#scandal in bohemia

[dathen]

The Sherlock Holmes adaptions that insist on Irene Adler being in love with him could not be missing the point harder. In fact, they’re treating Holmes EXACTLY as the King of Bohemia sees himself—of course she would be in love with him! He’s soooo cool and smart and she has no choice but to be smitten! …When her entire interaction with Holmes in this story is him stalking her and breaking into her home. He does absolutely nothing that should endear himself to her, let alone impress her! She is SO much more respectful and polite than he deserves in her letter.

The King’s “oh but she can’t be in love with her husband?? I’m right here??” is meant to be absurd, yet it is EXACTLY what the adaptors do when they insist Irene has to be in love with Holmes instead of Godfrey.

[freebagels]

"You don't mind breaking the law?"

"Not in the least."

Theydies and gentlethems - John Watson

[holmesoldfellow]

Sherlockian Relics Vol. 2 with "The Six Napoleon Busts, Irene Adler Picture Frame, Persian Slipper, Death of Sherlock Holmes framed note, and Gelder & Co shipping box"

[ryutarotakedown]

read the original scandal in bohemia acd story the other day and im having so many thoughts that are probably not going to come to anything so im just throwing them all here

notes on scandal:

i love irene!! i like that shes obviously careful and smart and wary and can also admit her own mistakes (in the letter she leaves) but also. crucially. has a little bit of a show-off streak (saying goodnight to sherlock in her disguise and leaving a whole monologue of a letter)

(i know the letter was somewhat necessary to assure them she wouldn’t publish the photo and to get the king to leave her and godfrey alone. but still.)

there are so many Iconic Sherlock Holmes pop culture moments that i hadn’t realized were from this story specifically?? the 17 steps, the “you see but you do not observe,” the fire trick… i’m missing something else i think. i might remember it later

one thing i do not understand: why were she & godfrey in such a rush to get married?? that was *before* she cottoned on to sherlock being after them, wasn’t it? and what was godfrey telling her so animatedly before he headed out?

i mean i can somewhat understand the rush in that maybe she realized the king was staying in london and wanted to get out asap, but like, why not do it the day before, then? unless he had only arrived that evening? scandal fans help me

speaking of which, she and godfrey are cute together, i like them. i mean we never really see them interact but it’s clear they are deeply in love with each other

sherlock being in a hurry to get to the photograph before 8 am the next day because marriage could change her habits entirely, versus watson introducing this story by saying that he hasn’t talked to sherlock in a while because he’s been too busy being married…

i don’t think i quite understand what exactly the king did to her other than that it was Bad and maybe the reason why she retired from the opera? i feel like im supposed to have had a Revelation after reading the letter but im not well versed in victorian social norms enough to get it, i think? scandal in bohemia fans help, x2

[flailingwings]

“It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind.”

Yo, canon ace Holmes?

[smg4kaizokinnie]

Scandal in Bohemia adaptation in SH22 would be funny because what if Holmes falls for the exact fuckign trick twice

[enterradoentrelibrosycontento]

Porque se que no existe nada nuevo bajo el sol. ¿Alguien ha visto una película o cualquier otro tipo de medio, donde veamos los otros cinco intentos de robo fallidos? Sería una excelente comedia.

Because there is nothing new under the sun. Has anybody seen a movie with the other five failed theft attempts? It would be an excellent comedy.

Irene Adler:

[neverquiteeden]

ok but the contrast between "my formaer friend and companion", whom watson has not seen in months, and "I am lost without my boswell"

just. giove me a minute. give me a minute

[dathen]

We only get the general shape of things around Godfrey Norton, but it sure does end up being a vivid picture even from that.

This man falls in love with a retired opera singer with what would be considered a sordid past. She’s in her mid-30’s, which would be considered pretty old to marry. Oh and brilliant and independent and much smarter than him and crossdresses regularly because it gives her more freedom—all the lists of things that make her awesome to us would have intimidated or disgusted the average Victorian man, but not our Godfrey!

But not only that, she’s being stalked and regularly accosted by a KING and everyone who works for him. This isn’t just a starry-eyed fling with an ex-celebrity; this courtship is dangerous, and they only get to see each other for stolen moments always in secretive anxiety. Their wedding is a perfect example: there’s no glamor, no romantic trappings, nothing traditional or respectful about it; just three minutes of hastily repeated vows before they rush off in separate directions. They don’t even get a wedding night!

—And then the very next day he’s up before dawn LEAVING THE COUNTRY because that fucking king will still not leave them alone. But he’s willing to leave his home, his country, his practice, his entire life because Irene is what matters. They have no idea if they’ll ever be able to stop running, but they have each other and are willing to risk it.

THAT’S LOVE BABEY and that relationship deserves RESPECT

[kimwexlers-brownhair]

Was inspired by recent chats with @thewildwestpyro to draw The Woman. No one beats the original Scandal in Bohemia Irene Adler, all other versions are weak sauce in comparison.

Used Lillie Langtry and Lola Montez as reference, as it’s thought Doyle may have used one or both of them as inspiration for her character. There’s also some Jennifer Connelly, since she’s a hot American with Irish-Jewish roots like I imagine Irene.

Kathleen Ferrier is my voice canon for her: https://open.spotify.com/album/3CuONztUAmQPWUdGp4N9iR?si=TLyKyfkhSaurP3PjKSInsA

[jobooksncoffee]

I can’t resist this series ♥️♥️

A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA part 3 (part 1) (part 2)! the 'goodnight Mr Holmes' illustration is a direct reference to the Paget one, and Holmes is playing Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique Symphony) if you wanna listen along. And it really is canon that Watson sleeps over at Baker St here for uhhh no discernible reason

This is in the Watson's Sketchbook series!

[thebiballerina]

Hello, Sherlock Holmes adaptation writer. I have trapped you in this room. It is fully furnished and comfortable. On the table, you will notice a copy of A Scandal in Bohemia by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, of which redistribution is perfectly legal, as the work is in the public domain. You will notice it is rather thin. You have 24 hours to read the approximately 8,550 words in this story. To exit this room, all you must do is summarize the plot of the story without referring to Irene Adler as a seductress or implying she is attracted to Sherlock Holmes. Good luck.

[sandwormb]

When they make Sherlock Holmes and Irene Norton née Adler have sexual tension I get so angry that steam comes out of my ears. First of all that woman has a lovely husband whom she risked her well-being and outsmarted royalty for. Second of all, she’s like Lana Del Rey to Sherlock Holmes. He keeps a photo of her in the way stan twitter has screenshots of their fav artists. This is not a heterosexual dynamic.

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Scandal In Bohemia the musical done in the style of Disney 60 musical

I'm confused what you mean by "Disney 60 musical". I'm assuming you mean 60s musical a la Mary Poppins?

Can't imagine they'd do Irene Adler much justice, but would love to see Sherlock do a "The Life I Lead" style intro number. I don't think Sherlock has a full ballad, more sing talk. Watson can sing properly, and Irene, obviously.

Okay, now I'm thinking of Julie Andrews playing Irene and I'm back into it. She'd add so much subtext to every line that even if they clean up the opera singer background, she'd still sell it.

It's not the worst idea I've heard.

[dathen]

FIRST EPISODE explicitly portraying both queer, crossdressing Irene Adler, and an explicitly queer “he doesn’t fall in love but he admires Irene greatly” Sherlock Holmes.

I keep seeing people demand a queer adaption of Sherlock Holmes, but a faithful adaption IS a queer adaption, and Jeremy Brett’s is precisely that!

thinking about irene adler's queerness, in specific her bisexuality- and how granada not only takes the plunge in addressing her as queer, but how it never villifies her in doing so. typically a queer character, especially a bisexual woman, expressing overt and shameless attraction to the same sex is a codifer of that person's innate aggressiveness- indeed, irene's visible appreciation for the dancers on stage is overlaid with the king's monolouge about her ruthless cunning, and we see her in her suit and top hat, a clear marker also of her masculinity. it's a classical indication in most media that we are about to see a predatory queer woman, bent on nothing but fulfilling her own whims.

even holmes falls prey to this idea, and he structures his plans accordingly, and then cannot fathom when the irene he gets is simply what she's been all along- a brave, kind, brilliant woman at the end of her rope with the danger she's been put in.

i cannot count a lot of media who can show the vulnerability of a bisexual woman in such a human and effective way. i definitely cannot count a lot of holmes media.

[rknchan]

the woman!