I was sherlocked!

Peace be upon you

I guess the title explains everything. I know this is kind of abrupt but have you watched SHERLOCK? I mean the BBC tv series based on the legendary work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And have you watched the 3^rd season that officially ended quite recently? If you haven’t, just ignore this post – unless if you want to be spoiled, there’s no harm reading. Anything that I posted within this entry is just another random scattered opinions and partly obsession of mine. So I just write it, to get over it as soon as possible. Just to get Sherlock unlocked out my mind palace. If I could.  

 The unforgettable duo : Dr John Watson and Sherlock Holmes

Well, let’s begin with this wonderful video first. It has nothing to do with the original actors and creators whatsoever, but I do like it so much. No offense, I just fell in love with the innovativity of these people. They’re indeed amusing!

Awesome, isn’t it?

Okay, I guess almost everyone knows or ever heard of Sherlock Holmes. He’s a fictional character from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work. Well, I don’t think I need to mention that, since Holmes had been portrayed in many stage performances, small and big screens -mesmerized the world with his analyses and deductions. Since the original Sherlock Holmes was set upon a time in 19^th century, it was so thoughtful and amazing that his stories adapted well into 21^st century setting. I wasn't aware about this tv series until weeks ago when I was in the mood of downloading good movies, I realized Sherlock could be the one that is worth watching. I first watched the movies called Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows(2011) but they didn’t really buy me. Well, until I watched Sherlock and I was sher-locked! 

Maybe because it's a series, the writers could really make time to build the relationship between the characters - so it looked quite genuine as I could see the character's development. Within the first episode called A Study in Pink, I could appreciate how John and Shurlock's  friendship had started. It was amazing that I got to know both of them better. I think the following episodes in the first season  The Blind Banker and The Great Game were trying to show the chemistry between John and Sherlock as well as to let us see how genius and awesome Sherlock was. The first season established the procedural-crime thingy and it had set the bar really high. In The Great Game, with the introduction of Moriarty as Sherlock arch-enemy and the main villain, it really tempted me wanting for more. With a beautiful cliff hanger like that, who can resist it? I wondered what I would do if I watched it along the original run. Waiting for two years on how things resolved is surely a terrible thing to do. I realized that I was lucky enough. Haha..

Moriarty

So I ended up watching the second season. Yeah, on the same day! It started with Scandal in Belgravia introducing Irene Adler in the series. I quite disliked her, I’m sorry I didn’t meant to…but the term sher-locked is what I learned from her. Well done, Miss Adler! The second season emphasizes on the power of mind as the one that could save you and manipulate you as well. In The Hounds of Baskerville, I saw a lot of mind thingy going on. Never underestimate the power of mind. I came across the term mind palace that Sherlock often use, so he can never forget almost everything. I wished I could have created my own mind palace. The Reichenbach’s Fall, as the season finale really outdid everything. It’s for me the most devastating episodes for Sherlock, John  - as well as me. Hahah..forget that please. I could not possibly think how Sherlock would clear his name from Mariarty’s manipulative trick that dragged him to the dead-end. So Sherlock did his own trick. A so-called magic trick. He jumped off the roof of St. Barts Hospital and with John watching it - too sad for him to watch his only best friend was brought to the edge and commit suicide. He could not do anything and could only scream SHERLOCK out loud! He then ran to blood-shredded Sherlock and checked his pulse. No pulse. Sherlock’s dead. Then, the major twist begun at his funeral, where John was there at Sherlock’s grave, whispering to him to stop being dead. Oh, poor John. And at the same time, I saw Sherlock was observing from afar and the season ended with that heart-wrenching scene. Huh, two years was long enough and luckily I watched it when the 3^rd season already aired. How is he not dead? Why?

So I continued the series marathon and the anticipation was going crazy. Huh! It turns out that Sherlock lives. In The Empty Hearse , it explains everything what I needed to know. Plus John has moving on and found the love of his life. He found Mary. Mary is a nurse working at John’s private practice. She appeared to help John fighting the hardest time of his life. And I too, like this lady.  Later, Sherlock appeared in front of John in a act of throwing a little surprise for his best friend. Knowing the fact that Sherlock lied to him, John was dissatisfied, punched him on the face but deep inside, he was glad that he’s back. They’re back together again solving the crimes. Their chemistry and love for each other is pretty undeniable isn’t it? 

Mary Watson

Well, then I proceeded with the second episodes called The Signs of Three. The highlight of this episode is definitely the wedding- John and Mary’s. Sherlock became John’s best man delivering the most heartfelt best man’s speech while cracking a case. It’s fantastic. Lucky enough, the wedding didn’t become the crime scene at the end of the day. Well, that’s it. I waited for 2 days for the 3^rd episodes to air.

Then, it was the season finale day. How could I describe it? For me, it was a nice ride with not so predictable, but moving twist and turns. The episode is called His Last Vow, introducing another scary excellent villain named Charles Agustus Magnussen. He’s a bully; with his mind palace he blackmailed people with interests, though he’s less psychotic compared to Moriarty. Later I had to accept a shocking fact that Mary is not the person at least I though she were. Hurmm…she shot Sherlock on his chest ( I didn’t have to mention this right?) but then I realized she’s not all bad. Sherlock manages to understand her, more than John. And of course, the upright and lovely John was devastated knowing his beloved wife is not what she supposed to be. But he kind of accepts that by saying;

“The problems of your past are your business. The problems of your future are my privilege.”

Hah. And perhaps that’s the most romantic moment in this series. Should I mention how things ended in His Last Vow? I don’t think so. Guess, you knew it already. For me it was a pretty nice ride with nothing much to be crazy about. But I really fell in love with the nothingness in His Last Vow. I liked how Sherlock dig into his mind palace after being shot, it does work, prevented him from shock due to severe blood loss. At the point he lost his consciousness, I was able to visualize him as a normal human. And he’s indeed just a normal human being with fragility and vulnerability. If in season 1 and 2 I saw him being a too smart for a person, apathetic in relationship and a bit of narcissism not yet progressing into disorder – season 3 took a 180 degrees turn reflected upon Sherlock’s vulnerability. As compared to others, he had many pressure points for people to attack him. Perhaps, he being like that – to concealed what’s deep inside him. Who knows. I’m not the writer though. It’s for Mark Gatiss,  Steven Moffat and the board of writers to work it out. They’re indeed genius writers. I never have doubt in them.

 Holmes brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft

But among all, who has the biggest impact on Sherlock? Indeed, it’s John. It’s the thoughts of John that wakes him up from his deep near death experience. By the way, I really love the facts that the writers put effort on exploring and establishing the characters relationship in this season. The crime- procedural –deductions thingy sometimes exhausted me. This season intentionally not trying to be clever but indeed it’s lovely and astounding. Perhaps, the fourth season will take what’s lacking in season 3. I’ve read somewhere that some didn’t like this 3^rd season due to lacking of what not smart- Sherlock compared to previous seasons, but I think this season act as a buffering agent that showed us that Sherlock is just being a human. The most human human being I’ve ever known, said John. I bet Sherlock also had the human error that he used to mention. No one can be perfect, and no one can escape from making mistakes but the best we can do is to learn from that error to become a better person.

So, farewell Sherlock. Till we meet again, in less than 2 years, I hope. In the meantime, I’ll try my best to become the most human I’d ever be. Please, when you come back, do kick some ass with your deductions and John, don’t forget to update your blog. Hahaha…I wonder what would have happened if they really exist. Sherlock made me think to consider reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original legendary work. The books. But...

Till then, I guess it’s enough. I didn’t expect that I would write thousands of words for this entry. Ok then, goodbye! Peace be upon you.