Sherlock: The Restaurant Scene.
The Restaurant Scene from The Empty Hearse is so under-appreciated, everything in this scene has purpose and I’m about to give you a small example of that.
Every person Sherlock steals from is subtly made unsympathetic to the audience so that we don’t feel badly towards Sherlock even though he LITERALLY STEALS FROM THEM.
Sherlock’s first victim; I have decided he is called Hugh, like Hefner.
Also known as the helpless bowtie-less man. An older man sat opposite a younger blonde woman, within seconds the audience are lead, by stereotypes, to believe that this is a daft old rich bloke going out with a gold digger. Even on further inspection it’s difficult to feel pity for him, look at how intensely he’s watching her, he has barely touched his food and she’s barely looked up from hers. In a brief moment we are told how we are supposed to feel about this guy.
Now then, onto victim number two, whom I believe to be still wandering the streets of London on his hands and knees like Velma from Scooby Doo searching for his glasses.
This guy is a douchebag. Therefore I will call him Scooby Dooby Douchebag First if all have a look at all the clutter on his table, then have a look at the condescending wave he gives Sherlock as he offers to take the menu for him. This would be an effective way to show foul character in any show but in Sherlock it’s all the more powerful. We, as the audience, know Sherlock is not just any waiter and that he is greatly superior to this man in intellect so it’s all the more disgusting for us to see him shrugged off in annoyance.
Last but not least: LINDA VON FORESHADOWING.
Now this, I feel, is the least effective example of the director trying to sway our sympathies. The excessive amount of diamonds and the fact that Sherlock steels lipstick from her make her seem superficial, this coupled with the dialogue:
“Madam can I suggest you look at this menu? It’s completely identical.”
..make us believe she’s a ditzy airhead and not worthy of our sympathy as i suppose they believe that we, like Sherlock, believe those of lesser intelligence to be hateful. However on first viewing I actually felt sorry for this woman as to me the excessive jewellery and make up in her purse, being a cheap brand, conveyed that she was not as rich as the others and was just enjoying a rare night out at a fancy restaurant. Obviously I didn’t realise this at first as it was over in a flash but I did feel a pang of guilt for her. Later I realised why and it lead me to look into why I hadn’t felt so bad for the other ‘victims’(so to speak). I imagine that the cheap brand of make up was placed there to show that he wasn’t stealing anything of importance or value from her but for me it said something different.. regardless.
FYI: She is called Linda Von Foreshadowing because of the engagement ring on her finger that is strategically placed right in the cameras view and is highlighted as it shines in the shadows. DOUBLE FYI: I’m assuming everyone knows this but it’s foreshadowing because John is about to try to propose to Mary.
