earnestdesire:

Most of the most successful BBC Sherlock fanfic uses a John that feels very pre-Reichenbach

and a Sherlock that feels distinctly post-Reichenbach. Or, to put it another way, it pairs Series 1-2 John with Series 3-4 Sherlock.

This actually makes a lot of sense, because Series 1-2 John is everything wonderful about John Watson. He’s loyal, funny, big-hearted, (relatively) friendly, devoted to Sherlock and the Work. He has friends, and a full, glorious life.

He is the right combination of domesticated and dangerous. He’s sweet, but still sexy. Someone Sherlock Holmes would absolutely fall in love with.

Series 3-4 John is… well, not. He has no close relationships, aside from Mary, after the Fall. He’s scarily violent with Sherlock, and deliberately oblivious with Mary. He forgives his wife’s immoral past AND her shooting of Sherlock, but doesn’t ever really forgive Sherlock for the Fall. He’s adulterous, an absent father, and he blames Sherlock unfairly for Mary’s death. His painful anger is a constant, unsettling presence that underscores every scene. Series 4, in particular, gave us a John we would actively dislike, were it not for our connection with him from series past.

In contrast, Series 1-2 Sherlock Holmes is the detective at his least human. Yes, he has swoon-worthy looks and intellect, but he’s also terribly cold and routinely cruel. He undervalues John repeatedly and lies to him in every single episode. He has no real friends, and respects no one but John (and only barely). He seems to mistreat his family. This is a man John Watson could fall in love with, but he isn’t one who could maintain a healthy romantic relationship with anyone. He wasn’t ready.

In Series 3-4, Sherlock returns to London a changed man. He’s kinder, more considerate, less likely to disregard the value of others. He actively maintains his friendships and his relationship with his family (until he relapses). He enjoys the company of babies and dogs. He plans a beautiful wedding. He gives and gives and gives, so much that it is painful to witness, and asks for nothing in return.

Even in canon-compliant, post-series-4 work, fanfic authors usually choose to give the reader a loving, less violent John and an adorably awkward, kinder Sherlock. This happens in AU, too. Think The Pieces That Fall to Earth, Performance in a Leading Role, A Cure for Boredom, Hitting the Water at 60 Miles an Hour, Midnight Blue Serenity, Man and Beast, Learning Curve, ect. It’s not universal, of course, but it is prominent.

THIS IS WHY WE NEED SERIES 5. We need to bring together softer, smarter Sherlock with a John that feels more like himself, and less like an irredeemable ass. Please and thank you, BBC.