Hi! I was wondering if you had any insight into why Sherlock didn't change Irene's text tone after she personalized it?
That’s an interesting question, thank you for asking! Well, the obvious answer would be “because Sherlock is in love with Irene and her text tone turns him on”. But I don’t believe he’s in love with her – if you take into account how he doesn’t show an interest in her attempts at flirtation, but coldly takes her pulse while she tries to seduce him, you can hardly think he is. (As an aside: I think he’s repulsed by Irene’s aggressive display of sexuality, but what does attract him is her intelligence. In the original story, “A Scandal in Bohemia”, it says: “Irene Adler had the mind of the most resolute of men.” That’s a rather misogynistic point of view, I’m afraid, but it makes for a sort of homoerotic attraction of minds.)
Well, I’ll get back to the first, “obvious” reason later, but there has to be another one. From the point of view of the audience, it’s important to have this very characteristic text tone, because thus everyone will notice without any doubt when Sherlock receives a text message from Irene. During the scene at Battersea Power Station, we immediately know Sherlock has been listening to Irene and John’s conversation when we hear his phone moaning after Irene has sent her text (and John knows, too). And the text tone gives away Sherlock, the would-be executioner, in the last scene but one before we even see his eyes under the turban. (Also it allows a joke during the Christmas scene when the moan is heard when Sherlock kisses Molly on the cheek.)
But then you asked about Sherlock’s reason not to change Irene’s personalized text tone. I think when he first heard his phone moaning he was still too drugged to do anything about it. But then next morning, he received another text while he was having breakfast with John. And Sherlock couldn’t fail to notice that the moaning drives John nuts. So I suppose Sherlock couldn’t overcome the temptation to tease John by keeping the text tone. I’m not sure if he consciously wanted to make John jealous. If he did, it wasn’t exactly a good idea, because it only reinforced John’s assumption that Sherlock is straight. (Which helps to complicate matters between the two of them – it’s one of the many necessary obstacles in their long romantic arc.)
Now, I had promised to get back to the first reason. If you believe in TJLC, you won’t mind following me one step further. From the point of view of Gatiss and Moffat, the “lying liars”, Sherlock’s keeping Irene’s text tone is a perfect red herring. On the surface, it looks as if Sherlock was in love with Irene. There is subtext for those who like to look under the surface, but as this is only the beginning of season two it’s well hidden – better not to give away too much. You know: softly, softly.