#irene's theme

[etherealcosmicdaydream]

Listening to the Sherlock OSTs and it's bringing back so memories

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Another misery guts seeking reassurance :> when Sherlock and Eurus have their violin duet she says "play you" and he plays Irene's theme. Why? :((((

Hi Nonny! *hugs*

Do not fret, Lovely <3 I’ve discussed Irene’s Theme before and how it’s actually a song about John. Sherlock wrote it as a way to cope with the feelings he had for John after the pool, with them suddenly being forced to the surface because of Irene, and Sherlock trying to understand what exactly they mean. He plays it when he’s pining for John. 

However, given that I believe that TFP is taking place in John’s head: John’s always had a blindspot for his own importance to Sherlock, and often misinterprets Sherlock’s feelings wrong. While I do believe that John finally figured out that Sherlock loves him as more than a friend, I think Sherlock being contacted just one episode prior by Irene has stuck with him – Irene is one of John’s biggest hangups, because he just can’t understand why Sherlock would love anyone like John when someone like Irene (who John misinterprets) likes Sherlock. I think… John sees Irene like him: Sherlock is always the exception to all the rules, ergo, she MUST like Sherlock, even if she is gay.

“Play you”: John makes Sherlock play Irene’s theme in his head because he wants the theme to be FOR HIM. I think, though, deep down, John knows that the song is about him: John sees but doesn’t observe.

[saltairandtherustonyourdoor]

When I read Sherlock composed Irene's Theme for John

[isathesorcerer]

Irene's theme in The Final problem

The reason that, what asked to "play you" by Euros, Sherlock plays Irene's theme is because Irene helped him realize that John loves him. He composed that in thanks to Irene, and when she texted him again in The Lying Detective, these feelings were shown again. They were shown again in John's speech, and in John telling Sherlock that chances are gone before you know it. "Have you had sex?" His level of intimacy with John is so sexual it goes into his playing. This song is him realizing his feelings for him. The violin has been his way of expressing his feelings for John. Through the Waltz, then manipulated in the score of the Six Thatchers, and a little bit again in the Lying Detective, it's his heartbreak and fear of losing John. Irene's tune is just the opposite. That's why she's brought up at the end of the Lying Detective, and again in music in The Final Problem. Sherlock is hopeful once again.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Any ideas as to why Sherlock played Irene's theme when he first met Eurus (the song that made her ask if he'd had sex)?

Hey Lovely

Because she asked him to play his own song, and he wrote that song. Honestly the only way I can read that scene without them confirming Sherlock’s sexuality was to imply Sherlock had always written that song for Irene and not because he was pining for John. 

[devoursjohnlock]

221b-ismyhome replied to your post: One thing that's interesting from this perspective...

Can you send me a link to that commentary??

Yeah, thankfully the audio for these commentaries is still on YT for all episodes (I think? I hope!). If you have the patience, you can synchronize it with your own copy of the episode. Steven Moffat’s comment about Irene’s theme resolving obviously happens near the end.

The ASIB commentary is here, and is partially transcribed here.

[iceandtheworld]

Does anyone else think that Irene's theme from Sherlock sounds like Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint Saëns???

[rough-tweed-action]