I think it wouldâve been infinitely more powerful for Louis to acknowledge his history as a pimp and how that affected Armand, a former sex slave, if the rest of the season didnât keep using the word to insult him.
We didnât need to be reminded a hundred times that Louis was a pimp. We know. He knows.
For this to be an actual moment of accountability for Louis where he is in such a compromised situation and despite that, he finally sincerely reveals to Armand that, yes this part of my past did affect my ability to give you the love you needed and that wasnât fair to you â that couldâve been so much more poignant if it was the first time in the season Louisâ history as a pimp had been brought up.
Because it just sounds like a slur now. They shouldâve kept it as Louisâ personal moment of reflection instead of having Lestatâs narrative brand him as a pimp a hundred times.
Louis did not become a pimp because it was a passion of his. It was because he was a black man living in the Deep South who wanted to provide for his family and make something for himself. If there were other options, he wouldâve taken them. He tells us this.
But this persona he crafted to deal with the horror of what he was doing did create a degree of separation between him and Armand, who needs to be loved completely. That is what Louis admits to him. Itâs not that heâs still Louis the pimp, itâs that this traumatic past he has as a result of the violent racism heâs endured left him unable to commit to Armand in the way Armand needed. Louis did not enjoy being a pimp. He confesses this in the very first episode. He still did it, and thatâs what makes him a complex interesting character, but it wasnât a career he wanted, and Armand was potentially the very last person who shouldâve been relying on him for love. They arenât incompatible completely and there was love there, but long-term they need very different things from their partners.
Itâs a gorgeous moment with breathtaking acting from Jacob and Assad and I love when Louis has these kind moments. I just wish theyâd stop using that fucking word. Let us be done with it now.
Louis may have a lot to apologize for after 77 years of whatever with Armand, but being a pimp is absolutely NONE of those things.
Pimping: First off - Louis wasnât pimping when they were together (he was selling art, not people). Assuming vampires can grow as people-adjacent beings?
The Boys: They talk about Louis âboysâ - but the one illustrative example of a âboyâ is Daniel who is an adult (if a young one and drug addled)âŠare they trying to retcon p*do-like behavior for Louis? If that was the intention - then maybe show or at least describe that happening in some way, but to conflate young Daniel with âa boyâ leads me to believe that âboyâ is not a age-dependent term here.
The only other example was when Louis was alive - his Army guy hookup, where louis told Lestat that the guy was 16, and he was âolderâ
Who Chose Whom? Armand wanted to be with Louis because Louis was (essentially) a dominantâŠ.calls him _maitre_ even. Armand might be making these choices because of his screwed up history, but he is making the choiceâŠeven manipulating the situation to be with Louis, and is consistently manipulating the h*ll out of Louis while they are together - seemingly to keep them together.
in the 70âs Armand talks about cleaning up after Louisâ âmessesâ (of which Daniel was almost one)âŠ
So why did ghost Claudia call Lestat âdaddy Luâ and then Lestat corrected her and pointed to Louis?? Thats really sus . Is that , not Claudia ? It was such a random detail that it may mean something . Apparently spirits sometimes impersonate others . And then again Lestat payed for this service (and he got a less severe scolding).
Not sure if I believe it wasn't her, but it was odd . I'm side eyeing Lestat and Merrick a bitâŠ
In a show where little details sometimes allude to a twist it's possible something fishy is going on. Either way Claudiaâs hate for Louis & Lestat is 100% justified .
Also - Lestat earlier talked of the bookclub with Merrick where they read Interview - and he said âeveryone loved Tom Andersonâ. Makes it seem like another Fraudia (not Regina, but an evil spirit or something)
Jacob talking about Armand during S3 press (Compilation)
Assad, after the revelations of the previous season, I wonder if you consider Armand as a villain of the story now, or maybe I'm not fair and that he's just one of many ambiguous characters of the show.
ASSAD:Â As an actor, I don't know, I don't think it's wise for me to think of Armand as a villain, I have to go in figuring who Armand is as a human being. When you think of someone as a villain, you can almost think that they're a god, you deify them in some way. You put them on a pedestal or put them on a thing that simplifies them too much. So to me Armand is just a person, who has gone through very very difficult circumstances and those have shaped him to who he is. [...]
JACOB: To answer your question as well, I do want to say something about Armand quickly! Because I give Armand so much shit when I talk about the show all the time. And he is probably the character that I, Jacob, watch and I'm like, that guy gets on my nerves, he just seems to get things wrong at every stage. But I think something that this season goes into in a really powerful way, and I think reframes a lot of what you see of him before is that, he's what happens if you go through some of the worst personal atrocities from a very young age. So much cruelty is inflicted on you, and then you're just alone. And he tries to, I feel, Armand is continually trying to find community. And so, in one way it manifests in religious fundamentalism and this really dark sort of cult... he tries to control people. And then he just tries to find thatâ Louis becomes a bit of a weird sort of religious figure to him at some point. And then he's trying to recreate this dietâ this horrific dynamic that was inflicted on him from a very young age. So I think there is a way that you can look at Armand and be like, that guy's evil, his behaviour's not cool on any level. But I think something that our show does really well is that there is a version of every single one of these characters âincluding Claudia, including Madeleine evenâ they would be the villain in a lesser story. But we spend the time on getting to know all of these characters and understanding why they make these decisions they make. And I think it's quite easy to sort of pin the villain pin on Armand, and I am guilty of doing it myself. But actually, between Assad and Rolin and Hannah, I think he becomes in this season an even more fully formed, fully understandable character.
KELLI: [...] Also why Armand needs to go to jail. [Laughter] But uh to wrap up, in episodeâ
JACOB: I want to say though! About Armand. 'Cause I'm always shitting on Armand and actually I think the thing that is really key about that scene is that it's Louis and Lestat! Armand might have set the seeds, Armand might have killed her, but so did they. Both of them.
KELLI: Yeah, they're all culpable.
JACOB: Yeah. Yeah.Â
//
I have a very specific question for you, Sam, specifically related to the blood shower scene, which is that...  after the many, many horrors these twoâ that he shared with this, you know, Gremlin that has wrought chaos upon him and his family, why does Lestat love toying with him more than he would want to like... just kill him.
SAM: Oh, wow. [...] I think it's great fun for Lestat to play with Armand in that way. I mean that's their dynamic. I think they both get a kick out of it.  [...] Armand, bless him, is just trying to put meaning in their totally meaningless existence and Lestat's like "Dude, just have a good time." But, because Armand is the mouthpiece for this weird vampire cult and how you live and how we operate, they give each other meaning because then Lestat has something to rebel against. [...] it's good to have an enemy. Because if you have an enemy, then you have you have something to fight against. You've got purpose. I mean, they live forever.Â
JACOB: They're so messy. And they need to be messy in order to give purpose to their existence. To give a sense of meaning to this all. And it goes too far sometimes: like Claudia beingâ but that I think is part of why Claudia's death is such a monumental earthquake, is that she's gone. Like they have to clash and contrast and collapse into each other and collide and destroy each other, but then come back andâ like that's what this is, it's not like... I know I've definitely had some pretty reductive ideas about Armand in the past, but I think this is the fun of him, is that he's not just likeâ I love Armand in the Vampire Lestat! I will just say that. I just think it's such a delicious thing in this series.
SAM: And you haven't even seen all the episodes, right? So, I mean, likeâ
I've got one left. Â
SAM: Yeah, he's a veryâ he's a wonderful character.
JACOB: The subway. That episode-ending inâ is it episode four?
SAM: Five. Â
JACOB: Episode five! That is one of my favorite moments, shots, expressions in the history of our show.
//
LIZZIE: [Armand] looks so beautiful in that [S3E5 closing shot]!
JACOB: So angelic!
LIZZIE: (Laughs) and he's just done the most evil thing!
So here is my take on Armand - yes, The Horrors of his upbringing but - he grabs the wrong end of the stick like itâs his job.
Lestat comes into the orbit of the Paris coven, instead of Armand embracing Lestatâs message of âbe free and do what you want with your immortalityâ, Armand falls head over heels in love and decides to make a cult of Lestat (formalizing the Theatre des Vampires).
Daniel (Mr Investigative of Everything But My Poor Life Choices) - is âfascinatingâ. Armand doesnât ever seem to figure out why and just assumes itâs everything Daniel does (which, spoiler alert, is mostly pretty horrible).
Louis - knows how to run things, has an easy way of power about him- and Armand doesnât seem to object to enabling the h*ll out of all of his worst character traits
And then with all of it - Armand is constantly imposing his (often faulty) interpretation of his cult-of-the-momentâs rules on everyone in the vicinityâŠcompletely careless that some of those folks arenât cult members.
OMG Brutal Love (x) might be my favorite season this season. The lighting, the strings, the emotions, and the tears in their eyes. I was not prepared for any of it. Such a beautiful song for a beautiful boy đ„č
It's stunning. The entire scene just rips right through my heart. đâ„ïž
I just â
Lemme relive it.
And the looks on their faces! The tears in their eyes! GAH!
Okay. Play on Tâis a Pity Sheâs a Whore - the 1600âs sibling romance where everyone takes a turn with mistaken identity, murder, and âŠI donât knowâŠ. sh*tty Cardinals?
Gather 'round Loustat Nation! I know we are starving so here is my Toi is Louis theory. Walk with me...
Edited for additional clarification on the misdirect. TLDR: Louis is the Toi contact on Lestat's phone which is different from the on-screen Moi and Toi we keep seeing.
Let's start at Detroit, the first time we see Lestat texting Toi (as a visible contact in his phone) is right after the blackout. The conversation is a continuation of the texts Lestat sent on the tour bus with Daniel who immediately clocked that it was Louis.
The second time we see Toi is at the end of the episode after Lestat is attacked by the Detroit Coven. Pay close attention what what the text screen looks like
There are 10 message from Lestat (Moi) and one from Louis (Toi). Also note that the conversation is Lestat begging Louis to come find him and that Louis' only visible message is "Expectations?". I'll circle back to that but first watch this clip and focus on the text screen. Please also note that on screen the texts still say Moi and Toi.
This *is not* the same conversation. The contact name is too blurry to read but this was done intentionally because Lestat introduces her with her actual name Gabriella. The name in the picture doesn't match does it? Moi and Toi on screen do not reflect who Lestat is actually texting. Let's jump ahead.
Episode 4! The Devil's Road. This is when we clearly see the contact listed as Sofia who is talking about a tiki bar. The same tiki bar she invites him to in Ep 3 Toledo
Later on Lestat approaches Daniel with the cellphone hidden behind his back and the conversation on screen is between Moi and Toi. This scene begins with Daniel asking, "what does the vampire messiah owe the world?. Lestat responds, "A playful handbag and a lie told well." The on-screen texting is the lie. His cellphone shows he's clearly texting Sofia.
What happened to Louis (Toi)? He called a meeting with Lestat and Christine because Lestat asked him to find him. Read the texts to Toi again.
Ultimately, she spent 20 hours redoing the copy from scratch â and with her $100-per-hour rate, that meant her client was shelling out $2,000 for copy that likely would have ended up being far cheaper had a human just written it in the first place.
An updating list of my favorite fics in the order I read them. Deduce what you will from my love of angst, meandering descriptions, and happy endings.
From A Drop Of Water ~96k M victorianpining 2021
"It was simply my conjecture of what a future world might look like and how you and I might fit inside it. From a drop of water a logician should be able to infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara."
Whirlwind ~51k M DiscordantWords 2022
But John arrives in the midst of a very active storm season, and Sherlock very clearly hasnât let go of the past. Against his better judgement, John finds himself talked into riding along after one last storm.
Their Great Reward 10k T BeautifulFiction 2012
Boxing day, in John's opinions, is the worst day of the year. Christmas is over, the tree is wilting and stripped of gifts, and there's a week of dead-time until the clean slate of the new year. However the combination of a blizzard, a power-cut and Sherlock might just make it a day to remember.
The Progress of Sherlock Holmes 62k E ivyblossom 2011
âI had,â he said, âcome to an entirely erroneous conclusion, my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is to reason from insufficient data.â
â Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Speckled Band
Thirst 122k E bittergreens 2014
When John realizes he has feelings for Sherlock and decides he must keep those feelings secret at all costs, the resulting tension might bring Baker Street to the ground.
âThe fundamental condition for desire is an absence or lack, but desire is never only an absence.â âLeo Bersani
The Masquerade of the Red Death ~17k E okapi 2018
On the hunt for a serial killer, Sherlock & John attend a masked orgy.
Lucid 71k E dr_girlfriend 2013
"The first time it happened was completely by accident."
Post-Reichenbach, John finds a way to hold on to Sherlock after all.
Transformation ~53k E Jadis 2013
Upon his arrival at his childhood home, John finds Mycroft-effing-Holmes in his parentsâ living room. It wouldnât be the first time a Holmes had turned his life on its ear.
Once More, With Feeling 21k T cellardoors 2011
To put off his meddlesome, matchmaking mother, John convinces Sherlock to play the role of his significant other. Unparalleled awkwardness ensues.
and stand there at the edge of my affection ~3k G coloredink 2011
"You've written love letters," Sherlock asserted.
A Cure For Boredom ~82k E emmagrant01 2012
They'd never talked about sex in the year they'd known each other. Well, that wasn't quite correct: Sherlock had never said a word about sex; John had bemoaned his personal dearth of it on many occasions.
Let You Kiss Me (So Sweet and So Soft) ~7k G out_there 2010
The first time Sherlock kisses him, John keeps his eyes open, and so does Sherlock, and mostly, he wonders what Sherlock could possibly be up to. There'll be some logic to this. Some ridiculous experiment about body warmth or respiratory rates or testing a new way of picking pockets. Sherlock does the unimaginable for bizarre reasons, but behind it, there's always logic and curiosity. Sometimes, it just takes him a while to explain it to John.
Acceptable Behaviour 3k M bbcatemysoul 2013
Sherlock isn't really sure why John wants to shag him, but he's certain that if he's careful to behave properly about it, John can be persuaded to keep doing it.
In other news, John is a good boyfriend and Sherlock is an idiot.
A Terrific Soporific 11k T antietamfalls 2013
Sherlock, a long-time sufferer of insomnia, is forced to share a bed with John at a hotel while on a case. To his astonishment, he finds that spending the night next to John helps him sleep and becomes determined to maneuver himself back into John's bed.
In which John is a cuddly, BAMF assassin. ~11k T notbeloved07 2012
Sherlock braces himself for a cold-blooded killer, with nerves of steel and no remorse, with a reputation for ruthlessness that makes several hardened criminals check their closets before they go to bed - and meets John. Easygoing, good-natured, cuddly jumper-wearing John. Who thinks he's brilliant and hilarious, and can he take him out for a coffee?
M for Marriage ~29k M RonaSargent 2014
John Watson finds out who he is actually married to. It's not who he thought.
Beset with marital problems and with distraction in mind, a distressed John Watson helps Sherlock Holmes on a fast paced, high profile case.
Empathy ~36k T Blind_Author 2014
John is an empath. Which isn't nearly as much fun as it sounds. Most of the time, itâs not even useful.
Given In Evidence ~98k E verityburns 2012
Coming back from the dead can be a complicated business. With a new case on the horizon, rebuilding a life is one thing... rebuilding a friendship quite another. For Sherlock and John, things may never be just the same...
The Real Meaning Of Idioms ~22k T feverishsea 2012
After two weeks away, John finally texts Sherlock. He doesn't expect Sherlock to respond. He doesn't expect Sherlock to keep texting him. And he really doesn't expect things to spiral out of control so rapidly.
The Things You Hide 10k E verityburns 2012
Sherlock and John have been working and living together for nearly a year, each finding the other's friendship to be the one thing they would not risk or want to live without. Until something happens to disturb the status quoâŠ
(drunk)
Saving Sherlock Holmes 139k M earlgreytea68 2013
Sherlock Holmes, schoolboy. Yeah, that basically sums it up.
The Whore of Babylon Was a Perfectly Nice Girl ~33k E out_there 2010
Sherlock walks into a room and takes all the space right out of it. He does the same inside John's head.
echoes through time ~22k E chellefic 2012
Mummy sends a trunk from the Holmes cottage in Sussex to 221B. Its contents alter the way John and Sherlock see themselves and one another.
The Road Less Traveled ~75k M verityburns 2010
Sherlock realises that John's dating habits involve an unacceptable level of risk... what if he meets an unusually tolerant woman and ends up getting married?
The Heart In The Whole ~102k E verityburns 2011
Events after 'The Great Game' leave Sherlock dependent on his best friend and colleague. But John has a secret of his own...
(TBI)
Over Fathoms Deep WIP E bittergreens 2014-
When the youngest son of the aristocratic Holmes family is shipped off to sea in an attempt to cure him of his poor temper and bad manners, he fully expects to spend a long tedious voyage as miserable as ever. What he does not count on is having his heart stolen by the strapping young crewman, John Watson.
Leave the Signs and the Sirens ~25k G out_there 2012
After John's released and back home at Baker St, Sherlock still feels it. Down the centre of his chest there's an ache like a healing wound. A physical awareness of a body he usually ignores as much as he can. It's psychosomatic, nothing more interesting than that.
(PTSD)
Blame it on the Viscum album 2k T codswallop 2013
Sherlock, Christmas, and poisonous plants: what could possibly go wrong?
Midnight Blue Serenity ~152k E BeautifulFiction 2013
When Sherlock infiltrates a club in order to track down a serial killer, his altered appearance is enough to make John question his assumption that Sherlock is beyond his reach. However, is he the only one who appreciates his flatmate's charms, or is Sherlock at risk of becoming the next victim?
Speaker for the Bees ~15k M antietamfalls for feywhimsy 2014
It isn't always easy assisting a deaf detective. Luckily for John, they make a pretty good team.
Dear John ~218k E BloodSeiryu, FourCornersHolmes, Tindomerelhloni 2018
An AU in which Sherlock is in Rehab and is required to write a letter to a random person in the military. John get's it, and they become penpals of a sort.
(if you read the series, mind the tags ;~;)
A Promise Made to Be Broken ~37k E PlantsAreNeat for SwissMiss 2017
A young John makes an âif weâre still single at 40, weâll get togetherâ pledge to a woman who ends up all wrong for him. She keeps reminding him of the promise, and won't let go of it. John asks Sherlock to pose as his boyfriend at a family wedding, so as to dash her hopes permanently. Sherlock, who has at last acknowledged his feelings for John, reluctantly agrees despite knowing how painful it will be to âhaveâ John, but not keep him.
Scotland series ~346k E snorklepie 2014-2020
âA nice holiday, just a bit more...murdery. â John said drily.
âYes! The best kind of holiday!â Sherlock beamed. âSo we wonât get bored!â
After he separates from Mary, John returns to Baker Street. Following a request for help from Sherlock's cousin Violet, the detective and his blogger take a trip to Edinburgh. John discovers more about the Holmes family and Sherlock than he bargained for, but tries not to run screaming.
(dunno why last one's marked as incomplete, the main plotlines are all resolved)
The Adventure of the Silver Scars ~142k tangledblue 2016
âAll this does not mean that Iâm not still basically pissed off with you. Iâm very pissed off, and it will come out now and then.â âHis Last Vow
Itâs been thirteen months since Mary shot Sherlock and John finds heâs still pissed off about it. Sherlock had thought everything was settled: John and Mary, domestic bliss. But when John turns up at Baker Street with suitcases, the worldâs only consulting detective might not be prepared for the consequences. A new case. Some old scores to settle. Certain danger. Concertos, waltzes, and whisky.
A River Without Banks ~203k E Chryse 2015
"You love this, being Sherlock Holmes."
He had once. When had it all gone so wrong?
(lyrical time travel)
Manifest ~30k E causidicus 2015
John finds Sherlock's porn. The discovery shifts the dynamic of their relationship.
(so much angst)
To Light Another's Path ~129k E BeautifulFiction 2012
Teaching John to observe seems to be a losing battle, but when Sherlock falls ill and submits himself to John's care, will he realise that there is more to life than the science of deduction? Meanwhile, there is a murder to solve, and John must try and convince Sherlock not to sacrifice his own health for the sake of the case. Eventual John/Sherlock Hurt/Comfort case fic. Post the Great Game
The Adventure of the Consulting Woman ~39k E DancingGrimm 2014
âSo the plan is, you have until Saturday night to make that,â he pointed at Sherlock, âlook and act convincingly like a woman, so she can go and be a damsel in distress and in so doing trap a serial murderer. Have I got that right?"
I am as certain that Credence is not a blood Dumbledore but is attached to Arianaâs Obscurus as I was that Harry was a Horcrux before book 7. I am 99.5% certain if this. All the evidence points to this.
This totally. The Credence Phoenix is even a black Phoenix, which doesnât seem right either.
The whole âswitched the babies then drownâ storyline- I feel like you can pretty much drive a truck thru the plot holes. But the Colin Firth version of Grindelwald did say that the Obscurus was âuselessâ without a host in FB1. I donât think weâve seen how it switches hosts, but it must be able to - because Newt was able to capture one.
Bonus points if the obscurial, Credence, is somehow Snapeâs progenitor as they clearly seem to be styling him to be, except wearing gryffindor colors (Queenie too).
The fourth season of Sherlock aired in 2017 and left a lot of people, including myself, confused. And thatâs putting it nicely. In moreâŠ
You guys!! I finally finished my essay on The Six Thatchers. Whether youâre a jilted ex lover of the show or someone who already has a vested interest in your own interpretation pls give this a chance <3 i fell back in love w the show while writing it
This is a thorough and excellent analysis of TST, @bbcsherlock! I fully agree with most of your conclusions. I especially like your method of comparing the imagery of scenes in different episodes and Iâm really looking forward to your next instalment. :) Youâre pointing at a series of evidence - compelling evidence in my opinion - supporting the idea that S4 is taking place entirely within Sherlockâs brain. Which would thereby also support the âEMPâ (Extended Mind Palace) theory (X) proposed by @gosherlocked, @monikakrasnorada, @ebaeschnbliah, @the-7-percent-solution and others even before TST aired.
Iâm also very happy that you seem to have independently come to the same conclusion as Iâve been harping on about for years now (originally @raggedyblueâs idea): that what we see in the show is Sherlock, after an OD, re-using the material he has read on Johnâs blog to compose new scenarios in his mind. In other words: the events on the blog seem, just as you say, more true to the showâs ârealityâ than the show itself. Iâve written rather extensively about this in some metas (X, X, X, X).
The only place where I differ slightly is the point in time when Sherlock ODs and loses contact with reality; I think it might have happened directly after Johnâs wedding, which is when Sherlock took over the online blog, and after this it stopped updating. The events of His Last Vow are, in my opinion, far more absurd than most of the show until then - the most apalling part being the destruction of John Watsonâs character. The idea that John would even dream of staying married to and raising a family with an assassin who shot his best friend seems far more like a self-flagellating fantasy of Sherlockâs to me.
Also, I think we might be inside Sherlockâs brain already from A Study in Pink; the whole show is seen from Sherlockâs POV, hence its name. And the strongest evidence for this is, in my opinion, the huge similarity between Sherlockâs Victorian version in TAB of John waking up with nightmares about the war, and the very first scene of ASiP (X). How could Sherlock so accurately see something in his mind that (supposedly) was Johnâs own experience from a time when Sherlock wasnât even present? As far as I can see, it only makes sense if this was Sherlockâs imaginary version both times.
@bbcsherlock That line on the plane is just what years ago made me have the intuition that the story we saw has always unfolded in Sherlockâs head, that starting from reading Johnâs blog relives their story, enriching it with mirrors and allegories, as if he were putting on a show in his Mind Theater (x) with the purpose of solving the case, letâs say"Johnlock" for practicality. A story pertinent to the truth in a decreasing way, and once you pay attention to it you realize that the oddities begin in episode 1. Each episode accumulates a series of strangeness with exponential consistency, but it is with HLV that things get really weird. For this I can only agree with @possiblyimbiassed. Not only the oddities become more evident but the story begins to fold in on itself, as you have well pointed out (I loved the parallel waterfall and pool!). The same episodes occur, after all there is no longer the blog track to follow, because it is no longer updated. Itâs more and more much evident that we are watching is not exactly what happens in âreal lifeâ. For a long time I thought that Johnâs blog narrated what happened in real life (Iâm not talking about ârealityâ because even what happens in Sherlockâs head or anyone in general is still real, the thoughts are real), but the more it is analyzed the more oddities popped up there too. After all, John Watson is an unreliable narrator. The story that has not yet been told must be a meeting between the two sources, not neglecting our LondonAZ which is the Canon.
yeah, as soon as people started discussing EMP in depth, i remember looking back at the earlier episodes and thinking, wait a minute, that bit isnt particularly ârealisticâ either, even making allowances for it being a tv show with compressed case story telling and stuff.
I have no time to write a meta about it - but the lines at the end of Abominable Bride âa master theorist should be able to infer from a drop of water a Niagara - or a Reichenbackâ (paraphrasing) made me think the whole series is Victorian Sherlock dreaming of a world where he could have his Army DoctorâŠ.and he dreamed of us. There are moments in all the series that are too fantastical. But - I almost feel like Sherlocks fantasy starts getting away from him as we progress thru the series. And most of the earlier stories are âretellingâ of the original Sherlock Holmes mysteries from Dr Watson. Interesting to contemplate - looking forward to the rest of the blogs. @bbcsherlock
When Sherlock - ordered by his brother (queen) Mycroft - sets out to meet Irene Adler, to retrieve compromising photographes about a âmember of the most powerful family in Britainâ (the queenâs family), he decides to disguise himself as a priest.
âYou think Iâm a vicar with a bleeding face?â  (Sherlock, ASIB)
Some interesting details about the definition of words (because thatâs always so much fun):
A VICAR is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting âin the person ofâ or agent for a superior. Linguistically, vicar is cognate with the English prefix âviceâ, similarly meaning âdeputyâ. It derives from the Latin âvicariusâ which can be translated into: representative, replacement, surrogate, dummy âŠ
A vicar can be an ecclesiastical agent, such as a church of England incumbent, a member of the Episcopal clergy or the representative of a prelate. The Pope uses the title Vicarius Christi, meaning the vicar of Christ.  (x x)
The title âvicarâ doesnât appear in ACDs original story A Scandal in Bohemia.Â
He disappeared into his bedroom and returned in a few minutes in the character of an amiable and simple-minded Nonconformist clergyman. His broad black hat, his baggy trousers, his white tie, his sympathetic smile, and general look of peering and benevolent curiosity were such as Mr. John Hare alone could have equalled. It was not merely that Holmes changed his costume. His expression, his manner, his very soul seemed to vary with every fresh part that he assumed. The stage lost a fine actor, even as science lost an acute reasoner, when he became a specialist in crime. Â (ACD, A Scandal in Bohemia)
In English church history, a Nonconformist is a Protestant Christian who did not âconformâ to the governance and usages of the established church, the Church of England, the Anglican Church. A Clergyman is a member of the clergy, meaning people, such as priests, who are the leaders of a religion and who perform religious services.
Most likely this little change from ânonconformist clergymanâ to âvicarâ doesnât mean anything at all. After all, âvicarâ is much shorter, simpler and probably more modern than the canon version. Nonetheless, the origin of the word fits surprisingly well with the strong theme of replacements, representatives, ambassadors, agents and dummies - in short, with mirror-characters - that runs throughout the whole story. In that sense, âvicarâ is indeed a very good choice. :)
I love this explanation, @ebaeschnbliah! Makes me want to look even closer (if possible :) ) at all the ambassadors etc and whom they might represent. Ireneâs answer to Sherlockâs question about the bleeding vicar is also a delight to watch: âNo, I think youâre damaged, delusional and believe in a higher power. In your case itâs yourself.â I imagine Irene thinking to herself: âHeck, this guy believes heâs Jesus, doesnât he? Here he shows up bleeding (by a blow from his own lover) wanting me to buy some sob story about how he has suffered but still thinking heâs going to take charge here. This will be fun!â Most interesting is perhaps how she defrocks the false preacher and makes him doubt his own analytical powers? :D That never happened in canon as far as I can recall, where Adler simply fooled Holmes by later wearing another disguise to investigate who he really was and mock him for having failed to fool her. But this Irene not only rips off the âmirrorâ but also gets at Sherlock by wearing nothing. Makes me think of that famous painting of the naked Truth coming up from her well to chastise mankind (X).
âThe naked truthâ ⊠yes, @possiblyimbiassed  thatâs exactly what is in my mind as well. Irene presents herself in this scene as the naked truth, instructed by Jim âMr Sexâ Moriarty. At their first meeting with Sherlock, Irene confronts him with the truth about disguises. And Sherlock has a lot of those. One might say he is constantly hiding in plain sight. :) At their second meeting, at Battersee, it is John whom she corrects explicitly about the âbeing not a coupleâ thing ⊠âYes, you are!â she tells him without hesitation or doubt. :)))
Oh yes @ebaeschnbliah, that sounds really convincing to me. Actually, it now makes sense exactly why Mofftiss turned Irene Adler into a dominatrix instead of an opera singer as in canon: she is the naked truth! I donât want to post the image of the painting here (because it will probably get stuck in some tumblr algorithm :P), but look at the painting in my link: âTruthâ is literally brandishing a whip, just like Irene! :D Irene is symbolically here to chastise mankind for all our prejudices and attempts to hide the truth. She defrocks Sherlock too, but John wants her to âput something onâ, so she ends up wearing Sherlockâs coat. And when she confronts John at Battersea, heâs in denial. Thereâs also her appearance in Sherlockâs Mind Palace TSoT: âAnd the Woman - she knew!âÂ
Same here, @possiblyimbiassed While putting together the âLiar Seriesâ (still ongoing) the idea hit me that Irene might not represent Sherlockâs libido or the female side of his sexuality. After all, Jim âyou should see me in a crownâ is Mr Sex already. Irene as the ânaked truthâ about Sherlockâs sexuality (I know the painting :) seems to make much more sense. And I guess the chances are really good that the âsweet little posh thingâ (member of the queenâs family) whom Irene gives her attention at the beginning of the episode, the person whose âscandalousâ case Sherlock is ordered to investigate in ASIB, in order to give Mycroft and the âroyal familyâ the opportunity to sweep it under the carpet, that this charcter is identical with the âposh boyâ in TLD, who loves the dominatrix. One thing is certain, Sherlock Holmes (in canon and every adaptation) is a man who loves the truth. He keeps poking at secrets and mysteries until he reveals the hidden truth behind it. He always wants to know âŠ. :))))
Oh, I love all your thoughts, @ebaeschnbliah and @possiblyimbiassed. The ânaked truthâ indeed.
I also like the Canon idea of making Holmes a nonconformist, someone who does not conform to traditions and conventions. Which applies to our Sherlock as well.
And the equation of Sherlock = Jesus is repeated in TEH with Mary saying âOh, my Godâ and Sherlock answering âNot quiteâ. (And do not get me started on all the other Jesus parallels).
Holmes has always been a man out of his time, hasnât he? @gosherlocked :)))
And yes, @possiblyimbiassed  Truth and truth can be two entirely different things and the urge to lie is then the strongest when one fears the truth the most.Â
Regarding the family topic: I wouldnât be surprised if the whole story is about the reunion of a âfamilyâ, the Holmes family. âJohnâ has changed after he got shot by Eurus in TLD and at the beginning of the next episode Sherlock demands that he joines the âfamilyâ. By the end of TFP even Eurus connects with the âfamilyâ again, although with great caution on both sides. Understandable, if one knows what man Holmes is (meant to be) and how he thinks about emotions. :) But Irene and Jim seem to be still out there. If they are who I think they are, they have to reunite with the âfamilyâ as well, in order to give Sherlock Holmes the foundations for a complete personality. Yes, Iâm speculating here with the idea that in Sherlock BBC the term âfamilyâ might be a metaphor for all the aspeckts that are necessary to form a human being, who is able to live a happy and fulfilled life, including a loving relationship. :)
Thy magics bind again all that customâs sword has parted
Beggars become princesâ brothers, under the sway of thy gentle wings.
I really like this interpretation of Irene as Naked Truth @possiblyimbiassed @ebaeschnbliah. And I also find it meaningful when they try to cover her with Sherlockâs coat because the napkin John brought wasnât enough. I think about how the moffits have insisted that Sherlockâs coat was iconic, by now indissoluble from the figure of him. Itâs like an armor, a modern deerstalker. A new facade, yet another cover. Alas Iâm afraid weâll have to get rid of it.
I think youâre right @raggedyblue: weâll have to get rid of the coat eventually ;). Itâs a rough armour, but it has a shining red buttonhole in it. :) Also: the Truth is covered up (on Johnâs = the authorâs request), but after she has used the coat, Sherlock ends up with a new ringtone on his phone (= a sexualised heart). And in TLD Sherlock even says he sometimes âtexts her backâ. Maybe that needs to be expressed as well, once Irene is to join the âfamilyâ as per @ebaeschnbliahâs allegory? As for Moriarty, he makes me think of âthe holy familyâ in TFP broken up by Jimâs âhungry donkeyâ. :)
love this discussion. i wonder if a âfamily reunionâ could be a metaphor for personal integration. iâm still kinda holding a torch for a conclusion where our boys have to team up with moriarty some how.
If you want to see the whole flowchart in one image, download it here.
Creating this flowchart has required me choose what to include and what to leave out. If you think that I have missed something, Iâd be happy to hear from you, but please read the comments first, in case I had excluded that information for a Âreason.
This project has been made so much easier thanks to the Sherlock timeline at bakerstreet.wikia.com and the wonderful transcripts by @callie-ariane. Go look them up at arianedevere.livejournal.com!
Thank you to my wonderful proof reader @wetislandinthenorthatlantic!
I have completely lost track of who is discussing what in the aftermath of s4, but Iâll tag a few people under the cut anyway, hoping that you are interested. Let me know if you donât want to be tagged in the future!
My old flowchart is making the rounds again. It bowls me over how much love and appreciation there is in this fandom. Thank you to everyone for kind comments!
