#sherlock tfp

[divinity-in-chaos]

“Everybody dies. It’s the one thing human beings can be relied upon to do. How can it still come as a surprise to people?”

Inspired by @thereichenbachqueen’s poem because,,, uh,,, I keep talking about it to people 😩

[ava-amelia]

You couldn't kill your brother (shooting script for TFP)

So, I looked into this script when someone posted links to previous versions of the s4 shooting scripts. As far as I know, this was an actual version of the script for The Final Problem. If anyone has any evidence that this might not be real or accurate, please do tell me so I can add that in.

So, onto sharing some of my thoughts.

One line was that always stuck out to me as odd was Mycroft saying he never bullied Sherlock. That was such a strange word choice for him of all people. Only it was not his wording. In an earlier draft, Sherlock says: "You turned my sister into a ghost story to bully me." In the aired version, they cut the bully part out, but left in Mycroft's response.

They also changed Sherlock's line to Mycroft from "do be quiet, dear" to "shut up, dear". Previously, it was actually John who says "Shut up, Mycroft" after he doesn't stay silent after Sherlock's line.

Now what I found strange was Ben C's delivery. Telling someone to shut up is usually done in a snappy way, but he says it rather calmly? And he still says "be quiet" later, which seems like a de-escalation? Like, he gets less mad that Mycroft won't listen?

Now in the new version, John says nothing and is completely silent. Why doesn't he say anything, wouldn't he also be interested in hearing the phone call?

There is also some new dialogue that was cut in the scene where Sherlock is forced to choose, such as Mycroft saying "for the greater good" and the line about flowers comes earlier, John saying to Mycroft he is the right soldier for the job and the smart one and Mycroft saying he is not and confessing to the Moriarty thing. Paraphrasing.

Also before giving the "how do you want me" line to Mycroft, Moriarty adds "fair enough."

My least favourite part was the narrative agreeing with Mummy Holmes about Sherlock being the grown up. At least in the aired version, I can headcanon we are not supposed to agree, but like this... ugh. Just ugh.

Now onto what I posted. If this is an actual scene, I have a thought to share.

Why on Earth would you cut this?

It adds so much. Sherlock trying to frame his reaction as an act of logic, before saying that, yes, he wasn't able to kill his brother. This being a revelation and a moment, implying Sherlock thought he was able to do it and being surprised he could not. He knew it was going to be hard, he says so, but he is surprised he wasn't able to go through with it.

Sherlock admitting he fears Eurus killed Mycroft, when in the aired version it was only implied and wasn't clear to everyone. Which makes me even more mad we never see the Holmes brothers talk about this! I will take a handshake at this point if they couldn't give us a hug. (with them as adults, I know we got one as children). And when I say that, I should clarify I want them both to be alive at that point and both to stay alive afterwards (sorry, my snarkiness is bleeding through. you know me ;)

Also just to end on a sad note I guess, and others noticed this before me, when Sherlock hugs and comforts Eurus, he at that point still fears she might have killed Mycroft (and is in middle of attempting to murder John). Yet she gets a hug...

[dawningday84]

I know we were all outraged at the time at Mummy Holmes calling Sherlock "the grown-up". However, I have just read the shooting script and am full of indignation yet again on Mycroft's behalf 😅

Mycroft acknowledges the truth of these words?? What the -!

How?? 🤷‍♀️

[surprisinglyokay]

I think this is at least part of why watching S4, and especially TFP, was so jarring. Not only did it do bizarre things with the characters, but it spoilt my special interest for me and I am still cross about it all this time later.

The Autistic Struggle of Losing a Special Interest

Neurodivergent Lou

[buckingham-ashtray]

hi let's talk about how john watson shields his face with his hand only when he’s crying.

now allow me to present:

[belladonnaxy]

Musgrave, huh? The funny graves… what are you doing there Arwel?!?

[ohwatson]

we need to start debating whether or not sherlock is a christmas show in the way people argue over whether die hard is a christmas film or not

[hot-on-my-watch]

An "Always the Grown-Up" Rant

I know that a lot of fans are angry at Moffat and Gatiss for a lot of things, and most of all for Season Four.

I personally am mad at them for a few things. Mostly things that I can easily let slide given the immense enjoyment I've had and continue to have from their BBC Sherlock series.

But THIS FUCKING LINE!!!

A woman's wedding ring is dirty even though the rest of her appearance is carefully curated? I'll handwave it and maybe google when we started using soap.

Man wears same large thick coat outdoors in all seasons? Fine. It's England. And I have an old (autistic) friend who actually does this.

John's eyebrow says that he hasn't rung his sister, and Mary's a bread baking disillusioned Guardian reader with a secret tattoo? Hahaha why not?

Sherlock has to use his incredible mind over matter to restart his heart but also "it was surgery"? Bit much, but I'll overlook it. For you.

Evil genius simultaneously hacks every screen in the country? Eh, ok.

Secret island prison? Sure. Let Sherlock live his pirate fantasy. Let John point his gun at someone. Let Moriarty play Queen while dramatically disembarking from a helicopter.

Predicting multiple terror attacks at lightspeed from Twitter? Well, we've come this far.

I do not watch Sherlock for 'slice of life' realism and dear lord I hope no one else does. I do not WANT realism. I want to forget that I am vast majority bedbound and that people are out there having coffee and going for a pint and working at normal jobs with payslips and lanyards and spreadsheets. And generally speaking, BBC Sherlock has helped a lot with that!

But WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK were they THINKING WITH THIS LINE???

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!

Sherlock is barely a fucking grown-up on his own, but I'd allow it. Especially after the "baby" jokes John, Lestrade and he himself have previously made at his expense.

But COMPARED TO MYCROFT?!?!

WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK. LADS?????

WERE YOU HIGH? WERE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MINDS? WHAT THE FUCK???!!!

See, after I first heard this, I quickly recon headcanon-(is this a thing? Is there a name for this soecific thing?) -ed it into Mrs Holmes the mad genius being completely out of touch with the social reality of her children- especially as she's been so harsh to Mycroft in this scene and not massively had to look after adult Sherlock herself. Because, y'know, Mycroft was doing it!

Then I complained about it on Reddit.

To my HORROR, another user told me that Steven Moffat had said in an interview that it was meant to be taken as true. But y'know, we're all just randoms on the internet and people get things wrong.

Then another user told me they theorised that Eurus had reprogrammed her parents to favour Sherlock, which is an interesting theory.

But clearly in the script, everyone... including Sherlock and Mycroft... just quietly agrees.

What....

What is the reasoning for this?

I know some will say "mate, welcome to all of season four" or even "three and four" or all of it.

I know some people consider Mycroft a bully, but I really don't. Certainly not after the scene on the plane and the 'Redbeard' reveal.

I'm open to persuasion though. If anyone has any thoughts on this, feel free to share! I might well not agree, but I won't attack you either.

Or the writers. But again, if I ever end up trapped with them in a lift or some such... I WILL have questions!

/rant.

[smarthily]

For @sherlolly-ily-fest ❤

[oceanbilly]

it’s so interesting how we see mycroft care about sherlock, he even verbally confirms it many times and during the recording from their childhood we see little sherlock hugging mycroft and mycroft loving that memory, mycroft also tells sherlock he’ll always be there for him, but when sherlock gets shot the mycroft in his mind palace is mean, belittles him and tells him he’s stupid and i think that’s how he sees himself, he thinks mycroft hates him and he sees himself as lesser than him, mycroft is the clever one and sherlock is not, however in tfp when sherlock has to choose who to kill he actually hears mycroft say these awful things to him, that sherlock is an idiot, that he’s always despised him, however this time sherlock sees straight through the bullshit because he just saw mycroft in a different light, he saw him scared and he saw him make a huge mistake and regret it, sherlock even told mycroft that he’s beginning to think he’s not so clever after all, perhaps for the first time he saw the humanity in his brother and saw him as an equal

[divinity-in-chaos]

Did some more Sherlock funnies but this time it’s the whole Holmes siblings gang (plus John, cause he’s an honorary Holmes at this point)

[ava-amelia]

Guys. Guys!

In the original version of TFP, Sherlock says "do be quiet, dear" and it's John who tells Mycroft to shut up. Meaning the 'dear' was always intended to be there and they have rewritten it to sound harsher.

[hesagoodone]

Sorry to bring this up on your dash, but I don't know how to get this specific moment out of my head. Those vicious, vicious kicks and.. and a broken, unresisting, shuddering-bundle-on-the-floor Sherlock. The sheer hatred and rage emanating from John! It baffles me, like what did he even do to you, John? WHAT? Where's all this hellish rage coming from? The Fall? Mary's Death?

Makes no sense to me, not to such an extent, but perhaps I would've understood the hurt, the pain, the frustration of it all - if it was just that. But it's not. It's such blind, hateful, out-to-kill rage that I see in this instant here and it unsettles me deeply. John looks like he wants to crush Sherlock up, people literally had to drag him away. How do you hate someone, anyone with such intensity, let alone a friend who has lived, died, killed for you?

[inexpressiblybeautiful]

Do you ever think about how season 4 of BBC Sherlock came out 8 years ago or are you normal?

[buckingham-ashtray]

yeah.

[queerholmcs]

you would think i'd be done noticing new details at some point. and yet. he's got a cut on his thumb... did the clown actually get him with the sword shskdhsjdhdkdhdj