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@sdayhooray
I love that Ian has so much work back to back, but I have to keep updating his CV on my fan site and lately it feels like:
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but the CV on my page is more up-to-date than the one on his Spotlight page. #Research
What is the fan site adress please? I can’t find it.
One decade ago Mark Gatiss became the first Doctor Who writer to write themselves into an episode
Not true. Gatiss didn't write that episode.
The message of the final problem is unforgivable knowingly putting LGBT fans through extreme psychological strain (we know they knew it was a consequence) is unforgivable making people lose touch with their sense of reality is unforgivable taking away people’s ability to be invested in something that was supposed to be this big beautiful moment is unforgivable
okay. listen, i don’t want to invalidate people feeling upset by this, because if it was three-four years ago i would probably be feeling exactly the same - i remember what the johnlock fandom was like, i remember the intensity of being involved with such an obsessive group. but i gotta say something here.
you can be upset. you can. like it said, if this was three-four years ago, i would be incredibly upset myself. your ship not becoming canon sucks.
however, accusing moffat/gatiss/etc of intentionally trying to torture you all is on another level of … of just wrong.
moffat, gatiss, and everyone else involved in this show set out to tell the story that THEY wanted to tell, not whatever the fandom demanded. putting in occasional references to real life fandom (eg. ‘i believe in sherlock’) is about as far as they went. that hardly constitutes a conspiracy headed by people with their ear to the ground, picking up on every fandom thought and passing whim just so they can stick it in the show as a prelude to ~the grand reveal of johnlock~
the creators of sherlock had no intentions of ‘knowingly putting lgbt fans through extreme psychological strain’. that is an extremely serious accusation. that is an accusation of abuse. the creators of sherlock did nothing more than write a detective show adapted from a nineteenth century text. that’s all. they wrote and filmed and directed a show in the hopes that other people would enjoy it.
they had no reason to suspect that a huge portion of their fanbase would insist on them telling a story they never intended to tell. they owe none of us that story, especially considering the harassment and bullying many tjlc supporters engaged in. tjlc supporters put that responsibility on them when they never indicated it was welcome. i repeat: tjlc supporters put the responsibility of writing a romance between john and sherlock on their shoulders when they never indicated it was welcome.
you can criticise the show’s lgbt representation all day long if you like, there’s certainly problems with it. but by fixating on johnlock specifically, you have ignored every other instance of diversity not only in sherlock, but other projects by moffat, gatiss, & co. what about irene, for all the confusion over exactly which label she chooses? what about moriarty’s sexuality? sure he’s a villain, but he’s also one of the most popular characters in the show both inside and outside of fandom. what about sally, the only recurring woman of colour on sherlock? i never see tjlc talk about sally unless it’s to disparage her. what about mary, an incredible female character who tjlc supporters have savaged consistently despite her repeatedly displaying her depth and support for your precious ~john and sherlock~? what about molly hooper, who fandom relegates to ‘stupid sad girl getting between john and sherlock’? what about class, a show produced by steven moffat with two gay leads, two characters of colour, and three women in the main cast - not to mention other recurring diverse characters? what about doctor who, which recently had an (albeit censored) bisexual companion, and the first trans actress on doctor who in series nine, AND a recurring lesbian couple amongst other one-off lgbt+ characters, AND confirmed that time lords can regenerate as different genders and sexes by recasting one of the oldest recurring characters as a woman, AND whose next companion is going to be a woman of colour?
tjlc supporters don’t care to examine these other instances of diversity, even to criticise them, because tjlc supporters only care about one thing: a ship that was never at any stage promised to them. tjlc is an example of obsession, and it is not healthy to become so fixated on one thing like this, to the level of actively admitting you have created an entire conspiracy to support your claims.
that brings me to my final point. op, you said that “making people lose touch with their sense of reality is unforgivable.” yeah. it is. gaslighting is an unforgiveable crime.
it’s also, and i know this hurts to realise, not what happened here. or at least, if it did - it was never the show creators gaslighting you.
fandom doesn’t like to admit that tinhatting is basically an example of groupthink, of obsession that is self-generated and self-propelled. no one likes to admit this because it means admitting some culpability in it when things go south. larrie bnfs wouldn’t admit they were wrong, or that perhaps they’d gone a tad too far when louis tomlinson had a son with a woman who was decidedly not harry styles. and i think we’re going to see that a lot of tjlc bnfs are never going to admit their mistakes here, either.
because it’s embarrassing. because it makes you feel ashamed. because it’s easier to accuse the show creators of baiting you and intentionally hurting you than it is to admit you got caught up in an obsession which, while exciting, finally came back and had consequences.
here’s the thing, though. you don’t have to feel ashamed of this. you don’t have to think of yourself as stupid or gullible for being caught up in this cult-like behaviour. you’re not stupid, and you’re not a bad person for believing in tjlc. what you are is human. this is why these fandom patterns continue to cycle around - because they’re easy to get swept up in, to believe whole-heartedly in. you are not bad or stupid for believing in this.
but, and i’m trying to say this as gently as possible, this does not give you the right to lash out in anger, to make accusations of abuse towards strangers who did nothing more than write a story you didn’t like that proved your theory wrong. you are allowed to feel sad, or angry, or confused. those are all perfectly understandable. but again, you don’t get a free pass to accuse strangers who have no responsibility for your mental health of psychological torture, or abuse. that is patently unfair and wrong behaviour.
i get that this is a painful and sensitive time for this fandom. but i’m asking as someone who’s seen this go down before, in multiple fandoms (notably the one direction fandom): learn from this. don’t make the same mistakes. forgive yourself, forgive others. realise that there is no singular figurehead to blame, no villain to accuse, no easy way out of admitting you were wrong.
and then move on. let go. find other shows and movies and books that make you happy, that tell the stories you want to hear told. hell, write stories of your own! create! bring more good things into the world! that’s the best possible outcome of all of this, and it’s in your hands to make it happen.
@sansasparkles. Yes.
Has Moftiss come out and said anything yet?
I haven’t seen anything, and was wondering if I missed something lolol
To be fair, what are you expecting them to say? That thing which we’ve been saying for years wouldn’t happen didn’t happen and some people on tumblr are pissed off about it??
If John and Sherlock are such great Bros, why don’t they act like it? You don’t see the typical friend to friend type of affection between them, there are no hugs or arm patting. Why is every moment they’re physically close so tense? The only time they’re at ease when touching is when they’re drunk.
Some people would probably answer this by claiming that Sherlock is a sociopath or that he simply does not give affection. But that’s completely wrong! We see him be very affectionate around Mrs. Hudson. Both Mrs. Hudson and Molly get a kiss on their cheek from him. I really don’t think Sherlock has a problem with that type of physical closeness.
It's because their British and male. British men don't tend to go round hugging and patting their friends! :)
The Boys in the Band - front row ticket
Sadly my friend can’t make it, so I’m looking for someone to take her ticket. 29/09, 7.30pm, it’s the middle of front row, so REALLY good, and I would hate for there to be an empty seat next to me! Anyone who would be interested in buying it off me and coming with? It’s £18.50. And I am great Mycroft-loving company! *g*
If you can’t find someone, it may be worthwhile trying to sell it back to the theatre. They will usually take returns if a show is sold out.
Apart from TJLR becoming objectively wrong come January 2017
I wonder if TJLC is going to have a decent apology from the appalling writers of those articles who pass themselves off as journalists.
They use terms like “melodramatic”, “ugly”, and “ideology wars”; they dismiss years and mountains of discourse as “shipping”; they are derisive of competent adults’ capacity for reading, comprehension, and analysis of media; they pounce on the chance to gloat online to strangers after they corner the showrunners; and they financially profit from kicking an already disadvantaged group via clickbait success.
Seriously though, what will their stance be?
I just wrote what they said.
Well, that was my interpretation of the show.
You think a ship is ideology and they just pandered to the fan base.
I don’t care if I was disgusting to an entire disadvantaged community.
I’m a businessperson acquiring assets. You happen to be one of them.
No. They’ll just sweep it all under the rug and scuttle.
I wanted to sigh and ignore this post. I really did. But it’s pretty ridiculous and it was in the Steven Moffat tag, so what the hell, let’s get to the discourse.
I mean, first off, you’re making a hell of an assumption that I think you’re going to be tremendously disappointed by. I know you guys are convinced, and nothing I say is going to change that, but the simple reality is that BBC Sherlock is not going to have Johnlock be a canon relationship. The writers are the ones who have been most vocal about that. You can go on about “love conquers all” all you like, but it’s just not.
You want to know why so many articles have been dismissive as of late? Because Moffat and Gatiss have been moving themselves in that direction. They love their fans, but they’re sick of everything they say, in topics they are extremely passionate about like representation, being taken just as evidence of Johnlock. They find it “trivializing,” and I agree entirely. There’s far, far more to representation than the canonization of a popular slash ship, particularly when that would screw over one of the most prominent and greatly needed women in the show. Hell, Sherlock could be gay quite easily and still never be in love with John (not my personal reading, as I prefer to interpret him as aro/ace but an entirely valid one). Other characters could be LGBT. From the sound of things, that won’t happen in series 4 and Moffat was more talking about Doctor Who and providing representation for younger viewers (the whole have a gay character but not mention it much trick has been pulled numerous times there), but it could in future series, assuming Moffat and Gatiss can get the actors back from their busy Hollywood careers.
I think you’re tremendously overestimating your importance on the point about clickbait. Frankly, I imagine most Sherlock viewers don’t give a damn about an obviously not canon slash ship not being canon, particularly when there’s headlines about that dating years back. I imagine the amount of clicks they get from those articles are fairly minimal. Not to mention the most recent interview that blew up in the TJLC community, the With an Accent one, was exlicitly vouched for by Gatiss as being the message they wanted to send. Like I said, they’re tired of being trivialized. Hell, I’ve seen people say Johnlock will happen just because Gatiss is gay, which is all kinds of unpleasant and reductive.
No appology is going to be necessary in that regard, because the conspiracy is quite simply not happening. Hell, from a production standpoint, planning a show that way never would make sense. There’s too many unknowns about renewal and getting the actors back to plan out a slow-burn surprise gay romance the way you guys bet on. And unsurprisingly, Moffat and Gatiss have stated there is no conspiracy. Ship your ship. Interpret the perceived subtext as you see fit. But please, for the love of god, stop bashing journalists for stating truths you don’t like to hear. They’re just the messenger. Don’t shoot them.
To Whom It May Concern
Honestly, the infamous interview has brought out all these ugly parts in this fandom that has been boiling beneath the surface:
The first few reaction towards the interview was to press the journalist who wrote the article for audio / video / transcript proof - funnily enough, that’s a feat that I failed to find when TJLC crowd excitedly ran across the field earlier with the Johnlock torch lit by Moffat’s alleged confirmation of Johnlock in early SDCC. Next, many tried discredit the journalist by claiming that she made it up. In the end, predictably, hell broke loose when Mark (and then Sue) confirmed that the interview was indeed real.
I didn’t want to say anything, even though I was utterly appalled by the reactions towards Mark and others. But certain blog decided to point out Martin was also apparently “belittling and being rude to fans” for simply defending Amanda previously on the threats that she had gotten - that was the last straw for me. I needed to get this rant out.
In this whole mess, there’re a whole array of reactions. I am particularly baffled by those who claim:
(1) Mark should know better than to deny LGBT representations now. (2) The creators gave all of those subtexts. (3) They are still lying. It will be all right. (4) Their words belittled fans and they try to shut us Johnlockers up. (5) The show is gay or trash. Nothing makes sense if Johnlock =/= endgame.
————————————–
(1) First of all, this is not the first time they have said Johnlock (the romantic kind, at least) will never happen. Check old this old compilation (thanks to @clavery111 who shared it in setlock tag). I’d even add Martin’s words in 2014:
It’s now taken on a political dimension to it. What started as a bit of fun — a slightly irreverent, sly, mocking thing — has now turned into, for some people, if you don’t think they’re gay, then you’re denying they’re gay and you are somehow homophobic. I mean genuinely — it’s that strong. It’s very odd, the fact that it has become a po-faced, political thing.
Aside from that, why exactly can’t Mark not write Sherlock and John being a romantic couple? It’s their show. I know (and they do know) representation is important, but as they said, “It’s our show, they’re our characters, they do what we want them to do”. And they have the opinion of “we don’t have to represent absolutely everything in that ninety minutes. It’s impossible. And it would kill it. It would be deadly to it.” The creators do not owe us anything. You can very well boycott a show that goes against your principles. If you do not find what you want/like in this show, giving yourself credit that “but we are the ones who keep the show alive” doesn’t mean anything. And trying to dictate how they should create by guilt-tripping them with self-entitled notions such as “we contribute to your paycheck” doesn’t help your cause. They do not owe us anything and they should be able to write the show as they like - and the audience can leave or join the hype as they like.
—
(2) The creators did not give all of the subtexts that you perceived. Subtexts are, frankly speaking, very subjective. It is very enjoyable to add spices to canon by coming up with your headcanons that are inspired by the subtexts that you have perceived from watching or reading the canon. It is, however, not healthy to think that your perceived subtext could very well be canonical. You do not own the canon - the creators do, i.e. when the creators might or might not have said “wish fulfillment”, it is very likely not about YOUR wish. When the team say something, please take the contexts into consideration. Please do not lead fellow fans on by blowing quotes or subtext out of context and run wild with your (apparently canonical) headcanons. When something doesn’t aligned with your perceived subtexts, you should keep an open mind and not turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to the creators’ words. Which comes to the next point
—
(3) Why would you think they would lie about something as important and personal as sexual identity representations? They are very very likely not lying about Johnlock is not going to happen, period. They have continuously debunked that Sherlock/John are a romantic couple or are going to be a romantic couple in their version. While, yes, they may lie / omit / speak less about upcoming story plots, they have been very upfront about the relationship between Sherlock and John (and others). Lying about Moriarty (to be honest, at this point, we are not even sure if they are lying about Moriarty being dead) or other plots (are there even others? I can’t remember any now) is not the same as boldly lying about relationships between characters. Their consistent notion of “Sherlock and John love each other and have fantastic imperishable friendship. It’s a love story.” sounds pretty parallel to the idea “Sherlock and John are a pair of romantic couple who are going to face-fuck and bone each other” (edit: I mean parallel lines that are running beside each other - never going to meet, that is.)
And personally, I do not want LGBT representation that comes with the HUGE REVEAL / SHOCKING TWIST tag. The development of relationships between characters are not supposed to be shocking. And various interviews have showed that the creators are having the same opinion as well. Please, be rational. Be more open minded. Stop outright denying their words and refrain from keep telling yourself and many who are following you that they are definitely lying and things will be better. Things are VERY likely would not be better for you if you continue to be like that. You are not helping yourself and fellow fans who believe in you. Of course, I am not a clairvoyant and who knows, maybe they are indeed lying but like I said, please keep an open mind and avoid writing yourself into a corner. This is for your own good.
—
(4) They are not shutting fans up like many of you are insinuating. You are in fact putting words in their mouth by saying that they are trying to dictate our fandom.
“[We’re] not telling anyone what to think. Mark isn’t saying other people can’t write that version of John and Sherlock getting together. They can. Once we hand the show to them, it’s theirs and we’re finished with it. They can do what they like.”
They are dictating what THEY are doing, and you are basically accuse them of being rude because what they do =/= what you want them to do. Is that not self-entitledment? While I can understand the sadness and upset that you are facing, lashing out at others and twisting around to blame those whom you are angry at simply shows everyone (including the creators) how self-entitled fans can be. Which comes to the next point
—
(5) “The show is gay or trash”, or rather, should I point it out that you in fact actually mean “Johnlock or trash”? They merely pointed out Johnlock is not going to happen - it doesn’t mean there would not be any gay (or other sexuality) representation on the show at all. You yourself are the ones who painted the creators as adorable liars, convinced yourself that your perceived subtexts are above everything else, convinced fellow fans that every single conspiracy-positive happenings are solid proofs of your wishes are going to happen, convinced yourself that every single conspiracy-negative happenings are smokescreens / lies (when you actually hold no control over the canon materials). You back yourself into a corner, actively slinging confirmation bias at each other, and when it turns out that it doesn’t go your way, you ended up lashing back at the creators by saying their creation is “trash” instead of stopping and trying to review what has led you to this state?
Please, enjoy your perceived subtexts; enjoy making metas & fanworks; enjoy knowing fans who share the same interest as you. But please do not mislead yourself and fellow fans that you have any exclusive insights of a show that is not written by you.
——————————————
^ ONLY directed at those who have committed actions mentioned in the text. My two cents - if it doesn’t sit right with you, feel free to engage me. Or, ignore me as per your usual practice.
I genuinely feel for those who are simply upset by the news. It is never easy when something you hold dear gets shattered by factors that you can’t control. But we, not the creators, dictate how we want to enjoy a show that we like. We, not the creators, dictate the ships that we want to enjoy. Look around you, you have so many fellow shippers who are in the same boat (pun intended). There are so many magnificent Johnlock fics and fanarts - we fans have achieved so many things irregardless of the ship being canon or not.
The ship will be able to sail forever across history, as long as you are here to maintain its mast and sail.
Understandably, this is a huge blow and you may no longer be interested in the show - it is totally up to you to decide whether or not you want to remain in the fandom. It is also up to you to decide if you want to give the creators a piece of your mind, as certain issue (i.e. representations) may be very close to your heart and you think it is important that they know - then by all means, please do so, as cordial as you can. Dictate what YOU want to do, but:
Be responsible for your own actions and words.
I think this is pretty much the definitive summary of the situation. Thank you for putting it so calmly and elegantly,
The Guardian
[x][x][x]
I have a lot of sympathy for Mark, it must be so hard to speak clearly for thirteen minutes about your fav-DEFINITELY NOT favorite movie of all time when you’re constantly struggling against garbled mistranslations of your own words from your own mouth in your native language. If only there were some way we could know what he really thinks. Oh well. A mystery for the ages. Perhaps we’ll never know.
lmfao what
Keep dragging
The weirdest part of all of this is it almost feels like Mark is…throwing himself under the bus?
Mark, I hate you so much right now. I want to believe that you and Steven aren’t evil queerbaiters, but at the moment it’s not easy.
I don’t understand the point you’re making here. Given the recent furore, I presume the part that Mark means was mistranslated is the stuff about “Sherlock effectively falling in love with Watson”. (Not the fact that it is his favourite film)
It was a piece written by a journalist, interpreting what Mark said to her, as opposed to a verbatim article that he wrote himself. Therefore he’s perfectly at liberty to say that she misunderstood or misrepresented him.
I also don’t get the point of your posting the BFI video as if it’s some kind of evidence that in reality he does ship Johnlock, and that this therefore contradicts what he said in his tweet. In the video, he doesn’t mention at all any kind of romantic attraction or “love” between Holmes and Watson in TPLOSH.
“You’ll miss your cue if you’re not careful, darling!” @DrSarahParish and me plastered in pan cake. #poirot #thebig4
Basically I bought Black Butterfly on Amazon for 2€ some months ago and I was surprised by this
That's not Mark's handwriting or signature.
Did anyone see this production? Looks very atmospheric from the pictures.
There are many, many reasons why I adore Mark Gatiss, but the above statement is one of the biggest. I love the fact that he respects fan fiction, that he doesn’t belittle it or make fun of fans who write it or dismiss them as weird. For so many people, fanfiction is such an important part of Their lives, a chance to express creativity freely. As a devote fanfic writer myself (primarily Mystrade slash), it brings so much pleasure and enjoyment and boosts my self esteem so much when I get a review. I love that Mark has respect for it and embraces the creativity it inspires
Except the above quote is from Steven Moffat not Mark Gatiss I'm afraid: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/03/27/sherlock-season-4-interview
Because life is sad and frustrating enough as it is, and because Hilda’s cosplay of Watson kinda pushed us into the deep pool (in the Sherlock fandom), we decided to ask Mark Gatiss a question, via his Twitter. This one we chose after we did a list of the weird facts worth further development in Sherlock.
AND
He ANSWERED us, like, 20 minutes later. A frustrating answer, yes, but we didn’t really expect something else, coming from him, did we?
Life is crazy. I swear.
- Statice
Why frustrating? David Nellist who plays Stamford was in War Horse on stage in the West End so presumably was not available when they filmed the wedding: https://mobile.twitter.com/nellidge/status/576541759502708736
The Johnlock Conspiracy: Your Guide to Romance and Holmesian Deduction in the Sherlock Fandom
Even within the world of geekdom, few fans are more controversial than the slash shipper (someone who perceives and/or hopes for romance between two characters of the same gender). Often stereotyped as unrealistic and immature for “reading between the lines,” there always seems to be a significant discord between their musings and the more socially-acceptable form of rabid obsession from fans who accept the universe as-written. Johnlock (aka John/Sherlock) fans are well aware of this fact, and often complain that at conventions and other Sherlock-related press events, questions about Sherlock Holmes’ relationship with female characters are given thoughtful answers, but those regarding his potential relationship best friend/life partner John Watson are met with annoyance and dismissed. Frustrating perhaps, but if anything this has made shippers even more determined to prove their point.
Following the show’s incredibly successful third season earlier this year, #tjlc became a trending hashtag on tumblr, signifying The Johnlock Conspiracy: the belief that the frankly astounding amount of homoerotic subtext on the show is intentional, and that the writers have been setting up the detective and his blogger as a couple from the start. Not as absurd as it sounds, considering that creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat have a history of lying to protect plot lines (they previously rolled their eyes and made fun of fans who speculated that Moriarty was still alive). The mischief and trickery of the show runners is by now well established, so the question becomes: if we can’t trust what they tell us, what exactly do we have to go on? Johnlock shippers have taken a tip from their favorite detective and turned to their own powers of observation.
Since its conception the #tjlc tag has been filled with filmography breakdowns, literary analyses, historical parallels, character studies, and allegorical interpretations that all point to one thing: Johnlock as endgame. And these are not your stereotypical teenage slash shippers; he tag’s contributors consist of graphic designers, professional cinematographers, English professors, gender studies majors, psychologists, actors and writers of varying ages and sexual orientations. Are they reading too much into the show? Perhaps. But whether or not they overestimate the writers, one thing is clear: the writers should not underestimate them.
The following observations are only a few of the many deductions fans have made to support The Johnlock Conspiracy - some stretching and some truly brilliant - all of it a fascinating venture into what fuels the mind palaces of one of televisions biggest and most diverse fandoms today.
1. Platonic staring
This is probably the most obvious. If there’s one way to upgrade the ever-popular “bromance,” into something more, it’s with eyesex. In a Zimbio article examining the romantic tropes used on the show, Hayley Igarashi asked, “Does anyone on television gaze into each other’s eyes as much as Watson and Holmes?” They gaze into each others’ eyes. They glance at each others’ lips. Each also spends a lot of time watching the other when they’re not looking, something Jim and Pam spent years doing on The Office; it’s the tried and true way to imply longing.
On a related note, check out these promo pictures (yup, these are the pictures they chose to publicize their show with). More intense looks.
Heteronormative relationship standards have come under fire recently from both feminists and LGBT advocates, with many making the point that while it is embarrassingly easy to make an audience accept a straight couple, it is difficult to get mainstream viewers to even consider a gay couple.
One Sherlock fan pointed out that, “People do not question men and women meeting, having an argument, and immediately falling into bed together, sometimes all in the same scene. It doesn’t even have to have anything to do with the story […] But if it’s two men, suddenly they can spend years dancing around each other and batting their eyelashes at each other and missing signals and pining over each other, and the relationship can’t even be considered slightly plausible without a 200-page dissertation on why it’s absolutely integral to the plot.”
Some have said the same thing about pictures like the one above; if one of them was a woman no one would question the romantic/sexual undertones present.
What’s unclear is whether or not the show’s creators have realized that this actually puts them at a significant advantage in an industry where you can usually see the romantic arc coming a mile away - that is if they ever decide to follow through with the subtext.
2. “I’m not his date!”
If the writers didn’t want people to ship John and Sherlock, this scene was their first mistake. Simply having John say, “I’m not his date,” doesn’t dissuade people from perceiving an attraction; in fact, it does just the opposite (see the entry on the common TV trope “She’s not my girlfriend!" for more). It doesn’t help that the ensuing conversation goes as follows:
JOHN: You don’t have a girlfriend, then?
SHERLOCK: Girlfriend? No, not really my area.
JOHN: Oh. Oh? Right. [pause] Do you have boyfriend? Which is fine by the way.
SHERLOCK: I know it’s fine.
JOHN: So you’ve got a boyfriend?
SHERLOCK: No.
JOHN: Right. Okay. [licks lips] So you’re unattached. Like me. Fine. Good.
It’s okay, Angelo - it’s an easy mistake. This is the first of many times that people assume the two are romantically involved/attracted to each other; it has been perceived by Angelo (the restaurant owner), Mrs. Hudson, Mycroft, Moriarty, Irene Adler, Sally Donovan, John’s girlfriend, the Baskerville Innkeeper, Kitty Riley, most of the general public, and Sherlock himself after the interaction above.
According to the creators, this is purely comic relief that fans shouldn’t take seriously. In reality, it shouldn’t surprise people that this encourages shipping since this is a strategy that has been around since the greek chorus: the ensemble sets the tone and helps the audience form opinions about characters and situations. If the writers truly didn’t want audiences to ship the two characters, they made a mistake here… and continued making it in subsequent seasons.
3. Jealousy
For two people who aren’t romantically interested in each other, Sherlock and John do not react exceptionally well to the other being in a relationship. Sherlock crashes John’s dates and is rude to his girlfriends, leading to John’s inability throughout the first two seasons to be involved with anyone. But when Irene Adler actively, and mildly successfully, starts flirting with Sherlock in A Scandal in Belgravia, John is not even subtle about his jealousy: interrupting their conversations, making passive aggressive comments, and counting the number of times she texts him (57 times), just by listening for the text alert noise. What would cause ladies’ man John Watson to become hostile and dismissive of the most attractive woman in the show? (besides her unsettling ability to read him like a book - see #11)
4. Sonnet 57 is the one that made everyone think Shakespeare was gay
Doctor Who, which Steven Moffat writes for/acts as show runner for, also referenced this in The Shakespearian Code:
THE DOCTOR: Come on! We can have a good flirt later!
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Is that a promise, Doctor?
THE DOCTOR: Oh, 57 academics just punched the air. Come on.
5. An abnormal attraction
In His Last Vow, everyone’s favorite super sleuth tells us flat out that John Watson has a type. “You are abnormally attracted to dangerous situations and people, so is it truly such a surprise that the woman you fall in love with conforms to that pattern?” No, but it is surprising that Sherlock is comparing John’s attraction to his wife to the same drives that made the two flatmates compatible. And it’s not just Mary; the women Joh has shown interest over the course of the show have grown subtly more… Sherlockian.
Sarah Sawyer, whom John met in The Blind Banker, is basically his female equivalent: light hair, steady, gentle personality, etc. But Sarah is soon followed by Jeanette: tall, dark and sarcastic; Louise Mortimer: tall, dark and intelligent; and Kate (who was sent to Sherlock by Irene “I know what he likes” Adler): cool, mysterious, and dressed in flowing black clothing. When we meet Mary Morstan John seems to have broken his pattern, but of course we eventually learn that she is a stronger dose of psychopath than even Sherlock.
6. People might talk
It would be difficult to make a list of every gay comment Sherlock and John have made toward/about each other. But they include:
"I prefer my doctors clean-shaven"
"I don’t shave for Sherlock Holmes"
"I’m glad no one saw that. You ripping my clothes off in a darkened swimming pool. People might talk."
"Oh god yes"
"Only a fool argues with his doctor"
"Am I… pretty?"
"You being all mysterious with your… cheekbones, and turning your coat collar up so you look cool"
"All the nice girls like a soldier"
"(A date) is where two people who like each other go out and have fun" "That’s what I was suggesting"
"Am I a pretty lady"
"Whatever shakes your… boat… I’ll shut up now"
"The thrill of the chase, the blood piping through your veins - just the two of us against the rest of the world"
(There are more, but we’ll get to them later)
7. The melancholy wedding
By the third season it seems that Sherlock has gotten over driving off John’s girlfriends and just wants him to be happy, but he doesn’t look particularly happy about it. He goes above and beyond being the best best man he can be, and seems genuinely happy when he and John are smiling at each other at the reception, but his smile fades as John turns away to dance with Mary, and he leaves alone looking heartbroken.
In the next episode we learn that after not seeing each other for a month, Sherlock is back on drugs and John is not so happy in married life; appearing bored and agitated and even dreaming about Sherlock while his newlywed wife sleeps next to him.
*Source*
8. Sherlock Teaching John to dance
Hey look at that fan art! Oh no, wait, that’s something that actually happened on the show. They wisely decided that actually depicting it would lead to far to much sexual tension, and when they did reference it, it was so referenced casually so casually it was like they hoped no one would notice.
SHERLOCK: Don’t worry, Mary… I have been tutoring him.
JOHN: He did, you know. Bakers Street behind closed curtains. Mrs. Hudson walked in on us once - don’t know how those rumors got started!
This little exchange did go unnoticed by many when it first aired, which is understandable as it was happened very quickly and was masked my loud music. Still, the show runners must have felt it was necessary to include it. The reason why is not particularly clear, but it has inspired some really lovely fan art.
9. The wedding dress imagery
This is Sherlock’s reimagining of an event: they could have dressed her in anything, but they dressed her in something with romantic implications. Mary, in a wedding dress, shooting Sherlock. Symbolism perhaps?
10. The Show’s Origins
Mark Gatiss has admitted that this particular adaptation of Sherlock is based on his favorite film, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, of which he says:
"The relationship between Sherlock and Watson is treated beautifully; Sherlock effectively falls in love with him in the film, but it’s so desperately unspoken."
It’s important to remember that Gatiss interpreted that incarnation of Sherlock Holmes as gay, and that he and Steven Moffat used it as the template for their version. Of course this doesn’t mean it will end happily…
11. The “Battersea Scene”
Named for its location (Battersea Power Station), this interaction between John and Irene has been analyzed like no other. Among all the “Johnlocky scenes,” that could pass as merely gay jokes, sexual orientation is not played for laughs in this scene. Irene Adler, who has already told us a million times she knows what people like, accuses John of being jealous, to which he responds defensively “We’re not a couple” (“Yes you are”) The key moment goes as follows:
JOHN: Who the hell knows about Sherlock Holmes, but if anyone out there still cares, I’m not actually gay.
IRENE: Well, I am. Look at us both.
John looks a little taken aback, and gives a rueful laugh, but does not deny her implication. This isn’t even subtext; the message is clear, “We both like women, but we’ve also both fallen for Sherlock.” Quite possibly the most blunt the show has ever been regarding the matter.
John is even compared to Irene through the soundtrack - their respective “themes” are audibly similar, and in the third series are even used interchangeably.
(Full filmic breakdown of the scene here)
12. “I’m not gay!”
It’s worth noting that this is all John ever says on the subject. It says absolutely nothing about whether or not he has feelings for Sherlock, as you technically don’t have to be gay to fall in love with someone of the same gender, according to most modern theories on sexual orientation.
13. Dr. John Hamish Watson
John is very secretive about his middle name - he refuses to tell anyone about it, leaving Sherlock to figure it out on his own. He only brings in a moment of jealousy while Sherlock and Irene are flirting. “Hamish.”
"Dr. Hamish Scott Henderson was a well-known Scottish writer, poet, and former soldier.
He lived for a time in London with another man, loved storytelling, and wrote poetry about his experiences in WWII’s Desert War.
He was openly bisexual and hated the word ‘gay.’
In 1993, he performed at an event with Nelson Mandela at the University of Glasgow, alma mater of writer/co-creator Steven Moffat.” (source)
14. This entire scene is lit like the bisexual pride flag
An exact match, actually (albeit upside-down). This could be a joke played by the lighting designer, or maybe they honestly aren’t aware. Or maybe they know exactly what they’re doing.
They also cut a “lengthy” gay club scene from the stag night, presumably because they thought that would be too obvious.
15. Music cues (part one)
This is the end of the John/Sherlock era. The music playing at the end of this scene is, “We Found Love in a Hopeless Place,” by Rihanna. The beginning goes:
It’s like you’re screaming, and no one can hear You almost feel ashamed That someone could be that important That without them, you feel like nothing No one will ever understand how much it hurts You feel hopeless; like nothing can save you And when it’s over, and it’s gone You almost wish that you could have all that bad stuff back So that you could have the good
(full lyrics)
16. “I don’t mind”
Here we have the opposite of John’s usual “not gay” catchphrase, accompanied by what has been christened the Knee Touch Heard ‘Round The World. The sequence goes as follows:
JOHN: [touches Sherlock’s knee, looks at Sherlock, looks at hand, shrugs] I don’t mind.
SHERLOCK: (quietly) Me too.
Again, this one’s not really open to interpretation; it’s pretty blunt, and one writer or another made the conscious decision to write that line into the show. The entire scene is pretty flirtatious, actually (full analysis of framing + body language here), with one reviewer writing of its resolution: “Faced with either confronting the sexual tension in the room or drunken investigation, we’re treated to Sherlock’s somewhat dulled deductive skills…” A sign that it’s no longer just the shippers that are taking notice.
17. Hidden hearts
There are two hearts “hidden” in the scene where John is climbing the stairs to (unbeknownst to him) meet Sherlock for the first time since his wedding. One is formed by the lighting and the two columns in the background, and the other is on the staircase.
There was also a heart wreath directly between them in The Hounds of Baskerville which went unnoticed until a fan digitally enhanced a screenshot of the scene. But yes, someone put (or chose to not remove) a heart between them during the sitting-in-front-of-the-fireplace dialogue.
18. Speaking of Hearts, Sherlock literally restarted his and came back to life for John Watson after he flatlined in the hospital…
Just sayin’
19. The Mind Palace
The architecture in both these shots, taken during the mind palace sequence in His Last Vow, is based on locations from A Study In Pink, the first case he ever solved with John. So John Watson basically restructured Sherlock’s whole (imaginary) world.
20. John + Sherlock = Mr. + Mrs. Holmes
Again, we’re not sure if the Johnlock-denying writers are aware of this or if it was the wardrobe people having a laugh, but either way, it’s in the show. When we first meet Sherlock’s mum and dad, they are dressed in the exact same clothes as Sherlock and John, respectively. The comparison continues in His Last Vow, with Mr. Holmes describing his wife as the genius and himself as the “sane” one.
You know, they say you look for one of your parents in the person you fall in love with…
21. Music cues (part 2)
They chose a romantic, and very applicable, song for John and Sherlock’s reunion: "Dónde Estás, Yolanda." The lyrics in English are:
Where are you, where are you, Yolanda? What happened, What happened, Yolanda? I looked for you, I looked for you, Yolanda, And you’re not there, you’re not there, Yolanda.
The sparkle in your eye the fire of your lips conquered my heart and I fell in love with you.
If someday I was to find you I wouldn’t know what to do and I think I will go crazy if I never see you again.
(Full lyric translation here)
22. Drunk Reactions
Let’s be honest: the only point of the nurse telling the story of her date with the Mayfly Man was to show Sherlock and John’s drunk reactions to it. Those reactions are pretty interesting; they include John smiling at Sherlock when she says, “We had one night. Dinner, such interesting conversation, it was lovely,” And Sherlock awkwardly removing his hand from behind John’s back when she says, “To be honest, I’d love to have gone further.”
Important to remember: John had called Sherlock “nurse” earlier in the episode, and the Mayfly Man’s real name is Jon.
23. Whatever He Is
JANINE: I wish you weren’t…
[John Watson walks into frame]
…whatever you are.
SHERLOCK: I know.
24. The revelation
Earlier in that scene Sherlock was happily dancing around the room and confided to Janine, “I love dancing… I was waiting for the right case.”
Well, Sherlock had solved a case that afternoon that began with him pointing at women in a courtroom and saying, “Not you, not you, not you not you…” and ended with him pointing at John and saying, “You. It’s always you. John Watson, you keep me right." Hmm.
Many fans have interpreted the case in The Sign Of Three, as a metaphor for Sherlock consciously realizing his feelings for John, making the melancholic end of the wedding all the more tragic (“Why’d it take so long to see the light?” taunts Franky Valli in the background)
25. The ideal man
But heartbreaking love triangles aside, what you’re really wondering is: Did Sherlock paste John’s head onto a drawing of the Vitruvian Man? Why, yes. Yes he did.
Leonardo daVinci’s famous Vitruvian man was drawn to have perfect proportions and is widely accepted as an example of “the ideal man.” Well now we know who Sherlock’s is… *wink wink*
26. John’s PIN
Just to remind y’all that the feeling is mutual (but still a dang secret), we get a pretty good shot of John’s entering his PIN number in one scene, which is 7437.
7437 is the keypad equivalent of SHER, Irene Adler’s passcode that we are given as proof of her feelings for Sherlock.
27. Hey look, it’s Cupid…
In His Last Vow, we get a nice shot of Sherlock and John walking past a statue of Cupid. (As tumblr user skulls-and-tea said upon noticing it, “Fancy meeting you in a show about a totally platonic blokeship.”)
Yes L’Enfant Guerrier, Warrior of Love, is depicted riding an ostrich, an animal famous for sticking its head in the sand. Sherlock too is going into battle, as we see during the ensuing showdown with Magnussen, motivated by a love that dare not speak its name. A love that sticks its head in the sand and leaves millions of viewers crying and yelling at the television and writing in-depth analyses of it online.
This may seem like a good example of fans reading too much into something, but it is indeed worth considering what many call the “Arwel Wyn Jones” Law: If it’s on the screen, it’s meant to be looked at meaningfully. (Arwel Wyn Jones, Sherlock’s production designer, is famous for his excruciating attention to details that subconsciously support the plot; next to the cupid-ostrich sculpture, there was a magnifying glass advertised online as the “Smith and Watson Desktop Magnifying Glass" and he earlier tweeted that the background artwork in the reunion scene was of a phoenix rising from the ashes).
28. The Sacrifice
His Last Vow culminates in Sherlock shooting Charles Augustus Magnussen, a move that shocked audiences around the world. It made Sherlock Holmes a murderer and stripped him of his career, his reputation, his liberty, and quite possibly, his life. Why the hell would he choose that? Was he just pissed he had been outwitted?
No: we are given the answer in A Study in Pink, when Sherlock himself explains, “Bitterness is a paralytic. Love is a much more vicious motivator.”
Love. The episode is called His Last Vow for a reason; in it Sherlock fulfills his last vow, to ensure John and Mary’s safety, giving up everything in the process. This is driven home by a beautiful shot (above), which makes use of several romantic tropes: the wind in their faces, the hero’s steady gaze, the tears in his eyes. The moment he decides.
29. The Casablanca Allegory
The writers proceed to (accidentally?) compare Johnlock to the most famous romance in cinema: Casablanca, creating visual parallels between the two goodbye scenes. Funnily enough, it turns out that the rest of the two stories match up pretty well too! For those that haven’t seen the movie:
Rick Blaine (Sherlock) and Ilsa Lund (John) were once in love but they get separated for a long time and in each other’s absence Ilsa falls in love with somebody else. They reconnect after a long while, and Rick discovers he is still madly in love with her though she is with another man. Ilsa’s new man (Mary) has gotten himself into trouble with the Third Reich and needs to escape, and Rick does a bunch of illegal stuff for them. In the final scene, he sends the the love of his life and her new lover on the plane to fly off to freedom and be together, sacrificing his own love and freedom for hers. (Paraphrased from tumblr user martinfreeman, not to be confused with actor Martin Freeman)
Okay, so it was Sherlock that was flying off in this case, but other than that, you’ve gotta admit this is either a really weird coincidence, or some strong ammunition for the supposedly “deluded” shippers. Unfortunately, it may also mean that this is all they’re ever gonna get, as Rick and Ilsa do not end up together in the end. Still, Casablanca is given an ending; Sherlock is given a cliffhanger. In the final moments of the season Sherlock tells Dr. Watson that, “The game is never over,” and it’s pretty safe to say that as long as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are on the hunt for clues, the Johnlock fans will be as well.
By V. Lyn, 7.3.2014.
*SOURCE*
Number 4 doesn't work I'm afraid. Gareth Roberts wrote The Shakespeare Code for Doctor Who when Russell T Davies was show runner. So Moffat didn't have anything to do with that.
Ian’s parents *G*
'Fun visit' my arse. They were extras
Well duh. Of course there extras! Did you think they were just playing dress-up?!!!
Are there any video or pictures of Ian Hallard and Mark after being apart? Those two give me hope.
There are a couple of photos in the Ian Hallard tag e.g. [x], they’re tagged as setlock since that’s where Ian & Bunsen were visiting so be warned before you click!
You can glimpse them both in this clip: http://youtu.be/tc1c8AaaFwQ
