In Leinster Garden, we got in a single scene the
entire summary of John and Mary’s relationship.
Remember, a disguise is always a
self-portrait but how others perceive it also says a lot about how they see
you.
And I get a feeling that we were given a
glimpse of the ending and what is exactly going on in the real world.
Tell me, do you remember
when John was becoming Sherlock Holmes?
It was a
long time ago, I know, but once upon a time, there was a man called John
Watson. And this man one day met Sherlock Holmes.
He was
deeply fascinated by him, he was without a doubt the most extraordinary man he’s
has ever met. That wasn’t to say he was stupid, no.
He was only
an army doctor, murders weren’t quite yet his division.
But he
tried.
Boy did he
try.
Sometimes
his mistakes were just plainly embarrassing.
Sometimes he
was just wrong and his deductions lead nowhere.
But he’s
always managed to pull through.
Because he
is learning.
There is a
reason why John Waston is the best conductor of light that exists. He might not
get everything on the first try, but his thinking always leads Sherlock to the
right path. They are on the same wavelength.
And there is
also a good reason why some foes mistook him for his friend.
JOHN: I’m
not actually… (Still delirious) I’m not Sherlock Holmes.
THE OPERA
SINGER (Smiles, she doesn’t believe him): Forgive me if I do not take your word
for it.
(She
made a strong case, didn’t she?)
Remember
when John Watson was becoming Sherlock Holmes?
How he assumed it was Sherlock Holmes she needed and yet took the case instead? Remember
when Mary had no other choice than to become his Watson?
HOLMES: You
are not coming.
WATSON: Then
you are not going.
JOHN: You can’t
come (…)
MARY: You
can’t go (…)
Remember
that Mr Holmes thought Mary was the sane one and at the same time implied he
thought John was the extraordinary one?
Don’t forget
that John Watson is smarter than he looks. Don’t you dare forget he’s pretty
damn smart. He’s more than just a puppy to trot behind Sherlock Holmes. No matter what
Mary may think, this is only the image he sells to the public.
WATSON: Listen, I’m
happy to play the fool, for you. I will run
along like some halfwit, if that’s what you need.
The dummy isn’t who he is. It is what she saw (a fairly obvious trick) but it never was what he was. He wasn’t playing the idiot, he was being Sherlock Holmes.
Because, no
matter what Mary may believe, if Sherlock can learn to become more like John,
the reverse is also true. John Watson can be Sherlock Holmes when he needs to.
And he can wear
the coat and fool her.
John Watson
can perfectly be the Sherlock Holmes to her Moriarty. There never was any dummy,
he was just taking Sherlock’s place while he was away.
And Mary
never noticed that until it was too late.
The first time you see it, it can hit you really hard, especially since Sherlock is on a total roll and John delivers the line “please God, let me live” in a way where you can be forgiven for not being sure if it’s serious or snark. It apparently has the same effect on Sherlock, as well.
We never do get any details on how Captain John Watson of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers was wounded in action. But from this exchange alone, it’s clear the situation was extremely serious. He was badly wounded, nearly died, and developed PTSD- Sherlock had himself earlier pointed out that the original circumstances of John’s injury must have been ‘traumatic’, and he meant emotionally traumatic, not just violent and painful. The blunt earnestness of John’s response even trips up Sherlock for a second or two, and he’s just been ranting and raving about not understanding why a woman would care about her stillborn baby after fourteen years. This also works as a tearjerker in hindsight if you recall ‘Please God, let me live’ whenever John is genuinely in physical danger elsewhere in the series.
Pretty much everyone in the room agrees that in your last moments, you would think about the people you love the most. John apparently had no one to think about when he was close to dying. He really must have been lonely even before he returned from Afghanistan.
I hate you for making this post because it’s the best I’ve read on this subject and it hurts.
I also love how in this moment Sherlock is jarred out of his arrogant “oh how cheesy John, thanks for living down to my expectations, God you’re so average, just as I suspected” mindset by John’s quiet “I don’t have to.” He was not expecting that, and he begins to see John as the fascinating enigma he is. 💖
Stop talking and start doing: My Fallout Shelter for my Tumblr blog 