#literally the only version in which i like moran

[wait-thats-illegal]

Season 2 of Moriarty: The Devil's Game (audible podcast) is gonna be coming out like next month and just so yall know that will be my entire personality for the foreseeable future

[tiger-moran]

I'm still tired of Moriarty (and Adler too to be honest) being used as some sort of 'archetype' where you've got to have your Holmes character, your Watson character, your Lestrade or occasionally some other main police inspector character, your Adler character, and then your Moriarty character. But very often Moriarty (and Adler too) will be the most unrecognisable out of all of them.

It's like I've said before but pretty much nobody cares about it when I say it Moriarty is not the 'most evil person ever' or an actual 'supervillain' or something and he's not even the worst villain in canon, other canonical villains do much worse things than he does. I have said all of this often in much more depth in my essay, but he's just been hyped up into this 'Holmes's Nemesis' thing which means of course basically everything he is and does has to revolve around Holmes apparently. But he wasn't even just that in the canon? Even when ACD literally just created him to try to kill Holmes off he wasn't even that or just that? Even Arthur Conan 'I have no fucks to give about these stories any more' Doyle gave Moriarty a lot more depth than just him being an 'Evil Villain' and he certainly didn't make him so that his every single thought and action involved Holmes. And yet that's essentially the only way Moriarty ever seems to be defined or portrayed now.

Look I'm not saying every detail that is there about him in the canon has to be strictly adhered to because it doesn't and frankly some of it is best ignored entirely because some of it's based in nonsense like phrenology or physiognomy and also some of it definitely sounds like Holmes's exhaustion/paranoia/drug induced hallucinations whereby he sees Moriarty as some sort of monster not as a person.

But I'm tired of almost everything with a Sherlock Holmes character having to have a 'Moriarty' but then pretty much the only thing that makes it Moriarty (supposedly) is 'this character is a Big Bad villain who goes against and is probably weirdly obsessed with Holmes'. Almost every single other thing gets erased or changed (even right down to his name more than once), and I just... do not see the appeal or the point of creating what's basically a completely original character then slapping the name Moriarty on it.

Often it used to be basically... let's make this guy absolutely depraved, the Absolute Worst Person Ever. And they'd tack the name Professor Moriarty on him and that was it, that was supposed to make me buy that that really is Moriarty.

Now it's more like... let's change practically every detail about this character so it's basically a totally unrecognisable original character. But then I'm still supposed to a/ accept and see this as Moriarty somehow because the character is obsessed with the Holmes character and going against him and... that's about it usually and b/ automatically love this character just because it's supposedly still Moriarty and c/ get really excited about the idea of even more adaptations doing this same sort of thing often as well? When... no? I don't see that as Moriarty any more than I see the 'depraved and nothing else' character as Moriarty? And I don't love these characters, in fact mostly I don't even like them and usually I will actively hate them? Especially when they manage to screw over Adler's character at the same time as doing this with Moriarty. And I am never going to get excited about the prospect of any more versions like this, in fact I'm at the point where I now actively dread any more of them popping up.

And it especially sucks how often erasing or changing almost every detail about Moriarty involves erasing or demeaning Moran as well as Moriarty's relationship with Moran. 'Moriarty' usually ends up obsessing one way or another over Holmes and either his relationship with Moran doesn't exist at all (which means sometimes Moran doesn't exist at all), or it's a relationship without any closeness, without any trust, without any real respect, yet it was ACD who put the basis of the idea that Moran is a mirror to Watson and the Moriarty and Moran relationship is a mirror of the Holmes and Watson relationship there, that idea comes from the canon, the few of us in the fandom who actually care about the characters and the relationship did not just invent that out of thin air.

Though in fact even older versions which are generally canonically pretty faithful still demeaned the relationship, they still relegated Moran to being unimportant to Moriarty. I mean even Granada kind of did all of this - they expanded on Moriarty in some ways but then really didn't do a lot to expand on him beyond him being the Big Bad Villain who exists only to commit crime and has no other interests at all apparently and he rivals Holmes and that's it, and they didn't do anything with Moriarty and Moran together, which they could have easily done when they seemed to have no issue putting Moriarty into a story he canonically wasn't in. And the Bert Coules' Final/Empty radio adaptations certainly did this - Moriarty's actions all seem to revolve around Holmes in that; Moran is relegated to just one of many people who work for him; all of the things that could have implied closeness between him and Moriarty were cut out completely.

And mostly really I'm sick of these radically different versions being all lumped together with the few I care about and being treated as interchangeable with them when most of those versions have no relevance whatsoever to me, and then people going on and on about some version in which I can see pretty much precisely nothing of Moriarty (i.e. the character I love so much) and how that's apparently the ~superior~ version.

Sorry but where the hell is my middle-aged maths professor who probably also likes art and who is a good teacher and has other interests and, you know, a whole life that doesn't actually revolve around Holmes, and his devoted bosom friend Moran? Because we've had hundreds if not thousands of these supposed 'Moriartys' by now in adaptations and non-canonical texts. And yet I've had that about the grand total of 1 (one) time.

[our-detective-so-supreme]

For the ask game

19), 9), 38) and 14)

Thanks for the ask! :D

19) Which is the funniest moment in the series?

Moran in the anime version of the Phantom of Whitechapel arc, specifically at the start and end. I can't help but crack up when he calls Louis a "traitor". 'Cause it's like? How??? XD

To clarify: I know what he was getting at in that scene, but I can't help but laugh at him! At least he comes around later.

Then at the end when Jack joins the team, again, idk what Moran was so worked up about, but it's just so hysterical! Especially his "Huh?!" in the dub!

9) Sexiest character

Just one?

Well, Moran is basically 75% of the series' fanservice; I mean, look at those muscles! Well, actually most of the guys are ripped-

Then of course, there's William with his infamous line that sends chills up my spine every time!

I don't think I can choose just one; I could so easily measure them on a scale of cute to sexy, however! (I'll have to do that for a separate post, though; these answers are getting kinda long-)

38) Do you read or watch any other adaptations of Sherlock Holmes?

As a matter of fact, I do! :)

The Granada TV series is one that I'll always recommend; it was actually what got me to read the canon again! The attention to detail and faithfulness to the source material are things I never get tired of. There is a reason subsequent adaptations pay homage to the late Jeremy Brett; he was literally born for the role. (Heck, he was even Jean Doyle's headcanon Sherlock)

And while I'm currently taking a break from it (very long story), the Hayao Miyazaki & Kyosuke Mikuriya collab that is Meitantei Holmes (known in English as Sherlock Hound) is another great anime based on Sherlock Holmes. It has many of the traits typical of the Ghibli movies. Need I say more? Also, that version of Moriarty is essentially inB4 Waluigi.

The Great Mouse Detective (the children's books, not the Disney film, though it's good too) is another series I've enjoyed so far, even though I've only covered three of the eight books so far. I look forward to continuing when I get the chance!

Much like YuuMori, these three are also really great introductions to the canon, or just enjoyable on their own.

I've seen others, too, but I don't think I can really recommend them as much. Maybe I should make a tier list one of these days!

14) What is your favorite quote or scene?

The scene in The Final Problem arc where Fred tells William there's really no reason for him to die had an impact on me.

Because aside from it being absolutely true, it's also the first time Fred speaks up without so much as a nudge from anyone else. That was all on his own accord. And if he does finally get a backstory in Part 2 (please Miyoshi-sensei!) , it will only add more to his speech later on. Though even without a backstory, it still tells us how much William means to Fred (and the others as well, obviously).

[autumn-oceanopromises]

Review for the Night-Bird’s Feather

Look, I’m not your typical reviewer of the Night-Bird’s Feather. I want to get this out of the way: I am not going to rave review about the deeper meaning of this story, in part because I’m just not intelligent enough, I think. But as a fond connoisseur of fairy-tales, even sometimes dark ones, and being marginally familiar with Dr Moran’s previous work, mostly from Ryuugi’s fanfic and Glitch, I bought the Night-Bird’s Feather.

I bought it on Kindle thanks to Prokopetz’ recommendation, having bought Glitch Version 0 beforehand (also on Prokopetz’ recommendation). I give the Night-Bird’s Feather 10/10 stars. 100/10. 2500 mechanical spiders/10. I will read it again at some point in the future on my Kindle, probably when there’s no data coverage, on the Tube, again, and spend half the trip reading and half the trip trying to figure out what the characters are saying when they’re not being incredibly blunt. I recommend that you buy it. I recommend that you read it. I don’t recommend that you comprehend it. Comprehension is not necessary for this anthology of connected fairy tales. In fact, arguably, it’s better if you don’t, and let the rhythm of the words wash over you and turn your brain off. Certainly the incredible over-stimulation and twisty layers made me feel like a child again, poking at a mother who is probably stuck in a heron’s egg, and definitely not capable of explaining what the bloody fuck is going on beyond the absolute surface layer.

This is not going to be a spoiler free review. I love it too much and comprehend it too little to dance around plot points. I have no criticism to give, because almost the whole thing went over my head, beyond the usual things where Dr Moran is absolutely brilliant at worldbuilding and scene-setting, having tied it in some part to the Bleak Academy, and the characters are, while mostly setpieces in the way that fairy-tale characters are, are also vocal mouthpieces talking in complex tongues, registers, and reasoning, regardless of physical or developmental age. Yes, it’s unrealistic and heavy-handed on the philosophical moralizing, but as I mentioned, I understood none of the philosophy, so I can’t and won’t criticize it. Since it also doesn’t seem at all out of place. The massive monologues are a part of the style and weave easily into the narrative. In any case, realism is not what you read Dr Moran or fairy-tales for.

The Night-Bird’s Feather is at once a combination of fairy/folk-tale anthology, in the way that linked fairy-tales are, and at the same time an examination of one central character’s life through time (literally through time in some ways), a legendary figure and/or matriarch of an inestimable family, where the matriarchy mostly happens off-screen. The reader is introduced to this matriarch in her founding, origin story, via a child of the family, and the rest of the cast of characters star in various, repeating roles as they move toward the child of the family’s personal present (for a given definition of present, given the nature of the bleak academy), a nest of stories, like scheherazade; but honestly the central linking conceit of the story reminded me the most of The Time Traveler’s Wife, had the perspective been centered on the time traveler rather than the wife.

The anthology has an incredible exploration into a very small number of characters: all of the relevant characters are introduced in the first story, and all of them are explored in great detail and are all very relevant. No additional mice, except for those family members locked in the initial egg, are introduced, which scurry off into the ether - the story ends when the central character has moved on to other things, and feels simultaneously finished in a nice neat bow and unfinished in a Wattersonian way.

The book, as a whole, is darkly beautiful, and very Slavic. I hadn’t read much Slavic fairy tales beforehand, so I can’t attest as to the stylization’s accuracy - the only one I know is Koschei, and that was a Britishized version for ages 6 and under, anyway. The prose is stunning - glittering and evocative, imaginative and lush, ornamented yet clear. It is a book which drips poetry out of every line, which I adore, and is simultaneously a clearly-understandable fairy-tale for children (if dark and mature - along the lines of Grimm - though in no part edgy - I think - nor with a focus on gore for the sake of gore), and a deeply meaty chunk of philosophizing for adults. It’s worth buying for the descriptive prose alone.

The book is also, on occasion, incredibly funny. Because it relies on subverting expectations of fairy tales, and the focus character is something of a guile hero given the stakes she puts herself up against, sometimes the characters make razor-sharp observations against expectations that absolutely shattered my sides. 

You can - I certainly did - push the heavy cerebral stuff to the side, and just focus on the fairy-tale. There is a lot of it, and all of it is good. I think the heavy cerebral stuff actually adds something - in that in its exclusion, everything else is starkly, darkly emotional, kind of. But the tone is unrelentingly miserable, a drudging, if beautiful, tragedy by Westernized and flanderized fairy-tales’ standpoint - from what I have seen of Slavic mythology and fairytales, that tone is pretty much on point. With the clear cerebral philosophy + comedy, though, and all the time and dream travel, that makes it bearable, even addictive.  

I read all of it in a single sitting. I understood almost none of it. I’d read my partner, if I had one, this story, before bed. We would likely dream lush, vibrant, beautiful dreams, like watching rain pour down from inside a cozy house, like we were kids again and ignoring all the really thorny problems of the world that only adults could see and comprehend. There’s a beauty in just being able to push it aside and admit that it’s just way too much for us. If asked, I’d be able to explain none of this book. I recommend it to everyone.

[tea-understands]

“Nobody asked about my writing” meme

@modernwizard​ : thank you for the inspiration!

I’m sure you guys would send me asks if i ever reblogged one of those writing memes but most of the time i wouldn’t know how to answer most of the questions. so, this is not about you not being a supportive audience. this is about me being a faint-hearted squirrel.

 1: what are you currently working on? 

the next chapter of my Sherlock fan fic. (no really. for once in my life i’m actually making some progress - that is, whenever i’m not on tumblr lol) as well as editing some of the already posted chapters for when i’m finally going to update the thing.

i’ve also started a Doctor Who fix it. which is coming along really slowly.

2: summarize your current project 

it’s been YEARS and i still can’t come up with a better summary than the one i posted on ao3:

“A kidnapped teenage girl. A political conspiracy. Bees. And somehow in the midst of it all, John learns a few things Sherlock forgot to mention about those two years.“

But really, i also get to explore a few things about John’s past. and Sherlock’s pre-series past. IF you want to read it, please feel free to contact me, because the version on ao3 comes with a couple of mistakes i’m getting rid of the moment i’m posting the next chapter! (i don’t want to edit them now because i don’t want people to get a notification, thinking i’ve posted the next chapter only to find i did some minor edits). AND YES, I KNOW I HAVEN’T UPDATED THAT FIC FOR YEARS. I’ve been busy.

for my DW fix it:

The universe is ending, but that’s the least of the Doctor’s problems.  (I need you to understand that the universe ending is literally the subplot in this one!)

Yeah, i need to work on that summary. Basically, I want to re-write some of the plot of the Flux story arc, and, while being at it, i’m also changing a few bits and pieces about the Timeless Child.

3: summarize your current project poorly 

A crime fighting graduate chemist and an ex-army doctor team up to stop a political conspiracy involving bees. (Am I doing this right?)

The Doctor, Yaz and the Master investigate the Division and happen to save the universe in the process. They also bring back Gallifrey by accident. The Master is not happy about this.

4: describe your favorite character or characters

HOW AM I EVEN SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE? (like, this is exactly why i hardly ever post writing ask memes). Let’s do something else instead: describe why you’re looking forward to writing your project:

BBC Sherlock: series 3 just doesn’t find the time to deal with a lot of interesting topics which could be turned into a nice little story (Moran, the aftermath of The Empty Hearse, why does Sherlock volunteer to help with the wedding preparations, i want to tackle Sherlock and Mary’s friendship in general, also Mary and Janine’s. Sherlock and Mycroft’s. And i’ve always wanted to write a case fic involving bees).

DW: how did the Master go from Missy’s redemption arc to destroying Gallifrey? What did he do during those 77 years on Earth? Just the Doctor and the Master’s complicated past (and future?). Yaz. Ruth!Doctor. Time Lord Telepathy. Australia. Lizards (like, actual lizards).

5: post a line from your current project without any context 

BBC Sherlock: Sherlock had shown him a glimpse of the dark secrets holding the threads of the universe, the ugly, elemental puzzle pieces of human nature which, any later, Sherlock would have been too self-conscious to trust him with. 

DW: For a moment the world dips into golden star dust and she does her best not to think of endings and beginnings.

6: how do you get through writers block?

depends on what’s causing it. but these days i usually switch projects and work on my other fic instead. sometimes, going through my ao3 bookmarks and revisiting some old favourites help.

7: would you want to live in the world of your current work? 

BBC Sherlock: no, there are already enough political conspiracies in this one, thank you very much.

DW: a hard no! i know i said it was a sub-plot, but the universe *is* literally ending.

8: briefly discuss your outlining process, if you outline 

i don’t actually write an outline. but i have a pretty good idea of where i want my story to go and what i need to deal with in the next chapters to get there.

9: what is the aesthetic of your current project 

BBC Sherlock: at times dark, at times light and sparkly but always soft. much softer than the show (while still very much dealing with torture. like. i literally wrote a torture scene, which is probably the hardest thing i’ve ever done and hopefully ever will do. 0/10. wouldn’t recommend). does emotional closure count as an aesthetic? no? it should.

DW: i know hurt/comfort isn’t an aesthetic BUT it should be. maybe cottage core in space?

10: what song sums up your current work the best?

*forgets every single song she’s ever listened to*

i tag: @aelaer @natalunasans @beguilewritesstuff and literally whoever wants to. if you see this post consider yourself tagged.

[opoxun]

About the real Name of William James Moriarty

On several occasions we are shown that William James Moriarty possesses a birth name that we do not know. The first one is in chapter 33, when Charles Augustus Milverton investigates the professor's past and discovers the record of a trial he participated in when he was little. Milverton complains that the name of the plaintiff, the child (that is, our William) is illegible (how convenient.)

The second time this is indicated to us is in chapter 53. Following William's instructions, Sherlock Holmes runs to an abandoned house where he finds the evidence of the plans that the Lord of Crime has been carrying out. Among the documents are the birth certificates of the siblings. "So this is Liam's real name…"

In addition, the theme is also joked in two omakes. In the one of chapter 33, (related to the scene ut supra diximus) Milverton is amazed about th fact that the water has only erased William's name from all the documents. In chapter 34, Bond asks William for his real name; he firmly replies that it is a secret.

 (Sorry, I didn’t find the text in english.)

We still have no clue of which one this name may be. I, a person who believes a lot in the symbolism of the names, have three in mind: Joshua, Michael and Adam. I will begin to explain them in order from least to greatest personal taste.

Joshua

The original name of Jesus Christ in Biblical Hebrew was יְהוֹשֻׁעַ yehoshua. The english variant of this name is Joshua. 

Perhaps this comparison is the most obvious of the three. William's goal is to sacrifice himself for the world to make it pure. He alone bears the sins of all mankind. He is a martyr, that if we do a bit of etymology, we remember that it comes from the Greek «μάρτυς, -υρος», «witness», in the sense that he gives testimony of his faith even when he is going to be sacrificed. The main martyr in history is the figure of Jesus, with whom the manga itself has made the comparison twice.

Indeed, Sebastian Moran says that “he’s starting to look like the guy who carried a cross while climbing the hill of Golgotha, bearing all of our sins and ultimately dying alone.” 

We also have an illustration (chapter 61) of William with the crown of thorns, a characteristic sign of Jesus, since they forced him to put it on his head while carrying the cross. The objective was to make fun of him: it was a deserved crown for "the king of the Jews”.

In any case, these two references with Moran present make me think that this comparison refers more to Moran's perception of William than how William sees himself.

Michael

In Hebrew: מיכאל mica.el, (literally: Who is like Him?) being its English version, Michael (pronounced /'maɪ.kl/). It is in reference to the archangel Michael, commander of God's troops in the jewish-christian religion and in charge of expelling the angels (future demons, including Lucifer) who rebelled in heaven. Of course, Lucifer would also suit him (light bearer, misunderstood angel…) but I find it a bit too dramatic.

The fall of the rebel angels by Luca Giordano (c.1666)

To support this theory, according to Christopher Roden, a Holmesian expert, a fellow student at Arthur Conan Doyle's school may have served as the inspiration for Moriarty's last name. This young man was called Michael Moriarty, and in his first year of school he won a math contest by presenting a paper on the binomial theorem. Let us remember that the three Moriartys obtained a prestigious degree (The King’s Scholar) in the school where they studied, and that the thesis that gave William his doctorate was precisely about the binomial theorem.

Adam

In reference to the first man, lider of mankind, and the first sinner. From the Hebrew "adamá" (אדמה) which means red clay. It can also mean blood, very appropriate for William, who seems to be obsessed with this concept: he sees his hands constantly stained with scarlet due to the guiltiness of his sins.

(Let me catch my breath. This scenes break my heart.)

Curiously, on the back cover of volume 9 of the Spanish version we can see that it says "The Past of the Lord of Crime is like the forbidden fruit ..."

On the other hand we have the identification of Milverton with the serpent of Eden, the evil that incites to sin. This being the case, William could be Adam, who is forced to start the Final Problem earlier than expected because Milverton had agreed to reveal the identity of the Lord of Crime if he dies. Miverton, (the serpent), forces William (Adam) to sin and flee from "paradise” (tranquility and purity).

And you will say, is Sherlock Eve then, Adam’s partner? Well, although it may be funny in the first instance, if we think about it Milverton also “incites” Sherlock to sin: he forces him to kill him, sharing William and Sherlock the same crime since that night, becoming partners...in crime. (Thanks to Kiba –Laura- for this idea.)

What’s more, the real person the original Moriarty is based on was a criminal named Adam Worth. You could say that since he was the real person, Adam is Moriarty's real name.

The small drawback that I see with this name is that there is already a character in the play called like that (Adam Whiteley), but since we also have coincidences like Bill (the math student) and Billy (Billy the Kid, who rescues Sherlock and William) maybe they could just let it go. 

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For me, a name has a lot of power. At the end of the day, it is how we refer to a person, it is a way to identify them immediately. That is why I have tried to argue these names that in my opinion are very appropriate for the character of William James Moriarty. However, just as a name is important, so is not having it. We have already seen in yuumori that there is a lot of emphasis on William's hidden name. Even in the songs for the anime adaptation “名 前 な き 生 贄” (Nameless Sacrifice) in Dying Wish. Not knowing William's name is one of the crucial elements in the story. William acts from anonymity: he wants society to hate the "evil Professor Moriarty", while his true self (his real name) remains hidden in the shadows. The issue of the no name can already be seen in another manga work, Monster, where this fact is also given great relevance.

In conclusion, although I would like to know which the real name of William James Moriarty is, I think that part of the magic (and meaning of his character) is in not knowing it. The decision is for the authors to make. For now, I'd be happy if everyone called William however they wanted. He is still a version of the charismatic Professor Moriarty, and that name doesn’t leave anyone indifferent.

[itsclydebitches]

I found out today that Watts is supposed to be John Watson, but if he was partnered with Moriarty instead of sherlock. for his fairy tale inspiration thing most RWBY characters have. that's all. Just know that's a thought someone had and considered a actually good idea.

As a massive Sherlock Holmes fan THIS is my ultimate nitpick for Nitpick November. No, it doesn’t hurt the show in any meaningful way, but boy does it grind my gears.

In what possible way is Watts an allusion to Watson? There’s literally nothing. From what we’ve seen he’s more mad scientist doctor than a medical doctor (building new defense technologies, hacking systems, the closest he gets to anything in the biological sphere is Tyrian’s tail), which a while back is basically what I assumed his reference was: some generic, mad scientist dude. Especially since they shortened “Watson” down to “Watts” which is just a plural unit of power—so evil James Watt?? I never gave it enough thought to form a concrete theory. But you could have thrown me in a room, locked the door, told me I could only come out when I hit on Watts’ inspiration, and I absolutely would have starved to death in there. There’s nothing (to my recollection anyway) that clues us in like, “Young girl in red hood fights wolf-like monsters,” or “Girl literally named after a pyrrhic victory is shot through her Achille’s tendon.” Watts isn’t a writer. He’s not Salem’s sole or primary subordinate. We’ve got no background on him to say whether or not he was involved in any major battles, but he definitely doesn’t have any distinguishing wounds. Actually, in that regard Ironwood makes for a better Watson.

Someone: “So in this war against the grimm/Salem were you injured in your shoulder, or your leg? We’ve been hearing conflicting things…”

Ironwood: “Both.” [uniform dramatically rips to reveal half his body is metal]

Watson is very much the heart to Holmes’ logic, whereas Watts is the logic to everyone else’s high emotions: Tyrian’s obsession, Hazel’s rage, Cinder’s lust for power. It’s not even a good “What if?” scenario considering that Watson never even met Moriarty. Holmes just announces one day that there’s this Napoleon of Crime who has been working behind the scenes (Salem only wishes she could be half as effective), they’re immediately on the run, Holmes “dies,” Watson is sad for about three years, and then Holmes shows up again having dealt with everyone but Moran. Holmes literally does all the work in that one, quite deliberately. I love Watson and will rail against any adaptation that writes him as dumb, but my man is not out there bringing cities to their knees through insane hacking skills. RWBY’s allusions are meaningless at this point, but why not at least give him an identifiable quirk? Watts as Watson should want to write Salem’s biography because she’s going to be Queen of Remnant someday, the people deserve to know of your evil deeds other than through Tyrian’s insane preaching.

(I would unironically watch that version of Watts.)

Wait. I cracked the code.

They both have mustaches. And carry guns. But:

“I have always held, too, that pistol practice should be distinctly an open-air pastime”

Couldn't even get that right. Watts is pulling a Holmes here, shooting indoors 😔

The silver lining to all this: someone give me the fic where Watts and Salem are sharing rooms in the castle and hilarity ensues.

[chamerionwrites]

:bookemoji: for that fanfic ask

Deep cuts here but it could be argued that my very first fandom - before I actually realized that fandom was a thing people did on the internet - was book!Sherlock Holmes. (I thank the writing gods every day that the amateurish casefic I wrote when I was ten does not exist anywhere in digital form, lmao.)

At any rate “The Final Problem” and “The Empty House,” aka the stories where Holmes famously takes an apparent tumble off a waterfall but it turns out (three years later) that reports of his death were greatly exaggerated, are not so much full of plot holes as one massive plot hole you could drive an aircraft carrier through. The literally-Doylist explanation for this is that the author was desperately bored enough to push his creation off a cliff in Switzerland but ultimately susceptible enough to fan mail and profit to have second thoughts, and it’s hard to convincingly resurrect a character that you intended very decisively to kill.

In-universe, however, what bothered me most and still bothers me now is how wildly out of character Holmes behaves in “The Final Problem.” Sherlock Holmes, notorious lover of drama and disregarder of his own physical safety, would NOT peace the fuck out of the closing act of the most important case of his career and leave everything to Scotland Yard purely because Moriarty threatened to murder him. This makes ZERO SENSE. Any number of people threaten him in various other stories, and he invariably responds with that weirdly gleeful and very recognizably human Fight Me aura that is certain people’s instinctive response to being threatened, aka “continue to Do The Thing, only twice as hard and with ten times more deliberate intent to irritate the threatener.” And if you fill your story with OOC plot holes I feel entitled to fix them in the most gloriously angsty and surprisingly-easy-to-render-canon-compliant way possible. Namely: in Holmes’ suspiciously cagey and uncharacteristically shaken explanation of why he needs to suddenly go on the run and drag Watson along, he neglected to mention (which is in character LOL) that it was in fact Watson that Moriarty threatened to murder.

I’m sure any number of versions of this fic have been written (it was very directorially on-brand, by which I mean Exuberantly Loud, but I was iddishly delighted when Guy Ritchie at least in vague general premise gave me big-budget fanfic of my decades-old headcanon). However I do like my personal mental version, which is less about the events themselves and more about Watson playing detective for once and piecing the true version together after the fact (with a touch of extremely spiteful assistance from his own dark mirror villain Colonel Moran) and then getting to be justifiably livid about it.

I once went so far as to research primary source 1891 train and ferry schedules for this, but it is many years since I was immersed enough in this canon to write the story I envisioned in my head. I do really wish it existed so I could read it, though.

[dangermousie]

Continuing with my reread

And got to the point where they visit the Rufeng Sect.

But before I get to the chapters-specific stuff, I wanted to talk about something that discussion between @moransumbrella and @momoliee (about SQT and RJ) made me think about.

And it’s that in 2ha, one of the big narrative points is that it is understandable to want to survive/get revenge/protect yourself or others but no goal however understandable or noble in the abstract can justify systematically hurting innocents and when you cross that line and keep crossing it, you become a monster. Maybe a tragic one or understandable one, but there is none of that “oh you poor thing, go on” attitude.

Is there any doubt that Shimei is fully justified in wanting to save his people from the horrors they are subjected to in the cultivation world? No, not at all. But leaving aside the irony of his plan wrecking both the one person we’ve seen who never ever went along with that behavior (CWN) and the person who IS part of those people and a special one at that (Moran), those two also being some of the few people who treated him so well, nobody in their right mind would think he’s justified to literally destroy a Universe he is in and then start working on the Universe of the main story. He is a monster pure and simple and nothing can justify what he does. Or, on a smaller scale take someone like Rong Jiu (mainly 0.5), Song QT, Nangong Xu or even that family in Butterfly Town. They all have reasons for doing the horrible things they do - desperation to get out of awful life (RJ, SQT), rightly wanting vengeance for having his place stolen (NX), or even understandable desire to get ahead as a family (Butterfly Town folks.) Shimei’s sister - same - she does the monstrous things she does because she loves her brother. Meatbun gets that very few people genuinely see themselves as villains - even as mad, as gone, as compelled, as broken TXJ was, he still clung to his “I was justified to torture CWN 0.5 because he killed Shimei″ like a life raft. Even a person who was not in any way in possession of free will in his actions or even his thoughts, still felt he needed to operate on a “just world” theory.

BUT the thing is, it makes their actions justified in their own heads but Meatbun never makes the mistake of letting us forget that even monsters with valid reasons are monsters. There is no justification in the world that can make what Shimei did OK, there is no justification in the world that can make anything any of the bad actors do to innocents OK. It relates to huge things (Hua Binan literally destroying the Universe) and little ones (Rong Jiu in the Underworld betraying Moran and CWN.) Sympathy and justice are two separate concepts.

But the other thing I love is nothing is static either. Meatbun doesn’t shie from calling a monster a monster but redemption is possible no matter what. We see this with Moran (until the twist, of course, that no redemption is necessary (sort of - about this more word vomit below) because he’s an even bigger victim than CWN), we see it with Shimei 2.0 - I will never warm up to Shimei for emotional reasons but there is zero question that he is working hard on his redemption at the end and is earning it. But the thing is - you have to possess moral consciousness to want to redeem yourself. That is what makes you salvageable. Moran possesses it, Shimei 2.0 possesses it (and I love the concept that no matter how high your sins, you CAN be redeemed. But that redemption doesn’t necessarily involve personal happiness or your victims forgiving you, it is basically hard work only for internal reward of the possibility of peace.) A lot of other monsters, large and small, do not. 

OK, the thing about whether Moran needs redemption that I just mentioned. The quick and easy answer is “of course not.” He was probably the biggest victim of them all and none of the monstrous things he did were his fault or within his control. But I love that the answer is actually more complicated because it rings emotionally true. Moran finding out the truth near the end is wonderful and will allow him not to perpetually drown in guilt, but just as TXJ sliver doesn’t really fade into the rest of his souls, I don’t think the guilt will go away fully, not for a while. Because, aside from the concept of utter lack of volition combined with utter lack of knowledge that you actually lacked volition and deludedly thought this was all your ideas, being a whole other different trauma, the fact remains that Moran remembers feeling rage/hatred/bitter satisfaction in murder and rape and torture and burning the world. He remembers all the awful things he’s done to his most loved ones. And he clearly gloms onto “the flower brings out all your darkest/worst/most insane desires and makes them conscious thoughts” aspect of the curse - he tells CWN that the flower made real things he sometimes thought of and so it only worked because it was him and not someone better like CWN - and some of it is trying to comfort CWN and make him feel less guilty that Moran took on the flower so CWN’s won’t be forced to to - but some of it is his genuine belief. And that is what is so insidious about that curse - it twists normal stray thoughts and healthy interests into murder and insanity (compare TXJ’s obsession with CWN because Moran had such strong positive feelings about CWN before the spell, to his utter lack interest in e.g., Nangong Liu who he let run off when he took Rufeng because as long as the man didn’t fight him, he couldn’t care less what he did, because flower couldn’t turn indifference into something negative.) So I do think in addition to knowing on intellectual level about not being responsible not being equal to getting it on emotional level, Moran clearly feels responsibility because it was his emotions only out of whack and insanely perverted that the flower based its compulsions on. Moran became such a monster precisely because he has such strong loves and such strong emotions in general - strong love and desire to protect became strong hate and endless appetite for torture. The flower changes the nature of emotion and thoughts, not the level of intensity. If Shimei actually found someone who was genuinely utterly indifferent to most things (not CWN who feels so intensely; he conceals himself so much precisely because he feels SO much, cares SO much, he’d have been as much of a monster as Moran if he was the flower recepient), I am not sure he’d have been as successful. If the most someone is capable of is mild “eh,” it’s hard to turn it into a drive for world-destruction. So in a way, Taxian Jun was such a monster and so successful because Moran was so good and had such drive. Anyway, as most of my thoughts, this has gone into a random direction but the thing is, whether Moran is guilty of what TXJ did, the answer is not but not for Moran, and that’s one of the reasons I love him.

To get back to the chapters I am at, I hate Nangong Liu, one of the most despicable characters out there. Even TXJ, as messed up as he was, still hated not people who fought him fair and square or other honest villains, but people who’d kiss up only to stab you in the back, doing anything to get ahead and that is what head of Rufeng is. (There is a sentence to that extent when Moran 2.0 meets Nangong Liu - that who he hated most as TXJ was not Xue Meng or MHX but people like Nangong Liu. That loathing, like his obsession with CWN, is one of the few things consistent across any version of Moran and shows how much his “gratitude for good, straightforward is good” is embedded in him that even the flower couldn’t shove it out of him.) CWN’s comment that the reason Rufeng Sect is so rich because they charge God knows how much as opposed to Siseng Peak which charges very little and sometimes nothing, sums up the difference between the Upper and Lower cultivation realms. Rufeng is the wealthiest and most powerful and most respected but morally they are far beneath Siseng (there is a reason CWN is very gentle when he tells this to Xue ZY - CWN has about the truest and most moral heart in the series; there is a reason he stayed at Siseng, an “inferior” sect, even though everyone would love to have him. It’s because Xue ZY is righteous and he sees the wealth of Rufeng and wishes he could use it to give villages protection instead of decorating like Rufeng, because he’s that type of person.)

One of the biggest injustices to me is that Nangong Liu survives the book but Meatbun’s world is often like that. Being good does not mean a good ending, being bad does not mean proper punishment. The main OTP will make it through despite hell she puts them through, but for secondaries even those bets are off.

OK, this is getting War and Peace level long so I am going to stop.

[mejomonster]

There's no official news from hyx, only the actor that plays Xu Shuanglin has posted yesterday pictures of haitang blossoms with the Hyx tag and hinting at spring, Chen Feiju has made a photoshoot for the new issue of Esquire, but I think it was for his new clothing line. In conclusion, maaaybe we get something on the 8 or 9 for Moran's and Feiju's birthday, but, I don't think it will air that early, so I'm fully prepared for this to drop literally hours later after they officialy announce it, like with the majority of period cdramas. Anyway, have this leak of a close up of Taxian jun for your enjoyment in the meantime (the second I see this sexy beast on my screen my body will instantly scatter into into dust particles in the air like Chu Fei's dead body): instagram. com/p/CMqb1_5ggj0/?igshid=1jhjlq4gv9i4j

GOD TAXIAN JUN TAXIAN JUN TAXIAN JUN

fun fact. i did not care for chen feiyu’s casting when it was first announced lol? cause my headcanon mo ran was like ‘perfectly innocent/sweet/happy/friendly’ looking like Lan Sizhui’s actor in the Untamed. But then i heard he was the lead in Evernight which is very popular and loved so i figured ‘ok he must be a good actor.’ then the promo pics of their costumes dropped and i was like OKAY ok i’m probably sold. he LOOKS perfect. he does Embody the Vibes. He’s doing it. and taxian jun looks perfect. and !!!! THEN chen feiyu mentioned he read the whole book, loved it, and worked very hard to get in character for every version of mo ran and thought a lot about how to embody each different point in mo ran right, and simply the fact he so clearly cares about his character and doing it justice and cares about the story he’s a part of telling. makes me very happy we got him for mo ran because he cares a lot, and simply effort and care means he will do a kind job for the story. even if the show’s imperfect, or he does imperfect, i will know he’s tried with love and care to do the performance justice. 

ok second: what do you think the odds are the trailer literally drops in April on a random day, and then BAM so does the first episode. Because... i don’t know if word of honor trailer dropped early... for for THAT show it felt like we heard nothing then suddenly BAM its just airing! 

sorry three I forgot ToT: THANK YOU FOR THAT VIDEO LINK

[wait-thats-illegal]

(Note I should've added earlier: this post is gonna have kinda spoilers for the newest yuumor chapter (67 I think?) It will basically be me discussing what I saw in an untranslated version and am gathering from context clues and whatnot)

I just made a post about not being able to find a translation of the newest yuumori chapter but I wanna make another talking about what I did manage to find

So, the version I found (while weirdly glitches? Idk if it was my phone or the website but whatever) was fully in Arabic but the panels were still visible

Side note: apparently the like background text is written in English? But the little bubbles and blurbs are in Japanese (I also read somewhere that newspapers are also in English? So like all he text that isn't the main bubbles.) Weird tangent but I thought it was strange seeing the chapter in Arabic but background text in English (specifically the graffiti on the old Moriarty estate, namely "Devil's House" above the door and possibly "fuck" on the side of the doorway)

Anyway, tangent aside, there's like a lot of shit that happened but also didn't really happen?? At least that's my interpretation (which isn't exactly reliable, I worked like 8 and a half hours today, crashed for like 4, woke up for a bit, and am now running on benadryl and spite.) So the start of the chapter was focused on the 3 brothers and for some reason they return back to the old estate to see it horribly decaying and vandalized (a lot of people are talking about the "Devil's House" panel.) They sort of just walk around the estate for a bit and just take everything in (the vibes of this part quite literally give me chills, like idk why but something about them walking around their vandalized and rotting home is extremely unsettling.) At this point, they break away from all 3 and focus mainly on Louis (which I, of course, am always happy about.) He walks past a bedroom but I'm not certain who's bedroom it was (originally I thought William but it could also be Louis'? I don't think they've ever shown their bedrooms, or at least I don't remember them.) He looks sad as he's looking into the room which is kinda expected for the situation. He then has like a realization and goes into the room and goes to a Secret Spot and pulls out a locked object (I can't tell if it's a locked box or locked book.) Somehow, after all the years and vandalism, this book was still in the same spot and I feel like it's gonna be important (another reason why I wanna know who's room it was, I would make sense for it to be William's if the lock had something to do with the Lord of Crime but I can also see it being something personal so it could've been in either room.)

At this point I think it goes to a flashback? Like whatever this lock was it triggered a memory. And I'm almost certain the memory was of the light novel in which Moran is cheating ay cards, gets caught, gets onto a whole mess, has to ask William for help, and eventually discovered the guy only knew Moran was cheating cause he himself was also cheating. This story isn't told in the main storyline but it's one of the light novels (idk which one though) but it does fit into the Canon timeline (the night before the Hound of Baskerville, which is when Moran and Fred told William about the dude who was like hunting orphans for sport or something (that arc was like insane but also so important and I'm forever pissed that they didn't include it in the anime.)

The chapter ends with the ending of the flashback (or at least that's all that would load so there could've possibly been more) and I'm like so confused. I know the light novels are being adapted into Mangas but I don't think this is a light novel? I assumed this was the next chapter, but it's telling a story that's already happened in a light novel but not like in the main storyline so I'm just extremely confused about what the hell is going on. Like if it was just a manga adaptation of a light novel, why is it happening in the current timeline and why is it being shown as Louis' memory?? If I recall correctly Louis didn't even want Moran to come into the estate at all because it was in the middle of the night but Moran convinced him. So yes Louis is there but he's not like a main figure? The only rational I can think of is its being shown from a bystanders perspective (similar to The Two Detectives when they were on the train) and Louis has been used in the past as a sort of filler character for when the audience needs to know what's happening but it is either too complicated or it needs to be balanced (like The Two Detectives focusing on Sherlock and William's interactions but showing them almost as equals as it isn't focused on one perspective but showing the bith simultaneously though Louis.)

There was also another major development in this moment canonically because it's the first time Louis is allowed on a mission, which is talked about after Moran and Fred leave (I'll never understand why they changed that in the anime, like Louis was involved in the schemes but he was not allowed to go on missions because William was trying to protect this image of him (and preserve his innocence?? This man committed a mass murder at the age of like 8 he is absolutely not innocent but pop off king.) So this happening after the flashback that was shown (if I'm correct about it) seems like either odd timing or like something bigger we don't know yet.

[tiger-moran]

Hey there! I absolutely adore your fics and headcanons and your blog fulfills my dose of Warner Bros. MorMor, there's so less content on them (or literally any version of Moriarty/Moran and if there is, it's usually not my cup of tea).

I've always wondered, but was never able to come up with a logical explanation, what was the reason of Moran's dishonorable discharge? Do you have any ideas or headcanons? I would love to hear them!

Hello!

Thank you :)

I think I have touched on it a couple of times in some of my fics why Moran left the army though I haven't fully explained it. I don't think he would actually have been dishonourably discharged as realistically it's not a term that would apply to a british colonel (and I do suspect they mostly included that line in AGoS just because it sounds somewhat smutty and suggestive). In the canon Moran is said to have retired after 'going wrong' and doing something in India which though there was no "open scandal" still resulted in him having to leave, so I think his retirement was something he was largely forced into though rather than him willingly retiring.

I'm going to put a TW: references to sexual assault/rape, attempted sexual assault and suicide here because my main headcanon does get a little dark...

I'm going to preface my main headcanon about why he was forced to leave the army and India by saying I do think Moran having sexual relationships with men as well as women was sort of an open secret while he was in the army, something that various even quite highly placed men knew about (probably several of them because he'd slept with them). I think that contributed towards certain people having it in for him a bit, combined with him being not exactly popular anyway. Moran has always been an outsider I'm sure and I don't think he ever really fit in with the british in India. Of Irish ancestry, queer, often considered I think to have gone too 'native' while in India, decidedly unpatriotic in many of his opinions - I don't think a lot of the people with power or influence liked him, they probably just needed him and couldn't find a good excuse to get rid of him sooner.

What I think caused things to finally come to a head though is that there was another officer who basically manipulated and coerced other men, including lower ranking soldiers, into sex. I think Moran found out about this after one of the soldiers killed himself. This guy then tried it with Moran, trying to blackmail him into sex, and Moran just lost it completely. He nearly killed this other officer with his bare hands and the only reason he didn't end up being done for murder was that some other people heard the commotion and came in and dragged him off. After that I think both men were basically forced to "retire" to avoid any kind of open scandal that could have tainted the whole army, but they would have destroyed Moran if he'd refused to go quietly and if he had tried to expose what had really gone on instead of just leaving the army and India.

I think there are other possible explanations about why Moran left the army and India too, some more plausible than others, but I feel like the way he is, his going from 'honourable soldier' to Moriarty's right hand man, it must have been something significant to turn him against the army to that extent, and that forced him to leave not just the army but the country (and that entire continent in fact) too. While I don't think he was ever some kind of 'true patriot' and he always had a wide rebellious streak in him, I don't think it can have been him just being caught sleeping with another officer's wife or something else fairly trivial like that (though that may well have happened too), or even him just being caught sleeping with another man. I think it has to have been something much bigger and more significant than anything like that, something that has left him with a huge amount of anger and resentment towards the army and the british empire overall as well because of how they treated him and how they cared more about reputation than about doing what was right.

[thewatsonbeekeepers]

Chapter 2 – Look up here, I’m in Heaven: the height metaphor

[The chapter title comes from David Bowie’s Lazarus. Lazarus is a cracking song, and you should listen to it. X CN: death, disturbing imagery]

It’s worth stating here that this whole meta has a cn for death and suicide – this one is analysing the literal peaks and troughs (height is important in this episode) that Sherlock goes through in order to look at how close he is to dying throughout.

In my reading, EMP theory begins once Mary shoots Sherlock in HLV – I’ve linked the reasons for this in Chapter 1 X, so I’m not going to run through them again here. I think Sherlock comes the closest to death that we see him in the EMP at the end of HLV – if you remember, he’s been put on a plane in ‘exile’ by Mycroft, but in reality is being sent to his death. This plane/height image is really important. In the Christian tradition (and therefore majority Western tradition that the writers are writing in), the sky is associated with heaven – Sherlock’s plane taking off being synonymous with his death seems a pretty straightforward metaphor in that regard. (It’s even one that’s used in Cats, though I don’t know if that’s a good thing.) Further to that – it ties in nicely with Sherlock being ‘high’ through a lot of s4, which represents the moments in which he is most repressed and his repression is most tied to self-harm. We have further ideas to buttress the height/aeroplane metaphor with, however – do you remember the plane in ASiB?

Sure, as I recall it never gets off the ground. But everybody on it is dead. Aeroplanes have an association with death already in this show, and the choice to put Sherlock on a plane rather than lock him up for four minutes or anything equivalent – and probably less expensive to shoot – suggests a deliberate throwback. We’re supposed to think of it as a kind of metal coffin.

[Obviously, there’s another, more notable use of an aeroplane in the programme – you can see where I’m going here. But bear with me – there’s more first.]

I want to quickly talk about what grounds Sherlock’s aeroplane. Moriarty appears on screens everywhere, and then we have the following exchange between Sherlock and Mycroft. I’ve already made a post about this that’s done the rounds on tumblr X, so if you already know this bit you’re ahead of the game.

As far as I can tell, nobody ever tells Sherlock that Moriarty is back. It’s possible Mycroft tells him offscreen, or that he googles it from his phone, given that he’s already breaking flight rules, but given that it’s the entire trigger for TAB, it seems a pretty odd thing to leave out. In EMP theory, it’s also the thing that downs his plane – in terms of the plane metaphor as well as literally, it stops him from dying. It’s pivotal, but we don’t see it. I therefore want to hypothesise – what does it mean if Sherlock is never told that Moriarty is back?

The first thing it tells us is that Sherlock is in his Mind Palace, because he knows that Moriarty is back without needing to be told. But the second is that Mycroft, the brain, is waking Sherlock from his dying stupor to tell him that England needs him, meaning that Sherlock’s brain equates Moriarty coming back with the word ‘England’ in some way. Perhaps this is a tenuous link, but the seed is planted back from ASiP, when we’re taught to associate John with his armchair.

Don’t mind me, I’m just crying. Basically, Sherlock knows that John is in danger and that’s what pulls him back from the brink – and we know it’s serious, because Mycroft, the brain, is warning him. Via call.

The fear of Moriarty coming back might sound like a tenuous symbol for John being in danger, but when we probe deeper the two are actually quite obviously equivalent. The only threat that Moriarty has ever posed to Sherlock is a threat to John’s life – the Semtex, burning the heart out of him, John Watson is definitely in danger, the sniper at the fall. This is Sherlock’s pressure point, and by getting rid of Moriarty, he’s getting rid of any danger to John – we know from his drug abuse etc. that his regard for himself is much lower. So Sherlock being woken from the dead to save John makes complete sense. He died for him, and now he’ll resurrect himself for him.

There are several layers to how John is in danger – the bottom one, which for me s4 is about getting to the heart of, is that without Sherlock John is suicidal. This was established in ASiP, and I believe is the metaphorical plot of TLD (see Chapter 9 X). However, there’s also the problem of Mary, newly discovered as an assassin, and Sherlock trying to work out who she is and where she comes from – more on that later, but there’s certainly a chance she’s linked to Moriarty, given the Morstan/Moran connections. ‘Did you miss me?’ works for both of those layers – the danger John is in from criminals is something that was really apparent in s1 and 2, but John’s endangerment from suicide is also something that was there at the beginning of the series. Sherlock changed these things – and didn’t realise he was the changing factor, but something in his subconscious is telling him that with him gone, John Watson is once again in danger.

So, his plane comes back to the runway – still in his mind palace, of course, but coming down. TAB – of which more on later – seems to be about the return of Moriarty, and Sherlock puzzling through it, which is jarringly absent from TST and TLD if you’re reading it on a surface level – it takes TAB for Sherlock to puzzle through this and to pull him down from death, as he comes to understand the Moriarty threat. This all sounds pretty vague – the TAB chapter will deal with it in more detail. For now, let’s move on to the other places where the height/heaven metaphor comes into s4.

One thing that several meta-writers have pointed out is that Ella’s office is… fucky. It’s not the same office as John repeatedly visits outside the MP – it’s possible that Ella has moved premises, but it’s a weird thing to draw such obvious attention to by the weirdness of the room. This isn’t a subtle change, like John and Mary’s place, it’s a really dissonant one, and the oddness of the room pulls our attention towards a character and space that by rights belong in the background of the story. It’s a really odd move – and that’s why I’m so convinced that it’s important.  

It looks like Heaven, for want of a better description. The window with the light streaming through looks like the very top of a church window, and the beams suggest that the ceiling is like a kind of spire – and the spire in a church is meant to be closer to heaven, that’s part of the imagery. So there’s that side of things, and I really don’t think that’s a coincidence. However, the even weirder part is the partitioning of the room, for want of a better word. The wall ends at about chair height, and from there to the floor is – nothing? These aren’t mirrors because the chairs aren’t reflected. I have never seen a room partitioned like this, and nor has anyone I’ve shown the image to – again, it draws attention to itself. If the creative team had wanted us to take this scene at face value, they would have put Ella in an office. This is not a psychiatrist’s office. The partitions mean that it isn’t even private.

I don’t know if I’m right about the partitions, but there’s only one thing they remind me of, and that’s a closing door. It’s a trope in an adventure film – I first saw it in Indiana Jones, but it’s in many a movie. It also features in Doctor Who on multiple occasions.

It’s the moment when the door is coming down and you only have a few seconds to get under it, otherwise you die. Indiana Jones famously goes back for his hat. That one. That’s what the space under the partition looks like. Sherlock, thinking he’s solved the case of Norbury and therefore Mary (more in Chapter 7 X) is ready to pop off – he’s nearly gone. But in a moment of self-interrogation – making sure he got everything right, that John’s safe now – he realises he isn’t, and so he comes down. That sinking downwards is represented by the water imagery, as he sinks deep into his subconscious – LSiT has written a fantastic meta on water in S4 which you can read here X, as I’m loath to take credit for this idea!

I’m going to talk about water a lot more in the chapters on TFP, because of John in the well and pirates and so much, but the obvious thing to talk about now is the plane in TFP.

This is a point where surface level plot breaks down – because this cannot be in Eurus’s mind. When we watch film/tv, we make one of two assumptions – either we have the omnipotent view, like in most films, where we’re guided by the director but everything we see is ultimately objectively true, or we see through somebody else’s eyes (rarer). These can be played with – think of a film like The Usual Suspects (please skip to the next paragraph if you haven’t seen this film because it’s fantastic) where the film lets the viewer rest on their laurels and slip into normal, objective viewing patterns when of course it’s a subjective, flashback narrative, which Kevin Spacey is deliberately obscuring to trick an audience. This rug pull can be fantastic, but we don’t have such a rug pull here. Either it’s a poor man’s version, or there’s something else going on. Mug drop.

New paragraph – spoilers gone. Moments where the perspective was actually subjective and we missed it or forgot it are great rug pulls, because the clues are there but we don’t spot them. We love a good unreliable narrator. This isn’t the case here. The plane scene, as visualised, exists only inside Eurus’s head. Eurus is emphatically not our narrator during TFP, so when it comes out that the girl on the plane isn’t real, we just feel lied to.

If we accept that s4 takes place inside Sherlock’s MP, this makes more sense, because all of the characters are manifestations of different parts of Sherlock’s psyche and so he can jump between perspectives. It also means that the terror of being on a crashing plane that Eurus has felt ever since she was a child is not hers – it’s Sherlock’s. If we remember that planes are synonymous with dying in this show, an association that’s reinforced because of the “sleeping” people on the plane, a clear throwback to the dead passengers in ASiB, the climax of S4, when Sherlock is trying to save John and work out his repressed memories, is all fuelled by a child’s nightmare of dying, a terror that has resurfaced.

I think Eurus represents Sherlock’s queer trauma, and I’ll explain that in more detail in Chapter 5 X, which is completely devoted to Eurus. Her representing trauma, though, makes a great deal of sense in this situation. The problem of the plane, the threat that she hinges on, is one that has been repeating and repeating, though repressed, inside Sherlock’s consciousness, and he breaks through it with not only kindness, but the recognition that it is all in Eurus’s (and by extension his) head.

This doesn’t diminish the trauma that Sherlock experiences – one of the things I begrudgingly like about the ending of TFP. Sherlock can’t get rid of the problem and possible danger that is his trauma – but he can stop it from careering to the point of destruction by recognising it, he can learn to live in harmony (see the violin duet) with it, he can accept its existence.  Pushing through that trauma is what makes him able to abandon the plane and (we hope) return to the real world.

The positioning of the aeroplane problem in relation to the John-trapped-in-a-well problem is also pretty important. I’m of the firm belief that Eurus represents queer trauma, and this is the trauma that throughout the entirety of series 4 is both pushing him towards John and blocking him from him. Sherlock needs to wake up to save John, and has to push through the trauma to recognise this – but the trauma is blocking his way. She’s stopping him from helping John – it’s a terrible moment when Sherlock is telling John that he’s busy whilst John is drowning in the well – but it’s also pushing through the aeroplane moment that allows him to save John in the MP. This is the paradox of queer repression, right, and the paradox in Eurus’s behaviour – she’s simultaneously blocking Sherlock and leading him on to the solution.

When Sherlock finally reaches Eurus’s room, he tells her that he’s on the ground and he can bring her down too – and what is most striking is the way Eurus is sitting. She’s actually incredibly grounded, sitting cross-legged on the floor, and given that the house is burned it’s likely that this is the ground floor as well. The dark room is a far cry from the bright lighting of the plane – everything suggests that she’s been pulled back. And of course, the lovely touch that all she needs to do is open her eyes. That’s all the creators have ever been asking people to do – open their eyes to what is hiding in plain sight – and Eurus is allowing Sherlock to see things afresh for the first time. But also, this final breakthrough is what’s going to allow Sherlock to open his own eyes, right? So that phrase is doubly powerful.

And there was me hating on TFP for three years. That’s a brief journey through the highs and lows of series 4, though if anyone can explain the planes in TST to me that would be wonderful! The next chapter will do a run through of HLV before we move onto TAB and series 4.

[eclecticanalyst]

Studying “A Study in Emerald”: Fourth Post

Part 5: The Skin and the Pit

We return to “Emerald’s” main trajectory of mirroring A Study in Scarlet’s plot beats with the detective, the narrator, and Lestrade lying in wait for the culprit(s) at Baker Street. In the original story, Holmes does intend to capture the murderer by having him come to Baker Street under false pretenses, but the police presence there is a coincidence. Here, the police have been deliberately called for. We finally learn what counts for high treason in this world—challenging the Old Ones (of whom the assorted royals like the prince are the descendants), which from our perspective is a decidedly good thing, thereby causing us to side with the so-called criminals and against the so-called heroes of this story.

While the three men wait, the detective summarizes his findings and conclusions about the case, which are references to Holmes’s own deductions in A Study in Scarlet—his determination of one of the culprits’ height by assuming he wrote on the wall at his (the culprit’s) eye level and the other’s height by his stride, his identification of the smoking substance of choice for (one of) the murderer(s), as well as his observation that the culprit and the victim walked into the room together (in this case, of course, there was a third person already in the room). We also get the true significance of “Rache” here. In the original story, the culprit writes “Rache” merely to confuse the police, being inspired by a previous crime in which “Rache” was written above the victim and the newspapers subsequently speculated the German word to be an indication of insidious secret societies (specifically, ones that supported socialism) at work. “Rache” is apparently also a word used to refer to a hunting dog, and that is the significance in the “Emerald” version of this story. The “rache” revelation also serves as yet another example of how well-crafted and intricate the Holmes tributes are in this story. While the word was written on the wall on a whim in A Study in Scarlet, revenge really was the motivation for the man to kill his two victims—so Holmes’s initial factoid about the literal German translation of the word was actually quite apropos. In “Emerald,” although Holmes’s self-identification with a creature on the hunt is the reason he writes the word on the wall, the fact that he is a Restorationist means that a secret society trying to upend the established socioeconomic structure is actually at play here—exactly like those feared to be at the root of the original “rache” crime in Scarlet.

Just as in the original story, Wiggins enters the Baker Street apartment to announce the presence of the culprit(s), but instead of bringing the murderer(s) himself, he has only a note from the man. Apparently in this world Wiggins and the others who would have formed the Baker Street Irregulars are free agents, not associated with the detective of Baker Street. There is the possibility that they are under Holmes’s employ and hiding it, but if Wiggins really is being truthful then he just happened to be a convenient messenger.

We haven’t had a blatant Moriarty reference yet in this story—the previous hints have been more subtle and/or require more analysis—but here we finally have our “Emerald” detective incontrovertibly linked to the canon Napoleon of crime with the note’s mention that the detective was the author of The Dynamics of an Asteroid. This particular reference comes from The Valley of Fear, which was written several years after “The Final Problem” but ostensibly takes place before it...which causes problems for the canon in an odd way that I won’t get into. Amusingly, in canon The Dynamics of an Asteroid is so analytically sound that “no man in the scientific press [was] capable of criticising it,” but in this story it is apparently not quite as perfect—Rache points out that there were some theoretical anomalies, furthering the theme that things in this world aren’t as they are supposed to be, that everything is just a little bit off. The “theoretical anomalies” could also be because Old Ones propaganda has warped scientific theory and therefore Moriarty doesn’t have as precise a grasp of physics as he would otherwise, as seen by his dismissal of the mass-energy-light relationship posed by Holmes. By noticing the detective’s imperfections in his astrodynamics paper, Rache/Holmes shows that despite being the criminal in this world, he still has a slight edge over Moriarty in terms of abilities. In canon, Moriarty makes some unspecified minor mistake in his operations that allows Holmes to finally take down his organization, and Holmes later just barely manages to escape Moriarty’s fate of death-by-cliff-fall via special martial arts. Holmes being just a hair more capable than Moriarty is present in “Emerald” as well—Holmes can match Moriarty’s deductions (correctly concluding that Moran is ex-military late from Afghanistan) and also one-ups him by giving him some pointers as to where he erred (didn’t do his research for the “theater agent” part he was playing, didn’t pay enough attention to the cabbie). And, of course, in canon Holmes succeeds in the “capture the culprit at Baker Street” gambit, while Moriarty in “Emerald” does not.

Speaking of cabbies, we have a reference to Moriarty’s debut story “The Final Problem” with Rache pointing out that one should not take the first cab that comes along when attempting to escape someone—Holmes instructs Watson not to take the first or second cab when he sets out to join him on their Moriarty-evading trip to the continent. A suspect cabbie is also the crux of A Study in Scarlet.

The pieces continue to fall into place as the note goes on—Rache confirms that his doctor friend wrote the plays at the theater, and says he “has some crowd-pleasing skills.” Our narrator told us he was not a very good writer from the jump—“not a literary man,” in his exact words, and yet another hint that he was not who we thought he was—but Watson, of course, is quite a capable writer, and the fact that his writing is popular among everyday citizens is acknowledged in the canon (often by Holmes complaining about how he writes for the masses instead of just recording the cases as scientific treatises). Watson is later identified by the police as a former military surgeon, although they are not quite certain of his first name—a gag that is a reference to the fact that Watson gives his first name as “John” in A Study in Scarlet but his wife refers to him as “James” in “The Man with the Twisted Lip.” Rache apparently wrote under the pseudonym of “Sigerson” when corresponding with Moriarty about asteroids, the very same pseudonym canon Holmes used in his travels post-Reichenbach.

The bit where Moriarty speculates where Rache is, reasoning that “If our positions were reversed, it is what I would do” is doubly significant. First, it’s a reference to how Holmes discusses Moriarty’s probable actions in “The Final Problem”—especially when he and Watson are attempting to escape Moriarty by train and Holmes correctly assumes that Moriarty will do what Holmes would do in his place, and acts accordingly to avoid Moriarty catching them. Secondly, of course, Holmes and Moriarty’s traditional positions as detective and criminal are literally reversed in this pastiche.

Despite usurpers having taken their place of first meeting, their residence, their occupation (in the case of one of them), and their police friends, Holmes and Watson are still the heroes we know them to be. They may be on the wrong side of the law, but we see how they are working to rid the world of evil just as they do in their original incarnations (albeit in a more brutal fashion), as Rache describes just what the Prince of Bohemia had in mind before he was killed, and how the rest of the royals are much the same—which is why he and his doctor friend are dedicated to putting an end to their rule.

Meanwhile, Moran (who does not quite reveal his name at the end, and is interestingly only a major here, not a colonel), having written up an account of this case, plans to tuck it and Rache’s note away in a strongbox at the bank, much as canon Watson keeps his papers in a dispatch-box in the bank of Cox and Co. He also seems to have a sort of sixth sense regarding the intertwined fates of his friend and Rache, intoning that “it will not be over until one of them has killed the other”—evoking our knowledge as readers of the fall at Reichenbach.

You might notice that Moran resolves that no one else will see the papers until “long after anyone now living is dead.” As this story is formatted as pages from a newspaper, we can assume that Moran’s prediction of events in Russia bringing on worldwide catastrophe came to fruition, which is why this tale can now be published. June 28, 1914, the specific date of the newspaper, is the date of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination—the event which sparked the outbreak of World War I. We can only imagine how World War I plays out in this Lovecraftian world. The reference to World War I is one last nod to the Holmes canon as well—although ACD continued publishing Holmes stories well after WWI, the events of those stories take place before the war. Chronologically within their universe, Holmes and Watson have their last canon adventure in 1914, just as war is breaking out. So just as the beginning of this story matched the very first story of Holmes and Watson, the (implied) ending of this story corresponds with their epilogue.

[antiqua-lugar]

How Black Books Supports Bisexual Bernard

What I personally find really interesting about this joke is that Bernard says he is not gay not because he is not into men, but because he is trash and not into dancing which could mean that:

a) he is misinformed by society on what being gay means b) he gave up on identifying as queer because he gave up on pursuing queer men because he does not fit in with the local gay community - the thinks that if he cannot partecipate in the “gay lifestyle”, then he cannot identify as queer.  i mean, he must have read about identity and performance at some point in his life and he has higher chances to stumble into a relationship with a woman than a man after all  (his comment about standards of hygene could also be interpreted as being about the beauty standards gay men suffer through but i might be reaching here) d) all of the above This interpretation adds a lot to the whole show, which is entirely centered on the friendship between Bernard, Manny and Fran and in the way they can be completely themselves with each other but also, thanks to Manny, on how Bernard and Fran are becoming slightly better versions of themselves. The show in particular focuses on the relationship between Bernard and Manny, which is not framed like a conventional bromance or friendship but instead mirrors  a “traditional” religious marriage. So it is possible to take Bernard coming to terms with his sexuality and identity as one of the ways he gets better and the show 100% supports this interpretaton.

Marriage Tropes

Bernard is the provider in the traditional sense (it is his bookshop they are living out of, literally) while Manny’s role is pretty much “supporting” Bernard or “contributing”*. Manny makes Bernard’s business better thanks to his accounting and salesman skills, cooks, cleans and fullfills Bernard’s emotional needs. The show also depicts their relationship by resorting to common marital tropes in old comedies, such as Manny (the wife) feeling unappreciated, Manny wanting to “get out of the house”, Manny managing the household and trying to get Bernard to get his shit together, and generally the husband being a dick to his wife but it always work out in the end because they love each other so much.    

If we consider that Bernard was probably raised in a Catholic religous environment (like Dylan Moran was) and had already actively questioned his sexuality, it is high probable that he pretty soon becomes aware of having accidently stumbled into the queer version of a traditional marriage which he had never thought would happen to him because he does not “fit in” as a queer man and he has no clue what to do. Bernard and The Power Of Love

From Bernard’s two romantic relationships with women we notice that he usually goes into Sickening Sweethearts mode(2) to the point that the only woman he ever loved faked her death just to have a clean break-up (according to Fran Bernard was always an asshole, so I don’t think Bernard being an asshole was the deal breaker here). He does not go into Sickening Sweethearts mode with Manny, but everytime Manny leaves, Bernard pretty much rolls over and waits for death. And when Manny is there, Bernard feels entitled to the entirety of his time, effort, attention, obedience and care. He claims proudly that he is “mine” and his own “human plaything”. Since the intensity of his feelings seems to be the same, Bernard probably does not go into Sickening Sweethearts mode because he has no idea of how to act in a queer relationship and moreover he thinks that Manny is straight, since he does not know about what happened with the photographer. 

[image credits: this post from aleks91slnk ]

We can see that Bernard goes through character development during the series from the way he slightly gets better as the series goes on - Bernard does more nice things for Fran and Manny, pretends to be Manny’s business partner to make his parents happy, goes to parties, goes on holidays, all culminating in Bernard helping Manny get a girl to make him happy. The series also clearly presents this character development as a consequence of his relationship with Manny, as both Bernard and Fran acknowledge that he has changed their lives for the better. There is something else to consider however when considering his relationship with Manny and the idea of Bernard having feelings for him when it comes to Bernard’s sexuality. While he and Manny mirror a husband-wife relationship, there are still important differences from traditional depictions of this trope in comedy - Manny cleans but the place isn’t spotless - they have to hire a cleaner for that. Manny cooks but nothing special. He washes their clothes but it takes Manny’s mother to restore Bernard’s clothes to their original color. Drinking and smoking abound. If Manny wants to talk about gossip, he calls Fran and leaves Bernard alone with his books. They have a ridicolous contraption to make toast in the morning. It is a husband-wife relationship and a queer relationship which does not require either of them to mold themselves into anything they are not. It is exactly what Bernard, who thinks that you cannot being gay without high hygene standards and too much dancing, needs. Manny is influencing him in subtle ways, they compromise and they fight about Bernard’s being a jerk, but Bernard is still allowed to be Bernard Black, human disaster. Two notes on framing

It is interesting to notice that they discuss their sexuality during the second episode of the first season and Bernard’s (presumed) dead girlfriend during the last episode of the last season, while discussing Manny’s interest for the girl he eventually hooks up with thanks to Bernard. Both the fact that the discussion happened at all and the fact that it happened so early in the series provides immediately a possible frame of interpretation for the whole show (or at least for series 1, which ends hinting that Manny might not be as straight as he thinks he is while Bernard has never completely ruled it out). In particular, Bernard’s girlfriend faking her own death to get away from him is put in direct contrast with Bernard’s decision to help Manny get a girl. Bernard realizes that his previous understanding of relationships was flawed and costed him the only woman he loved, and changes his approach towards Manny as to not lose him as well. At the same time, the first time we see Bernard as openly feeling lonely and alone is when he has made peace with it for the sake of Manny and Fran. Fran’s role on the episode is also particularly interesting - during the whole show she is costantly encouraging Bernard to openly admit his feelings for Manny instead of pretending he does not care, and in this episode she is now the one providing Manny with key information about Bernard’s love life. Bernard’s character development is contingent on Bernard coming at peace with his own emotions and feelings - and why not, his sexuality. 

Another interesting thing to notice is that every time Manny leaves (or is planning to) or is taken away, it is usually done in relation to a male figure clearly presented as in direct competiton with Bernard - the photographer, who not only treasures Manny but also compliments his beard (which Bernard hates), Simon Pegg as a librarian with his new clean shiny shop and a positive attitude and even the famous world-travelling charming explorer (who Bernard also gets a crush on). Even the girl he hooks up with at the end shows up thanks to the “leaving something behind” trick that Bernad expressely and explicitely mocked. 

At the same time, all the male figures who are not like Bernard are also not like Bernard in the sense that they do not care for Manny as a person. Bernard is an asshole but an asshole who cares and will actually fight Simon Pegg for wanting to cut Manny’s hair. Which by the way is another incredible common husband-wife trope in comedies.

tl;dr Black Books is a show about the friendship between three weirdos who love each other because they can be their true selves together but also change together, and if we want to interpret Bernard as a queer man struggling with his identity and getting better because his relationship with Manny, romantic or not, helps him, there is enough in the show to make it a perfectly valid and consistent interpretation

*(note: not being religous myself I had to google exactly what the wife is supposed to do in a marriage according to the Catholic doctrine and apparently there is not agreed upon term, unlike “the husband is the provider”. It really says a lot about what they thought of the role of women that there is not even a fucking word for it.)

[keelymewett]

Zombie Movie: Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Groundhog day but with zombies and Chekhov’s flowers

Welcome to an incredibly biased “review” rewritten at 1am. 

I’ll apologise in advance: this is going to be the sparknotes version of my original “review” because I wrote the review last week and saved it to my queue, but when I posted it just then it posted with just the title and the tags. The entire body of text got deleted. Ughhhh (my zombie impersonation). Also apologies to anyone using assisted reading, when I try to annotate the pictures tumblr deletes the entire post again. I’ll put in a brief image description under each photo and hopefully that will work. 

Let’s get rolling, Shaun of the Dead is considered a comedy zombie movie, chock-full of British humour. I think the first time I watched it I thought it was pretty funny, and yeah I did laugh a couple times but the magic has worn off a little. I think I used to consider this one of the best zombie movies, but then I watched Train to Busan and #Alive and wellll... 

One of the things this movie is brilliant for is background details. Like the details. If you love spotting that sort of thing - a bloody handprint, smashed glass, everything just casually thrown in the background - you’ll love this.

Just a quick glance at some newspapers - nothing to see here. (Picture: Newspapers in a convenience store with headlines such as “Mutilated Remains”, “GM crops blamed”, “New Super-Flu Scares Public” and my favourite, “Havoc”.)

The opening conversation is humorous and sets up the stakes fairly well, and they put a spin on the whole “talking about someone behind their back thing” which was great to see. 

Love having a conversation about someone else and the someone else is sitting right there. (Picture: Shaun and Liz having drinks together while Liz’s roommates Dianne and David sit next to them.)

The comparisons between people acting like zombies then people actually becoming zombies is *chef’s kiss*, and Shaun (Simon Pegg) starts off in a state of obliviousness that I aspire to achieve. 

Missing very obvious things is a mood. (Picture: Shaun in his work uniform opening the fridge at a convenience store to get a drink, completely oblivious to the two bloody handprints on the glass of the open fridge door.)

The ending of the movie also puts a spin on the zombie genre, and is a genuinely interesting idea. Talking about the end of the movie, I have two gripes with Shaun of the Dead:

The first is the completely unnecessary use of a slur, and I say it’s unnecessary because it’s half played off as a “cringey” thing that a friend says and also this is a zombie movie there really is no need for that word to be thrown in here. Trust me, there’s a million cringey things a friend could say that doesn’t involve a slur. Also, the fact that this movie was made in 2004 doesn’t excuse it at all - the word was 100% a slur then, and is still one now. I won’t lie, when that line was said any magic the comedy of the movie still had completely died and I started tuning out and going on my phone at the most climactic part of the movie. 

The second is Dianne. Dianne (Lucy Davis) is a fantastic character, and also an intelligent one. She literally analyses how zombies move and teaches it to everyone else. Hello?? So (major spoilers here) the way they just threw away her character at the end really ticked me off. Dianne had literally just had a conversation with David (Dylan Moran) about how she knows he’s only really with her because he likes Liz (Kate Ashfield) and she’s accepted that, and she also tells David off when he goes to open the door, telling him “That’s a very silly thing to do.” So why. In the hell. Would Dianne. Throw open the door to the zombies and run off screaming for David after he got pulled out the window. IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. She watched him get torn to shreds and she knows he’s irrevocably, irreversibly dead, and I’m going to point out the she’s intelligent thing from earlier, so how on Earth does her screaming after David as if he’s still alive make sense? And she know’s opening the door is “a silly thing to do” she’s the one who said it!! Frustrating. 

The best hype girls. (Picture: Liz and Dianne cheering and super excited. They’re in someone’s backyard with a kid’s play set in the background.)

All in all, this (in my biased opinion) is a slightly above average zombie movie, and gets points for making me laugh and loses points for the aforementioned gripes. 

The shadow in the background agrees. (Picture: Ed (Nick Frost) scoffing and saying “It’s not the end of the world.” In the background is the frosted window of the pub door, and a streetlight has cast a silhouette of a person banging on the glass.)