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inevitably-johnlocked · 2 months

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Hello Steph!!! I was wondering if you or your wonderful followers have recs for me. I'm looking for fanfics with a deep study of Sherlock character. His past, his behaviour etc. Maybe without ships? But I'm ok with johnlock tho. Thanks ❤️

Hey Nonny!! *HUGS*

OOOF Most of my fic recs are Johnlock stories, so I do apologize for that... I DO have a list I put together for "Introspection" type fics, which are essentially character studies or either character so I can use your ask for that list, but I think you'll also find some stuff you'll like on these lists:

POV Sherlock 1st & 2nd Person

POV Sherlock 3rd Person Pt. 1: Fluff

POV Sherlock 3rd Person Pt 2: Hurt/Comfort & Whump

POV Sherlock 3rd Person Pt 3: Angst/Angsty Fluff or BAMF Fics

Fics in “Sherlock’s Voice”

If anyone has something more catering to Nonny's request, please do, but for now, let's see these Introspection fics!

INTROSPECTION / CHARACTER STUDIES

The Moment When by drekadair (K, 509 w., 1 Ch. || TGG Fic, Friendship, First Person POV Sherlock, Introspection, Worried Sherlock) – Sherlock sees John in the pool, and doubts. Set during the end of "The Great Game." (FFNet)

The Hollow Man by HHarris (G, 639 w., 1 Ch. || John’s Chair, Introspection, Sherlock’s Big Feelings™, Post TRF, Angst, Emotional Turmoil, POV Sherlock, Pining / Sad Sherlock) – Still reeling from the apparent loss of his one and only friend, Sherlock returns to 221B for the first time after the events of The Reichenbach Fall.

Five Seconds by xXLadyLovelaceXx (K+, 658 w., 1 Ch. || TGG Pool Scene, Friendship, Introspection) – In the half-second before Sherlock shoots the jacket, John notices something. (FFNet)

Back in the Saddle by grannysknitting (M, 1,577 w., 1 Ch. || Post TGG AU, Donovan POV, Observation / Introspection, Protective Sherlock, Injured John, Case-ish Fic) – Their first return to solving crime after the pool and the explosion. (FFNet)

Upon This Throne by ifonlynotnever (T, 1,773 w., 1 Ch. || Pre-TRF, Angst, Romance, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Introspection, Imagery, Pining Sherlock, Drug Use, Passage of Time) – Inside Sherlock's mind is a Palace. Inside the Palace are many rooms. Within the largest room is the Throne. Upon the Throne sits the King. (FFNet)

Love and Bombs by Spark Writer (T, 1,780 w., 1 Ch. || Post S3, Romance, Angst, Pining Sherlock, 1st Person POV Sherlock, Introspection, Ambiguous Ending) – Love and bombs aren't all that different, John. In the end, they're almost indistinguishable. (FFNet)

You Can Imagine The Christmas Dinners by johnsarmylady (T, 1,780 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Family, Introspection, Fluff, Post-ASIP) – Set the morning after a Study in Pink, John sits and contemplates Mycroft's words. (FFNet)

Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil by PipMer (T, 1,895 w., 1 Ch. || Alternate Universe || Deaf John, Mute Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Romance, Fluff and Angst, Character Study, Morse Code, Love Confessions) – John is deaf. Sherlock is mute. There are no two people more suited for each other.

Spectrum of Mourning at the Funeral of a Solitary Man by TheBookshelfDweller (T, 1,956 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, Grief, Friendship, Sherlock First Person POV, Introspection) – Because each kind of love produces its own kind of grief, a long-ignored voice tells the story of five mourners of Sherlock Holmes, a man who in the end, was all but solitary. (FFNet)

The Lie-In by KendylGirl (M, 2,000 w., 1 Ch. || POV Sherlock 1st Person, Bed Sharing, Fluff, True Love, Introspection) – Five months after his return, John and Sherlock spend a day in bed. Part 2 of When to Let Go

Study in John by chappysmom (K+, 2,158 w., 1 Ch. || Post-ASiP, POV John, Introspection, Friendship, Nightmares, Caring Sherlock, John’s Limp) – After the events of "A Study in Pink," John lies on the couch in Baker Street and thinks about the whirlwind events of the day. What is he getting himself into? (FFNet)

Coming Full Circle by KCS (K+, 2,358 w., 1 Ch. || Alternate TGG, Friendship, Drama, Violence/Death References, Drugging/Poisoning, Kidnapping, BAMF John, Moriarty POV, Introspection) – Moriarty had John for almost six hours between his abduction and the showdown at the pool - more than enough time to implement a Plan B for his escape should Sherlock call his bluff with the fake bomb vest. (FFNet)

It's All Fine by AkoyaMizuno (T, 2,459 w., 3 Ch. || Post-TGG, Introspection, Mild Angst, Friendship) – Sherlock never asked what happened in the hours between John being kidnapped and the events at the pool. It occurs to him, days after the fact, that he probably should have. (FFNet)

Overture by Kate_Lear (M, 4,435 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Angry John, Introspection, Developing Relationship, Embarrassed / Insecure Sherlock, Morning After, Bed Sharing, Cuddles / Limpet Sherlock) – A short snippet on how John and Sherlock might have got together.

Days Go By by Hummingbird1759(T, 4,454 w., 6 Ch. || Angst, Friendship, Post-TRF, Introspection) – The characters' lives go on after the Fall... sort of. (FFNet)

When Your Belly's in the Trench by Morgan_Stuart (T, 4,743 w., 1 Ch. || PTSD, Character Study, Rescue, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Torture, Trauma, Danger, Drama, Kidnapping/Captivity) – The next time that door opens, John Watson will kill the person on the other side.

Applied Linguistics by what_alchemy (M, 4,837 w., 1 Ch. || Possessive / Anxious Sherlock, Introspection, Bed Sharing, Past John Whump, Est. Rel., Marriage Proposal, Sherlock Loves John So Much, Word Play) – “He wants to shake John by the shoulders, wants to open his mouth and swallow John whole. Wants to marry him.” Sherlock searches for the right words.

Bound Into the Fire by Tara Laurel (T, 6,672 w., 5 Ch. || TEH, Suspense, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Bonfire Scene, John Whump, Mary is Nice) – "John sometimes compared Sherlock Holmes to the flaming beast in his mind...Not such a bad way to go, John mused. Being consumed by Sherlock. Dying in his fire. No. This was different. He was burning alive. Not figuratively. Not some flowery metaphor. Burning." There was no two minute stay of execution. "Amazing how fire exposes our priorities." (FFNet)

Victim, Bait, Hero, Friend by KimberlyTheOwl (T, 7,887 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TGG Epilogue, Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Past Kidnapping / Torture / Implied Rape, Panic Attacks, Worried / Possessive Sherlock, Lestrade is a Good Friend) – Some insights into why John was perfectly willing to throw everything away for a chance to kill Moriarty at the pool. Trauma, ugliness, and finally healing. Some nice supporting work by Lestrade as well. (FFNet)

A Friend Indeed by Sanru (K+, 8,190 w., 1 Ch. || Missing John, Friendship, Drama, Introspection, Possessive Sherlock, Worried Sherlock) – Something has gone terribly wrong with a supposedly simple case. John Watson is missing. While the search for him is proving to be fruitless, it has made Sherlock realize that having an emotional attachment to someone may have its disadvantages but he liked being able to call John his friend. Now if only he could find out what happened to him... (FFNet)

The Skin Over My Heart by standbygo (E, 8,849 w., 1 Ch. || Post-Hiatus, Fake Relationship, Case Fic, Dog Tags, Military, Homophobia, Gay Bashing, POV First Person Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Declarations of Love, Undercover, Haircuts, Flashbacks, Touching, Pining Sherlock, Hospitalization, Metaphors, Introspection, Hand Jobs, On the Couch, John’s Past, Angst with Happy Ending) – Sherlock and John are still trying to adjust to Sherlock's return from his hiatus when John's friend Bill Murray brings them a case. Someone is targeting the LGBTQA+ members of Bill's unit. John and Sherlock go undercover at the unit, but when they end up having to flirt to flush out the suspect, Sherlock realizes he's in over his head.

Illogical, even. by magikspell (E, 9,119 w., 1 Ch. || Grey-Ace Sherlock, Character Study, Growing Up, Victor Trevor, Romance, First Time/Kiss, Sherlock-centric) – Five reasons Sherlock never believed in love and one reason he does now.

A Is For Aftermath by ElvendorkInfinity (T, 10,567 w., 1 Ch. || Injury / Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship/Pre-Slash/Bromance/Platonics, Hallucinations, Introspection, Insecure / Worried John, Big Brother Mycroft, Alternating POV, Anxious Sherlock, Self-Deprecating, Mildly Possessive Sherlock, 3G Moment) – John is still hallucinating, Sherlock cannot sleep, and Lestrade has a new case for them. But will life at 221B ever be able to return to normal? Epilogue to M is for Moriarty. (FFNet)

Always the sun by Rose de Sharon (K+, 12,377 w., 3 Ch. || Song Fic, Alternate Post-TGG, Friendship/Bromance, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection / Reflection, Injury Recovery, Obsessive / Protective Sherlock, Nightmares, John’s Past, Bed Sharing / Cuddles) – Sherlock ponders about how much his life has changed since John has become his flatmate. (FFNet)

To be loved by Strange_johnlock (E, 12,436 w., 8 Ch. || Post S3, Established Relationship, First Person POV Sherlock, Pet Names, Soft Sherlock, Mild ADHD, Protective John, Captain Watson, Body Appreciation, Bottomlock, Rough Sex, Travelling for Holidays, Introspection, Sherlock Loves John So Much It Hurts) – John is so deeply integrated into the work, both as my conductor of light, and as a great shot with a vicious right hook who tackles men -and women- no matter their size all in my defense. He protects me with all he can without question, and this loyalty is surely more than I deserve. Or: Sherlock is counting his blessings.

holding steady by darcylindbergh (E, 12,724 w., 4 Ch. || Post S4, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Growing Old, Gone Fishing, Mood without Plot, Soft Sherlock, Caring Sherlock, POV John Third Person, Anxious Sherlock, First Kiss / Time, Touching, Feeling Old, Sherlock Worship, Crying Sherlock, Cuddles, Comforting, Introspection, Retirement, Hand Holding, Forehead Kisses, Caring John, Bed Sharing, Emotional Love Making) – Sitting on a thick wool blanket at the end of a rickety dock side-by-side, legs dangling over the edge, a styrofoam container of wet, dark dirt between them, they’re fishing. John knows what this is about. This is about finally figuring it out.

The Velveteen Doctor by Lantean_Drift (M, 12,815 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, Dev. Rel., Introspection, Mild Whump, Taking Care of Each Other) – A series of events that show John just how real he has become to Sherlock – like a bright, brilliant flash of colour in an otherwise greyscale world.

Pattern Behaviour by SilentAuror (E, 14,835 w., 1 Ch. || POV First Person Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Introspection, Stroppy Sherlock, Light Humour, Friendship, John Takes Care of Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Wall Kisses, Fluffy Angst, Happy Ending) – Sherlock doesn't even know why he resents John's dates so much. Until the day he does know. Slight angst, unrequited feelings (but don't let that scare you off!)

Hope for Heroes by Richefic (K+, 16,887 w., 5 Ch. || Post-TGG Fic, Introspection / Flashbacks, Friendship/Epic Bromance, Hurt/Comfort, Worried/Anxious Sherlock, Sherlock Admires John, BAMF John, John Deduces, Fancy Party, John’s Self Esteem, Domestics) – In the final moments of "The Great Game" Holmes hopes he will have the chance to tell his flatmate that he was wrong. Heroes do exist after all and the one in front of him is called Dr John Watson. (FFNet)

And A Doctor by stillwaters01(T, 24,962 w., 6 Ch. || Five and One, BAMF John, Hurt/Comfort, Doctor John, Friendship, Character Study) – It was only when people actually saw John working as a physician that they began to understand: that it wasn’t just about bullets and IEDs and trauma care under fire. That “doctor” actually covered a pretty wide field. And that John was bloody good at covering ground. 5 times Dr. Watson treated others and 1 time he treated himself.

A Quiet Life by DiscordantWords (M, 25,176 w., 6 Ch. || Post S4, Retirement, POV Sherlock, Awkwardness, Established Relationship, Family Dynamics, Minor Character Death, Questionable Parenting Choices, Non-Linear Narrative, 20 Year Old Rosie, Meddling Mycroft, Pining Sherlock, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Angst, Sherlock Whump) – There had been three days of silence and a funeral. Sherlock had the terrible feeling that whatever happened next would depend, entirely, on him.

How To Unfold a Heart by elwinglyre (E, 25,477 w., 7 Ch. || Post S4 Fix It, BAMF John, Mentioned Eurus, POV First Person Sherlock, Case Fic, Fluff, Slow Burn, Topping from the Bottom, 3 Yr Old Rosie, Introspection, Sexual Fantasies, John Worship, Ogling, Hand Holding, Kidnapping, Domesticity, Sherlock Whump, First Kiss/Time, Doctor John, Caring John, Soft Sherlock, Sensuality, Touching, Crying, Love Confessions, Anxious Sherlock, Rimming, Toplock, Fingering, Bossy Bottom John) – To Sherlock’s dismay, John’s return to Baker Street with Rosie is only temporary. Sherlock’s daily visits to Regent Park with John and Rosie illuminate his lost childhood memories and missed opportunities. But with each trip to the park, Sherlock also feels a growing sense of hope. That is until the past horrors return unexpectedly in a cryptic note folded in the shape of a heart. To decipher the message, Sherlock must uncover the nature of the hearts around him, including his own.

To Mend Icarus by AlessNox (T, 28,347 w., 14 Ch. || Post-TRF / Pre-S3 Divergence, BAMF John, Anger, Fighting, Sex, Bed Sharing, Stalking, Case Fic, John’s Past, Introspection, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Crime, Mythology, Darkness) – After a case lands John Watson in court, he tells Sherlock that he is leaving. Not understanding why, Sherlock decides that the only way to learn the truth is to investigate his flatmate, Dr. John Watson. Sherlock finds that coming back is not enough to fix all of the damage that he caused by leaving. A post Reichenbach, post reunion re-discovery fic.

Another Auld Lang Syne by DiscordantWords (M, 30,234 w., 31 Ch. || Post S4, Mutual Pining, Alternating POV, Introspection, Parentlock, Christmas, New Year’s, First Kiss, Past Drug Use, Angst with Happy Ending, Drinking, Sherlock Whump) – There had been years of missed chances.

Lucifer's Gardens by ampersand_ch (E, 32,679 w., 12 Ch. || GERMAN VERSION|| Romance, Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Murder, Poison / Drugging, Mystery, John Undercover, Academic Club, Therapy, Rituals, Jungian Archetypes, Doctors & Physicians, Grief/Mourning, Esotericism, Hospitals, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, John Falls In Love With Another Man, Jealous Sherlock, Crying, Doctor John, Hand Holding, First Kiss/Time, Mysticism, Hugging, Touching) – John goes undercover for an investigation as a favour to Lestrade in a village in Suffolk. The events surrounding the case awaken deep-seated fears in Sherlock. While John begins to come to a realisation of what he needs in Lucifer's Gardens, Sherlock tries to find a way to reach John – in more ways than one.

There's Someone On Your Shoulder by halloa_what_is_this (NR, 41,215 w., 6 Ch. || Pining Sherlock, Introspection, Daydreams, Sherlock Loves John So Much it Hurts) – Sherlock trips and falls head over heels in love, makes a lot of lists and stares, stares, stares.

Triage by scullyseviltwin (E, 51,612 w., 14 Ch. || Character Injury, Introspection, Pining Sherlock, Falling in Love, Slow Burn, Sherlock POV, Toplock) – Sherlock’s mind goes exceedingly, devastatingly quiet and gray-blank. When he speaks it’s through a thick haze, it’s through molasses, he’s so disconnected from the words that it may as well be the unconscious shooter speaking.

Spare Parts by Raina_at (E, 63,497 w., 10 Ch. || 24th Century / Futurism AU || Post TRF, Pre-TRF Relationship, Case Fic, Mutual Pining, Estrangement, Reconciliation, Science Fiction, Reunion, Nightmares, Angry John, Cybernetic John, Emotional Discussions / Heart to Heart, POV John, Scars, Past Drug Use, Forehead Touching, Emotional Lovemaking, Kissing, Apologies, Kidnapping, Rescue Mission, BAMF John, Bed Sharing, Top Sherlock) – Two years ago, Sherlock Holmes jumped off the roof of New London Hospital. Two months ago, he walked into John's clinic as if no time had passed at all. John hasn't seen him since. But then Sherlock knocks on John's door with a case he can't say no to, and while figuring out why the biggest manufacturer or synthetic limbs in the System is going after veterans, they also need to find out whether there's a way to fix what's broken between them. Part 1 of Realigning Gravity

Drawn to Stars by Silvergirl (E, 109,272 w., 60 Ch. || S4 Compliant to TLD / TFP Doesn’t Exist, Sherlock’s Italian Adventure, Sherlock/OC and Johnlock, Jealous John, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, First Kiss/Time, Idiots in Love, 3 Part Story, Slow Burn, Inexperienced Sherlock, Bottom Sherlock, Introspection, Multiple Alternating First and Third Person POV, Separation and Reconciliation, Emotional Love Making, Love Confessions via Letters, Angst with Happy Ending) – After the Culverton Smith case Sherlock is clean, working, and looking for a romantic partner—since John has told him that’s what he needs. Shame John didn’t mention he was interested in that role himself, before Sherlock went off to Rome with a gorgeous Italian copper to try to fall in love and become a complete human being. Part 1 of the Drawn to Stars series

Against the Rest of the World by SilentAuror (E, 151,714 w., 20 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF, Hiatus Fic, POV First Person Sherlock, Present Tense, First Kiss/Time, Big Brother Mycroft, Escaping from Capture, Soft Sherlock, Toplock, Insecurity, Infidelity, Travelling, Introspection, Pining Sherlock, Depression, Fantasies, Yearning for the Past, PTSD Sherlock, Suicidal Ideation) – Sherlock has been away from London for nine hundred and twelve days and counting, and has no idea what sort of reception to expect when he finally returns.

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #introspection fics #character study fics #my fic recs #long post

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hathorneheiress · 4 months

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Okay, so thank to @riddles-n-games and her to do list, I looked over the cover of TGG and found a few things.

The top clover petal. (Not sure what else to call that, sorry). Anyways, what is that thing the gears seem to be in? That semicircle thing. My first thought was a protractor like what you use in math. But I really don't think that's it.

What is that curvy metal object? It looks like a ring, but rings don't have that shape. Well, I guess some special made ones do. Would love to hear what you think.

The glass rose. We have had a glass ballerina, but never a rose. I wonder if this is a symbol for maybe one of the main female characters? Like Gigi or even Savannah? It is also the only rose on this cover. All of the other covers have had roses behind the main picture. This is the first time there is only one. And it is very small.

Sorry, this is really badly written. Also very blunt.

Thank you @riddles-n-games for giving me somethings to ponder over. I enjoyed it.

#the inheritance games #the brothers hawthorne #the grandest game #the hawthorne legacy #the final gambit #games untold #grayson hawthorne #jameson hawthorne #nash hawthorne #xander hawthorne #avery grambs #Games #book covers #looking for clues

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ebaeschnbliah · 2 years

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THE LONG FALL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL

________________________________________________________________

UNAIRED PILOT: The beginning

A STUDY IN PINK: Repetition

Never before has ‘falling in love’ been more thoroughly investigated and studied ... but then, Sherlock Holmes never liked not knowing. Instead he prefers to solve the mystery.

TBC below the cut .....

The slightly differnt filming decisions in PILOT and ASIP - the unofficial, unaired and the official, first episode of the story - give the impression of two perfect mirrors of each other, in which left turns to right and vis versa. While in both rooftop scenes Sherlock can be seen high up on a building (body/above the body) - looking out and down for his ‘pink case’ - John stands, looking up, next to a parked car (body/motionless transport) in the first version and next to a phone (voice of the heart) in the second.

The first version is created as a compact scene. It plays without any dialogue at all - there’s just ... music. The audience is aware that John can see Sherlock on the rooftop while Sherlock doesn’t seem to notice John.

In the second version the same scene is split in two separate parts. Although John does look up as well and one can asume that it is Sherlock whom he sees on a rooftop, there is no visual proof of it. Only when both characters are back at 221b and Sherlock talks about his discovery of the pink case, the missing rooftop scene from the earlier scene, appears in a flashback. This time though John is the one who is absent.

This scene is linked to the first appearance of Sherlock’s brother Mycroft (the brain) who enters the stage by an anonymus phone call, directed at John. And why should the brain communicate with the voice of the heart? Maybe because ... ‘there is a heart somewhere inside me’? At least that’s what Mycroft says in TFP. In the PILOT Mycroft isn’t completely absent either. By e-mail he advises his brother: ‘When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth.’ In this version though Mycroft’s appearance isn’t linked to the rooftop scene at Lauriston Gardens but to Sherlock’s and John’s first meeting in Bart’s lab.

Back to the official verson in which Mycroft doesn’t text but talk. The first phone starts ringing exactly at the very moment John looks up to the rooftop. When John finally answers the third call (under the sign of a modern ‘cockcrow’), the voice of the mysterious man on the phone gives informations about three single surveillance cameras, mounted onto buildings, all focussed at John (full observation of the mind), followed by one explicit demand:

"There is a security camera on the building to your left. Do you see it? ... Do you see the camera, Doctor Watson? ... Watch. There is another camera on the building opposite you. Do you see it? ... And finally, at the top of the building on your right. ... Get into the car, Doctor Watson.”

Viewing both ‘first statements’ (text and call) of Mycroft side by side - in relation to the scenes in which they happen (lab and rooftop) and at whom they are directed (Sherlock and John) - this almost gives the impression of some nice choreographic planning. In any case, both first episodes seem to complement each other perfectly. The introduction of the main characters in both first episodes is then followed by user manual (TBB) and chapter list (TGG) before the story finally takes its course from ASIB down to the bottom of the well in TFP. This well is located at Musgrave Hall, the ancestral home of the Holmes family, where there was always honey for tea ...

‘Get into the transport, John! ... Fasten your seatbelt! It’s gonna be a bumpy night ... My brain is terribly fast! ... When I have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth ... the truth that lies at the bottom of the well ...’ :)))

THE BLIND BANKER

Premonition of the fall, followed by character switching and a fall down from stage to stage, from level to level, caused by a masked attacker who comes from the East, from the distant moonlight shores of the Yangtze River.

THE GREAT GAME

Five cold cases, pips and explosions, deep waters and a boy called Carl. Someone stole his shoes to catch Sherlock’s attention ... someone who is closely connected to the ‘hound’. And a bomb, wearing John’s jacket, is waiting, ready to explode ...

A SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA

Distracted, hit and felled by a boomerang, brought back from the East. It falls into a Brook to be washed down a stream. The naked truth comes to light ... “We’re not a couple” - ”Yes you are” ... Officially ‘truth’ gets executed, inofficially ‘truth’ lives on undercover.

The water-repellent umbrella of the brain gives the impression of a dark circular spot on the ground. Already a premonition for the deep well’s dark opening?

THE HOUNDS OF BASKERVILLE

The entrance to hell is marked by the hound’s paw, illuminated by a circle of light, while the air is full of chemistry that rouses fear and terror.

Lab experiments: Sherlock wants to find out how John might react to the presence of the hound. He observes how the former army doctor breaks out in panic and fear, how he seeks shelter behind the iron bars of a covered cage and even forgets that he carries a gun. Despite being ‘acclimatised to violence’ and having ‘nerves of steel’ due to his military service, it seems that the presence of the hound renders John totally impotent ...

More lab experiments: Sherlock can’t find any illegal drugs under the microscope, just sugar and water ... ‘sweet emotions’ ... the basic ingredients of a ‘natural high’. In the end John shoots both - hound and dog - a foreshadowing of what will happen in the following episode on Bart’s roof .

THE REICHENBACH FALL

Jim Moriarty, Mr Big G, prepares to introduce Sherlock to his - their - final problem. He is the man with the key, who is in controll of the vaults of power, who is able to free dangerous criminals from their prison and breaks open the crown jewel’s case. He is Mr Sex ...

Falling for John ... falling towards John, who is caught in the circle and cross-hair pointer of a sniper’s gun, a sniper who works for Mr Sex. After the Baskerville experiments Sherlock knows how very afraid John is of the Hound, therefore the Hound must never get John. As a consequence Jim (the hound) and Sherlock (the dog) both ‘die’.

THE EMPTY HEARSE

An underground journey. From dark and dangerous woods, in whose lightless depths the mind observes the torment of the imprisoned body, back to the trains and tunnels below the city of London, where the transport starts getting into gear.

Then the explosive transport at Sumatra Road, the underground station beneath the Houses of Parliament, that was closed before it ever opened, threatens to bring the government down.

THE SIGN OF THREE

A great treasure from the banks gets lost to the Waters. The sign of four has become a sign of three. Not long now until AGRA steps forth and then Sherlock will be drawn into a river, a maelstrom, with only one destination.

Close observation can prove dangerous because one never knows what might wait at the end. Scorched, fallen and drowned in tea. It’s the eye that first sins and then falling can not be avoided ...

Some clueing and looking under the influence of chemistry turns out to be essential to find the correct solution - a solution that will lead Sherlock to one more, not expected, deduction ... Oh what a night! I felt a rush like a rollin' ball of thunder, spinnin' my head around and takin' my body under ... Sherlock’s ‘I’m in love’ deduction becomes the turning point of the story.

HIS LAST VOW

Sherlock reveals and confronts Mary, his facade, which will seal both their fates. Sherlock falls towards Jim, towards Mr Sex, who is chained to the wall of a circular cell like a vicious dog, singing of pouring rain. Countless vortex-spirals-smiley faces are watching intently. Then Sherlock gets caught in the cross-hair pointer of the government ... ‘Oh, Sherlock. What have you done?’ - ‘A deal with the devil’ ... ‘You want me to shake hands with you in hell? I shall not disappoint you.’ ... ‘Dewer’s Hollow or Sherrinford?’

THE ABOMINABLE BRIDE

From the beginning then: Burning tobacco transforms into a gunshot aimed at Baker Street. The veil of the bride lifts. John and Jim are connected by a circle of glowing light. How many pipes will Sherlock need to solve the final problem?

Towards the journey’s end lies Rich Brook’s cauldron, Jim’s cauldron that is waiting for Sherlock. And smiling the detective plunges down into Mr Sex’s boiling maelstrom of overwhelming emotions ... flying free as a bird, carried away by the chemistry of love.

THE SIX THATCHERS

The former drug-induced victorian fever dream has now been replaced by a modern ‘natural high’ and Sherlock starts to explore the cauldron. He relives the past, faces old monsters, investigates the destruction of masks and finds a memory stick with secret informations about AGRA next to a swimming pool. Could it be the same memory stick Jim threw into another swimming pool in another episode?

Circles within circles ... another premonition of the dark well that is waiting for Sherlock to devour him?

“Amo, amas, amat ... I love, you love, he loves.” And again circles within circles. Circles that make up a fan ... a ‘wind machine’ ... with a black hole at the centre. In the end AGRA leads to AMO. The city of Agra, on the banks of the Yamuna river, is most famously known for the Taj Mahal ... symbol of undying love.

Well in the mirror ... mirror of the well? And the reflection in a mirror shows the truth ... the facade and that what the facade hides and protects. A mirror filmed side by side with a bathroom - the same bathroom in which John was ‘not shaving’ for Sherlock Holmes, the detective who likes his doctors clean shaven ...

Snow-capped mountain-waves rise from the foaming waters of a stirred up swimmingpool. Sherlock and Ajay, the man who wears the Y on his cheek like Jim on his lips, are locked in a fierce fight beneath an artificial waterfall. The facade finally falls and the stream becomes a river, a torrent, with only one destination.

THE LYING DETECTIVE

At the bottom of the cauldron and still falling ... that’s where Sherlock finally reaches the beginning. The great story-cycle starts to close.

Smiley face, serial killer and the fall float to the surface and merge into one single case, while Eurus, the East Wind, broken loose from her prison, begins to dictate the rhythm. The‘truth’ gets in touch once more and announces her survival. Sherlock is challenged to go to Hell.

‘We always saw it coming’ ... that dark abyss of the well ...

THE FINAL PROBLEM

‘Patience’ wears thin and the long overdue explosion of the ‘passions’ grenade inside 221b causes a jump and a fall through fire and foggy clouds onto a ship at sea.

Sherlock and John call themselves pirates. A gap in the clouds meets a hole in the ground and Mr Sex becomes the stationmaster of the East Wind’s experiments ... ‘Choo-choo! Come on now! Aaaaaall aboard!’ ... the transport takes up speed ...

At the bottom of the well: Sherlock finds somthing long forgotten but deeply familiar ... ‘Hello skull, my dear old friend! ... Hello John, did you miss me?’

‘Deep waters, Sherlock, all your life. In all your dreams. Deep waters.’ ... and the vast ocean of long suppressed, overwhelming emotions yearns for the pirate to dare its billowing waves ...

Water ...

Just some general basic info for good measure: water represents life, physical and spiritual birth, forgiveness, purification and flexibility. Water is also said to be a feminine energy, connected to passion and emotion. It can be associated with birth, fertility, and refreshment. In traditional western philosophy it is one of the four elements essential to life. Colours commonly associated with it are blue and green. Flowing water, like rivers, represents death, rebirth and the passage of time. Water is also a universal symbol of change and of the unconscious mind, linked to the moon. In alchemy water is associated with the element Mercury, it’s symbol a downward-pointing triangle. (Sources: Water symbolis X X)

At the bottom of a well ...

The surface of water is like a mirror. It gives off a reflection and reflections have long been symbolically associated with truth. ‘Truth lies at the bottom of a well’ and ‘Truth coming out of her well’ has already been discussed by several people. Jean-Léon Gérôme’s four paintings are also well known in this context. Thanks @possiblyimbiassed for this interesting link on the ‘vicar’ post. The statement that ‘truth lies at the bottom of a well’ originates from the Greek philosopher Democritus: “We know nothing in reality; for truth lies in an abyss.”

Truth, lies and liars are constantly repeated themes in Sherlock BBC. Even the creators described themselves more than once as ‘lying liars who lie’. The Kafka-Paradox comes to mind:

“Art depends on truth, but truth, being indivisable, cannot know itself: to tell the truth is to lie. thus the writer is the truth, and yet when he speaks he lies.“

Well, well .....

A well is a deep hole, made in the ground, from which water can be removed. Since prehistoric times wells have had great significance. They are associated with the feminine principle, the womb of the Great Mother. In psychology, descending into a well, equals the positive regression of the conscious to the unconscious mind, to gain new insights. (Sources: Wells symbolism X X X X)

In myths and fairytales wells are often holy and serve as portals to the Otherworld - into the unknown world of the unconscious mind - of that what is hidden and inaccessible in everyday life. A stream leading into a well is a symbol for the union of male and female. Trains and tunnels come to mind but also that one scene in TFP of John in the well, when water starts pooring into it (Source of PRISMApic @constancecream x) ... and also Sherlock’s line in HLV: ‘Sherlock is actually a girl’s name’.

Other continuous motives in Sherlock BBC are fairytales. There are a lot of references to a number of well known fariytales included in the story. In TRF the ‘Complete Edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales’ (published by Routledge and Kegan Paul 1948, with 212 illustrations by Josef Scharl (X)) plays an important role and leads Sherlock to Max and Claudette (the ‘big one’ and the ‘lame’), the siblings who got abducted by Jim and poisoned with Mercury.

(Fairytales master post by @bug-catcher-in-viridian-forest)

Mother Holle ...

One of the fairytales, collected by the Brothers Grimm, that features a well, is Mother Holle, also known as Mother Hulda or Old Mother Frost (fairytales + interpretations). In this story two girls who are half-siblings jump into a well - tirst the one, then the other one - to retrieve something that had gone lost. Both become unconscious during the fall and when they wake up again they have entered the Otherworld. Here the girls are confronted with several tasks they need to solve before they are allowed to go back again. The return of both girls - one covered with golden rain, the other one covered with pitchy rain - is announced by the ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’ of a rooster. The crow of a rooster - the cockcrow - is also often used as a metaphor for revelation and transformation.

Mother Holle is related to the Germanic figure of Perchta, who is a somewhat contradictory and Janus-faced character, sometimes depicted with big teeth. She abodes in the depth of a well’s underworld but at the same time she’s also in heaven from which she lets the snow fall down to earth. Eurus comes to mind, whol lives deep down below the island of Sherrinford and at the same time she is on board of a plane high up in the sky.

On the one hand Frau Holle/Perchta was depicted as a young and lovely lady, clothed in white, whose power granted fertility and abundance. But on the other hand she was the old crone, a dark goddess, the queen of witches, demons and restless spirits of the dead - also called ‘the wild hunt’ - who swept up the souls of children who had died before being named and transported them to the Otherworld. As a spinner, Holle was also a deity of fate. Her festival is in the middle of winter - at the same time that is regarded as the Twelve Days of Chrismas, the Twelve Tide of the Celtic calendar.

Sources: Mother Holle Perchta pic

Twelve tide: Epiphany & 12th Night by @7-percent John’s wedding is the Eleventh Night by @lukessense , Sherlock S4 is set during Twelve Tide , Sherlock BBC/Dr Who/The Eleventh Hour comparison by @sagestreet

additional X X)

Back to Reichenbach’s - Rich Brook’s Cauldron .....

“If Moriarty has risen from the Reichenbach cauldron, he will seek you out.” (Mycroft, TAB)

As longsnowsmoon5 pointed out in this post from 2016, the term ‘cauldron’ was indeed a careful choice of words from the creators of Sherlock BBC. Interestingly that word doesn’t appear in The Final Problem nor in The Empty House, the two canon stories that tell about the events at the Reichenbach Falls. (Pot, cettle, cauldron)

To summarize: a cauldron is a large metal pot, used for cooking over an open fire. When a cauldron of water is placed over a fire, filled with water and boiled, its magic can be seen in bubbling action. Whatever is placed into it comes out changed. The word ‘cauldron’ is also used to describe a stiuation characterized by instability and strong emotions (for example: cauldorn of repressed emotions).

Originating from the central source of nourishment in a Celtic household, the cauldron became over the centuries a symbol of transformation and spiritual - if not physical - regeneration. Magic cauldrons appear as a leading theme in Celtic mythology. Some never empty themselves as long as they are not used by cowards. Others bring the dead back to life - dead soldiers, so that they can return to battle - or they contain the essence of wisdom and knowledge. Ceridwen’s magical cauldron held a potion that granted knowledge and inspiration. She is regarded as the Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation and inspiration and closely associated with the full moon.

The famous Gundestrup cauldron is a richly decorated silver vessel, adorned with the horned god Cernunnos surrounded by a stag, canines, felines and bovine animals. On another plate of the cauldron two elephants can be seen as well. (Sources: Welsh mythology Celtic mythology Gundestrup Cauldron Wild hunt, sacrifice & rebirth Ceridwen)

In Sherlock BBC the horns of bull and stag and several characters who ‘wear’ those horns (Sherlock, Mary, Mycroft, Janine and the ‘Viking’) turn up repeatedly. Some of the animals depicted on the Gundestrup cauldron make also an appearance in Sherlock BBC: elephants, cats and dogs, lions and dragons, pigs and birds. (Cernunnos the horned god , Thoughts about horns)

Where the dark secrets are kept ...

A circular staircase spirals down to the ‘Alexandrian Library of secrets and scandals’, the central ‘repository where all the sensitive and dangerous informations’ are guarded behind lock and key. Not in a vault they are kept but inside a mind palace, a brain. And what an interesting choice by the creators to name that collection of most sensitive informations after the Alexandrian Library, which was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. Maybe the decisive factor to choose exactly this facility had been its name? Because names often seem to have great importantce in this story. For example: Alexander means ‘defending man’ and this fits very well with army doctor John Watson. Alexander is also another name for Paris, the guy who eloped with beautiful Helen and so caused the great Trojan war (x).

It rather seems that the name of that mind-palace-library and the secret it keeps are actually one and the same ....

As mentioned above, a well often symbolizes the glance into the depths of the soul. It’s a place of change and rebirth. No one comes out of such a well the same person they fell into it. Wanting to find his true self - that what he really is - Sherlock has to dare this dark pit and listen to that what is waiting there. After all, information is the power to change.

And sometimes the well and the secret it guards seems to turn out to be one and the same as well .....

It would be very interesting to learn what conclusions Sherlock might draw from all his detailed investigations and deductions regarding his ‘pink case’ and his preferred ‘cup of tea’ ..... :))))

Thanks for reading and looking and thanks @callie-ariane for the scripts. :)

October, 2022

Outtakes: From the beginning then The thing with the acronyms Procect Hound - Sherlock’s experiment 1/2 Your cup of tea? Well ...

SUMMARY OF A THEORY (my interpretation of SHERLOCK BBC based on metaphorical reading)

#sherlock bbc #the long fall down to the bottom of the well #circles #wells #symbolism #metaphorical reading #falling in love #fairy tales #frau holle #mother hulda #changing #rebirth #cauldron #water #emotions

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polniaczek · 1 month

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Hilda Spellman, Laverne DeFazio, Hooper from Jaws, Maude Finley, and Blanche Devereux

this list of characters is wild to me on account of i barely know who some of them are lol but ty for submitting <3

laverne

favorite thing about them: gonna be real. penny marshall playing her. she makes the character and the accent is everything least favorite thing about them: favorite line: "a nun! 😅 ...a nun... 🤔 ...a nun's nice. 😐" brOTP: OTP: shirley nOTP: random headcanon: i don't have any REAL hcs i really need to rewatch the show it's been too long but i feel like she wore lavender and purple a lot which means nothing unless you have your tin hat on in which case it means she's gay unpopular opinion: no idea what's unpopular for l&s song i associate with them: this is so goofy but i could see hit the road jack by ray charles being her anthem favorite picture of them: none but i have this one w penny's daughter :)

blanche

favorite thing about them: she's a bad bitch and she knows it least favorite thing about them: blind to her privilege sometimes which tbh i don't mind on this particular show but i would hate that quality in most characters favorite line: that one line about not caring if her brother is a homosexual, she just doesn't like him dating men asdkfjfd brOTP: dorothy OTP: i don't really ship on tgg nOTP: random headcanon: unpopular opinion: song i associate with them: the lady is a tramp by frank sinatra favorite picture of them: again, the only one i have but i do love it lol

#replies #ask meme #jfc my computer started repeatedly freezing this took forever to type out

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dragonsareawesome123 · 1 year

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Do you have any favorite dramas? What's your top 20 Asian BL dramas?

Oh, yeah I have quite a few! I don’t know if I have enough for a full top 20 list but here’s my top 18 favorite Asian dramas:

1. Bad Buddy

2. A Tale of Thousand Stars

3. Triage

4. Never Let Me Go

5. Crash Landing on You

6. Word of Honor

7. He’s Coming to Me

8. Pachinko

9. The Gifted: Graduation

10. The Gifted (Ik this is objectively better than TGG but I’m more emotionally attached to TGG)

11. Manner of Death

12. Gap the Series

13. Until We Meet Again

14. History 3: Trapped

15. Guardian

16. Dear Doctor I’m Coming For Soul

17. Dark Blue Kiss

18. Kiss Me Again (Petekao edit)

And this is my top 10 Asian QLs:

1. Bad Buddy

2. A Tale of Thousand Stars

3. Triage

4. Never Let Me Go

5. Word of Honor

6. He’s Coming to Me

7. Manner of Death

8. Gap the Series

9. Until We Meet Again

10. History 3: Trapped

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awritingcaitlin · 10 months

Text

10 First Lines

@elbritch-kit tagged me for this a month ago! 👋🏻 Sorrynotsorry I'm late!

Anyway, I've done a couple of these before, but this one's rules is very specifically:

rules: share the first lines of the last ten things you’ve written

So, uh, this should be interesting because fun fact about me, I rewrite the same stuff over and over again.

🔥TBW: Mama Cass normally prided herself on her composure.

🥃LGO: In all honesty, Rinnie was too drunk to remember who hit the bed first.

👩‍🦰RA: “Where are we?” Taryn asked.

🎻ROTG: A Temple of Adelus wasn’t her favorite place for a gig, but considering Em was avoiding Seamus Finn establishments, she’d take what she could get.

💥SB: The wind on Berthingtonn’s eastern docks always seemed to blow far more strongly than it did on the west side.

♟TGG: “Eileen,” Aravae said, trying to put enough warning into her tone that Eileen would get the message, but not so much warning that Finley would pick up on it.

💨WH: “Wind’s howling,” Teagan mutters in her best Geralt impression.

❄CTQ: Two women walked along the busy evening streets of Himmelmauer, their course pointed towards the castle.

🍲AEB: First there is chaos, and then there is cold.

💎TWS: Rinnie is on a beach, but it's not a beach she recognizes. The magic feels different.

Okay, that actually wasn't too hard to track down all things considered. I feel like elaborating with more stats, so I'll do that under the cut.

But first, I'll tag: @sentfromwolves, @tananaphone, @legiomiam, @mjjune, and @muddshadow (no pressure, anyone!)

The Brewing War: aka Book 1, it's up at the top of the list (most recent) because it's been in steady revisions of it since April. That first line? Totally new.

Lights Go Out: is a character study of Rinnie, Aravae, and Ciara and I was writing it separately from TBW because that content does not actually belong on the pages of TBW, but it's up there because I wrote it in June.

Redheads Abound: is a AU fanfiction essentially combining my characters with characters from 3 others writeblrs on here. Wrote that back in April.

Relic of the Gods: aka ViolinHeist, happens in the same universe as TBW but is not a prequel. It got a few revisions in April, but after rewriting the first three chapters of Draft 3, I set it down to let other stuff percolate in the back of my head.

Siege of Berthingtonn: aka Book 2 got some edits back in March, though that first line is older.

The Great Game: aka Book 4 where I've done bits and pieces of that so that's the first line I've written but it's definitely not Chapter 1 or a prologue even. That was back in March.

Wind's Howling: is a flashfic I wrote back in February. Experimenting with present tense.

Cure for the Queen: aka Book 3. It got finished back in March of 2022. April-August was ROTG Draft 1, August-October was then SB Draft 8, November-February was ROTG again which explains the break and reemphasizes that I just write the same things over and over again.

Soup 2 Another Electric Boogaloo: was something I was working on back in October of 2021 (in between working on CTQ). It was fanfiction of fanfiction and I wrote it primarily while still working at GameStop because I could just write it on my phone.

Team W Shenanigans: was also something I was working on back in the Fall of 2021, same time as AEB. It was fanfiction that Rinnie was also involved in.

Hilariously, Rinnie never seems to get first lines unless it's a character study, or fanfiction. I should probably change that. But also, Rinnie's not really a candidate for the prologues of the main series of books so there's also that.

Okay I'm done rambling now. Have a cookie if you read this far 🍪

#tag games #10 first lines #my writing #the brewing war #redheads abound #relic of the gods #siege of berthingtonn #the great game #cure for the queen #mama cass #rinnie #taryn #em

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riddles-n-games · 4 months

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TIG Blog Announcement

Hey, TIG fandom. I have a massive undertaking that's going to span throughout The Grandest Game series. If you noticed today's post called the "TGG To-Do List", that's going to be a new segment on the blog. Also, I'm going to start another called "TGG Mysteries" which will address the major mysteries we know of going into The Grandest Game. I may also start a third called TGG Theories but we'll get to that later. Anyways, TGG To-Do List and TGG Mysteries will be two new additions on my blog headings for you to check out.

I will also be incorporating a series of new hashtags: #tggtodolist, as you likely already saw, #tggmysteries, and #tggtheories.

Now, what is going on with this? Well, under TGG To-Do List and TGG Mysteries, you'll find all entries related to the tags and there will likely be several parts. However, I don't want to just do this myself. I've already been talking to several people about clues on the covers and in the past books. @hathorneheiress and @carmenpowerpuffgirl, you are my inspo for this so kudos to you before I continue.

As a community, there are many minds with different thought processes and ideas. Like in the last few days we've been guessing and spinning theories left, right, and through the roof which is why I believe we can all make contributions to this. So here's what I want you to do. If you have ideas to add to the to-do list or have theories pertaining to the mysteries, send an ask or put one of the hashtags listed on here and tag me so I can put a link to your entry.

I want to see to see this list grow. I know for sure that many of you are hungry for content but the truth is we already have much of it here and who knows how many new things we can put together from the old clues. Remember what Jameson told Avery in The Final Gambit?

"That puts us halfway through, and my grandfather would say that's a good point to step back. Go back to the beginning. Consider the framing and your charge." (The Final Gambit)

I don't know what mark we're at. I don't know how far we have to go. I don't know if we're that much closer. But, what I do know is we have four books in our possession and we have five covers that give us clues and there's also a whole lot of us. Surely, that's enough to start somewhere. Maybe this is our Saturday morning where we get to show we're extraordinary but we know that already so let's do just that. We've been taught how to think like Hawthornes; are you ready to prove that? This is your chance.

Please comment, reblog, and like this to spread the news. If we actually connect and do this, I know that we'll have a lot more fun in the months of waiting and could decode more than ever before. Who's ready to do this?

Remember: Opposites attract. There are clues in the Final Gambit. Only one can win.

(Not gonna lie, I felt like Avery announcing the Grandest Game in the epilogue of The Final Gambit writing this.)

"On your marks, boys," Tobias Hawthorne said on the recording. "Get set. Go." (The Final Gambit)

#tig blog announcement #tgg to do list #tgg mysteries #tgg theories #tig asks and requests #tig inbox #tig headquarters #TIG HQ #tig fandom #the inheritance games #the hawthorne legacy #the final gambit #the brothers hawthorne #the grandest game #tig #thl #tfg #tbh #tgg

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devoursjohnlock · 2 years

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hi! do you happen to have a list of must-watch holmes adaptations? can we see it pleasee

Hi anon! This is a great question; the short answer is no I don't keep such a list because I'd like to see everything eventually and haven't yet. But can I make such a list? I can try.

Since your follow-up ask mentioned that you’re watching from a tjlc/BBC Sherlock perspective, I’ve added explanations for why many of these adaptations made the cut. Personally, I love the earlier black and white films; if this is less your glass of tea, the first ones to cut out are Barrymore and Wontner.

Oh! Edited to add: there are so many Sherlock Holmes adaptations I haven’t seen, and I’m aware that I’m dramatically under-representing those not performed in English. Please feel free to recommend your favourites if you don’t see them here.

ACTION!

1. Sherlock Holmes Baffled (1900) Why wouldn’t you start here? It was the first, has nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes whatsoever, and runs just under 1 minute.

2. Sherlock Holmes (1916). William Gillette as Holmes. Historically very important. This is the film version of an original play first written by Doyle, then destroyed in a fire, then rewritten by Gillette with Doyle’s permission. Remember “Marry him, kill him, do what you like with him”? That was about this play (1899). Gillette was the model for Collier’s illustrator Frederic Dorr Steele’s Sherlock Holmes (1903 onward). This film was thought lost for many years; the Hartswood gang partly funded its restoration when it was rediscovered. Holmes has a love interest in this, Alice Faulkner, who is I guess modelled on Irene Adler; IIRC, they share a dream or vision at some point, which got my attention. There are some nice Holmes & Watson bits, too, although Watson is barely in it.

3. Sherlock Holmes (1922) John Barrymore as Holmes. I like this one! Again, Watson is not much in it, which leads to some odd choices like Holmes sitting down and listing his own limits (why???), but we do see their rooms in... Cambridge (sure, why not)... so they’re young, which is rare enough, and there’s a bit of nice camaraderie there. The Moriarty special effects are hilarious.

4. Sherlock Jr. (1924) Buster Keaton as a bungling Holmes wannabe. It’s Buster Keaton, so it’s action-packed and funny, with the added bonus of an extended mind palace sequence and fourth wall breaks. I just think it’s neat.

5. Wontner films (1931-1937) Arthur Wontner as Holmes. At long last, sound! Wontner did several films as Sherlock Holmes, partnered with Ian Fleming (not that one) as Watson. I like these, too. The Sign of Four is often laughed at for the speedboat chase, but have you read The Sign of the Four? Of course there should be a speedboat chase. Also: hairline.

6. Rathbone/Bruce films (1939-1946) Basil Rathbone as Holmes. These are obviously essential. The first two are set in Victorian England; after they moved from 20th Century Fox to Universal, they ditched the fog and deerstalker to fight the Nazis. Sherlock references these films often. For example, the Golem in TGG is based on the Creeper from The Pearl of Death; the play in the aluminium crutch case on John’s blog is named for Terror by Night; Moriarty’s stair pause in TRF is based on that in The Woman in Green; Irene teasing Sherlock in disguise in ASIB is based on Adria Spedding doing the same in The Spider Woman. That’s off the top of my head; lots of people have written about these references on tumblr over the years. Oh right, Holmes nearly leaps off a building in The Woman in Green because Moriarty tells him to, so there’s that.

7. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) Peter Cushing as Holmes. This is the Hammer Films version, so it’s pulpy and lurid. Is it Sherlock Holmes or is it Dracula? I’m not sure even Cushing knows. Mark Gatiss is a huge Hammer fan; ‘nuff said. Meant to be enjoyed for its faults, rather than despite them.

8. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) Robert Stephens as Holmes. Surely I don’t need to explain this one. The first on-screen gay Holmes (some would say this is arguable; I’m not going to bother arguing).

9. The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) Nicol Williamson as Holmes. This is not a great film, but I’m giving it a mention because the pastiche it was based on (by Nicholas Meyer, who also wrote Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, with all its Sherlockian vibes) is a pretty big deal. It’s got Freud! It’s got cocaine! The film has some good moments in it, though the book is better; the ending was changed from book to screen and a het romance was tacked on, because of course it was.

10. Murder by Decree (1979) Christopher Plummer as Holmes. Does a thing with peas.

11. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, aka Lenfilm Holmes (1980-1988) Vasily Livanov as Holmes. This Soviet-era Russian series is so well done; really a must-see. I linked the first playlist I found with subtitles, but it’s probably worth hunting around a bit for good ones. Vitaly Solomin is wonderful as Watson in this. Tea?

12. Sherlock Holmes, aka Granada Holmes (1984-1994) Jeremy Brett as Holmes. Again, essential viewing. Don’t underestimate the film-length episodes at the end of the series; Sherlock references these more than most because it’s where the original contributions are. A huge caveat here: Granada’s approach was to usually remove Watson’s narration, and show the viewer events that are only told in the stories, and often filtered through multiple people. So, when you’re watching the episodes, you pretty much can’t help but accept all events as factual, whereas the same cannot be assumed in the stories at all. In my opinion, this is the biggest limitation of the Granada series. They do make up for this with creative framing and lighting; pay attention to mirrors, for example, which are used to great effect throughout the series. And when they choose to diverge from the original story, it’s often to do something quite interesting. But I’d strongly recommend reading the story before watching the episode, so that you can see how they changed it every time; there is a real tendency for people (and like... the Granada fans are quite zealous about this) to just assume that everything Granada did was exactly canonical, and it’s simply not. I’ll also point out that the series was mainly produced by Michael Cox, who also commissioned the Oxford World’s Classics editions of the Holmes stories, which were annotated by a team of very smart people, including Richard Lancelyn Green. Cox also wrote a biography of MR James. Anyway, he knew his stuff, and it shows in the non-canonical places, in the divergences from canon.

13. The Great Mouse Detective (1986) Barrie Ingham voicing Basil of Baker Street. No explanation needed.

14. Without a Clue (1988) Michael Caine as Holmes. This is mostly here for Amy! It’s revealed early in this film that Watson is the brains behind the operation. Personally, I prefer The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’s Smarter Brother (1975) in the “Holmes isn’t smart actually” genre, but only because I think Gene Wilder is funnier than Michael Caine.

15. A Case of Evil (2002) James D’Arcy as Holmes. I’m sorry, this has no place on a must-watch list, but it’s one of two so-bad-it’s-somehow-something films that I’m including (yes, you know what the other one is). It’s all repressed trauma and spooky dreams, I can’t leave it out.

18. The Hound of the Baskervilles (2002) Richard Roxburgh as Holmes. Ok, again, I apologize, but this is the only Hound film among over 30 to nail the tone of the book as far as Holmes and Watson are concerned—to recognize that the point of the book is that Holmes deserted Watson and now he’s back (yes, I’m aware the novel is backdated, it doesn’t matter). The only one! The casting is not great, it’s got some other issues, but it deserves more credit than it gets.

17. Reichenbach Falls (2007) Alec Newman as Detective Inspector John Buchan, who is somehow both a Holmes and a Watson. Required viewing; if you haven’t seen it, then hell mend you. I wrote an enormous meta on this film a few years ago.

18. Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2009/2011) Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes. I said what I said.

19. Sherlock Holmes, aka Asylum Holmes (2010) Ben Syder as Holmes. Awful. Frankly appalling. But may I also submit: Dinosaurs. And robots. It’s a fun time, especially with friends, and by now I really have convinced myself that Steven Moffat based the Doctor Who episode Deep Breath on it.

20. Sherlock (2010-) Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes. Eyyyyyy.

21. Sherlock Holmes, aka New Russian Holmes (2013) Igor Petrenko as Holmes. Full disclosure, I haven’t watched this yet. I need to rectify that soon.

22. Miss Sherlock (2018) Yûko Takeuchi as Holmes. What a tragic loss; this was a wonderful series and she was brilliant in it. Saw what BBC Sherlock was doing and tried to beat it to the punch. I have to respect that.

#Sherlock #asks #adaptations #will check for typos tomorrow #now that I've done this I feel like I must have done it before #if I did don't tell me

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