I’ve had a lot of spare time to simply think over the last couple of weeks and my wee little obsessive brain just can’t let go thinking about John’s fucking S4 hair! Honestly, it drove me mental that it was never hinted at, poked fun of, or tangentially mentioned that John Watson had this super massive make-over practically overnight. The most observant man in the world didn’t see fit to mention it? Or that the wife’s had grown several inches in the span of days???
As I lay sick as a dog, this is the thing that haunted my idle hours, until it hit me. Duh! Like, we’ve been staring the reason in the face for ages now and I kind of feel foolish that it took me this long to realise (because, surely, someone else in fandom has figured this out and I’ve missed it, and if that is the case, all the apologies for being late to the game here and I do not mean to step on any toes)
Remember where we left them.
Holmes and Watson, together at Baker Street as it should always be. I know there is still fandom leanings that not all of TAB was mind palace, that some of the plane scenes might have been real, that some of them weren’t. I’ve seen it stated that this end scene was merely ‘decorative’. The bridging gap between the modern and Victorian. I agree that it is that, but that it’s also real. This ending was the same as the one of Moriarty at the end of HLV and I believe it’s meant to be read in the same way.
This scene is our connection (bridge) to S4.
Oh, but they did, Sherlock! Because he then gets up and moves to the window overlooking Baker Street and we see it in modern times.
We go from this, straight into The Six Thatchers. A wholly enthusiastic Sherlock, Twittering up a storm, taking advantage of multiple electronic platforms to solve crimes, spinning all those plates.
S4 Sherlock truly is a man out of his time. The Victorian sensibility let loose in the modern landscape. It’s no wonder he seemed high.
Where does this leave John? (and Mary??)
For me, understanding that when we look at S4 we are seeing Holmes and Watson as they would be in the modern era, helps tremendously in understanding their characterisations this series. The number one complaint I had immediately (and I’ve seen echoed in other comments as well) was just how wrong John’s character seemed this time round. If he is inhabiting the more stoic and staid Victorian Watson personality throughout S4 it becomes, not a case of character change, but perception change. This is Sherlock’s continued vision (EMP) carried over from TAB.
The hair is the same as TAB because this is the same John Watson as TAB. And that is why there is never any comment about it, imo. Why would there be? This is a dream / mind palace journey, so there is no right or wrong; there is no reason to make note of it for Sherlock (or anyone else) because it just is.
It goes for Mary, too. Transferring all of her TAB characteristics make perfect sense of her characterisation in S4. The sudden WTFery of having her character do a complete 180 now becomes, not sloppy careless shitty writing on Mofftiss’ part (and I am not looking for a reason to excuse Mofftiss for being complete asshates to fandom, this is has nothing to do with that at all) but the continued heart-wrenching need for Sherlock to make sense of who and what she is and what she did to him. Sherlock cares too much, too deeply and I believe, doesn’t have it in him to believe the truly worst in the people he has decided to love and trust. Much to his continued detriment.
So, looking at Mary through this lens starts to make sense. She’s in no way been redeemed. It’s merely that Sherlock hasn’t seen the light about her yet.
MARY (voiceover): My darling.
(John sits in a chair at home reading a handwritten letter.)
MARY (voiceover): I need to tell you this because you mustn’t hate me for going away.
That’s a enough to be going on with, don’t you think?
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