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lokismusings · 3 years

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Russell T Davies on straight actors and gay characters.

I decided to put this here because I post a lot of Hilson stuff. As an actor, this article hit a nerve. However, as a defender of free speech, Davies is allowed to have his opinion without me thinking of him as insensitive. Just like I am allowed to have my own opinion and argument, and ask questions without being labeled “homophobic, intolerant” etc. (that would just make me laugh because have you SEEN my blog? Anyway, I’ve seen a few other websites covering this article. I am also very skeptical of everything I read, including the sources, and I try not to blindly believe everything. That being said, I felt like posting this to get other opinions and ask honest question to help my understanding. If this has already been covered on Tumblr, please feel free to send me the conversations! Some background on me: I graduated with a BA in Theatre and have worked both on and off the stage since I was twelve years old. I have directed plays and an audio play. Given my experience and dedication to my craft, I think my opinion is worth something.

Also, for the sake of this argument, I am leaving trans-actors out because that’s a whole different post. Here is the article:

https://news.sky.com/story/russell-t-davies-straight-actors-should-not-play-gay-characters-12185652

Okay, so first things first, let’s talk about this: “Speaking to the Radio Times, Davies compared a straight actor playing a gay character to black face.” Something that irks me is when one person tries to speak for a whole community and doesn’t reference people from said community who might disagree: whether it’s the LGBTQ+ community, a religious community, medical community, etc. The list goes on. Here, Davies is speaking on behalf of, or speaking for, both the LGBTQ+ community and the black community, is he not? I am genuinely asking because I would like to be more educated on this kind of speech.

Then Davies says, "I'm not being woke about this... but I feel strongly that if I cast someone in a story, I am casting them to act as a lover, or an enemy, or someone on drugs or a criminal or a saint... they are NOT there to 'act gay' because 'acting gay' is a bunch of codes for a performance.” Does that not discredit his whole statement? If any actor does a caricature version of anything and doesn’t take it seriously or really works to get into the role and the mindset of a character, they’re not a good actor. At least, they’re not an actor that I’d want to hire. Second, by the logic that a straight person shouldn’t play a gay character, should someone without a criminal record not be able to play a criminal character? Before you go off and say “it’s about identity and sexuality, and playing a criminal is about the choice to break the law” or other arguments, I hear you. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the experience. How can an actor who has never committed a crime play a criminal character authentically? They do their research: reading, interviewing, etc. I’m not saying that an actor with a few minor marks on his record shouldn’t be considered for the same role. I’m saying that in an audition setting, if both of these actors were auditing for the role and the non-criminal-record actor just happened to do a better job and fit what the director and/or writer wanted, is that a mark against the criminal-record-actor? Maybe personally because we don’t know what the director is thinking. But chances are, it’s not a mark against the other actor. The other one just happened to have a better audition. Or, a major factor when considering casting, said actor was easy to work with--I’ve seen a lot of talented actors lose a lot of roles because of their inability to take criticism or notes.

Plus, the whole “Breaking Bad” series?? I highly doubt the main actors were meth-making drug-lords. Or, a better example, “The Wire?” In that show, we see the constant battle and deals between drug-lords and cops.

Another point I’d like to make: “...is a bunch of codes for a performance.” That’s exactly right. The audience doesn’t want to know an actor is “performing.” We know that going in, with what is called “suspension of disbelief.” We know the whole show is a performance, but we also expect the actors to be truthful (unless it’s a comedy/farce, but again, that’s a different argument).

Was it bad that, before 2020, some main characters in TV shows were portrayed as straight but the writers ended up “queer-baiting?” I am referring, of course, to House, M.D. (If you follow this blog, you’ll understand.) But I am also referring to the BBC Sherlock Holmes series. Yes, both pairs of characters (House and Wilson; Holmes and Watson) are assumed to be straight. However, some episodes allude that there could also be something more there. Even the actors have said in various interviews that they aren’t sure if it’s a true romance that the characters are afraid to face, or just a strong bond between best friends that blurs the line between platonic and romantic. I’m paraphrasing, but you get the picture. Therefore, should these characters have only been played by straight actors who are questioning their sexuality or feelings for a best friend? Would it have been disrespectful to gay people if these characters ended up becoming romantically involved? (If we ask the Hilson and Johnlock community, I’m guessing that’s a resounding “NO WAY! IT WOULD BE A DREAM COME TRUE!” xD <3)

“It's about authenticity, the taste of 2020.” *Cinema Sins sigh*

"You wouldn't cast someone able-bodied and put them in a wheelchair...” Again I say, directors and casting directors need to ALWAYS search for someone who is in a wheelchair, or deaf, or HOH, etc. before looking for an able-bodied actor to play a character with that disability (I’m iffy on the whole term “disability because of its negative connotations, but I’m using that word in order to keep this post as long as possible). But I give you the example of Rainman with Dustin Hoffman. Or A Beautiful Mind with Russell Crowe. Or the play and movie Proof, where the father had a mental illness? Anthony Hopkins was diagnosed late in life with Asperger’s Syndrome, but the father in Proof was written to allude more to schizophrenia. And yet, Anthony Hopkins did a tremendous job in that role. Or Even Forrest Gump with Tom Hanks. Many people today love Tom Hanks and laud him as a “woke” celebrity. But if he were to portray the role of Forrest Gump today, how many people would try to “cancel” him or at least have very strong words for the director not casting an actor with autism, due to the character’s autistic tendencies? A whole lot of people on the internet and Twitter, I’ll bet. As someone who struggles with anxiety and panic disorder, would I be upset if someone without that mental illness got cast in a role of a character struggling with that? Sure I would. But if they did an authentic job and approached the role respectfully, it would be hard to stay irritated. Besides, there are always more roles created practically everyday.

To continue on with Davies’ quote: “...you wouldn't black someone up.” Yikes. I’m sure he didn’t mean this in a cast-off kind of way, but that’s how it comes across. I can see now why he said he wasn’t “being woke about this,” because a more��“woke” way of putting that would be...what, exactly? “You wouldn’t cast a non-black person in a black role.” That sounds better and less harsh. Or even “a white person in a minority role.” Which should be common sense, and I agree with both statements.

And then “Authenticity is leading us to joyous places." Oh! Look at that! There’s that word that I’ve been using and emphasizing throughout this whole post! Authenticity is one major brick in the foundation of good, credible acting.

“High-profile examples of straight performers playing LGBTQ+ characters include Rami Malek's Oscar-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, and Taron Egerton's Golden Globe-winning turn as Sir Elton John in Rocketman.”

I haven’t seen Rocketman, but I saw Bohemian Rhapsody and it was great! Why am I high-lighting this movie? Because it’s the perfect example of a straight actor playing a gay character and playing it authentically, while also looking a lot like the real person they’re portraying. If a look-a-like had been cast who also happened to be gay, but couldn’t act to save their life or couldn’t bring as much as Rami brought to the role, wouldn’t that kind of put a damper on the film? And yet, Rami Maleck both looked the part and brought an authenticity to the role that many Queen fans loved and appreciated. Even the remaining Queen band members said that he did an incredible job and Freddy would be proud. I wonder if Freddy would care that Rami wasn’t gay? I doubt it, but no one can know for certain.

Then there’s the whole term “gay face.” I personally don’t think this is the right term to use because it could possibly diminish the whole meaning and importance of “black face.” Even if Corden appeared to be mocking gay people (I never watched The Prom so I have no idea what his performance was like), calling it “gay face” takes away from and inadvertently belittles the whole dark history of “black face.” Black face’s whole history comes out of an even darker history of racist times filled with hatred and ignorance. I’m not saying that gay people haven’t had their own experiences with hate and intolerance, but isn’t kind of “un-woke” and “insensitive” to compare the hundreds of years of blatant, public racism against an entire race of people to the intolerance of homosexuals? (Again, I’m asking this genuinely because I want to learn and get other people’s opinions. I’m not trying to speak for any community, and I recognize that my personal opinion on this matter is just that: my opinion. And I could be better informed.)

Along the lines of the above paragraph, is it wrong to say or think that casting a non-minority actor in a minority role is a lot different from casting a straight actor in a gay role? Sexuality comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors; that is to say, every race has people with different sexualities. But I think it would be pretty cringe if a Caucasian actress was cast in a role meant for an Asian or African-American woman.

Director Joe Mantello told Sky News the casting was not intentional, but rather a "very fortunate series of events".

He continued: "That being said, I think having an out gay cast really did inform the work and it took on a particular kind of tone because of that, which is not to say that's the only way to approach this material. But for this particular group, it did something that I think is very, very special. There's a chemistry that they have."

And this man summed up my entire argument! He also put into simpler terms what I have been trying to express about the beauty of theatre: there will always be special casts, especially when there’s a great chemistry from a shared experience. A "very fortunate series of events,” indeed. “The casting was not intentional...” leads me to believe that the director didn’t set out to have an all out-gay-cast, but rather, each actor brought great performances to their auditions and were considered by the director to be perfect for the roles. These actors also just happened to be gay.

If you’re still here after all of that, let me take a moment to sincerely thank you for reading the whole thing! I know it’s a lot, but I’m very passionate about acting and giving each and every actor a fair chance. Let me know what you think, and please be respectful!

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inevitably-johnlocked · 4 years

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Five Fics Friday: April 10/20

SPECIAL EASTER WEEKEND EDITION: FIFTY FICS FRIDAY

Hey, everyone!!

Well, I asked on my Twitter and here if y’all wanted to see a special edition 5FF for the Long Weekend since we’re all stuck inside (and some of you stuck with family I’m sure you’d like to avoid or are just tired of seeing), and it was a unanimous YES, because who doesn’t love to curl up all weekend with a good book or fanfic??

So here we are: Fifty fics either pulled out of my ass, recently read, recently bookmarked, or recently Marked for Later! Each section has a count so you know how many are in that section (and it’s for myself when I go to double check the count, LOL). I hope you guys enjoy these!! <3 Love you all, and happy reading :)

As always, read-more will appear on the third reblog. Sorry mobile, please don’t hate me :(

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@johnlockficclub APRIL NOMINATIONS (5)

A Beginner's Guide to Apiology. by VictoryCandescence (M, 10,952 w., 1 Ch. || Retirement AU || Friendship, Love, Bees & Beekeeping, Old Age, Dreamy Sexytimes, Angst, Soulmates, Grumpy Sherlock, Magical Realism) – John and Sherlock meet for the first time as old men in Sussex. (to read)

Through the Clouds by Mazarin221b (E, 20,004 w., 6 Ch. || Retirement, Sussex, Bees, Home Improvement, First Time, Romance) – Sherlock takes a remarkably early retirement at 47, and convinces John that a change of pace would do them both good. They buy an old cottage on the South Downs, and exchange their nonstop life in Baker Street for quiet contemplation, bee studies, and book writing. They might go completely insane, but sometimes it takes stepping outside of the life you're living to find the life you want. Part 1 of Through The Clouds (“WINNER” fic)

The Winter Garden by Callie4180 (T, 31,213 w., 13 Ch. || Post-S4, Retirement, Christmas, Slow Burn, Grown-Up Rosie, Parenthood, Rosie’s Cat, Angst with Happy Ending, Holidays, Beekeeping, Magical Realism, Sherlock POV, Sherlock’s Violin, Future Fic, Sussex, Honey, Magical Healing Honey, Love Confessions, Sherlock’s Scar, First Kiss, Touching, Mycroft is Dying) – As Sherlock nears the end of his career, he's given the gift of a cottage in Sussex. The honey from the beehives out back is amazing. Almost...magical.

Where Else Would I Be? by cwb (E, 34,910 w., 10 Ch. || Retirementlock, Domestic Fluff, Falling in Love, Parentlock, Fluff and Smut, Reminiscing) – John and Sherlock's five-year-old granddaughter spends the weekend with them in Sussex. Sherlock happily indulges her whims, and John takes care of them while quietly revisiting the past thirty years of their lives together.

Crimson Hymns by brilliantlyburning (E, 48,982 w., 9 Ch. || Post-S3/TAB, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Drug Addiction, Unhealthy Coping Methods, Demisexual Sherlock, Boxing, Pining, Sensory Processing Issues, Drug Use, First Kiss / Time, BDSM, Mary is Not Good, Parentlock, Proposal, Happy Ending, Beekeeping, Violence, References to Addiction, Poetry) – He laid his head over John’s heart, eyes level with his silver-rough scar, and listened to the crimson hymns beating beneath the surface. He imagined flowers blooming in his own chest: veins weaving intricate patterns on petals of thin muscle engorged with blood, sinew for stems and tendons for roots—the flowers would be poppies, maybe (addictive) or foxglove (deadly yet useful)—twining gleaming blood-red around the porcelain bone of his ribs. In his mind’s eye the gruesome bouquet all tied together on the left side of his chest, the stems bound together in heartstrings and the flowers fed by the rhythmic contraction of ventricles. It’s yours, he imagined saying to John—from the vena cava to the mitral valve to the arteries it is yours.— Or, the Love Song of W. Sherlock S. Holmes. (to read)

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Five Times John Watson Remained Oblivious (K+, 1,154 w., 1 Ch. || Five and Ones, Romance, Friendship, Asexual Sherlock, Queerplatonic Relationship) – ...And one time he didn't. asexual!Sherlock/John.

Linger by orphan_account (E, 4,879 w., 1 Ch. || Lingerie, Fluff and Smut, BJ / HJ, Switchlock, Sherlock in Lingerie, Come Play, Dirty Talk, Anal Fingering, Anal/Oral, Implied Shower Sex, Neck Kissing) – Sherlock decides to surprise John after a somewhat stressful day at work.

Given In Evidence by verityburns (M, 5,034 w., 19 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF, Angst, Drama, Case Fic, Romance, BAMF!John, Submissive Sherlock, First Kiss, Humour, Three Garridebs) – Coming back from the dead can be a complicated business. With a new case on the horizon, rebuilding a life is one thing... rebuilding a friendship quite another. For Sherlock and John, things may never be just the same...

Iris by slashscribe (E, 11,948 w., 1 Ch. || Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Post-S3) – Sherlock does his best to make John happy when John comes back to 221B with his new baby after the events of Season 3, but Sherlock has a track record of getting things wrong in this area. This story is an exploration of their gradual shift from friends to lovers, told from Sherlock's perspective, full of a lot of pining and lack of emotional awareness.

Fucking Cake by Random_Nexus (E, 12,965 w., 1 Ch. || Pre-Slash, Humour/Crack, Inanimate Object Smut, Frottage, “For a Case” / “Experiment”, PWP / Kinky, Mutual Pining, Fluff) – Sherlock brings home a chocolate cake, John finds him about to have sex with said cake, then exceedingly weird hijinx ensue. Part 1 of "Fucking Baked Goods" - Sherlock BBC

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Guardian and Assistant by I_Have_No_Clue (M, 1,229 w., 1 Ch. || Omegaverse || Blow Jobs, PWP, Alpha Sherlock/Omega John, Mentions of Heat) – In this A/O world, ever Alpha, Beta, and Omega have a Type to them that describes the traits they have. John tries to figure out Sherlock's. Part 1 of the Types series

Bonneville Black by HollyShadow88 (E, 3,362 w., 1 Ch. || Established Relationship, Motorcycles, Motorcycle Sex, Public Blow Jobs, Semi-Public Sex) – John discovers that Sherlock has a motorbike. He also discovers that he finds Sherlock on a motorbike to be unreasonably attractive.

Code 221b by whitchry9 (T, 6,528 w., 11 Ch. || S1 Canon Compliant, Medical, Paramedics, Hurt/Comfort, Outsider POV) – Sherlock Holmes is well known to the paramedics of London. So when John Watson comes into the picture, it seems like a fantastic solution. Someone would take care of Sherlock and prevent all those problems. Of course, they didn't think about what would happen if John was hurt. (They really should have.) Part 1 of the The Patron Saint of Idiots series

Permanent Fixture by vitruvianwatson (E, 18,836 w., 9 Ch || Post-S4, Parentlock, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, They’re Good Parents, Blushing Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Explicit Consent, Sexual Content) – Now, as Rosie sat curled up against Sherlock’s side, John watched and wondered exactly how he had ended up here. Domesticity had never suited him before, not at any point in his life. His disastrous marriage had been proof of that. But somehow, here in the warmth and safety of 221B Baker Street, here with Sherlock Holmes reading medical jargon to his daughter, Sherlock’s bony feet nudging against his leg, John couldn’t imagine anyplace that would make him happier.

Sex Shop Quartet Series by testosterone_tea (E, 28,180+ w. across 3 works || Series WiP || First Kiss/Time, POV John, Sex Toys, Sex Talk, Anal Play, Anal Beads, Anal Fingering, Awkward Sexual Situations, Rimming, Inexperienced Sherlock, Oral Sex, Developing Relationship, Love Confessions, PWP, Bondage, Handcuffs, Praise Kink, BDSM, Kink Negotiation, Edgeplay, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Orgasm Denial, Ice / Wax Play, Blindfolds, Emotional Love Making, Teabagging, Riding Crops, Impact Play, Intercrural Sex, Roleplay, Spanking, Collars) – Sherlock goes undercover at a sex shop but finds he has no idea what any of the toys are for. Cue John Watson, awkward sexual conversations and some unfortunate incidents involving too much plug and not enough lube. But all's well that ends well and Sherlock gets the best happy ending of all.

Roll Away Your Stone by foxxcub (E, 39,463 w., 1 Ch. || Downey Holmes || Boarding School AU) – Seventeen-year-old John Watson is set to finish his final year of school with a flourish, until the headmaster assigns John as a "tutor" to an arrogant, yet brilliant new student named Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is not about to be put in his place by this popular rugby football player with the too-blue eyes, and John isn't going to let this impulsive fifteen-year-old get away with anything. Neither expects to become friends, but a series of unexpected events and a possible murder mystery bring them closer together than either of them thought possible.

I Believe in Sherlock Holmes by Ranowa (T, 63,038 w., 10 Ch. || S3 Fix It, Hurt Sherlock, Implied/Referenced Torture, Homeless Network, Alcohol Abuse, No Mary, Bit-Not-Good/Angry John, Protective Mycroft, Angst with Happy Ending, Non-Linear Narrative, Major Character Injury, Recovery, Forgiveness, Sherlock’s a Mess) – John's been angry at Sherlock since the day he turned up wearing a fake mustache and a tuxedo. He's still angry, even as he moves back into 221B, and he never hesitates to let Sherlock know it.One day, Sherlock stops saying sorry, and walks out instead.One day, Sherlock wakes up handcuffed in the boot of a car, and John doesn't know, because John's been angry at him for so long he's forgotten that he's not the only one that's hurting.

I'm coming home, John. -SH Series by Ranowa (M, 67,247 w. across 3 works || Post-TRF, Angry John, Idiots in Love, No Mary, Drug Use/Substance Abuse, Emotional Rollercoaster, Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, PTSD Sherlock, Recovery, Sherlock’s Violin, Angst with Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Asexual Sherlock) – In the two years after Sherlock throws himself off the roof of St. Bart's, crunches into the pavement below, and dies in John's arms, John starts texting.He doesn't know that his text messages are being read.

Roommates are for little people by alexxphoenix42 (E, 69,042 w., 14 Ch. || Teen/Unilock || Forced to Share a Bed, Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Fake Relationship, Sherlock is a Prick, Drinking, Inadvertent Drug Use, Family Wedding, Footballer John / Ballet Dancer Sherlock, Frottage, Slow Burn, Mild Dub Con, Cuddling While Sleeping, Slight Homophobia, Posh Boy, Dirty Dancing, Endearments, Nosy FAmily, Bathing Together, Mild Angst, UST/RST, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff) – John was looking forward to seeing his friends back at uni, but a new year brings new complications, not the least of which is a dorm room with only one bed, and a stroppy roommate with an utterly spectacular arse. God, John doesn't need the headache.

Gold Rush by ShirleyCarlton (E, 71,783 w., 17 Ch. || Post S3 / No Mary, Friends to Lovers, Mentions of Past Sexual Abuse, First Kiss, Case Fic, Slow Burn, Alternating POV, Switchlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Marriage Proposal, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Abduction) – John has divorced Mary and pops round to 221B one evening to find Sherlock in the middle of a case. As Sherlock tries to find the identity of a young woman’s stalker, John realises he can no longer deny his feelings for Sherlock – which then, to their befuddlement, turn out to be mutual. Shy kisses and tentative embraces ensue. But will Sherlock be able to cast off a shadow from his past that he thinks might prevent John from wanting to stay?

Scheherezade by sgam76 (G, 197,576 w., 45 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF/Pre-TSo3, PTSD Sherlock, Implied/Referenced Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Humour, Protective John, Papa Lestrade, Big Brother Mycroft, BAMF John, BAMF Sherlock, Aftermath of Serbia, Past Child Abuse, Childhood Memories, Drunk Sherlock, Canon Compliant, Suicidal Thoughts / Attempt) – Sherlock is home, he and John are returning to cases, and all's right with the world--right? But a series of minor mishaps and injuries makes two things very clear to his friends and family: first, Sherlock's time away wasn't the grand adventure everyone has assumed it was; and second, that time has left Sherlock with a legacy that's bleeding into his life today. Sherlock is Not Okay, and it's not going away. Part 1 of the Scheherezade 'verse series

POSTED THIS YEAR [WiP’s & Full] (19)

A Bowl of Comfort (Store-Bought is Fine) by tepidspongebath (T, 763 w., 1 Ch. || Food, Comfort, Domesticity, Fluff) – “When did you last eat?” “What day is it?” “Oh, for god’s sake - you can’t keep skipping meals like this, Sherlock.” “It’s Lent.” “And since when do you care about Lent?” “Since you get chocolate eggs at Easter.” (to read)

End of the Curve by doctor_not_your_girlfriend (T, 833 w., 1 Ch. || COVID-19, One Shot, Medical Realism, Major Illness, Recovery, Optimism, Disability, Needles) – July, 2021. Mycroft has a special delivery for Sherlock. Inspired by Proving A Point by elldotsee, J_Baillier. (to read)

Love Is A Smoke by J_Baillier (T, 3,617 w., 4 Ch. || Heavy Angst, Pining, Romance, MCD) – It's spring in 2036. John and Sherlock are no longer together. Sherlock attempts to cope — or doesn't. (to read)

A Study in Beard by Loveismyrevolution (T, 3,810 w., 1 Ch. || Established Relationship, Fluff and Humour, Experiments, Beards, Idiots in Love, Quarantine) – Sherlock has to face the consequences of using up all of their shaving foam. Which turns out to be more fun than expected. Boys being boys, nothing can go without a challenge. Although, being isolated presents a problem. How will they determine the winner? Part 2 of the Hairy Situations at 221B series (to read)

Isolated by CarmillaCarmine (G, 3,926, 3/4 Ch. || WiP || Quarantine From Virus, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Bi-Panic, Cuddling & Snuggling, Coming Out, Bathing/Washing, Bubble Bath, Kissing) – Due to an ongoing pandemic, John and Sherlock find themselves isolated at 221B. (to read)

Sherlock's Solution by PipMer (T, 4,125 w., 1 Ch, || Fluff, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Isolation/Quarantine, Pining, Miscommunication, First Kiss) – Sherlock and John are stuck in quarantine. Against all expectations, John is the one who goes stir-crazy first. Sherlock has a unique solution to the problem. (to read)

The Unexpected Threat by J_Baillier (T, 4,283 w., 1 Ch. || Military AU / Pacific Rim Fusion || Established Relationship, Medical Conditions, Coronaviruses, Doctor John, Bratty Sherlock, Romance, Science Fiction, Futuristic Medicine, Ghost Drifting AKA Telepathy, Medical Hurt/Comfort, Sexual Healing) – The kaiju are not the only threat to the security and well-being of the staff of PPDC's Chard's Rift base. It's the year 2050, and a coronavirus epidemic sweeping the planet has reached The Azores. Part 4 of the At The Edge of Our Hope (to read)

Quarantine by wendymarlowe (T, 6,444+ w., 20/? Ch. || WiP || COVID-19, Forced Isolation / Quarantine, John’s Blog, Humour) – John and Sherlock are stuck at 221B together due to coronavirus concerns. Sherlock slowly drives John barmy. (to read)

Stranded by BeautifulFiction (T, 5,798 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss, Communication / Relationship Discussion, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock POV, BAMF John, Doctor John, Case Fic, Drinking, Huddling For Warmth, Friends to More) – When stranded on a derelict barge at high tide, John and Sherlock reconsider their friendship.

Attentions, Experiments, Oddnesses by hubblegleeflower (E, 6,383 w., 1 Ch. || Friends to Lovers, Experiments, Frottage, Mutual Masturbation, Kissing, First Time) – John is behaving oddly, and Sherlock hopes it means what he thinks it means, but he has several theories and could well be missing some of the facts. (to read)

Casualty by Silvergirl (E, 12,051 w., 4 Ch. || Canon Compliant Until T6T, Mary’s Dead, Trauma/Comfort, John’s a Good Friend, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss/Time, Sherlock Learns Teamwork, Parentlock) – Sherlock renders assistance at a hit-and-run and is left deeply shocked. When the accident turns into a case, John moves back in to 221b to help—and finds that Sherlock has way oversold his image as an emotionless thinking machine. (to read)

The Night Riviera from Paddington to Penzance and Back Again by Iwantthatcoat (M, 12,918 w., 5 Ch. || Post-S4, Hurt/Comfort Emotional Hurt/Comfort, BAMF John, Devil's Foot Adaptation, Hallucinations, Oral Sex) – Mrs Hudson has decided her boys need a little vacation together (after the events of S4) away from London and has booked them an inordinately (per Sherlock) long train ride from Paddington Station to Penzance. (to read)

A Gossamer Dream by CarmillaCarmine (E, 15,985 w., 4 Ch. || Writer/Teacher AU || First Meetings, Friends to Lovers, Writer John / Teacher Sherlock, Fluff, London, Holding Hands, Online Friendship / Romance, Phone Sex, Anal Sex, Happy Ending) – Sherlock had never realised one could care so much about someone they'd never met in person. Now he is about to meet the friend with whom he's been chatting online for months and his anticipation is reaching a crescendo. (to read)

Contrition by sussexbound (E, 18,556+ w., 5/? Ch. || WiP || Post-S4/TFP Didn’t Happen, Rosie Doesn’t Exist, T6T/TLD is Canon, Year After TLD, Light BDSM, Soft Dom Sherlock / Sub John, Punishment, Light Bondage, Light Masochism / No Sadism, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Tenderness, Aftercare, Forgiveness, Edging, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Mutual Masturbation, Hand Jobs, Anal Fingering, Rimming, Frottage, Communication, Sexual Negotiation, Sexual Tension, Spanking, Head Injury, Anal Sex) – “You’ve been tense ever since we got back, itching for a fight, all your usual tells, but why…?” The truth strikes like lightning. “Oh… Oh! You’re not angry at me. Not this time. Well—maybe a little. But mostly, mostly you’re angry at yourself. Why? For falling behind? For not being there in time. For not taking Wilkes down fast enough?” Sherlock waves a dismissive hand. “It doesn’t really matter.” He lifts a finger to his swollen cheek and cut eyebrow. “You blame yourself for this. And you offered to fix it. But I wouldn’t let you, and… But that’s not what you really want, anyway, is it?” John looks stunned, a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming lorry, frozen, waiting for the lethal strike. “You don’t want me to let you help. At least not right away. No. What you want, what you really want is—punishment.” (to read)

Feeling Seen by jadztone (E, 30,177 w., 9 Ch. || Ballet!Sherlock / Rugby!John, Demisexuality, Virgin John, Experienced Sherlock, Toplock, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Background Molly/Irene & Greg/Sally) – Rugby player John is starting over at a new university, with the help of friends Molly and Bill. Few people know that John is demisexual, but ballet dancer Sherlock Holmes deduces right away that he has no interest in sex unless he’s fallen in love. John finds this strange genius intriguing and would like to get to know him, but Sherlock has a self-cultivated reputation for only wanting casual sex. John has reason to believe that’s not really true, but he’s not sure he wants to risk his twice-fractured heart to find out. (to read)

Sanguineous Serendipity by CarmillaCarmine (E, 34,783 w., 14 Ch. || Vampire AU || Alternate First Meeting, Turning a Character, Vampire Sherlock, Captain John, POV John, Feeding, Blood Drinking, Crossdressing Sherlock, Genderfluid Character, Sherlock in Heels, Transphobic Behaviour, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Soulmates, Romance, Happy Ending) – Vampire Sherlock meets a dying John in a field hospital in Afghanistan and gives him a whole new life. (to read)

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by SilentAuror (E, 50,635 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S4/S4 Divergence, Case Fic, For a Case / Reverse Fake-Relationship, Conferences, Marriage Equality, Travelling / New York, Pride, Homophobia, Bottomlock, Marriage Proposal, John POV, Sexuality, Love Confessions, Emotional Love Making, Public Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Passionate Kissing, Needy/Clingy Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Touching / Hand Holding, Bed Sharing, Little Spoon Sherlock, Intense Orgasms) – John and Sherlock go to New York to attend a conference run by the National Defence of Traditional Marriage Coalition in order to investigate the potential bombing of the annual Manhattan Pride parade. As the conference unfolds, John finds himself repulsed by the toxic ideology being presented, which becomes relevent to his own unacknowledged issues and his friendship with Sherlock...

Next Right: Welcome to Westbound Rest Area 818 by elwinglyre (E, 59,874+ w., 13/15 Ch. || WiP || American Unilock AU || Bunk Beds, Anonymous Sex, Homophobia, Closeted John, Roommates, Angst with Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Music, Rape/Non-Con, Hurt John, BAMF John) – Sherlock Holmes dreams of escape from his smothering family and space to breathe. Studying chemistry at the University of Michigan, he's almost far enough away to fill his lungs. Almost. While John Watson dreams of being a doctor, he also dreams of being with another man. John knows that with hard work and study, he can make the first a reality, but he's certain the second can never be. Until a secret encounter in the dark at Rest Area 818 changes everything. When Sherlock meets his new roommate, John Watson, he sees a man in the closet. Sherlock hides from no one. Except from his own family, a detective inspector who wants his evidence returned, and his secret encounter at Rest Area 818. Thank you to recently folded who lovingly beta’d chapters 1-5 and helped with an important plot point that deeply enriches this story. Also thank you to hotshoeagain for beta'ing the rest of the story.Setting late 1970s, Michigan, USA. POV third person alternates between John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. (to read)

Thermocline by J_Baillier (M, 83,557 w., 14 Ch. || Scuba Diving AU || Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Marine Archaeology, Asexual Sherlock, Horny John, Relationship Drama, Technical/Scuba/Wreck Diving, Slow Burn, Underwater / Medical Peril, Doctor John, Hurt Sherlock, Anxious Sherlock, John POV, Protective John, Body Appreciation) – John "Five Oceans" Watson — technical dive instructor, dive accident analyst and weapon of mass seduction — meets recluse professor of maritime archaeology Holmes. As they head out to a remote archipelago off the coast of Guatemala to study and film its shipwrecks for a documentary, will sparks fly or fizzle out?

ANYTHING GOES – JOHNLOCK (5)

Talk by illwick (E, 6,364 w., 1 Ch. || Dirty Talk, John’s Giant Junk, PWP, Light BDSM, Size Kink, Oral / Anal, Rough Sex, Dirty Talk, Established Rel.) – Sherlock was never much for dirty talk... until an unexpected visit yields unexpected results. Part 20 of Unwind

Ghost Stories by SwissMiss (M, 22,256 w., 1 Ch. || Pining, Holmes Family, Christmas, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, First Time) – Sherlock's parents think he and John are a couple. They might be onto something.

Pater Noster by SilentAuror (E, 34,256 w., 2 Ch. || Case Fic, HLV/S3 Fix It Fic, Family Trauma, Sherlock POV, Villain Mary) – During the autumn that John is staying at Baker Street again after Sherlock was shot, he ruminates over the similarity between Sherlock's shot and the one that killed his father when he was fifteen. Cold case meets series 3 fix-it. Part I takes place entirely within His Last Vow, Part II takes place starting at the end of HLV and continues after.

The Homecoming Series by sussexbound (M, 51,744 w. across 12 stories, WIP || Domestics, PTSD, Love Confessions, Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling, Jealousy, Family Issues) – Sometimes home is all you need. After three years of horror, betrayals, and crushing loss, John and Sherlock find their way back home to one another, and together find new footing in a world that has changed forever.

The Green Blade by verityburns (T, 72,929 w., 15 Ch. || Case Fic, Bromance) – As a serial killer hits the headlines, the police are out of their depth and the next victim is out of time. With faith in Sherlock Holmes at an all time low, this is a case which will push loyalties to the limit...

ANYTHING GOES – INEFFABLE HUSBANDS (5)

All Roads Lead To You by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel (T, 2,549 w., 2 Ch.|| Pining Crowley, Oblivious Aziraphale, Love Confessions, Feelings, Resolved Romantic Tension, Rescuing, Happy Ending, Snake Crowley, Magic Bracelets, POV Aziraphale) – It had taken Aziraphale quite some time to find the presence he had been looking for, but here he was, in the Reptile House of the London Zoo. As an angel, Aziraphale shouldn’t have been finding amusement in the discomfort of another, but he couldn’t help but do so as he was glared at by a very familiar snake. “Oh my dear,” Aziraphale murmured, “how ever did you end up in this situation?”

The slowest moving object in the universe by chamyl (G, 4,996 w., 1 Ch. || God POV, Mutual Pining, Idiots in Love, Beach Day, Games, Light Humour, Tenderness, Embarassed Crowley, Soft Idiots, First Kiss, Love Confessions) – Crowley and Aziraphale have had feelings for each other for a very long time. It takes a date at the lake and a round of 36 Questions That Lead To Love to give them the final push.

Wings and How to Hide Them by triedunture (M, 10,134 w., 1 Ch. || Mutual Pining, First Time, Love Confessions, Body Swap, Wing Kink, Idiots In Love) – Crowley's been annoyingly in love for six thousand years. What's another lifetime between friends? Or: Aziraphale definitely fucks and isn't that just perfect?

Souls In Creation by Dragonfruit112 (NR [M], 23,110 w., 6 Ch. || Aziraphale was Raphael, Hurt/Comfort, Angst With Happy Ending, True Angel Forms, Memory Loss/Amnesia, Seraph!Aziraphale, Cherub!Crowley, Moments of Time, Pining Aziraphale, Deaths, Disasters Through History, Whump, Taking Care of Each Other, Friendship, Mates to Friends to Mates, Bed Sharing, Sick Crowley, Healing Powers, BAMF Aziraphale) – They knew each other before the Fall. They loved each other before the Fall. They were creation's first soul mates. But the Fall changed everything, and now Aziraphale is forced to live in a world where only he remembers their shared past. Burdened by pain and grief, he hides himself under the guise of a clumsy Principality until he can make his love remember once more. Only, he doesn't know how long that'll take.

Any Way You Want It by LieutenantLiv (M, 27,585 w., 5 Ch. || Holidays, Slow Burn, Fluff, First Time, Eventual Smut, Swimming, Dreams of Dancing, Kissing in the Rain, Self-Esteem Issues, Misunderstandings, Crying Love Confessions, Soft Crowley, Clingy Crowley, Virgin Aziraphale, Romance) – Saving the world is exhausting work. With Heaven and Hell off their backs, it seems as good a time as any for Crowley and Aziraphale to take a proper break. Neither one of them predicts the direction their holiday takes.Who'd have thought that sharing a cottage in Scotland would be quite so romantic?

#johnlock fic recs #good omens fic recs #five fics friday #times ten lol #my fic recs #long post #e-rated fics #coronavirus #quarantine

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ebaeschnbliah · 5 years

Text

M O N S T E R S I N C

________________________________________________________________

... and it’s stunning similarities with Sherlock BBC

MONSTERS, INC is a computer-animated comedy from 2001, produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. A modern fairytale, so to speak. I stumbled across this movie by accident while researching the ‘221b door’ tag on my blog and found an old tweet from Arwel Wyn Jones (x) posted during the filming of Series Four. Watching the movie turned out to be quite the eye-opener. :)

It’s not so much the plot of that movie but rather certain images which remind me strongly of Sherlock BBC. A lot of images, to be precise, but also some dialogues and one distinct voice. Watching MONSTERS, INC really left me speechless at times.

Related posts: The Monsters are loose (initially I’d chosen to name this post ‘Monsters Inc’ but that was before I watched the movie) Overlaps Playing with skulls (soon) Laughs or Screams, additional informations

The ‘monster post’ is waiting below the cut for the fearless …. :))))

For anyone who hasn’t seen the movie: MONSTERS, INC mostly plays in Monstropolis, a city in a parallel universe. The only places where the monster- and the human-world can connect, are the closet doors in children’s beedrooms. Here skilled monsters - the ‘scarers’ - appear at night to harvest the screams of terrified kids. Just like in the human world, the majority of the monsters aren’t evil, nor mean they any harm to the children. Monsters are actually more scared of human kids than the kids are of them. The harvested screams are badly needed because they provide the energy which is necessary to power the monster’s world. And because children are constantly becoming less easily scared, the screams decrase more and more, which means that an energie krisis threatens.

Initially the storyline for MONSTERS, INC had been a different one though:

Pete Docter's (director and writer) original idea revolved around a 30-year old man dealing with monsters, which he drew in a book as a child, coming back to bother him as an adult. Each monster represented a fear he had and conquering those fears caused the monsters to eventually disappear. (X)

The logo of MONSTERS, INC, the powerstation where screams are harvested to light the Monster’s world, combines the symbol of the eye and the letter M. I simply can’t help unsee a certain similarity with the logo for TheGameIsNow. That’s quite thought provoking, to say the least.

The two leading characters in the monster world are scarer James P. "Sulley" Sullivan and his best friend and roommate Mike Wazowski, who is also his assistant at work. A big blue, fluffy guy wearing horns and a short, one-eyed, green guy who prefers to sit in a green egg-chair …. a bit similar to the one from the stagnight scene inTSOT.

Sulley holds the top position among all the scarers of Monstropolis. With military-like training Mike takes care that his friend stays in best form.

Hey! Less talk, more pain, marshmallow boy! Feel the burn! You call yourself a monster?

The most successful scarers are celebrated like stars. Everyone knows them. They can’t go anywhere without being recognized and asked for autographs. And when they enter their company it looks like a hero parade.

Future scarers have to undergo a special training in a high-tec simulation room. Here they are taught everything of importance, including the art of scaring children most efficiently in order to get the perfect scream.

Listen to the lady in front of the surveillance screens who teaches screaming (at 01.40) …. but beware … she sounds an awful lot like Eurus Holmes ….

youtube

And this is the big boss, the chairman of MONSTERS, INC … Mr. Waternoose. He is very proud of his job, which has been passed down through his family for three generations. He acts as Sulley’s mentor and holds great faith in him as a scarer. Additionally …. he reminds me very much of Mycroft in TAB.

The monsters believe that harvesting screams is enormously dangerous, because children are deemed to be toxic, that their touch could kill them. Agents of a special task force - the Child Detection Agency - are on constant alert to neutralize any contamination with objects belonging to the human world.

As soon as anything suspicious has been detected, the ‘big bad bouncy red alert’ goes off, cameras zoom in and then CDA agents enter right through the skylights to take care of the problem. Like AGRA in Tiblisi , really! I couldn’t help a yelp watching this little scene below ….

And then ..... shaved by AGRA … sorry, by CDA, of course …. :))))

The day comes, however, when the unimaginable happens and a human child enters the monster world. And Sulley, the most famous scarer of all, is almost scared to death. I’m really tempted to call this an ‘Eurus-efffect’ ...

Thankfully, Sulley also has a heart of pure gold. He overcomes his fear - a little bit - and takes the human child home. His partner Mike is definitely not amused but helps anyway. Courageously, the friends prepare for the worst case scenario ...

Sulley, the Viking, with shield and horned helm and Mike, who seems to have ransacked the kitchen Cabinet instead. The little ‘killer-girl’ though is completely unimpressed ...

The evening starts rather chaotic, which results in some remarkable accidents … I guess I know now where the idea of shoving a big pack of cigarettes into Sherlock’s mouth comes from …. and maybe Sherlock’s spraying attack on the CIA agent in ASIB as well.

Finally the situation calms down. Sulley beginns to supect that human kids might not be toxic after all. The little girl has a real crush on the fluffy, blue monster. She believes Sulley is a big cat and starts calling him ‘Kitty’. Looks like ‘killer girl’ is a cat lover. :) Against Mike’s advice, Sulley decides to give the girl a name as well. He settles for ‘Boo’ because she likes nothing more than to scare him.

And Boo likes to draw …. Spoiler: Boo doesn’t burn down the house.

Eventually Boo gets tired. A trace of goodies (not breadcrumbs) leads the little girl to bed.

By the way: The book based on the film gives Boo's "real" name as Mary Gibbs, the name of her voice actress. (x)

The architecture of Mike’s and Sulley’s flat … the wide arch in the living room and in Sulley’s bedroom (Mike’s bedroom is never shown) … instantly reminded me of the very similar structure chosen for the 221b Baker Street livingroom set in PILOT.

What would any fairytale be without a good old-fashioned villain. In this case it’s a villain who looks suspiciously like a Chinese dragon. And naturally, where there is a dragon there needs to be a dragon slayer as well.

Randall, the dragon-like monster is one of the most wicked characters in Monstropolis. He works as scarer but holds only the second place on the company’s success-list behind Sulley. Randall’s envy is huge. He is driven by his desire to displace his opponent from the top of the list. One can safely say that ‘murderous jealousy’ is a good description of Randall’s motivation. But his plan to capture the all-time scare record, only scratches the surface of his sinister agenda.

But before it comes to the ‘slaying’, the nasty reptile tries to torture Mike, to find out where the missing human child is hiding.

Randall: SAY HELLO TO THE SCREAM EXTRACTOR! (Jim in TAB: Well, say hello to the virus.)

This is what Randall has created in a secret lab to prevent the looming energy crisis of his world … a machine to harvest the screams of children by force and not through the acting skills of trained scarers. Mike’s unimpressed answer to this realisation:

Mike: WELL, SOMEBODY'S CERTAINLY BEEN A BUSY BEE (Mycroft in TEH: You have been busy, haven’t you? Quite the busy little bee.)

That’s not a joke … and the way down to the secret lab looks strikingly familiar as well ...

Needless to say that Sulley arrives just in time to rescue his friend … but that’s not the end of the story and also not the end of similarities with Sherlock BBC.

Some nice little images in-between: a fish mobile from Boo’s bedroom in which Sulley gets tangled up in, a toy train, a toy ship and a toy plane from the high-tech simulation room. Rater similar items can be detected in Sherlock BBC as well (TST, MHR and TFP). Especially the plane reminds me of the one Eurus’ plays with near the brook.

More familiar images:

the prominent display of the letter M - often in combination with an eye

a precious littel thing ... Boo, who wears pink underneath her disguise as monster, hides in a bin

a rather ‘big G’ painted on a wall

And there are eyes wherever one looks ...

Even contact lenses can be found ...

Mike’s love interest is a lady with hissing snakes for hairs, who works as receptionist in their company ….

At one point the hero’s life is threatened by a deep fall, caused by his opponent, Randall, the nasty ‘dragon’.

Seeing Sulley’s life threatened, Boo overcomes her fear of the reptile-like monster. She attacks him violently. This gives Sulley the time he needs to get out of the critical situation.

And WOW!!! What changeable creature this villain is ……. even Jim ‘I’m so changeable’ Moriarty would be inmpressed.

Randall’s exceptional talent for any kind of masquerade is also demonstrated in a little scene involving a portrait of the company’s chairman, Mr. Waternoose.

The face of a chairman, covered by something related to a dragon … this reminds me instantly of TBB and Sir William, the former chairman of the bank, whose face had been covered with the yellow spray-paint, applied by a member of the Yellow Dragon Circus.

To their dismay, Sulley and Mike discover that Randall isn’t just a jealous colleague. What is far worse, the changeable villain doesn’t work alone. His partner in cirme turns out to be none other than Mr. Waternoose, the big boss of the company. The two of them intend to use Boo for their experiments with the scream extractor, while Sulley and Mike get banished from Monstropolis and are sent into exile .. to the Himalayas. No return expected.

There is no plane involved as in Sherlock’s case, but strictly speaking, the way in which the ‘sending into exile’ happens, can indeed be seen as a variation of ‘flyihg’ …

Snow falls at the place where they land, somewhere in the Himalayan mountains.

While the Himalayas, more precisely Tibet, is closely connected to Sherlock’s hiatus after Reichenbach, the falling snow can also be found in TAB, the place Sherlock finds himself in, as a result of his ‘going into exile’ at the end of HLV … London in the winter 1895.

And it doesn’t take long before the dark shadow of a scary creature falls over them … a seemingly monstrous creature which is covered all over in ‘bridal white’ fur ….

May I introduce you to …. Yeti, the ABOMINABLE snowman!

"ABOMINABLE"! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? DO I LOOK ABOMINABLE TO YOU? WHY CAN'T THEY CALL ME THE ADORABLE SNOWMAN OR...OR THE AGREEABLE SNOWMAN, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD? I'M A NICE GUY.

He is really a very nice guy and helps Sulley and Mike to get back where they came from and where they are badly needed by Boo. Randall is not amused but this time it is him who looses the game.

Yeti’s nickname was inspired by the Abominable Snowman from the 1964 animated special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (X). Knowing this, one could view that bridal-white character also as a sort of Christmas connection. :))))

And have I mentioned those horns?

Some more lovely images: a shot from the inside out of a small box (without a severed head in it though), no fire-extinguisher but it looks like one, silhouettes behind glass, safety helmets (X) and ... flickering screens ….

At the story’s finale, the simulation room from the beginning - a bedroom on a stage with a ‘fake’ victim lying in it and with a moving wall - I’m not kidding - becomes the ‘confession room’ for the main culprit. And of course, every word of his confession gets recorded. Somehow this reminds me strongly of another scene … another film … what was it again? It’s on the tip of my tongue ….

It turns out that chairman Waternoose had already been under close observation by CDA undercover agent 001 - code name Roz (not AMO). An elderly, quite steely lady, who turns out to be his superior. Waternoose gets arrested and Sulley becomes the new chairman of MONSTERS, INC.

Now the time has come for Boo to return to the human world. Sulley takes the little girl back through the closet door into her room, where they part after a big good-bye hug.

Then the closet door which leads to her bedroom gets shredded, to prevent any future contact. But Boo’s short visit to the monster world had a huge impact. It proved that a child's laugh has ten times the power of a child's scream. The energy crisis of Monstropolis is solved. From now on laughter is harvested instead of screams and the power generated this way, is enormous. Mike turns out to be best harvester for laughs ever.

Because Mike knows how much Sulley misses the little human girl, he collects and secretly reassembles the pieces of Boo's shredded door so that it can be activated again.

The End

The song "If I Didn't Have You" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Mike: ♪ But I must admit it. Big guy, you always come through. I wouldn't have nothin' if I didn't have you. ♪ Mike and Sulley: ♪ You and me together. That's how it always should be. One without the other don't mean nothin' to me. Nothin' to me. ♪

Sulley: ♪ I don't have to say it. 'Cause we both know it's true.♪ Both: ♪ I wouldn't have nothin' if I didn't have... I wouldn't have nothin' if I didn't have... I wouldn't have nothin' if I didn't have you. ♪ Mike: ♪ You! You! A-E-I-O... That means you. Yeah. ♪

And doesn’t this almost sound like …. ‘just the two of us against the rest of the world’?

Hopefully you enjoyed the rather long ride. I can highly recommend this movie to anyone. It’s so much more fun watching it with ones own eyes than just reading a summary. This said, I leave you now to your own deductions. Thanks for reading that far. :)

August, 2019

#monsters inc #images #comparison #sherlock bbc #similarities

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fluffyseapancakes · 5 years

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The Missing Piece

I missed writing for BBC Sherlock so I wrote a long-ish fic to satisfy my cravings.

Your brother Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have been struggling on a case for a while, you decided to annoy them for a bit and suddenly a rare side of Sherlock came out.

___________________________

When Sherlock Holmes and John Watson caught a whiff of a new case, they had a habit of shutting out the rest of the world and fully immersed themselves in it. After growing up as Sherlock’s less smart but more socially adept younger sister, you were used to feeling ignored and neglected by your brother and his best friend. Thankfully John was more aware of his surroundings and he sometimes asked you for help or allowed you to follow them around town. The former British Army doctor had intimidated you when you first met him, but after seeing him being loyal to Sherlock and he made sure you felt included, you considered him as another brother to you. You felt unsure about moving in with Sherlock and John on 221B Baker Street but you had nowhere else to go and you definitely did not want to share the same roof as Mycroft. As much as you loved your parents, they drove you insane from their overprotectiveness and you didn’t make enough money to rent out your own flat. You were surprised when Sherlock eagerly agreed to allow you to stay for a while and he even emptied out an old storage room for you. John later had told you that Sherlock needed someone who understood how his mind worked and he constantly brought up stories about you growing up. You and your brother had a significant age difference but you agreed with John, you could read Sherlock inside and out and you knew exactly what he was thinking before he opened his mouth. You two were extremely close and loved each other dearly, but that didn’t mean your genius older brother didn’t infuriate you sometimes.

Week three of this stupid case. A wealthy old man found his younger wife murdered on their high security estate, months after the funeral where the body was buried in a closed casket, the old man swore he saw his deceased wife walking around London holding hands with an unfamiliar man. He attempted to follow them but his heart condition forced him to stop, he scribbled down their license plate and searched for the best detectives in London. They all called him insane and rejected his generous offers, so he sought for help from Sherlock and John. John was skeptical about the case and believed the man was suffering from early onset dementia, but for some reason Sherlock was interested and offered him his assistance. Ever since then the two men had buried themselves under documents of the wealthy man and his (maybe) dead wife’s backgrounds and was gone for most of the day hunting down the vehicle with the matching license plate and for other signs of the wife that rose from the dead. Usually they came back home tired and dejected with no progress, John asked Sherlock to drop the case but he refused and said, “There’s something that we’re missing.”

It was a dreary Saturday morning and you were bored out of your mind, the wonders and adventures of London had disappeared and now you looked out into the grey city and silently begged the heavens above for a splash of color and life. You knew you had to go grocery shopping soon and you grimaced at the thought that you would have to go outside and smell the stench of gas and damp clothes. You turned to see Sherlock and John huddled over the kitchen table with papers covering every inch of its surface. Their heads were bowed down and they were mumbling intensely to each other. You caught the words fake identity and black market but everything else was mumbo jumbo. Picking up your journal that lay on your lap, you smiled as an idea formed in your mind. It was risky and you might regret it, but it was going to be immensely entertaining.

“Sherlock this is pointless,” John sighed and rubbed his unshaven face with fatigue, “we’ve been running around the city for weeks now with no sign of the dead wife, and there’s nothing in these papers that’s suspicious.”

“Patience,” Sherlock mumbled, he stared down at the documents on the table as if they were speaking to him. There was something missing from them and he couldn’t point out exactly what. He closed his eyes and prepared to slip into his Mind Palace when he felt a tiny tap on the back of his head. In confusion he reached behind him but nothing was there, John looked at him with a puzzled expression and then he heard a noise.

Thwap.

John yelped in surprise as he felt something hit his neck, he reached up and felt a small object caught in his shirt collar. He grabbed it and saw it was a wadded up ball of paper.

Thwap.

Sherlock grunted in annoyance and this time he was hit in the cheek. He turned around to see you lounging on the couch with an innocent smile.

“Stop that Y/N,” he ordered.

“I’m not doing anything,” you shrugged.

Your brother grumbled softly and turned back towards the table, you noticed John was looking at you in amusement and you snuck a quick wink at him. Grabbing your notebook, you ripped out a rather large piece of paper and crumbled it into a ball. Silently thanking your mother for forcing you to take softball lessons, you aimed at your distracted brother and threw the ball with all your might. You and John watched it sail into the air in slow motion as it bounced off the top of his head and landed in his cup of tea that he held in his hand. Clearly in his Mind Palace, Sherlock absentmindedly took a large swig of his tea and you watched the wad of paper flow into his mouth. Instantly Sherlock snapped back into reality and turned around to spit out the tea and paper on the floor. John held back his laughter but you freely bursted out into happy cackles.

“That was priceless Sherlock!” You dramatically wiped tears of laughter out of your eye, “I wish I was recording it.”

Your brother stared at the sopping wet paper ball on the floor, you could tell John was starting to get nervous but you knew that if Sherlock was truly upset, someone would have had a black eye by now.

“You are going to regret that Y/N,” he hissed angrily.

“Oh am I Sherlie?” You said smugly, “I have Mycroft on speed dial so if you hurt me he’ll be here in five minutes.”

Sherlock stood still for a second, you could practically hear the gears shifting in his head as he thought of a solution. Then slowly a wicked smile grew on his face, a smile that you haven’t seen in years and a shiver went down your spine.

Shit, you thought.

He started to approach you with a predatory look in his eyes, you scanned the room and noticed to your horror that there was no where to run in the small flat. Before you could make a run for the door, Sherlock tackled you to the ground and roughly pinned you down. John winced as you hit the floor, but he was surprised that Sherlock had voluntarily initiated physical contact with another person.

“Let me go,” you squirmed frantically under your brother but he was stronger than he looked. Analyzing your body position and using simple physics calculations, Sherlock adjusted himself to straddle your midsection so you had no way of escaping.

“Remember when we were children and you kept on stealing my belongings and buried them in the yard? Don’t you remember your punishment?” He quietly asked, drumming the tips of his fingers against your belly. Your eyes grew wide and panic started to set in.

“I don’t you what you’re talking about,” you whimpered, giving him the best puppy dog eyes that you could muster.

“That’s rather strange Y/N since you have a photographic memory,” he feigned concern and his smile grew bigger, “I should help you remember my dear sister.”

“Sherlock…,” John took a cautious step forward, he reached his hand out for his cane in case he had to wack his best friend over the head if he started to hurt you.

“John you know me better than that,” Sherlock laughed, “I’m just going to teach her a little lesson.”

As you opened your mouth to protest, he suddenly dug into your belly and you bursted out into loud laughter. After all these years he had memorized your weakest spots and the best ways to target them, he made sure to apply more pressure into your belly which sent ticklish vibrations shooting down your spine. Once he was content that your belly had enough attention, he moved to your ribs and slowly counted them teasingly. The suspense drove you insane and your laughter got louder as he counted your ribs in English, French, Spanish, and Latin. John sat down on the couch and watched the whole situation unfold with amusement, he’s never seen this playful side of Sherlock and he wanted to soak it all in before it was over.

You felt like your lungs were going to explode and you could barely speak coherently through the hysterical laughter. Sherlock chuckled at your red cheeks and slightly pulled back on his attack so you could compose yourself.

“I’ll give you a deal, you help us solve this case and I’ll let you go,” Sherlock laughed darkly. You and John both groaned and you were rapidly losing hope at the sight of freedom.

“Y/N knows nothing about the case Sherlock, how do you expect her to solve it now?” John shook his head with amusement.

“I’ve seen Y/N sneak a peek at our notes,” Sherlock winked at you, “and I didn’t tell her to solve the case, I told her to help us.”

“I really don’t know,” you whined, you turned your head to look at John for help but he was avoiding your pleading gaze. That jerk wants me to find an answer for the case too.

“Then I’m afraid you better think fast,” Sherlock suddenly dug into your belly again and the flat was filled with your high pitched laughter. You tried to enter your Mind Palace but the tickling was making it impossible to focus, You closed your eyes and went through all the notes and documents Sherlock and John had acquired. They were meticulous and knew everything about the old man and his dead wife including their immediate and distant relatives, their favorite restaurant, the name of their country club, and even information about their childhood and early education. All the bases were covered but you knew something was missing.

“Sherlock I swear to god if you tickle Y/N to death I’m not explaining it to your mother,” John stared at you worriedly as your face turned a deep red and your laughter slowly turned into breathy gasps for air.

Death.

Could it be that simple?

You went through all of the information about the client again and your suspicions were confirmed. It was ridiculously simple and you were surprised no one has realized it.

“I got it!” You screamed as Sherlock descended upon your hipbones, he immediately pulled back and looked at you in surprise. You gasped for breath and tried to get the rest of the giggles out.

“Did either of you bothered to visit the gravesite and confirm a dead body or did you just believe the old man when he said his wife had died?” You gasped out, “I don’t know why he would lie, but if there’s no dead body then it’s possible he was hiding something.”

Sherlock quickly stood up and practically ran to the kitchen table, you slowly sat up and rubbed the residual ticklish feelings from your body. You could hear him loudly shuffle through the piles of paper and John joined in to help.

“How the hell did we miss this?” Sherlock angrily slammed the table.

“The client didn’t give us a reason to not believe him,” John sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, “we just saw the obituary and a small article of the funeral which could easily have been fabricated.”

You shakily got up from the floor and plopped down on the couch, ready to run to the door if Sherlock decided to attack you again. You watched the two men bicker and your brother cursed several times under his breath. Finally they left the kitchen and grabbed their jackets, John was the first to march out the door and Sherlock was right behind him. Before he fully closed the door shut, your brother stuck his head out and nodded towards you.

“Good work,” he said bluntly, he closed the door a bit too loudly and you heard his heavy footsteps thump down the stairs. You shook your head and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. The flat that was filled with your loud laughter and Sherlock’s playful teasing was now quiet and lonely again. Your brother had offered you multiple times to work with him and John, but you always refused and told him you were not meant to be a detective.

“Detective Y/N Holmes,” you scoffed, taking a big swig of water, “I would rather die than wear that stupid hat.”

#bbc sherlock #sherlock x reader #ticklish!reader #reader insert #tickle fic #Sherlock Holmes #john watson #sherlock fic #fan fic

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the-signs-of-two · 7 years

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The East Wind: Understanding Eurus (2 of 3)

I had to split this part up into two parts since it would have been way too long otherwise. In this part, I’ll be discussing why it makes sense to see Eurus the way I see her. In the next part, I’ll be discussing how to understand TFP when Eurus is seen in this way.

In this part, I’ll mainly be looking at Eurus’ overall characteristics instead of on the actual plotline, which means that this part isn’t going to be as nicely structured as the other two. I hope it won’t be too confusing.

In the first part of this series (here), I argued that the overarching conflict of BBC Sherlock is the conflict within Sherlock to choose John and be a good man or choose Jim and be a bad man. John brings out the best in him just as Jim brings out the worst and the romantic arc is thus carefully intertwined with Sherlock’s character arc. I also argued that Sherlock slowly moves towards becoming a good man during the first two seasons, but that the big transition into becoming a good man only happens with Moriarty’s suicide in TRF, giving us the softer and more human Sherlock of S3.

S3, though, ends with this.

Did you miss me?

On a literal level, the cliffhanger of S3 is whether Moriarty is actually dead or whether he faked his suicide like Sherlock. And when TAB and then S4 came out, a lot of people did feel a bit underwhelmed with the resolution of this and the overall importance that this cliffhanger was paid.

I’d argue, however, that Moriarty is to be seen as a symbol here and not as a person. The fact that Moriarty appears here as a still image with the bottom part of his face moving along with a distorted could-be-anyone-anywhere voice instead of as an actual video of him speaking in his own voice as we see in TFP disassociates this moment from Moriarty as a person and seems to imply that we’re not meant to see Moriarty the person, but rather Moriarty the symbol. And if we see Moriarty as a symbol here, we get a very different result. On a symbolic level, the cliffhanger of S3 thus becomes: We assumed that the side of Sherlock that Moriarty brings to the surface was dead, but can we be sure?

I won’t go too much into TAB since I think I covered most of it in this meta. Be aware that this meta was written before S4 came out, so... yeah. What’s important to take away from TAB is the whole idea of something buried deep as well as these crucial moments towards the end that I’ll go through quickly.

Sherlock: What are you?

Jim: You know what I am. I’m Moriarty. The Napoleon of crime.

Sherlock: Moriarty’s dead.

Jim: Not in your mind. I’ll never be dead there. You once called your brain a hard drive. Well, say hello to the virus. This is how we end, you and I. Always here. Always together.

Jim: Shall we go over together? It has to be together, doesn’t it? At the end, it’s always just you and me!

John: *clears his throat* Professor, if you wouldn’t mind stepping away from my friend, I do believe he finds your attention a shade annoying.

Jim: That’s not fair, there’s two of you!

John: There’s always two of us.

In my opinion, TAB is about Sherlock accepting that he can feel and express emotions, i.e. Sherlock letting himself become a good man with John. This scene is crucial, seeing as we here have John and Jim almost literally fighting over who is to make up the two with Sherlock. Jim says it’s always just you and me, John says there’s always two of us. This is a very clear reference to what I was talking about in the first part of this meta series: that BBC Sherlock is about Sherlock choosing either John or Jim, choosing to be either a good man or a bad man. He has to choose one and this is the moment when he finally does so.

But notice what Sherlock does now.

Sherlock follows Moriarty down into the Reichenbach caldron. This was a moment that always bugged me before S4, because it seems to break with the very clear symbolism that that side of Sherlock that Moriarty brings forth is finally gone. If that’s the point, why the hell is Sherlock following him down?

Sherlock: Between you and me, John, I always survive a fall.

Sherlock: Miss me?

Because that side isn’t gone. What we see in this moment is not Sherlock eradicating Moriarty and what Moriarty brings to the surface. It is Sherlock choosing John and what John brings to the surface once and for all. And it ends with Sherlock leaving John on a high place in his mind palace, on a precipice/pedestal for all to see, while he pursues Moriarty down into the deepest, darkest corners of himself.

And down there is waiting what I see to be the personification of the side of Sherlock that Moriarty brings to the surface. Eurus.

And it is finally, finally time to talk about how I understand Eurus.

Firstly, a few random observations about the way Eurus is initially presented to us that make it, if not certain, then at least very likely that Eurus represents the other half of Sherlock, the half that he abandoned during the series to become a good man with John.

Eurus is presented as the younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock, but visually, she is made to look like a female Sherlock. Can you imagine a picture of the three siblings together? One of these things is not so much like the other two on a purely visual level and I know who I would choose to stick out. They may be presented as siblings, but Sherlock and Eurus look like a male and female version of the same person, while Mycroft looks nothing like either of them. Pale skin, dark hair, bright blue eyes. We’re clearly meant to notice just how similar Sherlock and Eurus look. As if Eurus is not actually a person, but rather another Sherlock

Eurus is Sherlock’s younger sister. At first, this put me off. If they are meant to represent two sides of one person, wouldn’t it be more logical and easier for the viewers if they were twins? But when you stop to think about it, it actually makes perfect sense. If Sherlock and Eurus, i.e. good Sherlock and bad Sherlock, were twins, that would imply that they were equal. The two sides of Sherlock would both have been there from the beginning and they would thus have been equally natural for him. By making Eurus/bad Sherlock a year younger, the implication becomes that Sherlock/good Sherlock is the first part of Sherlock to develop and thus his most genuine self.

Eurus’ relation to Moriarty is Sherlock’s relation to Moriarty. In TFP, Sherlock explains: “Five minutes. It took her just five minutes to do all of this to us.” Eurus and Moriarty’s relation lasted for five minutes and it was during those five minutes that they supposedly planned everything. But these five minutes seem awfully familiar, don’t they? In TRF, Sherlock explains: “How long have I known him? Not really your best line of enquiry. We met twice, five minutes in total. I pulled a gun; he tried to blow me up. I felt we had a special something.” Through this parallel, Eurus’ relation to Moriarty is closely tied to Sherlock’s relation to Moriarty. It could be argued that this is further evidence that Eurus isn’t real. There were no five minutes between Eurus and Moriarty. They’re the same five minutes as those between Sherlock and Moriarty. And it was during those five minutes that Eurus/bad Sherlock was brought to the surface. David, the governor, even makes this as close to explicit as can be when he explains how Moriarty’s visit ”woke Eurus up”: “It’s obvious when it all started. Well, she was never the same after that Christmas. It’s as if you woke her up.”

Eurus is Sherlock as Sherlock would have been without John. Eurus is Sherlock as Sherlock would have been with Jim.

Secondly, let’s look at Eurus’ different personas. Throughout S4, Eurus adopts three aliases before we and Sherlock are finally presented to her properly in TFP. That means that Eurus has a total of four different “faces”. And in each of them, a side of Sherlock as the bad man is reflected in Eurus.

As the woman on the bus, Eurus flirts with John and tempts him into having an affair. Sherlock might wish for John to have an affair with him, but the good man puts John’s honor and wellbeing above his own desires. The bad man has no such qualms.

As John’s psychiatrist, Eurus listens to John’s problems and cares about his wellbeing. Only she later reveals that she only pretended to care and is bored sick of listening to his problems. This is pretty self-explanatory. The good man genuinely cares about John and wants tolisten to him and help him, while the bad man only pretends to care and only maintains that facade as long as it’s useful to him.

As Faith, it’s a bit more complicated. Eurus visits Sherlock at his lowest and she mirrors him. She’s suicidal, confused and hopeless, which mirrors how Sherlock feels. But she also mirrors John with her cane and her confused wonder at Sherlock’s deductions. Later, Sherlock realizes that she might not actually have been there at all, that he might have imagined the whole thing. This is a bit more tricky and requires a bit more explanation. The way I see it, the interactions between Sherlock and Eurus as Faith explains why that dark side of Sherlock exists and why it would have overpowered him if he had never met John. Because he needs comfort. Eurus/bad Sherlock is the voice in Sherlock’s head that Sherlock took comfort in when he was alone and high and suicidal and hopeless and in need of comfort before he met John. That’s why Eurus as Faith mirrors both Sherlock and John. She’s Sherlock’s John from before the real John entered his life.

In TFP, we get to see this dynamic more directly. In the beginning of the episode, John and Mycroft watch a tape recording of a conversation between Eurus and David. I consider David to be a Sherlock mirror, but this meta really would be unbearably long if I tried to prove it, so just trust me on this one.

We’re told that Eurus doesn’t just talk to people. She manipulates them in a way so severe that anyone talking to her will automatically be compromised. And we actually see her do it with David. Now just listen to the conversation they have with the mindset that what we’re actually listening to is Sherlock comforting himself alone in a drug den somewhere and weep.

Eurus: Why am I here?

David: Why do you think you’re here?

Eurus: No one ever tells me. Am I being punished?

David: You’ve been bad.

Eurus: There’s no such thing as bad.

David: What about good?

Eurus: Good and bad are fairytales. We have evolved to attach an emotional significance to what is nothing more than the survival strategy of the pack animal. We are conditioned to invest divinity in utility. Good isn’t really good, evil isn’t really wrong and bottoms aren’t really pretty. You are a prisoner of your own meat.

David: Why aren’t you?

Eurus: ... I’m too clever.

Then there’s Eurus herself. Eurus in TFP is, with an Irene-esque expression, defrocked. Not just in the sense that she meets Sherlock without being in a disguise, but on a visual level as well. She appears before Sherlock in a non-descriptive white uniform in a non-descript cell where the only thing of interest is her violin.

This visual enclosure is so strong that it seems to imply that this is the center of it all. Encountering Moriarty in TAB was the first step towards dealing with that dark side of himself. Encountering Eurus’ aliases was encountering different aspects of that dark side - the Sherlock who wanted to have an affair with John, the Sherlock who didn’t care about John’s problems, the Sherlock who always told himself that sentiment is a chemical defect that he is too clever to experience when he couldn’t stand dealing with his own loneliness. Encountering Eurus as she appears at Sherrinford is encountering the pure personification of that dark side of himself, stripped bare of all other references or purposes. And how he chooses to engage with that personification will determine what kind of man he will be when he wakes up again.

In the next part, I’ll be going into detail about the plot of TFP and I’ll try to explain how the confrontation between Sherlock and Eurus if interpreted as a confrontation between the good Sherlock that Sherlock has become and the bad Sherlock that’s still a part of him can yield some insight into what TFP is actually about and why this episode was necessary.

#Sherlock #BBC Sherlock #Sherlock Meta #Johnlock #TJLC #Johnlock Meta #Eurus #S4 #Sherlock S4 #Moriarty #The Final Problem #TFP #my meta

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mayphoenix · 7 years

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For the record...

...I feel I need to justify my stance on something new that is making the rounds in Johnlock fandom: John as a perpetrator of domestic violence against Sherlock on a regular basis.

A photo of Benedict -- I’m assuming from another role -- with his face looking like raw meat following a severe beating, has inspired some fans to speculate that John did that to Sherlock. Some have even said that Sherlock hides Rosie to protect her when John goes into one of his tirades and that things like the anniversary of Mary’s death are enough to set him off into beating Sherlock the way he did in TLD. While I tend to ignore most of fandom’s theories when they don’t agree with my own headcanon (because, really, to each his own), domestic abuse is one of my big triggers and the reason I have PTSD, so it’s kind of hard to just scroll past this one without making a comment. I even remarked that I didn’t want to see this “shit” anymore, that John and Sherlock are supposed to love each other (even if we don’t get a gay relationship out of it, they are without a doubt devoted to one another and do love one another, to the point where they are each willing to take dangerous risks to protect each other). But it still bothers me that some people are taking John’s outburst in TLD and running with it in this very dark, terrible direction. They are turning this good man into a monster and hate him for attacking Sherlock. Few are willing to take a step back and really look at the reasons behind it, especially in the context of the character as presented to us for seven years. Yes, John is a soldier and he does have an addiction to danger, and he could break all your bones while naming them. The only times we have seen him attack Sherlock physically, it was after extreme provocation. In ASiB, Sherlock tells John to hit him and John refuses until Sherlock hits him first. In TEH, John leaps at Sherlock for joking around after coming back from the dead (all things considered, I know I would be pissed if my best friend faked his death and then came back with no concern for my grief but instead cracked jokes about my appearance). In TLD, John has a lot weighing on him by the time he snaps and begins attacking Sherlock. First, he didn’t just blithely go after Sherlock -- he saw Sherlock acting irrationally and holding a deadly weapon. It started as a means of disarming him and trying to snap Sherlock out of his frenzied state, and quickly escalated because of all the personal things built up behind it: John’s anger at Sherlock for using (again) and putting his life at risk (according to Molly, who just got done saying Sherlock is going to die at this rate). This is John reacting to the fear of watching Sherlock die once again (the first time being his “death” from jumping off St. Bart’s, the second being after he was shot by Mary quickly followed by going into cardiac arrest at Baker Street), and then seeing the list of drugs Sherlock took on the jet (TAB). It is ACD canon that Watson has never approved of Holmes’ drug use, and BBC’s John Watson is no exception. (Hell, even Molly slapped Sherlock three times for testing positive and upsetting the people who love him with his reckless behavior -- are we going to accuse Molly of being a domestic abuser, too?)

We know John, by his own admission, finds it difficult to express his emotions; when he began to cry at Sherlock’s grave, he schooled himself quickly even though he was alone with no one (that he knew) to see him fall apart. He had to fight the tears over Sherlock’s Best Man speech. He had to fight the emotion when he thought they were going to blow up with that train car under Parliament. In suppressing his tears, his emotions manifest in anger (shouting, kicking furniture around), and while we’ve seen him -- rightfully -- direct that anger toward actual threats (including anyone who might talk trash about Sherlock in his presence) to protect himself and those he holds dear (kind of like when Sherlock threw a guy out a second-story window after he had already beaten him bloody for harming Mrs. Hudson), we have never seen John just attack without reason. We have seen him walk away from Sherlock more times than not when Sherlock has become verbally abusive/insulting, rather than argue with him. Back to TLD: in addition to his fear-motivated anger at Sherlock for using drugs, John is also carrying a lot of guilt and self-loathing over what happened with Mary. We know he was unhappy in the marriage as far back as HLV but he stayed and struggled to convince himself that they could make it work, even after he told Mary to her face (in TST) that he used to like her. John considers the texting with “E” to be cheating -- he entertained the thought of an affair and was being sneaky about it, and did not have a chance to come clean before Mary died, which left him without closure. John has always tried to be a good man but he thinks he is a failure. He is flawed, yes, but then -- who isn’t? If he truly was a bad person he would have pursued the affair. He would have left Mary when she was still pregnant, after finding out she was an assassin who lied to him and shot his best friend. So he turns on Sherlock for breaking a vow, but it was his anger at himself for constantly wanting to break his own vows. Misdirected anger. Also, in sacrificing her life to save Sherlock, Mary gave Sherlock a gift and by taking drugs and putting himself at risk, Sherlock was abusing that gift. That added to John’s frustration. Sherlock didn’t kill John’s wife. He didn’t make her jump in front of that bullet. John was so blinded with grief, self-loathing, and guilt (especially if he ever had even the slightest feeling of relief that he was free of her without having to be the one to leave) that he could not see that and admit it until later. He knows Sherlock is not responsible for Mary’s death. That he volunteers to sit with Sherlock while Sherlock is detoxing says that he still cares about him. He feels a sense of obligation to him and guilt over what he did by unleashing that rage. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t still be with him, solving crimes. John has made a commitment to Sherlock that he has never made to anyone else, not even Mary; he even distanced himself from his sister Harry while she was still drinking heavily (planning to spend Christmas with her when he believed she was off the booze). And after TLD, things were different between John and Sherlock but in a better way. Sherlock referred to John as “family.” There is a new sense of closeness between them throughout TFP (if any of that episode can even be believed), as though they had just traversed that proverbial Dark Night of the Soul and come out stronger on the other side. When Mycroft is standing there putting John down at Sherrinford during Eurus’ game, John’s face registers pain because he believes he is unworthy of Sherlock after what he did to him. And yet, Sherlock is prepared to kill himself rather than shoot John. Sherlock holds no grudges against John for what he did. He put John through so much hell over the past seven years, playing with his emotions, and he realizes he is just as guilty.

Now the two of them are healing. There is no way that John is ever going to go off on Sherlock again to the same extreme as we saw in TLD. Even when Sherlock ignored John’s “Vatican Cameos” warning, John did not get angry with him. When Sherlock didn’t come and rescue him right away from the well, John didn’t seem to be put off. By the end of S4, these men seemed happier and stronger together in their relationship, which is why I refuse to believe that John would become some kind of regular perpetrator of domestic violence. Oh, they will still bicker. But beating Sherlock to a pulp? No.

Up until S4, everyone believed in the perfect love that is Johnlock. Why does that have to change, especially when so many of us can see S4 is messed up? Why is this kind of thing suddenly being accepted, when there is so much in S4 that makes no sense whatsoever; when we’re questioning other actions that are totally OOC and events that don’t line up? Why can’t fans see it for the unusual circumstance it is and distance themselves from it, and let these boys be happy? If John didn’t love Sherlock, he would not have cried in front of him, or let Sherlock hold him. He would not rebuild Baker Street with him, or let him handle his child. And if Sherlock didn’t love John, he would not continue to want him in his life, or open his heart to him and his daughter. If theirs was a relationship of regular domestic violence, with John beating up on Sherlock, there is no way either of them -- or their friends -- would allow it to continue. So why should we, as Johnlock shippers, allow it? That’s what I don’t understand, and why I feel it has no place in this fandom. We have enough negativity to deal with from outside forces; why should we let that kind of thing poison something we have always seen as one of the most potentially beautiful relationships in existence?

#johnlock #johnlock theories #johnlock and domestic abuse

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bestillmybeefyheart · 7 years

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Sherlock - BBC

I am a huge fan of the BBC Sherlock series. They are amazingly well written, well cast, and the stories are extraordinarily interesting, capturing what I see in my head as who and how Sherlock would be as a real person. I found the show years back through a friend, and ordered it from Amazon.co.uk before it was in the US in any form, DVD or streaming. Then as it started appearing in streaming formats, I watched that way, always buying the UK DVDs to rip and add to my collection. I was thrilled when our local OETA started airing the episodes as well during one of their BBC Masterpiece series as well. I had finished Series 3 minus Episode 4, the special "The Abominable Bride" and was anxiously awaiting to watch it. However life intervened and I never got to it. Then, S4 hit, and I realized I had not even finished all of S3. So yesterday evening I finished S03E03, then watched S03E04 and I loved it. I thought it was well done, as always, and loved how it tied into S03E03 so well. Now to watch 4. I don't know why but I find many of the programs from BBC and other countries, especially UK area to be wonderful. I guess growing up with Monty Python built the sense of humor into my brain and the style, sound and look into my heart. Which is odd because I just cannot watch the original Doctor Who. It makes me sad I can't, but I just cannot make it through even a few episodes and I've tried many times. The first season was awful, slow, cheesy, and the Doctor was an old asshat, sorry but he was. I fell in love with DW and The Doctor when it got rebooted in 2005. A friend sent me copies of the first series from the UK, which were low quality recordings he had made, but I devoured them. Like I do with Sherlock. I know Sherlock was meant to be a 1 maybe 2 series run and I am so glad to have kept it going. It really is amazing stuff. Now if only they hadn't cancelled Pramface, even though Wasted is quite funny, I was loving Pramface (love the friend who is in Wasted). It's the comedy I love. Moone Boy, Pramface, you name it. And Sherlock is ripe with comedy, even when its dramatic. If you see and know it, you get it. I turned a friend onto several shows via Hulu and she hated it. I had to kill her and bury her in her backyard. That's like saying you like Star Wars 1-2-3 better then 4-5-6. Such a blood mess that was. Let's see Sherlock solve that one eh. If you havent watched Sherlock, do so now. Seriously, it's probably one of the best TV series ever made and will delight your mind and your belly with the laughs and story twists and the serious yet laughable way that Sherlock makes his way through the world he lives in. I wasn't kidding about my friend. Or was I? I guess only Sherlock knows. Eh Watson?

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musicgoon · 7 years

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