Sherlock BBC, Series One, episode three, The Great Game starts with Sherlock shooting the wall in the 221b livingroom because, according to himself, he is massively bored. It’s the wall behind the sofa, the one with the famous fleur-de-lys wallpaper (x) and the yellow smiley face sprayed on it. The story doesn’t reveal who is responsible for the smiley on the wall, but Sherlock himself should be the best guess, I think. The paint used for it, is most likely the same as in TBB, used by the Black Lotus gang for their secret code … ‘Michigan M hardcore propellant zinc’ (x). Spray cans of that paint turn up three times in TBB. Sherlock finds one on the train tracks (transport), another one inside a bag at the Yellow Dragon Circus dressing room (masks) and a third one was used by members of the Yellow Dragon Circus (emotions) to spray their threat onto the windows at 221b, the night they abducted Sarah and John (respectively John and Sherlock, mirrored).
When Mrs. Hudson notices the holes shot into her wall, she tells Sherlock ... 'I’m putting this on your rent, young man!’. This means that Sherlock will have to pay with currency as compensation for the damage he has done to wallpaper and wall.
The smiling yellow face and the wall covered with this distinctive, by now famous wallpaper …. what could be the meaning of that combination, particularly with regards to Arwel Wyn Jones’ Twitter statement: ‘It’s nearly all about the wallpaper!’
TBC below the cut ….
On the meaning of walls and wallpapers
A wall is a solid structure built to enclose or shut off a space. It separates one thing from another, it guards and provides cover.
A wallpaper is a thick decorative paper used to cover the walls of a room, to make it look different.
Basically, a wallpaper is the facade of a wall. Shooting at it, leads to holes, to openings in wallpaper and wall. Viewed metaphorically, one could say Sherlock’s activity (born out of hundred years of boredom and frustration) results in ... ‘chinks in the armour'. And in his case those holes, those ‘chinks’ are clearly ‘self administered’.
A facade and guardian
It’s just a façade. Remind you of anyone, Mary? A façade.
Sherlock’s facade is a strong one. The whole purpose of the facade is to protect the ‘eternal friendship’ and to hide the truth
John can’t ever know that I lied to him. It would break him and I would lose him forever – and I will never let that happen. Please … understand. There is nothing in this world that I would not do to stop that happening.
The confrontation of LIE and TRUTH
It takes place inside a room - the bedroom of the man who owns a library full of secrets and scandals. A character who is the master of the ‘wastepaper bin’ inside Sherlock’s ‘harddrive’ where all the ‘deleted information’ is stored. The multiple mirrors in the room create the effect of a mirror cabinet, while the walls are covered with a very special wallpaper ... Harlequin’s Vortex Spirals ... Momentum - Vortex. (Outtake)
What a fitting name for the wallpaper used in this special scene. Another word for ‘vortex’ is ‘maelstrom’. I imagine this must be exactly what Sherlock is experiencing right here. A real maelstorm of contradictory emotions. One half of his being at war with ... ‘the other one’.
And it seems like a whole regiment of funny Smiley faces observes the drama that takes place in front of their dark eyes. The whole wall is smiling.
Some close-ups on the Smiley’s hiding in plain sight. Once you’ve discovered them, you simply can’t unsee them anymore.
An attempt to delete unwanted information?
Then why am I smiling? Ask me.
Twenty years ago Jim Moriarty killed Carl Powers because the boy, for whatever reason, laughed at him. Now Sherlock puts a hole in Magnussen’s head, maybe out of a similar reason? Because he makes fun of John and Sherlock? Because he …. knows? And so Sherlock tries to destroy the key that locks the ‘wastepaper bin’.
Crumbling masks, dropping facades
This scene in TST is the pendant to the one in CAM Tower. While there, Sherlock is hit by a bullet high above the ground, surrounded by walls of glass, in the room of a man he calls ‘shark’ …. here, Mary the facade, is hit by a bullet underground, also surrounded by walls of glass, behind which real sharks are circling in their tanks.
A high-up mind-scenario versus a deep-down emotion-scenario. And inside his mind, as the author of his own stage plays, Sherlock writes his facade out of the play. He decides to drop his facade in order to finally deal with emotions and love.
In saving my life, she conferred a value on it. It is a currency I do not know how to spend.
Dealing with love … high on drugs
Serial killer Culverton Smith from TLD, father of Faith, is a reflection of serialkiller Jeff Hope from ASIP. Both characters love to talk to their chosen victims and deem themselves ‘verging on nice … as far as serial killers go’. Hope and Smith, and also Smith’s daughter Faith act as mirrors for John Watson. Both men also share a rather noticeable trait … they are well equipped for a strikingly ‘toothy’ smile. Especially Culverton Smith. Maybe that’s the reason why Sherlock surrounds the pictures of Smith’s smiling face with circles and thus creates a different sort of ‘Smiley’ spread all over the walls and surfaces of 221b ... for drugged Sherlock to shoot at in the state he is in.
And by the end of that episode Eurus (emotional Sherlock) aims her gun at another ‘funny’ face … and shoots.
Huh. He’s making a funny face. I think I’ll put a hole in it.
The wall had it coming … once more
The (for now) last episode of Sherlock BBC closes again a circle backwards to the beginning. While restoring 221b after the explosion of the passions grenade, it is John who sprays the new Smiley at the wall behind the sofa … observed by the yellow face itself, at it seems.
And a smiling Sherlock shoots at it. This time though without being reprimanded by John or Mrs. Hudson.
Then Sherlock playfully blows away the smoke from the barrel of his gun ...
Two times Sherlock aims at a ‘smiley face’ but doesn’t shoot
Bet you never saw this coming
The Great Game: Sherlock tells John that Mycroft ‘was over the moon’ because Sherlock had been able to retrieve the stolen missile plans, that big brother even threatened him with a knighthood again. It’s a blatant lie though. Sherlock never returned that plans to Mycroft. Instead he arranges a secret meeting with Jim Moriarty and offers him the plans ... as a little ‘getting-to-know-you present’. For some seconds Sherlock thinks Jim and John might be the same person.
SHERLOCK: What if I was to shoot you now – right now?
JIM: Then you could cherish the look of surprise on my face.
Sherlock doesn’t shoot because hidden snipers are aiming at him and John.
Not on my watch ...
The Final Problem: Eurus forces Sherlock to decide between Mycroft and John. In a clever move Mycroft tries to manipulate Sherlock into shooting him instead of John. But Sherlock sees through his brother’s smart plan and decides to end the game by sacrificing himself.
Not in the face, though, please. I’ve promised my brain to the Royal Society. I suppose there is a heart somewhere inside me. I don’t imagine it’s much of a target but … why don’t we try for that?
Sherlock doesn’t pull the trigger because hidden ‘snipers’ shoot tranquilizer darts at him and John.
Sherlock BBC, The Smiley’s from S1-S4 a summery by @devoursjohnlock
Drippy yellow paint by @tjlcisthenewsexy
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I leave you to your own deductions. Thank’s @callie-ariane for the scripts.
‘Vatican Cameos’ is a well known phrase in Sherlock BBC. It’ s Sherlock’s secret code word to warn against some imminent life-threatening danger. The code is used three times in total:
First by Sherlock in ASIB when he is about to open Irene’s safe where she keeps her camera phone, guarded by ‘explosives’.
Second by Sherlock in TSOT when he is about to connect the last dots regarding the Mayfly Man case, the invisible man with the invisible knife, and what this means for Major Sholto.
Third by John in TFP when he learns that Eurus is able to ‘reprogramme’ people. Sherlock doesn’t pay attention to him though. He has just played Irene’s theme on his violin and is about to touch the wall of glass which seperates him from Eurus.
The word ‘cameo’ has different meanings. It can be a piece of jewellery, like a gem or small medallion, often with a profiled head carved in stone or some other hard material. The word is also used for small literary or filmic pieces or small theatrical roles. It looks like both meanings - ‘carved in stone’ as well as ‘small guest appearance’ - could apply to the wording ‘Vatican Cameos’ in Sherlock BBC, in a metaphorical reading of the story.
TBC below the cut …
Two restaurants lit by fire and flame
At Angelo’s ...
In the unaired PILOT/ASIP, Sherlock and John wait at Angelo’s restaurant for serial killer Hope. It’s the first time both men work together on a case. From the fireless mantlepiece right next to their candlelit table, a silent watcher observes the beginning of their relationship. It’s the bust of a pope (x x).
ANGELO: Anything on the menu, whatever you want, free. All on the house, you and your date. … Anything on the menu, I cook it for you myself.
A pope, head of the Vatican and supreme keeper of an unrelenting belief, is present at the first ‘date’ of two men, is forced to watch silently, how they fall in love with each other … while a living, breathing ‘angel’ isn’t only ready to serve them food and drink … no, the ‘angel’ even offers to cook the meal himself for free … everything they desire.
The ‘angel’, literally, lights the fire between Sherlock and John with the remark, that this would be much more romantic for a first date. The whole scene seems to be drenched in a yellow light.
Maybe also worth noticing ... the bust of the pope has been put on the same place at the mantlepiece as the skull in 221b.
At the Cross Keys Inn ...
Sherlock and John have rooms at the Cross Keys Inn near Baskerville. They meet in front of the blazing fireplace after Sherlock’s first encounter with the monstrous hound in Dewer’s Hollow. A heart adorns the mantlepiece right over the flickering flames.
The owners of the Cross Keys Inn are Billy and Gary, a gay couple. They have a dog which they couldn’t bring themselves to put down. A sign with ‘vacancies’ written on it, is placed above the statue of a hound. In the pigeonholes beneath, some lovely old fashioned keys seem only to wait for their task to open doors into equally lovely rooms. Bottles of wine are placed at both sides of the keys, the hound and the sign.
The name of the restaurant - Cross Keys - is a deliberate choice by the creators of this story (X) and it seems they really knew quite well what they were doing by choosing precisely this name. The image of two crossed keys features most prominently in the coat of arms of the Vatican, crowned by the papal tiara. This turns the Cross Keys Inn into another short ‘cameo appearance’ of the Vatican. The ‘crossed keys’ - the keys of heaven - have been given to a gay couple that provides food and drink and rooms for those, who want to fulfill those desires.
It isn’t new that these two characters are mirrors for Sherlock and John. (Follow the dog, Part 1 by @sagestreet ) Their names speak for themselves as well:
Billy is short for William, like William Sherlock Scott Holmes
Gary contains the germanic element ‘ger’ meaning ‘spear’
The ‘crossed keys’ of the Vatican
The flag of the Vatican, the papal colours, are yellow and white. They mirror the colours of the keys. The silver key symbolizes the pope's earthly power and the gold one represents god's divine power. The mechanisms of the keys (the bit/beard that unlocks) is turned up towards heaven, their grips are facing downward to show that they were given into the hands of the pope by god.
In heraldry ...
gold (Or) is mostly depicted as yellow and linked to the sun and faith, representd by the topaz (aspects linked to John and his mirrors)
silver (Argent) is mostly depicted as white and linked to the moon and purity, represented by the pearl (aspects linked to Sherlock and his mirrors)
The Vatican’s crossed keys represent the metaphorical keys of the office of Saint Peter, also known as the ‘keys of heaven’. They are the symbol of papal authority. Peter recived the keys and alongside with them, the power of binding and loosing was also commited to him. (Sources: X X )
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,” (Matthew 16:19:)
“What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder”
This phrase is very well known from wedding ceremonies. Marriage, also called ‘the holy matrimony’, is one of the seven sacraments in catholic church. It is a convenant by which two people establish between themselves a partnership of the whole life. And to this day, the Vatican decides which type of partnership is legal and blessed and which one is a sin and damned. A view, carved in stone and unchangeble, it seems.
Faith, Hope and Love
Those three aspects, closely related to deep emotions, are also known as the three theological virtues. In christianity they are associated with the ‘salvation resulting from the grace of god’ (x).
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13)
The three virtues - hope, faith and love - are also an important part of the rosary prayer. The first three Hail Mary’s at the beginning of the litany are dedicated to them by ending each one of the verses with … ‘and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, …
... who increases faith in us.’
... who strengthens hope in us.’
... who ignites love in us.’
The creators of Sherlock BBC took a rather special and original way to include those three virtues and Mary’s pregnancy into their story.
HOPE - is the name of the serial killer in ASIP, who offers two sorts of pills (chemistry), a good one and a bad one. One of his victims is the pink lady who had once been in ‘good hope’. But then her daughter Rachel was stillborn. Rachel is the code word to track down Hope.
FAITH - is the name of the serial killer’s daughter in TLD (who’s also linked to chemistry). She appears in two different versions, both presented as mirrors for John. It turns out that in one of the two versions she is Eurus in disguise ... the ‘other one’ ... Sherlock’s long locked- up emotinal part.
LOVE - is used in its Latin translation ‘AMO’ (I love) as code name for the person who is Mycroft’s - the brains - superior. This code word is also used by a second person, Vivian Norbury, to influence the Tiblisi hostage incident - the ultimate cause for the ‘death’ of Rosamunnd Mary and the eventual ‘birth’ of Mary Morstan, which will leads to the birth of baby Rosamund Mary.
Three different stories and yet, each one is about ‘TWO’ (even ‘I love’ appears as AMO & AMMO) and the concepts of choice, death and rebirth. All of it linked to the love story of two men.
The yellow thread
The colour yellow runs through the story told in Sherlock BBC, from the first series to the (by now) last:
This thread starts with Sherlock’s and John’s first ‘date’ at Angelo’s. The whole scene is drenched in yellow.
A secret code of ancient cyphers, sprayed in yellow paint, leads to the Yellow Dragon Circus.
Golden cats and big ‘yellow’ felines - lions - roam the story.
Yellow is the colour of the smiley face on the wall of the 221b living room.
There’s an assassin who carries a yellow ladder and a yellow tool case with a gun in it.
A bright yellow mask has been placed inside a box, alongside with a train, a phone, nicotin patches and a note.
The main colour of the wedding ... so much yellow. It’s the wedding that leads Sherlock to a revolutionary revelation and to a love deduction.
A canary trainer, a trainer of yellow birds, turns out to be the killer.
The Norbury case from canon, known as the case of the ‘yellow face’, plays a vital role in an episode.
The finish of a race is marked with a bright yellow band that floats slowly to the ground while a serial killer passes as winner.
Yellow is the colour of the sun, of fire and flames.
Yellowbeard ….
Yellow and white, gold and silver - are the colours of the Vatican. Colours that represent unchangeable tradition, stubborn persistance and inflexibility. Sherlock BBC links those colours stongly to John and Sherlock. The conductor of light, the fierce lion on the one hand and and the man in the moon, the virgin in the white sheet on the other hand.
A pope, carved in stone, is forced to witness how two men fall in love. The crossed keys of heaven are given into the hands of a loving gay couple. The christian virtues of hope, faith and love become a core element in that story of change and rebirth. What might the colour yellow stand for in Sherlock BBC?
What if it becomes the colour of victory for a much too long forbidden love?
Speculative addition: nuns versus Dracula
In case Dracula BBC is somehow related to Sherlock BBC, which role might have been given to the nuns? As catholic nuns, will they turn out to be another ‘vatican cameo’? After all, nuns do have great significance in Sherlock BBC since the beginning. There are the ‘headless nuns’ from PILOT and TSOT and furthermore, sister is just another word for nun. I’ve tried to follow the trail of those nuns/sisers in ‘The Roads we walk have demons beneath’.
Inspired by the comments on this post some time ago and the last bit by the new trailer for Dracula BBC. I leave you to your own deductions.
