#marlahey

[kajaono]

BBC Sherlock taking John and Sherlock’s relationship for granted creates a rift in the narrative

I have already pointed out in previous post how disappointed I was that John and Sherlock relationship never developed, in a way it should and would have been justified by the narrative

In this point I want to look at how their relationship started and how this was already created the first problems. This review contains multiple spoilers for other Sherlock Holmes shows.

When John and Sherock meet for the fisrt time in ASIP they immediatley start working together.

No hesitation. They both went full in, from minute one onwards. This is a nice way of showing how well John and Sherlock work together, and that they think alike. But on the other hand it feels like Mofftiss took the relationship for granted and said: "These are John and Sherlock. Of course they work perfectly which each other. We do not have to talk about that."

But imo that was TOO fast. There is no conflict. They never have time to discuss where they stand in this relationship. And because Mofftiss pretend, that they work perfectly together, from minute one onwards - even though they just met - it is hard to further develop their relationship from here on. Because it is already perfect. You would need something really big to happen for them to redefine their roles in this relationship. We kind of had that in season 4, but we knew how messy that went. And there was never a TALK after that. Thats also a main problem in this show. John and Sherlock never really talk. It is John who often sits down and talks and Sherlock is not listening. Of course the relationship is developing, but the show never uses its whole potential.

So what would have been a better way of handling their first meeting? A first meeting that allows them to naturelly grow into the relationship... and further develop their relationship?

Elementary

Yeah I am gonna drag Elementary into this again. BBC Sherlock and Elementray share a really similar set up. They meet each other for the first time, and immeditaly move in and start solving cases together. But Elemenetary gives John and Sherlock time to grow into the relastionship.

This moment defines the Joanlock relationship imo. It shows that Joan is ready to confront Sherlock and call out his bullshit, that Sherlock listens and is effected by what Joan thinks and says, that Sherlock still has a lot of work to do. AND - most importantly - that a Johnlock relationship takes effort and is nothing that you can take for granted.

And this show was on air for 7 seasons, with 22 episodes each. Nevertheless the relationship was developing the whole time. In future seasons they are recalling their first meeting, honoring how much they have grown.

Resulting in:

gif by: @marlahey

This is something we never got in BBC Sherlock. We never saw them honoring the growth they made, recalling their first meeting, and having a satisifying conculsion, aka: "I love you" (in what way doesn't matter btw. The Joanlock moment wasn't romantic either).

Of course you could agrue now: "But Elementary did had the time for stuff like that, BBC Sherlock only had 4 seasons, with 3 episodes each."

So let us look at The Irregulars next:

This show starts as a usual crime detective show... with a supernatural twist. But slowly you learn that the core point of the show is the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

The show is set years after Holmes and Watsons first meeting. Actually when we first meet John his relationship with Sherlock is over already, broken and ruined. Later we - the viewer - get multiple flashback scene, showing us how they first met, how their relationship developed, and why they are not talking with each other anymore, resulting in this glorious moment:

But the show doesn't stop there, it even goes further and shows us how John and Sherlock slowly get closer to each other again. Sitting in the dark, discussing their relationship, the mistakes they made and most important: apologizing.

Still angry at Netflix for cancelling the show.

Of Course we also have other approaches. RDJ Sherlock.

Like BBC Sherlock it leans much more into Crime aspect of the story. But the story still centers around Holmes and Watsons relationship. When we first meet them they have been together long, probably for years. They are already settled in their relationship. They both know their roles in this relationship and they both feel comfortable with it. They behave like an old married couple. And when they fight, it is never serious. The first real problems erupt when Watson decides to marry. And thats the whole core problem of the first movie: Watson moving out of 221B to marry a woman and how Holmes deals with that. He develops from more or less boycotting the marriage to accepting it and gifting Mary and Watson a ring.

The second movie is him trying to accept that his love of his life best friend is married now and trying to solve cases on his own, without Watson. Eventually sacrificing his own life to safe Watson AND Mary. So even though the movies are crime movies, the Johnlock relationship is still the heart of the story.

If the movies wouldn't focus on the Johnlock relationship, the story would be a different one.

Many Johnlock moments in the movies are non-verbal, so excuse the extensive use of gifs here. But there is so much happening on a non-verbal level!

For example the wedding, which is a huge Johnlock moment. John being super nervous before his wedding and you see that Holmes is not happy either, but he still nods, letting Watson know that it is okay and that Watson is making the right decision.

But nevertheless he has to look away when Mary and Watson kiss. The message is clear here. He isn't happy, he is sad because he is loosing the most important person in his life.

Then we have moments like this, (see below) where - during a moment of danger - they cling to each other, making sure the other one is safe. Not being afraid of physical contact. This is something I was also missing in BBC sherlock btw. Physical they always made sure to stay away from each other. When they hugged it was like... a big thing. Which - set in modern times - felt a little bit off. Because in contrast to Miss Sherlock (see below) Holmes was never shown to be actively against physical contact. I wish the production team would have allowed more friendly touches. I mean... ACD Johnlock walks around arm-in-arm and John gets nervous everytime Holmes comes close, because "poeple might talk." Nah...

I think A game of shadows, peaked when Watson and Holmes danced. Because it shows that they have a deep connection. They came from a place where they acted like an old married couple, then being all nervous because of the Watson/Marry wedding, having to re-identify their relationship towards each other, to this finale dance, where - symbolically- they are a couple again. Everything came full circle. It is like: No matter what happens around Watson and Holmes, they will always find their way back to each other. They will always be the center of the story. It will always be them against the rest of the world, no matter what. No excuses.

But acually, the adaptation most close to BBC Sherlock is Miss Sherlock. I mean... it was basically a female japanese copy of BBC Sherlock.

But still... it improved a lot of things. When Sherlock and Wato (Watson) first meet they really can not stand each other. This Sherlock is also rude, but it is really clear that she is on the autism spectrum. She gets overhelmed by too much light and by loud noises. She is really against phyisal contact.

And the most beautiful thing about this adaptation: It knows that in the end Watson will always be Sherlocks weakness. It will not say: "Don't try to drown in the well. Good luck. I am off hugging my sister." (season 4 shade). In Miss Sherlock the finale conflict is: Watson being manipulated to work against Sherlock. Showing, that in the end, it all boils down to their relationship again. And this adaptation wrote a scene that is just.. chef kiss!

When Wato is around, Sherlock is all grumpy towards her. But during the finale Wato is kidnapped. And the show gives us a short look into one of Sherlocks most private moments. The moment she realizes that Wato is kidnapped. A moment where Sherlock is completly alone. And we see a honest and extremly vunerable moment. This one:

Sherlock screaming Watos name in agony. Knowing that she NEEDS Wato. And then she goes and risks everything to save Wato. EVERYTHING!

Her reputation and her life. She is even ready to be killed by Wato.

TL.DR:

So what am I trying to say? That BBC Johnlock has no relationship development? That there isn't any trust between them? Nope, course not.

We see John and Sherlock growing into the relationship, we see Sherlock getting softer because of John, we see John healing because of Sherlock and on the other hand we see Sherlock opening up, telling Watson whats really on his mind. Trying to be a better human, being more social. But imo that should have been the plot of idk... the first season, maybe the second one. Because thats just the beginning. A Johnlock relationship is so mch deeper, holds so much more story potential. Yeah, John and Sherlock belong to ecah other and are good for each other. We know that! Is Sherlock ready to confess his (plantonic) love for Watson by the end of the show? Is Watson so jealous of Sherlocks love interest that he opens a rift in the universe? Is Sherlock having a break down, screaming out Watsons name in agony? I don't want to see John being replaced by a balloon in season 4 (!) and it is played for a joke. Their relationship should be so so so much deeper at that point. For me BBC Sherlock felt like, they stop mid-relationship-development. It feels like Mofftiss said: "John and Sherlock work well with each other and are best friend. What else is there to say?" SO! MUCH! MORE!

They had all this potential, and went nowhere with it. And i don't necessarily mean romantically btw. Eveen Hilson drove into the sunset together eventually...

[therentyoupay]

rules: list the first line of your last 10 (or however many you have) posted fics and see if there's a pattern! i chose most of the most recent ones, then a few of the ones with the most kudos, and then a few of the ones that i just really really really like the opening lines of!! thank you, @salamandersocks, for tagging me!!

—

On July 1st, the lonely house at the top of the mountain was finally sold.

snow globe for Aicosu | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | M | Words: 47,752 | Chapters: 4/5 | 2023–WIP | mountain-rural-living!AU

“You see, Jack... There is more to being a Guardian than you may think..."

at the center for roarlikethunder | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | M | Words: 395,105 | Chapters: 223/250 | 2014–WIP | guardian!AU

It was too late for winter.

That One Night | TAHNORRA | fandoms: Avatar: Legend of Korra | E | Words: 219,426 | Chapters: 125/? | 2012–WIP | gradschool!AU

“On the contrary,” she says, slotting a hand over one cocked hip, sending shimmering fractals of reflected light across the inner walls of the glacier.

the woman in white for cnidariandreams | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | T | Words: 782 | Chapters: 1/1 | 2024 | frozen2!AU

"What are you doing here?" she blurts out inelegantly, a little too loudly, and she thinks that someone might have heard her, but she's too pissed off to care.

break the ice | TAHNORRA | fandoms: Avatar: Legend of Korra | T | Words: 7,633 | Chapters: 1/1 | 2012 | canon-divergent!AU

"You're," he rasps, throat run dry. "You're…"

of sparks and moonlight | JACK FROST/PRINCESS YUE | fandoms: Rise of the Guardians (2012), Avatar: The Last Airbender | T | Words: 7,836 | Chapters: 5/5 | 2012 | yue-is-jack's-princess-in-the-moon!AU

There is a strange boy on the beach who won’t stop staring at her.

frosted sea glass ; | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | E | Words: 80,734 | Chapters: 12/12 | 2015–2023 | mermaid!AU

“Man,” Nino groans, accepting defeat at last, as he gives the golden elevator doors a vicious, vengeful kick.

technical difficulties for roarlikethunder | LOVE-SQUARE, MARI-NINO!BROTP | fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug | T | Words: 96,832 | Chapters: 8/9 | 2017–WIP | trapped-in-an-elevator!AU

Seven minutes late.

fifteen minutes ; by therentyoupay for dragonsinparis | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | T Words: 2,920 | Chapters: 1/1 | 2015 | superhero!AU

“...the fuck is this?”

check the pipes for frost ; by therentyoupay | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | T | Words:66,666 | Chapters: 8/8 | 2015 | wrong-mail!AU

my thoughts below!! 💕 @salamandersocks and i have similar tastes!! i seem to favor:

opening lines that immediately immerse me in a specific emotion or situation (curiosity, anticipation, mystery), and stuff that hints at deeper complexity and "clues ahoy!!"

i also like slightly unsettling lines ("there is a strange boy on the beach who won’t stop staring at her") for mystical stories like the mermaid!au

i also like when really specific or short lines can drop a reader IMMEDIATELY into a specific context; conversely, i like when the first line gives the reader a feeling and the second line gives a location!

i also realize i like throwing characters into emotional / interpersonal conflict immediately lmao ("... the fuck is this?" / "what are you doing here?" / "on the contrary" / "man")

i shall tag a whole bunch of people too, and anyone else who wants to do this!

@aicosu | @blackestfaery | @sanfangirl-cynicalromantic | @kanamesharisenwrites | @callimara | @yuki119 | @marlahey | @siren–s | @dragonsinparis | @jelsawithacapitalj | @portentous-offerings | @jessainzukaland | @laurakrivera | @sunshinemellow-fic | @watermelon-sugar-bi | @da-awesom-one | @renaerys

[missgoalie75]

Hi! I’m in love with your Gilmore Girls fics, and I was wondering if you could shed some insight into your writing process/how you write fics, such as the most recent one that was 100k+ in word count? Huge fan! Have a wonderful rest of your day!

Thank you so much! Glad to read how you enjoy them :)

Usually I’ll get an idea - either by coming up with one, one being suggested to me, etc. - and it’ll nag at me for a while, which typically involves pestering @marlahey with comments and questions and research until I inevitably realize I’m invested and need to write it out.

In the case with the Yale AU, I had a rough idea of how I wanted to start from the jump: Rory and Jess never meeting back in season 2, which helped with figuring out what that meant for the start of the story (Rory and Dean likely never break up without having Jess be a catalyst, how Jess while remaining in NYC managed to not only get through high school, but succeed enough to get a full ride to Yale). After that, and this is something I’ve done will all my AUs - Sense8, Cisgirl!Jess, Chilton, Yale - I’ll rewatch the seasons I need to in order to refresh my memory and also inspire me. Usually there's spite involved in some capacity, which I think is most evident in Yale AU in particular with changing Lane's trajectory.

I’ll form a sort of outline using canon events as a guide, write in order for a while until I inevitably skip ahead and write future scenes that I work to bridge them. Then it’s just about rereading, rewriting, and adding bits to flesh out the story. 

Then I send to @marlahey and apologize for my grammar and also, over the last few years, for the word count I dump on her.

[creativexdreamer]

Annie, I’m in love with this fic! You have blown me away once again. I just love how you write Sam and Bess’s dynamic. This was so beautiful, and I love how you both broke my heart for them, and made it flutter all in the same fic. Just so, so beautifully done. 🥰👏🏼💯

[eon-become-instant]

Also your anons are wild thanks for doing the lord’s work of logic and sense 😂

Haha no problem! 

Thankfully the majority of people I’ve run into in this fandom have been nothing but lovely, like yourself, so that makes it easier to handle the more erm... difficult ones 😊

[horrorboydyke]

Lola ends up drinking/doing drugs with some seedy guy after Maya leaves her at the bar. He makes advances and she ends up slapping him/running to the bathroom and calling Elliot after the guy is like super angry. He comes, punches the guy out, and gets her out of there. The hug is painful and amazing.

oh Jesus, thank you for recapping it for me! i just watched the morning clip and was so confused as to why Lucas was yelling at Eliott lmao  

[therentyoupay]

aww, yay!! thank you for the tag!! 💕💕✨

i tag anyone who wants to, and @callimara | @aicosu |  @blackestfaery |  @kanamesharisenwrites  | @callimara |  @yuki119 | @marlahey | @siren–s |  @dragonsinparis | @jelsawithacapitalj | @portentous-offerings | @jessainzukaland | @laurakrivera | @sunshinemellow-fic | @watermelon-sugar-bi | @overmooneleven | @18jewels | @sanfangirl-cynicalromantic | @lemonhoarddragoness | @angel-gidget | @morethantheycansay | @jessareads 💕✨

tagged by @emily-prentits <<3

Post your Picrew and the last song you listened to!

I played my biggest playlist while making this and stopped it right before i hit post i highly recommend it

tags: anyone who is interested!

[highgaarden]

As a woman who recently got a tattoo and and reinstalled her second ear piercing within days of each other, I'm all about a little change! If you wanna talk though, for real talk like with your voice, I'm here. I'm not gonna lie Han I've been isolated for a week with no roommate since she's immunocompromised and I feel like I'm losing it lol. I love you. I miss you terribly; I've been thinking of you a lot lately. I'm sorry this happened. But your bangs are cute and I love your face.

Omg when was the last time we even video called? It's been literal years. Let's do social isolation conversation!!!

Also, I've tried to get two more piercings in addition to the two I've already had in my wars, but my body rejected them - they kept getting infected and within a week the holes closed up. It looks sooo good whilst it lasted though. Sad! Lol

Also, thank you. Miss you lotssss xxxxx

[rachelblairy]

marlahey replied to your post: instead of spamming everyone’s dash with the blog...

I admire your dedication

i have. immense regrets.

[therentyoupay]

WIP Name Game

Thank you, @renaerys, for tagging me! ✨

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it!

here are a few!

part iv

Marshmallow

the troll garden

the Whisper

a prison

the story of sisters

chapter 9

that one night Tarrlok was annoying as f—

can you tell which ones are (1) snow globe, (2) at the center, (3) technical difficulties, and (4) that one night? 😂

tagging (if you like!!): @aicosu |  @blackestfaery |  @kanamesharisenwrites  | @callimara |  @yuki119 | @marlahey | @siren--s |  @dragonsinparis | @jelsawithacapitalj | @portentous-offerings | @jessainzukaland | @laurakrivera | @sunshinemellow-fic | @watermelon-sugar-bi

[missgoalie75]

HP Fic: To See the Very Nature of the Question

Title: To See the Very Nature of the Question Characters/Pairings: Male OC, feat. Alastor Moody, Tonks, Remus Lupin, Madam Rosmerta, Cornelius Fudge, other OCs. Rating: T Warnings: none; an OC is the protagonist?, references of antisemitism, descriptions of gruesome crime scenes Word Count: ~21,000 Disclaimer: Title is from “Revisited” by The Fold. Standard disclaimers apply. Summary: A Junior Auror looks more in depth at Sirius Black’s case in 1993. A/N: I don’t have words for this. Thanks @marlahey for tolerating this insanity. Maybe someone out there will enjoy it, and if not…glad I got it off of my chest.

AO3

[grammatically-incoherent]

[insp]

[holdinbacksecrets]

thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the show!! So happy you liked it :)

LIKED?! LOVED! It’s hands down one of my favorite series on Shawnblr. Your writing is phenomenal, and i’ll be here whenever you have the time to continue it. Thank you for sharing your talents with us! :,)

and yes...shawn live is an out of body experience 💕

[better-not-said]

“I like it, who I am with you.”

-we stumbled in the dark by @marlahey

[harry-pleasestop]

Stop what you’re doing! You NEED to go read Under the Same Roof by @harryonstage and @marlahey. I just read part three and I’m pretty sure that I sat in a constant smile. One of the best things I’ve read in a bit!

[creativexdreamer]

My goodness! ANNIE YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY RUINED ME WITH THIS ONE! Your writing was so seamless and flowed so well. That scene in the bar, to the group being at Bess and Prisha’s after the finale performance, to THAT SCENE. So, so good! And that ending! I’m just 🥺👏🏼💓🤗. Also love that you wrote in the longer apology for Benny. That was a favorite moment for sure. His response. 😭👏🏼👏🏼