Sherlock, Season 1, Episode 1

[nanslice]

So I finally did it, I finally watched the first (hour and a half) episode of this show and just barely started the second episode. Here's my thoughts on both!



'kay, so Sherlock is definitely an alien who has no idea how to interact with people properly and John is the hapless normal guy who really likes danger who's also in over his head. He straight up murdered a dude to save Sherlock! I mean, he was an army doctor so he's used to violence and stuff but dang.

I definitely see why this fandom is over the moon for Sherlock/John. I mean, I kind of see it as very much Sherlock->John at this point, he seems so...defenseless???... sometimes about John's praise and non-suspicious, non-hateful awe of his abilities. Like, he's completely taken aback by it. And that's really nice. |3

HOWEVER. Why does everyone assume they're a couple? Is this meant to be funny? It seems like the type of thing we're suppose to laugh at - particularly the scene at the restaurant where John's asking about Sherlock's romantic life and Sherlock then assumes John's interested in him - because haha, people assume they're gay, look at this misunderstanding about being gay, no homo forever! I mean, maybe it's meant to be played straight (haha) and really is just a discussion about their sexuality, which is fine and fair, but. EH. It's still annoying. I mean, not enough to make me stop watching, haha, I watch problematic shit all the time, it just really feels like something completely unnecessary.

But yeah, the case was also pretty interesting! And I could actually follow how Sherlock came to his conclusions, even though I would never have been able to do it myself, so that also helps. It feels a bit like how Shawn Spencer deduces things on Psych, which is nice! Also, the cabby was annoying and terrible but I like that he was killing people to help his kids, and I also like that this information wasn't used to garner sympathy. NICE.

ALSO, I started watching The Blind Banker and when John comes back to ask for cash and Sherlock tells him to take his card, his expression when he says it, like he's just overwhelmingly fond of this angry little man spewing abuse at the machine, haha.

Comments

[yuuago]

It's been a while since I watched this, but I remember actually kind of liking the whole "assuming interest" thing. When other people assumed they were together (Sherlock's acquaintance at the restaurant hinted at that? I think) and Sherlock thinking John was interested in him. I actually don't ship it at all, but it was such a non-issue, and that was nice.

Like... it's not something that would happen where I live. People would not assume two guys are together. And one guy would not assume that another guy was interested in him, or if he did think that, it would definitely not result in just "oh, no, that's not what I meant" and then they keep going on their way as if nothing happened. So I found it kind of comforting to see the question come up as if it's an entirely reasonable assumption, and have nothing bad happen on account of it, if you know what I mean. I know I'm supposed to expect better, but... even this is so far beyond what I experience in day-to-day life.

THAT SAID, it might have been meant for comedy, even if I took it as just played straight (heh).

[nanslice]

Haha, no, that makes absolute sense! People around here would also not assume two guys were together just because they were living together; and if they did assume so, it would be a matter of derision. Everyone on the show comes off as either respectful or disinterested, which is nice! Just, idk. Maybe I'm just overly suspicious. |D

[dancing_serpent]

I actually started my rewatch today and yeah... he seems so...defenseless???... sometimes about John's praise and non-suspicious, non-hateful awe of his abilities.
That's one of the reasons why I have a hard time perceiving Sherlock as smug. His interactions with Anderson and Donovan, being called freak and psychopath, and then suddenly there's John.

What I like is that John can be kind of asshole-ish and snarky, too, and he can certainly hold his own and not be intimidated by Mycroft, etc. So yeah, they do make a good match. *g*

[nanslice]

Oh hee, you're rewatching? :D :D

Yeah, like there's something very endearing about watching Sherlock react to John's reactions to his deducing, like you can see him struggle with what to say which, he always knows what to say what is this madness??? It's really nice. ;3;

YES, John's not some wilting flower, he's an former army doctor, ex-military, come on! His interactions with Mycroft were just wonderful. Like, he's not going to be cowed by some straight-laced stranger with an umbrella, get the fuck outta here with these dramatics. (no John, all of these dramatics are here to stay, you live with Sherlock now)

[dancing_serpent]

Yes! *g* Our recent comment exchange and the fact that season four has started was a good incentive. Watched A Study in Pink this evening (really have to go to bed now *wince*) and was pleasantly surprised how much I still enjoyed it. Will watch The Blind Banker tomorrow.

[nanslice]

Excellent! I'm glad to have someone else watching along! :D

[dadcastellanos]

I......... have a very complicated relationship with this show. I'm in it just about 100% for Moriarty but I do like Sherlock's coat & hair a lot (tho I'm not a Cumberbatch fan? and really don't care for Freeman either) and the popup text/deduction stuff is really cool.

I always understood it as, all the people in Sherlock's life are SO AMAZED that he's got someone he's dragging around and taking to crime scenes and dinner that in their mind there's only one reason he would & it's "they're together". which, I mean, in this day and age a lot of people seem to assume that if you're hanging out with someone there's no way it'd be platonic, which SUPER ANNOYS ME. but it also seems to be Mark Gatiss & Stephen Moffat's way of constantly poking the beast- "look! they're not gay! hahaha isn't it funny how mad John gets? these two MEN LIVE TOGETHER and they're not GAY what an INTERESTING THING" etc. it's. actually really bad about the queerbaiting & being generally nasty about the whole affair.

BUT that's my thoughts on it anyways. I love love love Moriarty and while he took an episode or two to grow on me I basically ride or die for him now. XD he's one of those characters my wife & I bonded over too!

[nanslice]

I don't have strong feelings about Cumberbatch (although I love making fun of him!) or Freeman but I'm enjoying Sherlock and John so far. Although I also quite like Sherlock's coat and hair, haha.

Yeah, queerbaiting was the big complaint I saw. And you know, I don't mind it so much if it's not that blatant - unusually close characters are my jam - but when the characters are actually called on and it becomes an 'lol no way' situation, I'm just like. :<

I typically do not like trickster characters, which is what I've gathered about Moriarty? But since he's a villain I'm not too terribly worried about liking him, as long as he's entertaining. XD

[dadcastellanos]

being in the Elementary fandom means I ended up really hating them both, because they were so goddamn nasty about it, and they tend to be shitty about fans and stuff, which. I can give them a bit of a pass on it because the Sherlock fandom can be really out of bounds a lot. but I'm just not fans of theirs. Cumberbatch's voice though oh my GOD I love it.

it's really frustrating. and the showrunners all tend to do this LOL IT'S SO FUNNY HOW YOU THINK THAT'S A THING both in show and out of it, so digging on things any of the people in the show might've said at any time can be a serious drag. there's a part of a third season episode that even goes so far as to make fun of another ship for literally no reason at all >> super frustrating.

that's fair! he's SUPER trickster, lots of fucking about. and he can come off a lil hammy but *pulls out a freakin essay about all of his mental things I've HC'd him with* I grew to dig it over time? XD and Andrew Scott is just fun to watch act, honestly.

[nanslice]

Oh dang, I totally forgot about the whole Elementary thing! That was pretty ugly.

I try to separate actors and showrunners from their characters/show because dang, so many of them end up being huge assholes, haha. Spoil me, which ship got made fun of?

[dancing_serpent]

Moriarty/Sherlock - I thought that was really funny. I even liked the character on the show who talked about them, and her reaction of "What? It's just as likely as your theory!" (which mentioned Molly/Sherlock) was delivered so dead pan!

[dadcastellanos]

I got beaten to it XD but ye, moriarty/sherlock! & tbf it is funny in canon but knowing that the showrunners are quietly being shitty about it elsewhere is :/ kind of bitters it for me tbh