[dailyholmes]

"'It took some violence to do that,' said Holmes, gazing at the chip on the ledge. With his cane he struck the ledge several times without leaving a mark. 'Yes, it was a hard knock.'" The Problem of Thor Bridge. Published in The Strand Magazine. Alfred Gilbert, 1922

Source

[doingbad]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, you made so many specific choices here

full text under the cut

It was not a long journey from Winchester to Thor Place, but it was long to me in my impatience, while for Holmes it was evident that it seemed endless; for, in his nervous restlessness he could not sit still, but paced the carriage or drummed with his long, sensitive fingers upon the cushions beside him. Suddenly, however, as we neared our destination he seated himself opposite to me—we had a first-class carriage to ourselves—and laying a hand upon each of my knees he looked into my eyes with the peculiarly mischievous gaze which was characteristic of his more imp-like moods.

"Watson," said he, "I have some recollection that you go armed upon these excursions of ours."

It was as well for him that I did so, for he took little care for his own safety when his mind was once absorbed by a problem so that more than once my revolver had been a good friend in need. I reminded him of the fact.

"Yes, yes, I am a little absent-minded in such matters. But have you your revolver on you?"

I produced it from my hip-pocket, a short, handy, but very serviceable little weapon. He undid the catch, shook out the cartridges, and examined it with care.

"It's heavy—remarkably heavy," said he.

"Yes, it is a solid bit of work."

He mused over it for a minute.

"Do you know, Watson," said he, "I believe your revolver is going to have a very intimate connection with the mystery which we are investigating."

[teaformrholmes]

It was a wild morning in October, and I observed as I was dressing how the last remaining leaves were being whirled from the solitary plane tree which graces the yard behind our house. I descended to breakfast prepared to find my companion in depressed spirits, for, like all great artists, he was easily impressed by his surroundings. On the contrary, I found that he had nearly finished his meal, and that his mood was particularly bright and joyous, with that somewhat sinister cheerfulness which was characteristic of his lighter moments.

The Problem of Thor Bridge, Arthur Conan Doyle

[lumilescense]

Client: What do you want to know about my case?

Holmes: What was your relationship with the governess?

Client, lying through his teeth: Perfectly professional.

Holmes: Mhm. Fuck off now, I dont work with liars.

Client: Ex-excuse me?!?! What are you implying!? HOW DARE YOU-

Watson, narrating: His self control is incredible

Client: *storms out*

[i-dont-talk-for-days-on-end]

Very proud of Mr. Sherlock Holmes who just absolutely destroyed another rich asshole by being Not Impresses and Disgusted. Well done, Holmes!

[eirinstiva]

"She was a creature of the tropics, a Brazilian by birth, as no doubt you know.” “No, it had escaped me.” “Tropical by birth and tropical by nature. A child of the sun and of passion. She had loved him as such women can love, but when her own physical charms had faded—I am told that they once were great—there was nothing to hold him."

Me, a latinx:

(Sorry, I don't speak Brazilian memes)

[Translation: If you comment tropical again I'll go to your house and stab your trachea 58 times]

[stephensmithuk]

Thor Bridge

Most Holmes stories are "The Adventure of X". "The Problem of Thor Bridge", published in 1922 and forming part of the Case-book collection, is one of the exceptions. Others include "The Five Orange Pips", which is the full title.

This was originally published in two parts in The Strand, with a recap of the plot before the second part.

Cox & Co. was founded in 1758 as a military logistics company, getting money and other supplies to troops in India. Later Cox & Kings, the Indian company is now the process of liquidation after going bust in 2020, while the British arm is now a travel agent under the Abercrombie & Kent group.

The Family Herald was a weekly periodical that ran from 1843 to 1940.

The United States had 45 states in 1900; Utah had joined in 1896 and Oklahoma would be next in 1907. New Mexico and Arizona were the other two non-states at this time in the lower 48.

Senators were elected by state legislatures until 1912.

The city of Winchester is the county town of Hampshire and has been inhabited since before the Romans turned up. Traditionally seen as the capital of the old kingdom of Wessex - there was in fact no fixed capital, but it still was of major importance. Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles takes place in a fictionalised "Wintonchester".

Winchester today hosts a Crown Court that sits in session all year round. HM Prison Winchester, built between 1846 and 1850, is still an active prison, although today male only. One of its most notable inmates was serial killer Rosemary West, who was held there during her trial.

Claridge's is a famous five-star hotel in Mayfair, frequented by celebrities and royals.

At the time, the British definition of "billion" was a million million i.e. a modern trillion. A milliard was the term for a thousand million, but we now use the US definition.

Brazil had gained its independence in 1825, three years after declaring it. It had ousted its monarchy in 1889 and become a republic after a coup.

[clearwingedmaven]

So I was re-reading The Problem of Thor Bridge, and

There's still people who believe Sherlock Holmes isn't kind? And don't believe he sometimes takes cases just for the sake of the women involved?

This is incredibly empathetic on his part, and to say that to a wealthy man in 1900 England? Incredible.

[jolieblack]

Jolie's thoughts on

The Creeping Man (Sherlock & Co. podcast)

Check out these lovely pieces of fanart for the episode:

Stake out by @mayhasopinions

Rip Ratthew by @noodles-and-tea

You feline bastard by @abstractfrog

I hope people in this universe will never get the idea that Watson is the great storyteller. That’s clearly Sherlock - his deduction about the death of Ratthew was easily as engaging as his account of Matheus's death back in "Thor Bridge".

"Get down here and atone for your sins, you feline bastard!" 🤣 I just love how strongly Sherlock felt about Ratthew‘s death. And then how strong a bond he ended up forming with the perpetrator.

And the meta jokes in this podcast! Mariana pleading for donations bc Sherlock & John weren’t getting paid for this case but were still renting high end cars and attending expensive events… John ruining a brilliant opportunity for an ad break at the Thai restaurant… I can’t believe how brilliant a parody of true crime shows this continues to be, as well as a fantastic audio drama, *and* a very very sweet account of one of the most beautiful friendships in the history of literature.

More stuff I liked in this episode:

Sherlock & John playing Scrabble. Joel Emory is the King of Banter.

We got a "come at once"! 🥳

"It’s 2024, no-one needs to be saying 'thus'". 😆

Have we actually just assumed until now that John is short in this universe, too? At any rate we just heard it confirmed by Bill Wiggins and I’m HERE for it.

The uncool non-noir stakeout 🤣

"And are those skeletal entities in the room with us now?" 🤣

"My dear companion" *happy sigh*

John ending up in Chekhov‘s pool just before the 2nd part credits. On the cliffhanger scale of 1-10, definitely an 11.

"There we go, John." - I love how Sherlock reserves the use of Watson's first name for special occasions. And how caring he can be. He also literally just fished John out of the pool!? So they’re both sopping wet in this scene?!

Loved John's little speech about people’s lives getting commercialised. And the ping at the end.

"I hate you both." - Mariana is such a vibe sometimes.

"Say no more." - "So long, sucker." - "Oh no, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" - John Watson , anti-hero extraordinaire, strikes again, pun intended. How can you not love him.

"I have a dog and a detective to look after." - My heart.

On a serious note for a moment, I thought it was interesting how well this ACD story translates to our modern day and age, with the quest for eternal youth going stronger than ever, and people still willing to pay enormous sums of money for scams like that, and even ready to ruin their physical and mental health for it. I love how this show keeps finding ways to make the themes of ACD‘s stories relevant to today’s world.

In the crime solving sense, I dare say it was completely clear what the mystery was about halfway through the 2nd part, even for those who didn’t know the original story… but the showdown was definitely worth waiting for. Glorious.

[dailyholmes]

"A nick in the parapet, fifteen feet from the body, interested Holmes strangely." The Problem of Thor Bridge. Published in Hearst's International. George Patrick Nelson, 1922

Source

[holmesillustrations]

Left: “I sprang to my feet, for the expression upon the millionaire's face was fiendish in its intensity, and he had raised his great knotted fist. Holmes smiled languidly and reached his hand out for his pipe.” Thor Bridge, Alfred Gilbert, The Strand Feb-Mar 1922 Characters: Watson, Gibson, Holmes

Right: [The Dancing Men Cyphers] Dancing Men, ACD, The Strand Dec 1903