Because Sherlock has probably always loved Molly.
Okay so itβs a given throughout the series that MOLLY is infatuated, attracted and very much in love with Sherlock. But she is an intelligent woman and soon like most of us she realises/assumes that Sherlock does not even notice her, other than her usefulness for his work. She is a strong woman and hence doesnβt keep pining for Sherlock. She attempts other relationships whether successful or unsuccessful. After the Christmas debacle, she never tries to get his attention purposely and that shows her strength of character. She has accepted the fact that he is never going to see her as anything other than Molly from the morgue, coz he never is going to right? Wrong.
My theory is that Sherlock always noticed Molly. He took her affections for granted. Maybe her super huge crush on him made him feel special even without him realising it. He notices her hair, remembers the way itβs usually parted (of course heβs Sherlock homes and heβs trying to be smooth to get his way) if sheβs wearing lipstick or not, whether she has gained weight and in some way always meddling with her love life.
A noticeable change in the way sherlock looks at Molly occurs as early as the great game where Jim Moriarty poses as Mollyβs boyfriend. When Molly walks alone into the lab Sherlock looks cheerful but the second Jim walks in and talks to Molly, Sherlock looks distracted. Molly looks very like she adores Jim. Now, if you watch closely itβs when Sherlock looks at Molly looking at Jim, he does a double take. He doesnβt look happy at all, looks almost jealous. And so, because of Molly, Sherlock ignores Moriarty! The great detective fails to recognise his nemesis. Why? Emotional context, obviously. When Sherlock sees Molly looking at Jim with adoration, he doesnβt like it coz thatβs how she used to look at HIM. So without him actually realising it, his deductions about Jim are based on his feelings or shift in the situation between him and Molly and thatβs the reason why he can see only what Jim Moriarty wants him to see, not beyond that. Heβs gets his mojo back when he thinks Moriarty is gay and even thinks he is being kind to Molly when he asks her to break it off with Jim. Molly dominantes his reasoning and hence Sherlock holmes fails to see whatβs right in front of his eyes.
Season 2, episode 1, ASIB. Even the dreadful Christmas scene where Sherlock is absolutely awful to Molly says something. Heβs obviously not happy to see her at first. Ignores her royally up til the moment he spots the gift packed in red and deduces in his head that Molly has a new boyfriend. His interest is piqued. Why?? Why must Sherlock Holmes be so utterly interested in who Molly Hooper is dating? He is extremely curious and while continuously rambling on about his musings he picks up the gift from her bag without her permission and reads the name on the gift card. He wants to know WHO IT IS? Not just if he is correct. Well, we all know what happens after that. She gets a never seen before apology from Mr. Holmes which clearly shocks John.
Season 2, episode 3, TRF. The βI dont countβ scene in the lab between molly and sherlock. We learn two things here. One, Molly can see what JOHN canβt. It surprises Sherlock. Itβs a huge development for the Sherlock - Molly relationship. Second, Sherlock realises for the first time how βMollyβ feels about their equation. When she says βI donβt countβ heβs shocked (expression is priceless!!). Heβs actually going to take up on her offer to eat some crips or probably have lunch with her who knows but she dismisses him doesnβt she? And he doesnβt like it one bit. His eyes follow her out of the room.
And so we get the cutest scene ever. βYour wrong. You do count. Youβve always counted and Iβve always trusted youβ. God! Itβs the first time weβve seen Sherlock confess so much of what heβs feeling to anyone. Heβs not just confessing to Molly that he actually cares about her in so many words but he also admits to her that her earlier deduction about him, that heβs not okay, was absolutely right. The unemotional Sherlock gets all the right words suddenly to say he cares, the arrogant Sherlock admits to someone else having read him better and if this was not enough he is worried about her opinion of him. βEven if you thought Iβm not the man I wasβ¦. β¦. would you still help me?β And then β¦ βWhat do you need?β He answers βyouβ(swoon) This was shot most definitely like a romantic scene. No smooth talking, no flirting with her to get her to do what he wants. Nothing. This was heart to heart communication. I care about you, I trust you, I need you. He said it all, didnβt he?
Season 3, TEH. Why does the only kiss that Sherlock shares with someone in the entire series have to be with Molly even if it was a dream sequence? Hmm mm I wonder.
Anyway, in Sherlockβs scheme of things it looks like after after John the one he turns to is Molly. Why does he ask Molly βto solve crimesβ with him? With a bit of awkwardness that too. I guess heβs basically asking her to hang out with him. He also asks her out in a sense when he asks her βFancy some chips?β Wait! Isnβt that what Molly suggested in the first place? (Have dinner?)By the way, Iβm pretty sure Sherlock noticed the engagement ring way back, C'mon heβs Sherlock Holmes! But he asks her anyway.
βWhat was today about?β Molly asks. βSaying Thank youβ Sherlock replies. Molly did what she did for Sherlock without expecting anything in return and Sherlock knows that. However whatβs important to note is how easily heβs again able to tell her that βMoriarty slipped up. Because the one person he thought didnβt matter to me at all, was the person who mattered the most.β Heβs able to express his emotions to her, it just comes tumbling out. Somehow with her, its easier for him talk about his feelings. He truly believes that she deserves to be happy. And when he sees that she has probably got that in life, he steps back, doesnβt make his deductions even when he meets Tom. Best not to say anything! He doesnβt even insult him after the meat dagger comment, for Mollyβs sake. How unlike Sherlock!
Season 3, the sign of three. I love how he goes to Molly again for drinking advice and I love how sheβs able to complete his thoughts for him. Every street where you found a corpse together. Shows how well she understands him. She also the only one who understands how difficult itβs going to be for him to make the best manβs speech and anticipates the situation with the telegrams. She truly understands him and cares about him. It is so sweet! She sees him leaving early, she comprehends his state of mind. Well, sheβs clearly in love with him isnβt she?
Season 3, episode 3. Molly slaps Sherlock! What a scene that was!! This was really an impressive development in her character. Sheβs not trying to be in his good books anymore. She cares about him deeply and is unafraid to stand up to him. It also talks a lot about their relationship. Theyβve definitely become more comfortable with each other. (He uses her bedroom as a bolt hole for crying out loud! Okay more about the bolt holes later.) Thereβs a sense of familiarity when she slaps him, which takes every one by surprise, other than the fact that Molly Hooper just slapped Sherlock Holmes, not once but thrice.
Itβs interesting to note Sherlockβs reaction though. He doesnβt stop her from slapping him, doesnβt even get angry. And though him telling her βIβm sorry your engagement broke though Iβm fairly grateful for the lack of a ringβ seems like heβs lashing out at her, I donβt believe it. Why would Sherlock be grateful for the lack of a ring on Mollyβs finger? One, Maybe he thought Tom was not good for her. So heβs happy that they are not together. Or Second heβs just happy that Tom is out of the picture now which means Molly is not in a serious relationship anymore which further means him and Molly can go back to having their previous equation, whatever that was in his complicated mind. Moral, he is βgratefulβ that she is single again. Hmm mm
Itβs important to note that in the few seconds that he thinks heβs going to die, Molly dominates his mind palace. He sees almost everything from her eyes (maybe conversations, discussions theyβve had in the past). She guides him to safety, which saves his life. He thinks of her in a life and death situation. I think it speaks volumes.
Okay so the thing with the bolt holes now. As I can remember Parliament Hill, Camden locks, Dagmar court, Blind Greenhouse at Kew gardens, leaning tomb at hamstead cemetery, behind Big Benβs clock face, Linester gardens and MOLLYβS bedroom. What?? All his other bolt holes are places where he can be alone or where he is surrounded by unfamiliar people except Mollyβs bedroom. One usually assumes that a you go to a bolt hole when you are agitated, not in your sphere. Which means Sherlock doesnβt mind being around Molly when he is in that state of mind. Maybe it even makes him feel better. And she is the only person amongst all his friends whose house he uses as a bolt hole. He takes liberties with her, uses her bedroom. A bedroom is someoneβs personal space. It is filled with items that belong to someone. Itβs private. Sherlock invades Mollyβs personal space and privacy by using her bedroom as his bolt hole and is comfortable not just being there but apparently has no qualms having her around. He was fairly grateful for the lack of a ring, wasnβt he? He can now use her house as his bolt hole again.
Season 4: Γpisode one. Itβs cute how she tells him off at the christening and he at least pretends to listen to her. They are both God parents to Rosie along with Mrs H. In the lying detective, thereβs this conversation between John and Sherlock.
SHERLOCK: Well, youβre a doctor. Examine me.
JOHN: No, I need a second opinion.
SHERLOCK (exasperated): Oh, John, calm down. When have you ever managed two opinions? Youβd fall over.
JOHN: I need the one person who β unlike me β learned to see through your bullshit long ago.
SHERLOCK: Whoβs that, then? Iβm sure I would have noticed.
JOHN: The last person youβd think of. (Sherlock looks up at him silently.)
JOHN: I want you to be examined by Molly Hooper. (Sherlock looks down, biting his lip.)
JOHN: Dβyou hear me? I said Molly Hooper.
SHERLOCK (cringing a little): Youβre really not gonna like this.
And Molly rings the doorbell. So Mollyβs not the last person Sherlock thinks of is she! She may have been the first. Even though Mrs. H doesnβt feel Molly is the right person to test Sherlock, Sherlock trusts her doesnβt he? And Johnβs admission:
I need the one person who β unlike me β learned to see through your bullshit long ago.
That Molly understood Sherlock better than John did too. And Johnβs Sherlockβs best friend.
SHERLOCK: Whoβs that, then? Iβm sure I would have noticed.
Even now Sherlock doesnβt fully understand his feelings for Molly. Not until the final problem.
Season 4: The final problem. Well what do I say about the I love you scene. We have reached the grand finale. This scene is not about Molly saying those three words. What would be the point of that? We all know sheβs in love with him. The whole point of this scene, in my opinion, was Sherlock telling Molly that he loves her and realising that ITβS TRUE. ITβS ALWAYS BEEN TRUE. Like MYCROFT says This is all about you. Everything here.
EURUS: Coffin. Problem: someone is about to die. It will be β as I understand it β a tragedy.
A tragedy! Obviously for Sherlock. The death of Molly Hooper will break him, which he most definitely is yet to realise.
EURUS: So many days not lived, so many words unsaid.
I think this is a very important statement that EURUS makes. Sheβs not talking about Molly. Sheβs talking about Sherlock. What he has not fully realised and hence obviously never said.
SHERLOCK: A childβs coffin would be more expensive. This is in the lower price range, although still best available in that bracket.
Maybe Iβm wrong about this one. But I feel the above is more a description of Molly than the coffin. She is not in the beautiful, seductively sexy category. Sheβs different but sheβs the best, in her own way.
SHERLOCK: Whatβs she doing? MYCROFT: Sheβs making tea. SHERLOCK: Yes, but why isnβt she answering her phone? JOHN : You never answer your phone. SHERLOCK (looking at the screen again): Yes, but itβs ME calling.
You know for me this was as important as the scene in which he actually says I love you. The above conversation shows us why Sherlock never realised the true depth of his feelings for Molly. In his relationship with Molly, HE was always the focul point. Sheβs always there for him, whenever he needs her. She cares for him, looks out for him even, places his feelings and needs above her own. Sherlock naturally assumes this unsaid right over her hence doesnβt understand how much he has come to truly rely upon her, how much he depends on her. He doesnβt really see or understand the depth of his feelings for her, not until he thinks that he is about to lose her for good.
He does everything weβve never seen him do. He is desperate, panicked, unbalanced, uncontrolled, begs (not twice, many times), pleads, looks like he is praying. The amount on relief on Sherlockβs face when Molly says I love you is far more in comparison to Johnβs (Molly is Johnβs friend too. Sheβs his daughterβs godmother. Molly is literally helping him raise Rosie.)
When Sherlock says I love you the second time, itβs because he realises itβs true. There are many arguments which say that he loves her but not romantically. I disagree. Heβs always known that he loves her as a friend. He says as much, across so many seasons. No, He loves her as a man loves a woman. He looks like he has just solved a great puzzle that he has always loved her. Only he sees it now. And thatβs why HE LOST.
EURUS: Look what you did to her. Look what you did to yourself.
He realised his love for Molly and it destroyed him. Thatβs what he did to himself.
SHERLOCK: No. No.
Then he goes on his coffin destroying rampage. No. No. It canβt be true. But it is. ITβS ALWAYS BEEN TRUE.
And EURUS, intelligent, cunning, EURUS knew what Sherlock didnβt. Thatβs why she chose Molly and not Irene Adler. Sherlock was attracted to Irene, physically yes, mentally yes, she was the woman who beat him at his game. He is facinated even by her. But beyond that she doesnβt add any value to his life as far as I can see. Sheβs not his confidant but Molly Hooper is, sheβs not his friend but Molly is, she doesnβt know him very well like Molly does, sheβs never there for him like Molly is, sherlock doesnβt trust her like he trusts Molly. Molly he trusts, with his life. Sheβs the one who matters. EURUS knows this and therefore chooses her. Whatβs also amazing is she doesnβt finish Molly off! She wants to break all his walls, wants him to embrace his true feelings, so that he could remember who he was, who she was and save her.
Itβs been there, right from the start. Little hints, clues beautifully woven into the script. Molly, the girl he never noticed, the girl whom he took for granted, the girl who became his friend, the girl he trusted, the girl who mattered the most, the girl he admired and respected and finally the girl he loved. Slow burn, at its best, subtlest. The I love you scene in the final problem was not about Molly confessing her love for Sherlock. It was infact about Sherlock confronting his love for Molly!!
I wonder what MYCROFT was about to say to Sherlock after that scene is over though.
