Why Johnlock is such a big deal
When Johnlock becomes canon in January there are probably going to be some people who say that it’s not that big of a deal because they’re just two cis white men and… I mean, they are but it really is so much more.
You could say that 2016 has not been a great year for LGBT representation because many of our favourite queer TV characters (a lot of whom were POC) were killed off, a lot of relationships ended and the word “bisexual” wasn’t said nearly enough times. Despite all this, we’ve been able to enjoy some amazing gay storylines in shows like Yuri on Ice, Supergirl or Skam and right now there’s more diversity than ever, but we still have a really long way to go.
Sherlock is not just a random TV show with a small number of fans. Over 100 million people watched Season 3 and it’s likely that the new series will have even more viewers. It is definitely an international phenomenon. So when the rug is finally pulled and it is revealed to have been a love story since the start, it will shock so many people because they didn’t see it coming. It will be a surprise that the two main male characters of one of the most watched TV shows ever have actually been in love all this time. This will be television history (thanks Amanda).
Something this mainstream almost never features gay couples and if it does it’s usually for like 5 seconds and Sherlock is going to be almost 20 hours of this (because let’s be real, the whole show is about John and Sherlock). This is gonna be a huge “fuck you” to queerbaiting and to anyone who still treats gay ships as a joke. Because even though this story has always been gay, it’s not just about being gay and that’s what’s so great about it. It shows that you can have amazing main characters who happen to be gay or bisexual in a really succesful TV show. It will open so many doors for all the media that’s yet to come.
So that’s already a pretty big deal on its own but we have to remember that this is Sherlock Holmes and John Watson we’re talking about. The most famous detective of all time and his loyal companion. The greatest fictional “friendship” to ever exist. Two of the most widely adapted characters in history will be able to kiss in public for the first time in 130 years! They finally get to be who they’ve always been because it’s not 1895 anymore and someone is finally getting this right.
It’s a fact that Sherlock wouldn’t have these many fans if people knew it’s gay so it’s obvious that this wouldn’t have the same effect if Sherlock had literally said he was gay in the first episode (even though he practically did) or if Mark and Steven had said that this is what they’re doing in any random interview ever, which is why they’ve lied so many times and why they’ll keep lying until the new series airs. This is a conspiracy. It’s real and we’re a part of it.
So yeah, Johnlock won’t end homophobia. It won’t end queerbaiting. It won’t end heteronormativity. But it’s a really big step forward and it’s definitely something that’s going to be talked about for decades. Things will never be the same.
And if that wasn’t already enough, just think about how this show and the TJLC community specifically have helped so many people figure out their sexual orientation or make friends or just feel less lonely. This video shows it a lot better than I ever could (thank you @quietlyprim ). And the best part of all this is that it will continue to help even more people when it’s happened. Because, like @marcelock said, queer people get to be people like Sherlock Holmes. We deserve this, all the LGBT people who came before us deserved this and we finally get to see it. This is for us, for them and for everyone who’s ever had to hide like Sherlock and John.
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