#the problem of thor bridge

[hottopic-wannabe]

omg the wife speaking fluent portuguese in granada's the problem of thor bridge actually made my day wtfff

Also can we talk about how watson looks so dissapointed after holmes did his little demonstration?

He's like "ok cool you solved the "murder" but was the demonstration necessary? That was a good revolver". I'll be using this as a reaction image definetly lol

[moroniccats]

What are some of your favorite quotes of Watson just unabashedly adoring Holmes? (Doesn’t have to be in a shipping way) Here are a few of mine, although they BARELY scratch the surface:

“‘What do you think of it, Watson?’

‘A masterpiece. You have never risen to a greater height.’” - The Bruce-Partington Plans

“I have so deep a respect for the extraordinary qualities of Holmes that I have always deferred to his wishes, even when I least understood them.” - The Dying Detective

“Had I not feared to give the public a surfeit which might react upon the reputation of the man whom above all others I revere.” -The Problem of Thor Bridge

“His eyes shone, and his cheek was flushed with the exhilaration of the master workman who sees his work lie before him. A very different Holmes, this active, alert man, from the introspective and pallid dreamer of baker street. I felt, as I looked upon that supple figure, alive with nervous energy…” - The Priory School

“Lestrade and I sat silent for a moment, and then, with a spontaneous impulse, we both broke out clapping. A flush of colour sprang to Holmes’s pale cheeks, and he bowed to us like the master dramatist who receives the homage of his audience.” - The Six Napoleons

“The strong, masterful personality of Holmes dominated the tragic scene, and all were equally puppets in his hands.” - The Solitary Cyclist

I just think it’s really sweet.

[clearwingedmaven]

So we tied. And for the starting blog:

Favorite underrated Sherlock Holmes stories, and why you should read them!

1) The Five Orange Pips: Look. I am a sucker for examinations of consciousness, and this was like the first time we've seen Sherlock Holmes feel and seem human. Be vulnerable. Be angry, despairing, haunted, even. He's lost a client, and as far as we know, that's the first time that's ever happened to him. It's the first time he's failed at this magnitude.

And his rant to Watson before he goes to chase down Openshaw's killers is definitely a worthwhile read.

2) The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb: After doing the research for the fic, and finding the terrifying Paget drawing for this one, yeah, this one's good. It's a little bizarre, given the ending, but the implications of Colonel Stark still being out there, and maybe doing this to other people is chilling. If you like... well, horror, definitely worth a read.

3) The Adventure of the Naval Treaty: I don't see this one talked about a lot! I find the cottagecore aspects appealing, and the interwoven political intrigue and little bits of back story for Watson are fun, too. An absolute bonus is the ending: I would also be jumping up and down if I got my important document given to me for breakfast, and the monologue with the rose... also a plus!

4) The Adventure of the Lion's Mane: I do like cottagecore Holmes, I guess! I love this little story, especially that Holmes, despite being retired, still immediately rushes in to help solve this mystery. I feel like it's a great demonstration of Holmes's humanity and kindness, rather than just his logic and rationality.

5) The Problem of Thor Bridge: I can't say that this... elaborate plan made sense, but it was deeply intriguing. I love how again, it's a great showcase of Holmes’s humanity and kindness, and the woven cold blooded rivalry, and plotting made for an intriguing short story in the long run. Extreme bonus points for the Granada adaptation: Jeremy Brett strutting across the bridge was an incredible image.

And finally:

6) The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter: I really don't see people talking about this one, either! There were bits of mystery that were deeply intriguing, such as the papers that were left about, and it's a very bittersweet tale, but also as a deeply human tragedy. There's no real villain here(apart from Lord Mount-James), but there is death and despair with the death of Godfrey's young wife. If you like an angsty read, this is worth it.

And that's my two cents.

[catteries]

one of my favorite sub-genres is watson savaging holmes at every given opportunity he could

[blistering-typhoons]

the problem of thor bridge, edited very stupidly

(loud noise warning once more, dear god)

[doingbad]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, you made so many specific choices here

full text under the cut

It was not a long journey from Winchester to Thor Place, but it was long to me in my impatience, while for Holmes it was evident that it seemed endless; for, in his nervous restlessness he could not sit still, but paced the carriage or drummed with his long, sensitive fingers upon the cushions beside him. Suddenly, however, as we neared our destination he seated himself opposite to me—we had a first-class carriage to ourselves—and laying a hand upon each of my knees he looked into my eyes with the peculiarly mischievous gaze which was characteristic of his more imp-like moods.

"Watson," said he, "I have some recollection that you go armed upon these excursions of ours."

It was as well for him that I did so, for he took little care for his own safety when his mind was once absorbed by a problem so that more than once my revolver had been a good friend in need. I reminded him of the fact.

"Yes, yes, I am a little absent-minded in such matters. But have you your revolver on you?"

I produced it from my hip-pocket, a short, handy, but very serviceable little weapon. He undid the catch, shook out the cartridges, and examined it with care.

"It's heavy—remarkably heavy," said he.

"Yes, it is a solid bit of work."

He mused over it for a minute.

"Do you know, Watson," said he, "I believe your revolver is going to have a very intimate connection with the mystery which we are investigating."

[a-victorian-girl]

Wonder what Sherlock said in Portuguese?

(ty for tagging me, @kajaono!)

As I mentioned earlier, I'm just a Spanish speaker; however, with the assistance of some websites/tools (and also because Portuguese is somewhat similar to Spanish), I managed to understand what Sherlock actually said to the Brazilian Ambassador:

BA: -"Mr. Holmes?" SH: -"Mr. Rivera, I'm very sorry for the loss of a Brazilian within our borders. We'll understand what happened to Mateus' death. I promise." BA: -" I thank you and your team. You have the blessing of the Brazilian nation and its government to conduct an investigation together with the British. Please keep us informed."

This was what Sherlock said to the Brazilian Ambassador. Now you know too ;)

Note: please, if you are a native Portuguese, feel free to reblog and adjust the dialogue or the translation. Thanks in advance! :)

[monocordum]

What do you do when the man whom above all others you REVERE sits in front of you when you two are ALONE in your train carriage, lays his LONG, SENSITIVE FINGERS on your knees and looks at you all MISCHIEVOUS and IMP-LIKE?

All in context, obviously.

(From The Problem of Thor Bridge, February and March 1922 issues of The Strand)

[lumilescense]

Client: What do you want to know about my case?

Holmes: What was your relationship with the governess?

Client, lying through his teeth: Perfectly professional.

Holmes: Mhm. Fuck off now, I dont work with liars.

Client: Ex-excuse me?!?! What are you implying!? HOW DARE YOU-

Watson, narrating: His self control is incredible

Client: *storms out*

[i-dont-talk-for-days-on-end]

Very proud of Mr. Sherlock Holmes who just absolutely destroyed another rich asshole by being Not Impresses and Disgusted. Well done, Holmes!

[moroniccats]

I’m so happy to discover that so many other people were disappointed with the ending of Thor bridge.

I wouldn’t be as upset as I was of it hadn’t started off with Holmes TEARING INTO THAT ABSOLUTE ASSHOLE THAT IS GIBSON.

Like, he was all ‘you’re taking advantage of your employee and mistreated you wife u absolute fuck’

And then all of a sudden they’re just like, ok with him? And they want him to be with the governess?

I also wanted justice for the wife, she was abused and neglected and then painted as the villain for having enough? Which again, wouldn’t upset me as much if we hadn’t ALREADY SEEN HOLMES FIGHTING FOR WOMEN’S SAFETY SO MANY TIMES.

Plus, I thought it would be cool to have an obvious villain, since Gibson is so obvious we’d rule him out….i dunno. Whatever. It was unsatisfying.

I just had to get this rant out. If anyone has anything to add or any counterpoints, I’d love to hear!

[clearwingedmaven]

So I was re-reading The Problem of Thor Bridge, and

There's still people who believe Sherlock Holmes isn't kind? And don't believe he sometimes takes cases just for the sake of the women involved?

This is incredibly empathetic on his part, and to say that to a wealthy man in 1900 England? Incredible.

[jolieblack]

Jolie's thoughts on

The problem of Thor Bridge (Sherlock & Co. podcast)

(Hear me gush about the show in general.)

So this is one of my favourite original ACD cases, in spite of the somewhat anticlimactic solution. And I wasn’t disappointed by this version. I love it when Holmes does his dramatic recreations of the crimes. You can imagine how I squeaked with delight at how Sherlock hijacked the police press conference in this episode!

The "time is against us" aspect of the original that adds extra pressure and suspense was rendered perfectly in the morgue scene. "On behalf of the Federal Republic of Brazil, I'd like to see the body." YES!

Sherlock really gets extra points for cool lines in this one. "Watson, I was hoping that when I said 'The game is on'…"

Sherlock speaking Cornish, Portuguese and every other language under the sun is lovely, too.

"Would you like to hold hands and talk about your emotions?" 🥺

"I like you as you are, Watson." 🥺🥺

MARIANA: Where are your shoes?

JOHN: Where are my shoes?

SHERLOCK: What time is it? Seven thirty. Probably in the North Sea.

MARIANA: Oh. OK.

The sheer unflappability of this woman. She’s brilliant.

More, please!

[looseleifteaa]

HE BUILT A HUGGING. MACHINE.

[luffysfakebeard]

Sherlock could not hate entitled rich men more 😂

[47gaslamps]

Really, how did Gruner expect Holmes to respond to that? If he actually wants Holmes to give up the chase, he is aping the wrong villain.

I think he might have had a better chance if he'd modeled himself after... mm... Neil Gibson, the Gold King. Make out that Violet de Merville is kindling in his bosom a new and purer fire, that he is becoming a changed man. Holmes is strangely credulous on matters like that.

Well. Unbeknownst to Gruner, subsequent developments will be fatal to that strategy as well. But then Holmes will have learned his lesson about dodgy manly sob stories.