#not ‘wow I’m lacking intimacy in my life bc I can’t be vulnerable with my friends. how can I blame women for this?’

[payphoneangel]

The fact that some people actually blame tumblr shipping culture for the reason men can’t show intimacy to each other without being perceived as gay is fucking mind boggling to me

[simplyshelbs16xoxo]

Sherlolly - A S3 Breakdown

Sherlolly Appreciation Week 2017 Day 4 // Season 3

Alright, not sure how long this is gonna be but prepare yourselves. I wil split each section by episode!

If you want to read a shorter fangirling version of TEH, click here.

The Empty Hearse (Sherlolly the Movie™)

first thing’s first…THAT KISS HOLY SHIT WELL DONE BC 

anywho, on to the meta…

Molly being the 2nd person he goes to see and the way he does it is absolutely adorable. That blurred smile of his in the mirror kills me. It’s so genuine.

Sherlock’s sudden concern about Mycroft’s lack of a love life is certainly telling. The two years away has definitely humanized him in ways that can’t be reversed. I also feel this showing that Sherlock acknowledges that he, too, is lonely in that area. Not long after that scene, we see him waiting by the window a bit anxiously and then Molly appears in the doorway. He appears to be nervous in asking her to solve crimes with him. The shaky intake of breath he does before asking as if he’s trying to figure out how to ask her is so telling. Especially in comparison to when he got John on board. When I first watched that scene before I became a hardcore Sherlolly shipper, and had immediately thought he was asking her out. I had no shipper goggles on during the first time.

Now, as he’s asking her, the music is a variation of John and Mary’s theme. I personally think the tone of it is even more romantic than the original. While we’re on the topic of music, the melody played during the stairwell scene is filled with wistfulness, romanticism and heartbreak. I’m not a music expert but a music junkie so to speak lol. Why would they make those two scenes so romantic if it wasn’t a mutual love? In other Sherlolly scenes, the music never compared to that of The Empty Hearse music. I uploaded the specific bits of this music. 

Listen to it here:

All of the cases he takes on within 221B are all dealing in relationships. Those cases usually bore him, as we know from previous episodes. But yet, he is so attentive to the woman who’s being catfished. He looks truly sympathetic to her case. AND THAT LINE: “and you really thought he was the one didn’t you? the love of your life.” HE GIVES MOLLY THIS KNOWING LOOK AS HE SAYS IT. SHE LOOKS A BIT TAKEN ABACK WHEN THEIR EYES LOCK. 

Going back again to that bit of “You’re not being John, you’re being yourself.” This shows that he at least platonically loves her for who she is. Just as he platonically loves John for who he is.

The fake crime scene Anderson sets up is still a bit wonky for me haha. They work together quite well, obviously admiring each other’s observations. John’s voice in his head, I think, is partly due to missing him and partly due to it being his conscience telling him off. Another bit of proof that Sherlock has been humanized…he now acknowledges his conscience more so than ever. 

“Welcome to my world.” It’s almost as if he’s trying to show off a bit here which is kind of adorable alright. That’s it. That’s all I got lol.

The childish giggles at the ‘mind the gap’ doorbell okay?? That’s one of the cutest things in this episode.

Mr. Shilcott talks about his girlfriend being a big fan of Sherlock and when he scoffs at it, laughing as he turns his head toward her, Molly gives him a death glare which causes him to apologize. He obviously thought she might laugh with him but quickly pulls it together. I’ve never seen him do this on any other case ever.

The flirty eyes and smirks and silly faces omg I cannot. The “he said he liked trains’ joke is just wonderful. Okay, this is hard for me to explain but like these subtle things are how I flirt in relationships or at least with someone I fancy. But that may be just me. They’re being playful with one another and it’s just so sweet.

Sherlock asks her out to have chips. HE FUCKING ASKS HER OUT STRAIGHTFORWARD. “Fancy some chips?” LIKE HELL YESS I DO. but instead, Molly’s confused like “what?” Now, keep in mind that Sherlock does not eat while on a case, therefore this is ‘off the clock’ so to speak. It really was in a date capacity. 

His thank you was so sweet too. He told her she was the person who mattered the most to him. I’ve no idea if he noticed her ring back at Baker Street or not but it definitely looks like he only just noticed it in the stairwell. The fact he tells her how he hopes she’ll be happy and that she deserves it is another telling sign of his growing love for her. If someone wants you to be happy even if it’s not with them, that is true selflessness there. He could have very well made himself much more clear on his intentions with hopes of getting her back so to speak, but he doesn’t.

“After all, not all the men you fall for can turn out ot be sociopaths.” I feel like this is him basically saying he doesn’t deserve her and that she deserves better than that. But as Molly says, maybe it’s her type.

THE DAMN SMILE HE GIVES HER BEFORE KISSING HER CHEEK…OR IS IT THE CORNER OF HER LIPS? IT LOOKS LIKE THE CORNER OF HER LIPS. THAT SMILE IS HEARTBREAKING AND WISTFUL AND FULL OF WHAT IFS. 

As he’s walking out of the building, you can hear him sniff as he bundles his coat and scarf. This is either because of cold weather or he may have been holding back feelings. He looks a bit defeated.

 She glances at him walking away as if in wonderment and it breaks my heart. I only wonder what would’ve happened had Tom never been in the picture.

HE STILL WENT TO GET CHIPS BY HIMSELF I’M CRYING

Upon meeting Tom, he doesn’t say a thing to embarrass her or point out that she is not over him at all. That is such growth on his part.

The Sign of Three

not much Sherlolly in this but so much to talk about…

Sherlock is so obviously observing Molly and Tom together. It looks a bit forced on Molly’s part but ya know that could be me. Why would they have it shot that way if Sherlock wasn’t jealous? Just sayin’.

All of the smiles and glances and twisting of her engagement ring during Sherlock’s speech is telling that she’s not over him if Tom being a knockoff of Sherlock wasn’t the tell-tale sign.

Sherlock goes to Molly for help on the the alcohol intake for John’s stag night. He obviously doesn’t need help, as she points out the fact he’s a graduate chemist. Another thing she knows about him that is talked about but clearly shows their closeness and infers that a lot of scenes of simple intimacy such as just talking casually and confiding in one another (note ASiB), happen off screen. They are talked about but never shown.

The playful back and forth of their conversation shows a level of comfort between them. Remember those scenes that are mentioned but never shown? The scene of him and Molly in the lab talking was not necessary by any means. Or maybe it was to show subtly the Sherlolly development? Obviously the show does not focus on romantic entanglements except that of John and Mary but that’s because it’s Sherlock. It’s not meant to. So the Sherlolly intimacy is always subtle but it’s there.

“You look…well.” DO NOT TELL ME HE WASN’T GONNA SAY PRETTY OR BEAUTIFUL OR LOVELY LIKE COME ON.

“How’s…Tom?” HE NEVER REMEMBERED ANY OF JOHN’S GIRLFRIENDS’ NAMES BUT HE REMEMBERED TOM’S? WOW.

MOLLY MENTIONING THE FACT THAT SHE AND TOM ARE “HAVING QUITE A LOT OF SEX” WAS TOTALLY ON PURPOSE. YOU CANNOT TELL ME OTHERWISE. SHE KNEW IT WOULD MAKE HIM UNCOMFORTABLE AND HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE. In the words of Taylor Swift: darling I’m a nightmare, dressed like a daydream. She totally wanted to laugh at him.

THE DEATH GLARE SHE GIVES JANINE WHEN SHERLOCK THROWS THAT FLOWER THING TO HER OMG IF LOOKS COULD KILL Y’ALL

WHEN SHE NOTICES SHERLOCK LEAVE THE WEDDING, IT’S ALMOST AS IF SHE WERE ABOUT TO GO AFTER HIM BUT THOUGHT BETTER OF IT. MY FEELS.

His Last Vow

Sherlock was obviously ashamed of Molly finding out about his relapse.

“Sorry your engagement’s over. I’m fairly grateful for the lack of a ring.” Grateful because those slaps would’ve hurt much worse and of course, Tom is out of the picture finally.

IF MOLLY AND SHERLOCK WEREN’T ENDGAME WHY WOULD THEY BOTHER WRITING IN THE BROKEN OFF ENGAGEMENT? WHAT IS THE POINT?

Molly is the one that helps him survive in his mind palace. He trusts her with his life completely ever since TRF. 

MOLLY’S BEDROOM IS ONE OF SHERLOCK’S BOLT HOLES. IT IS THE ONLY BOLT WHOLE IN WHICH THERE IS ANOTHER PERSON PRESENT. IT’S NOT SO MUCH HER BEDROOM AS IT IS HER. Molly is a safe place for him. He can be emotionally vulnerable with her. That is a level of intimacy that takes so much trust. Sherlock never allows anyone to climb his walls, but he lets Molly in. This is another instance in which it is mentioned but never shown. 

that concludes my S3 meta. I hope y’all enjoyed it!

@sherlollyandspoilers