There is something about 221B that has nagged me since series 3. For us – as well as Sherlock and John – the flat has always been a sacred place. Their home, the sum of them living together. Just look at these lovely quotes from ASiP:
Got my eye on a nice little place in central London. Together we ought to be able to afford it.
Well, this could be very nice. Very nice indeed. – Yes. Yes, I think so. My thoughts precisely.
This is love at first sight, the flat as a placeholder for their mutual feelings.
OMG this is brilliant and so true and …. now I’m really afraid because of recent setlock happenings …. gun shots in 221b, people running down Baker Street in terror. What will happen to their flat? To them? God, what have you done @stillgosherlocked all my thoughts are circling now round explosions and destruction and 221b in rubble and ashes. I think I need … something … now …
Noooo. No no nononono. It’s too much. I can’t deal with this. If 221B is destroyed, what does that say about Johnlock????
(Apparently this gif will now be all I need to respond to anything regarding S4)
So @welovethebeekeeper asked about Sherlock’s emotions in relation to her water = feelings meta (x).
In the unaired pilot (S01E00 ASiP), the first time Sherlock invites John to a case (and essentially into his life), it is pouring rain outside
Lauriston Gardens. Sherlock even lifts the police tape up to let John into the crime scene – this is important to file away for later.
The unaired pilot also has the gothic bat-Sherlock scene. Also in drizzling rain. However, Sherlock is on the rooftop, oblivious to John’s wondering gaze. The intensity (wetness) of the scene plays into the water meta also.
In the aired S01E01 ASiP, there is no rain at Lauriston Gardens. Instead, we get this exchange at Angelo’s:
We’re told that relationships are not Sherlock’s area in both versions of ASiP. In the unaired pilot, we get a variation of the ‘girl/boyfriend’ talk, with some mention of girlfriends ‘feeding you up’, which gets a callback in the Best Man’s speech in ‘thing … thing with peas’ (details here).
Anyway – back to the water. Are love and relationships what real, ordinary people have in their lives? Moriarty in S0303 HLV seems to think so – and his little song now makes a lot more sense in light of the water = feelings meta point of view:
I think the ‘dying’ is figurative. I think what Moffat means for it here is shedding your old self and metamorphosizing into a stronger, wiser self:
There’s a snow flurry for Christmas in S02E01 ASiB, where emotions and confused feelings are simmering beneath the surface for everyone in 221b. Along with the snow covering the ground, the scene also features fire, the Woman, and drinking – all symbolism that Sherlock writers have used as code for love. (Not to mention the gems about 57 text alerts and John’s blog getting stuck on 1895.)
With S03E01 TEH, Sherlock has been taking baby steps towards recognizing the depth of his feelings for John.
During the mini-rift post-Daffodil, Sherlock tries taking on Molly as a ‘rebound’ partner in crime deduction, with incompatible results. Sherlock realizes that only John will do. He thanks Molly for “everything you did for me.”, kisses her goodbye, and walks out into a snow flurry (frozen rain).
Sherlock’s frozen heart is thawing out.
Later on, we see how much he cares for John Watson when he springs into action on hearing John is in danger … he commandeers a motorcycle in the rain, and proceeds to locate and rescue John. Amazing how fire exposes our priorities.
Remember the invitation to the crime scene from the unaired pilot? Fast forward to S02E02 TSoT, at the crime scene, when Sherlock went and contaminated the crime scene himself:
Not strictly in the rain meta, but a callback worth noting nonetheless. I think the writers are trying to tell us something. Come on, dance with me …
For example, Sherlock’s heart as a Faraday Cage (x) – “lined with lead to act as a shelter in the event of a radiation leak.” from Doctor Who S09E03 (Under the Lake).The thing that keeps the reactor (Sherlock’s heart) calm and cool when in shock is to calm it by flooding it with (unconditional?) love. (Redbeard).
So yes, I do clue for looks in Doctor Who – they’re popping up all over this season – see here for more.
Since we’ve come this far together, there’s one bit that joins back to the water meta with both John and Sherlock together. Notice the water dripping in front of “dummy / shadow” Sherlock (actually John) in Leinster Gardens when Sherlock exposes Mary’s secret:
Thanks for reading! I live in hope of rain, y’all.
Reblogging with a postscript – there was RAIN. And sooner than I thought – I had imagined it would be for The Three Garridebs moment.
There was pouring rain for the Reichenbach Falls scene in The Abominable Bride, when Sherlock confesses to himself in his mind palace that he needs John, that there ‘s always the two of them.
The floodgates are about to open, and it will be epic.
okay but listen so the maid is john’s bisexuality, right? and he yells at her “ARE YOU INCAPABLE OF BOILING AN EGG?!” i was like wtf is he even talking about, but what if the egg is a reference to a baby, what if sherlock knows or suspects that john didn’t get mary pregnant??? also “the fires are rarely lit, there’s dust everywhere,” john and mary are rarely “together” and she’s not keeping his bisexuality in line…
So the house represents John and Mary’s marriage/sex life. The maid, who should be keeping up the house (marriage), cannot maintain the house (marriage) because she’s too preoccupied with Watson’s stories about Sherlock in the Strand.
John’s bisexual side is too into Sherlock to pay attention to Mary. I fucking love this shit.
whimsysmayhem 