You just went the wrong way last time, that’s all. This time, get it right.
This is what Sherlock tells Eurus before he lands the plane and brings them both back to the ground ... to London. It seems at some day in the past, Eurus made a wrong choice. Interestingly a great deal of 'The Final Problem' circles around 'choices' as well. And the consequences thereof.
Choose either Doctor Watson or Mycroft to kill the governor.
Also, you may have to choose which one to keep
Just two of you go on from here; your choice.
It’s an elimination round. You choose one and kill the other. You have to choose family or friend.
Jim Moriarty thought you’d make this choice.
Going by the assumtion that Eurus and Sherlock are aspects of one and the same character, it seems reasonable to suppose that - at some point in the past - Sherlock made a wrong choice himself.
Does the story give any indication for an occurance which fits with a scenario like this? Yes, it does.
Another look at a metaphorical Pilot-Verse scenario. Rest is under the cut ...
There are even two instances in Sherlock BBC where the great detective is about to make a very wrong choice. And both times it's one and the same scene.
THE PILOT
SHERLOCK: Two pills.
CABBIE: There’s a good pill and a bad pill. You take the good pill, you live; take the bad pill, you die. You’re the one who chooses. You can choose either one. Choose. Let’s play.
SHERLOCK: What if I don’t take either?
CABBIE: Wouldn’t you rather risk this? Which one do you think? Which one’s the good pill? Come on. I know you’ve got a theory. So what d’you think? Can you beat me? I bet you get bored, don’t you? A man like you, so clever. I’ll bet you’re not bored now. This ... this right now – this is what you live for, innit, not being bored?
A STUDY IN PINK
SHERLOCK: Okay, two bottles. Explain.
JEFF: There’s a good bottle and a bad bottle. You take the pill from the good bottle, you live; take the pill from the bad bottle, you die. It’s your choice. You can choose either one Time to choose.
SHERLOCK: What if I don’t choose either?
JEFF: Come on. Play the game. So what d’you think? Can you beat me? Are you clever enough to bet your life? I bet you get bored, don’t you? I know you do. A man like you ...... so clever. But what’s the point of being clever if you can’t prove it? Still the addict. But this ... this is what you’re really addicted to, innit? You’d do anything ... anything at all ... ... to stop being bored. You’re not bored now, are you?
In the PILOT as well as in ASIP Sherlock decides to take the pill
Both times Sherlock chooses to risk his life on a fifty-fifty chance. Even though he could act in a different way.
In the PILOT serial killer Jeff Hope doesn't even have a gun. The police is already at the doorstep of 221b ... ready to go in. Sherlock seems strong enough to resist the killer until help arrives. Despite of that, Sherlock chooses to play a deadly game of chess.
In ASIP it is even more obvious that Sherlock has no reason at all to take one of those pills. The killer uses a fake gun. No drugs weaken Sherlock's body. He is already about to leave the room when he turns back again and chooses to play the deadly game of chess.
On both occasions it is John Watson who saves Sherlock's life. John kills Jeff Hope and prevents Sherlock to swallow the pill. And each time the circumstances are more than dubious.
What happens to the victims
PILOT: Same pattern each time. Each one of them disappears from their normal lives ... then turn up a few hours later somewhere they’ve no reason to be ... dead. No marks of violence on the body, no suggestion of compulsion. Each of them has taken the same poison – and, as far as we can tell, taken it voluntarily.
ASIP: All of his victims disappeared from busy streets, crowded places, but nobody saw them go. They all took the same poison; they were all found in places they had no reason to be. The poison is clearly self-administered. There are clear signs that they take the poison themselves; they chew, swallow the pills themselves.
And what happens to Sherlock
PILOT: The serial killer takes Sherlock to Baker Street 221b. Why changes Jeff Hope his pattern with Sherlock? Why enters John the house opposite to shoot the killer? (I wrote about all those strange things in 'When Sherlock lies drugged in a cab')
ASIP: The serial killer takes Sherlock to Roland-Kerr Further Education College. It's midnight, the school is open and the cleaners are in. 'One thing about being a cabbie: you always know a nice quiet spot for a murder' Why on earth would a school with cleaners in it be a 'nice and quiet spot for a murder'?
Anyway ... fact is: In the PILOT and even more so in ASIP Sherlock chooses to take a probably poisoned pill out of his free will. He risks to bet his life on a fifty-fifty chance. Both times he is about to swallow that pill. And both times he is stopped by John.
A textbook-example for 'making a wrong choice'
And isn't it also interesting that the very first, as well as the very last episode of the presently existing Story, are dealing with the same topic? With ... 'making choices'?
You just went the wrong way last time, that’s all. This time, get it right.
And what's the main theme of the penultimate episode ... of 'The Lying Detective'?
There is a woman called Faith - one of the incarnations of Eurus who seems to represent Sherlock's (disregarded) emotions and his memory. She is about to take her own life. There is the memory of John walking with his cane. The memory of their first case together. A case involving a serial killer who wants to kill 'anyone'.
Anyone who didn’t know where they were going, ’cause they were drunk or lost or new in town. Anyone I could walk through the wrong door. (PILOT)
And when Sherlock lies dying under the hands of the serial killer in TLD, something suddenly becomes very clear to him. He doesn't want to die anymore. What he tells Faith - earlier in the story - applies now to himself as well:
“Taking your own life.” Interesting expression. Taking it from who? Oh, once it’s over, it’s not you who’ll miss it. Your own death is something that happens to everybody else ...
Your life is not your own. Keep your hands off it
Is this what the story could be about? In case Sherlock lies indeed drugged in the cab of serial killer Jeff Hope ... he will know what is going to happen to him ... Sherlock is more resilient to drugs than the other victims ... because of this he may have time to think ... he knows how the other victims died ... 'no marks of violence, no compulsion, self-administered poison' ... Sherlock has a very lively imagination, he loves to be dramatic and he posesses a good deal of gallows humour ... (try this interesting meta by @sagestreet for Sherlock's dark humor :)
What might Sherlock envision in such a situation? What might he think? Is he playing scenarios in his mind regarding the things that might happen to him soon? Is he starting out with a mindset like ... 'All lives end. All hearts are broken. Caring is not an advantage'? But then the 'John-Factor' comes into play and Sherlock ... reconsiders? Is he thinking of ... 'what could be' and 'why not'? ....
And when the cab finally stops and Sherlock has to choose ... will he make a different choice this time? Will he refuse to take that pill voluntarily. Will he deside not to play a deadly game of chess and risk his life for a stupid fifty-fifty chance. Just to prove he is clever. Just to not being bored. Will he instead fight for his life. And will this be the reason John is able to find Sherlock in the nick of time and save his life? Because Sherlock desided to save it first? Beause now Sherlock knows exactly what he wants?
... I don't want to die ... I don't want to die ....
.
I leave you to your own deductions. Thanks @callie-ariane for the sripts.
Trying to answer some questions regarding my view on a possible starting point at the UNAIRED PILOT
Thanks for your question @monikakrasnorada on this thread (X) of @kateis-cakeis meta about 'What's real'. Hope you don't mind that I'm starting a new post with this. And don't worry Moni, I know you aren't trying to persuade anyone. :)))
As you know I'm playing with this thought - and others - since before S4 aired. Major Sholto put me on that road last summer ... so if anyone is to blame then it's him. :))))
More under the cut ....
Here are some posts regarding that topic. Just in case if you are interested of course. I'm not trying to convince anyone either. In the end it's just an idea like many others out there. Who knows how this sory will turn out in the end? I'm just guessing. :)
What might have happened on January 15th? The stage is set - the curtain rises When Sherlock lies drugged in a cab A dog barks in the night He hasn’t woken up yet
The last addition on this thread. And the very first time I posted about it is here. But back then I stood still at the beginning of that road. This one goes just back to TEH.
Your question though was: Why would Sherlock 'imagine' the show as we got it?
When I'm thinking about 'PILOT-VERSE' the most likely starting point that comes to my mind is - Sherlock lying drugged in that cab. Drugs as an explanation for everything that goes on in Sherlock's mind, in certain episodes, is nothing new. In fact this has been discussed a lot already ... just with a different starting point ... the flight to his exile/hospital in HLV.
In Jeff Hope's cab: Of course I can only assume what might be going on in Sherlock's head in a situation like this. As we hear Jeff Hope say:
CABBIE: Do a lot of drugs, Sherlock ’olmes?
SHERLOCK: Not in a while.
CABBIE: I ask ’cause you’re very resilient
... the possibility exists that Sherlock isn't completely unconscious for long and I think his brain would go as fast as humanly possible and as long as it is able to, in this circumstances. Sherlock knows he has been kidnapped by a dangerous serial killer. He knows how all the other victims died. He knows Hope is clever. And he certainly knows that he is rather helpless himself at the moment. Sherlock also knows that his only chance of surviving is John Watson ... if that doctor is clever enough to notice that Sherlock's plan has gone wrong, of course.
To me it seems quite clear in the PILOT - but also in ASIP - that both men are very interested in each other right from the first meeting in Molly's lab. John's questions at Angelo's are more than telling. To me this doesn't look like 'supressed sexuality'. On the contrary. John goes for it at the very first fitting moment. And Sherlock too realizes at once what John is asking him. Hence Sherlock's answer:
SHERLOCK: John, you should know that I consider myself married to my work, and while I’m flattered by your interest, I’m really not looking for any kind of ..
At this moment Sherlock might still never have considered a realtionship of that kind. But who knows. Maybe pulling off that act with a potential serial killer was already Sherlock's attempt to impress John. It would be a fittin behaviour for him, I think.
What would go through Sherlock's head then ... in this life threating situation inside the killers cab ... or afterwads at the place Jeff Hope takes him to ... wherever that is.
Surely Sherlock's brain would still be working on that special case. Working in the hope he might find a solution .... a possibility to survive?
Another point to consider is Sherlock's own suicidal tendencies. Therefore I think it quite plausible that Sherlock has at some point maybe the wish to give up and let everything go. It's probably the thought of John Watson who prevents him from doing this.
Worry, because he noticed John's suicidal tendencies very well. What might happen to this interesting army doctor if Sherlock isn't there anymore to provide ... adventures?
Anger and guilt because he has been so stupid to approach this killer in that way? Big brother was right after all?
Regret because now he would maybe never have the chance to get to know this army doctor better? To share a flat with him. Being colleagues, being friends, being more than friends? How could something like this turn out? Would I even like it? Why have I never? What is wrong with me? Who am I? What made me like this?
Sherlock's brain is incredibly fast. One question might lead to another. And maybe the influence of the drugs trigger long forgotten - supressed - memories? Memories regarding his family, his past ....
And finally .... there is still the possibility Sherlock took the pill ... or was forced to take it. All that stuff about drowning and asphyxiation throughout the story could be an indicator for such an occurance. Who knows? Though it could also be just the fear of such an outcome .... because the chances to become the next victim of Jeff Hope would be rather overwhelming from Sherlock's POV, I think. So, yes ... I think all of what is shown from ASIP to TFP could be very well going on inside Sherlock's head. Played out in scenarios on his Mind-Stage ... which is, as I think, a special 'tool' Sherlock created/cultivated to solve cases. Something he uses on a regular basis for all kinds of unsolved problems.
Jim - a confrontation with Sherlock's darkest fears ... in multiple aspects like sexuality, depression, suicidal tendencies ....
Irene - Sherlock's view on sexuality in general .... that he might be dominated by it, become a 'prisoner of his own meat'
Mary - the realisation that he is hiding behind a facade, then looking for the reason why his brain had the need to create that mask in the first place. On another level Sherlock might picture himself married to John or how it might feel if he loses John.
Smith - recognizing and dealing with drug addiction
Magnusson - Sherlock's worst fear of what he might become if he 'deletes' his heart entirely?
Eurus - the part of him connected to everything he tried to 'delete' ... everything Sherlock opted to never remember. The Memory that comes back after the facade broke down.
In a situation where Sherlock's existance is in immediate mortal danger ... or he is (hopefully not) already dying ... I think it plausibel that his extraordinary brain would work at full speed and probably on several different levels at the same time. Going from one level to the next. Going back and starting anew. Combining different levels. Distilling the most important thoughts.
Sorry, Moni ... this got a bit longish. Seems you opened a floodgate. :))) Anyway, I could picture a situation like this and I would honestly like it. Exploring how Sherlock'a brain works from the inside ... in a situation like this .... this is a thrilling idea. But if it turns out any other way .... well, I'm certainly open for many variations. :)))))
