Everyone gives Sherlock Holmes a hard time about being mean about Watson's writing, but honestly imagine you told your roommate "sure, you can write up an account of my work for the newspaper," thinking it would be like, about the murder, but then he publishes it and it's 90% about you, as a person, and it's a huge hit and now everyone in London knows that you hoard newspapers and do cocoaine when you're depressed. Because I think you'd be little miffed too.
Fun Fact: in one month (1/1/23), all Sherlock Holmes stories hit the public domain and the Conan Doyle Estate can't do shit! I say this for absolutely no reason but also congrats in advance to the happy couple.
I always find it hilarious when more recent adaptations of Sherlock Holmes makes Holmes the dreamy heartthrob/attractive one (not that he’s not a total catch) because my dudes, Watson is right there. He is literally like a Victorian wet dream, he is everything that classic Victorian period would find appealing- adventurous, fought for his country, learned, has groomed facial hair (legit that was like the equivalent of being 6’ tall today), polite. He’s got just enough “melancholy” (depression) and rakishness (gambling) to still be a gentleman but like a bad boy gentleman. A real Romantic (both romance how we think of it today and like Romanticism) archetype. If anyone is the heartthrob here, it is Watson.
This poll is a celebration of fandom and fandom history; we're aware that there are certain issues with many of the listed pairings and sources, but they are a part of that history. Please do not take this as an endorsement, and refrain from harassment.