—Case closed.
—I don’t want it closed, I want it solved.
Tag: elementary
So, Elementary fandom has talked about gaslighting before, and how it is used in abusive relationships. We’ve seen Irene/Moriarty do this to Sherlock in Elementary, and the same pattern appears in the newly-aired Sherlock with Sherlock and John. This article defines how gaslighting takes several distinct forms most of which can been seen paralleled with Elementary and BBC Sherlock. (Also, if anyone with psychiatric background could weigh in on this, that’d be great.)
1-4: Compartmentalising: Irene fakes her own death, then makes a sudden reappearance a year later, after Sherlock has moved on and formed healthy relationships with other people (Elementary).
Sherlock fakes his own death, makes a sudden reappearance two years later after John has moved on and formed healthy relationships with people (BBC)
5&6 – Denial, Blaming/Deflection, Chronic Invalidation: Sherlock deduces that Irene is working for Moriarty (or at least, not held captive by him as she stated) and thinks she’s lying to him – he gets angry. Irene placates him, saying it’s because he is “seeing things that aren’t there”. (Elementary)
John’s angry at Sherlock for not contacting him for the last two years; Sherlock doesn’t apologise and dismisses John’s anger, explaining that it was because Sherlock didn’t trust him. (BBC)
7&8 Domination: Irene tries to make Sherlock take back his words – when he doesn’t, she replies with “You lied before! You don’t want to come with me, so you’re inventing an excuse not to!”. Then she walks out of Sherlock’s life and makes him think he’s cause of it because in her eyes, he is the just as bad as Moriarty. (Elementary)
John’s angry that Sherlock acts irresponsibly and the bomb is about to go off. Sherlock defuses the bomb in the tube train, but lets John believe that they’re both going to die. Sherlock fakes vulnerability, apologises to John and uses the now-or-never-scenario to make John accept his apology. (BBC)
9&10 Minimalisation: Irene waltzes back into Sherlock’s life, reveals her true identity, and calls Sherlock’s trauma at her death a game. “You’re a game I’ll win every time.” (Elementary)
Sherlock reveals that the bomb had an off switch, and laughs at John’s trauma and fear when he thinks he’s about to die. “Your face, your face! Totally had you!” (BBC)
The most important thing about this, though, is that Elementary portrays it as an abusive relationship and recognises that Moriarty/Sherlock is not in any way a healthy relationship. Meanwhile BBC Sherlock does the complete opposite, which is all kinds of fucked up.
I’m going to get hate for this
I figured this was the direction BBC Sherlock would go the moment Sherlock said, after being told that John had moved on with his life, “What life? I’ve been away.” To me, that concisely sums up a lot of what I don’t like about the BBC take on the character.
#can i mention how cool it is to have a variation of sherlock holmes where he says stuff like this #because it’s important #and this episode is my favourite so far because it’s surprisingly accurate #and it was just great to hear him say this #because sherlock holmes is of course intelligent and a modern sherlock would know this #and even though this holmes does have that social crass and indelicacy he’s softer in some ways to the others #which is what makes him different and a new take and interesting to watch #he’s a rare fictional example of a character who is pragmatic and driven and a bit socially blunt but also has a firm moral intelligence too #just because a character can be blunt and rude and not understand that they’ve just insulted someone doesn’t have to mean #that they don’t understand right from wrong (via teacupsandcyanide)
I always reference this scene when talking about Jonny as Holmes because this is what makes him the most Holmesian Holmes since the passing of the great Jeremy Brett.
Sherlock Holmes cares about people, he cares about justice, he cares about not what is legally right but what is morally right and this scene reminds me so much of Holmes’ concern for Violet Hunter in The Copper Beeches or Violet Smith in The Solitary Cyclist or Helen Stoner in The Speckled Band all women in close proximity to abusers/potential abusers and he’s so concerned for them.
That’s Sherlock Holmes, a man concerned with justice and the protection of victims. I love Jonny’s Holmes with a passion because this is my childhood hero returned.
^ THISSSSSSSSS
I seriously just adore the Elementary version of the character SO much and this is one of the scenes that made me adore him ❤
AND THE EPISODE (don’t remember which) WHERE HE GETS SO FUCKIN’ RILED UP AND ANGRY ABOUT THAT ABUSIVE RAPIST MURDERER GUY THAT HE PUNCHES HIM IN THE FUCKING FACE CAN WE JUST!!!!!!!
I do not think a season finale has ever made me quite so happy as the Elementary finale did, at least, not in a long while. A lot of finales kind of leave me on the floor going “leave me to die” or gnashing my teeth until the next season.
My thoughts/reactions to the Elementary finale, made as I watched.
Elementary may not be perfect (no show is), but IT IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN BBC SHERLOCK.
And the finale was amazing.
– Surprised Irene is actually alive
– STAPLETON, yay references
– “This is your home.” yes good
– Joan solo sluthing, also good
– Shirtless Sherlock’s farmer’s tan
– I do not know how I feel about this Irene (29 minutes into ep)
– Mainly I think I don’t ship Sherlock Holmes/Irene Adler (except in the case of Sherlock Holmes = Raven Darkholme, because I do ship Mystique/Destiny). The RDJ films, Sherlock, and now Elementary have all paired them up.
– Irene working for Moriarty? Is also a thing I am TIRED OF. WHY CAN’T IRENE JUST BE A FREE AGENT?
– IRENE IS MORIARTY? OKAY I MIGHT LIKE THIS ACTUALLY.
– IRENE IS MORIARTY. EEEEEEE. Also I want her jacket.
– flailing over Lady Moriarty sitting in the chair leaning forward like a boss
– Sherlock making Joan remove the bullets
– “unicorns of the sea”
– “Give me a number, one to ten.” “Pi.”
– Joan is having none of Irene’s bullshit and I love it.
– Moriarty asking Sherlock to join the Dark Side with her
– “she solved you” – YESSSS!
– HE NAMED BEE SPECIES AFTER JOAN
one tiny thing that just struck me:
How far the show went out of its way to make it clear that Holmes wasn’t sexually pressuring Irene. He offered her his “bet,” and I can imagine a zillion other shows that just would have left it there as a sexy “edgy” flirtation, but no – Holmes stopped himself in the middle of the flirt to make it clear that he was not conditioning his silence about her thefts on her going on a date with him.
Similarly, when he came to see her after she refused to go out with him again, obviously someone somewhere was afraid he’d look like a stalker, and so he began his speech by making it very clear that he understood it was her right to refuse him – I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a show actually spell that out in words before, because we’re all supposed to understand that the romantic couple is meant to be and therefore all’s fair, etc etc.
Kirkwall Was Totally Built On a Hellmouth 