quick sherlock post

[aria]

I enjoyed that! It was a good solid hour and a half where nothing particularly dodgy happened, Sherlock and John had some feelings at each other, and it was decently scary in a very Doctor Who, don't-show-the-monster way. Unfortunately I didn't have too many (squeeful) feelings about Sherlock and John having feelings at each other, because -- much as Blind Banker dampened whatever deep joy I would've felt at Great Game, so (mostly the intelligent articulate meta I've seen around, although also some of my own reading of) Scandal in Belgravia made it more difficult for me to, y'know, care about Sherlock as a person? On reflection, though, his apology to John was really lovely, not least because I remember the line about John as an excellent conductor of light from the original.

I guess while we're being curmudgeonly, though, I will also note that I am way over "everyone assumes they're boyfriends, but LOL NO." (I ... totally love every time it happens on Supernatural, but I think therein is illustrated a very good point, namely that "See but BROTHERS" is an understandable reaction, but I am really sick of "See but NO HOMO.") Either stop the tired fanservice tease or, at the end of Reichenbach Fall, reveal that it was clever foreshadowing all along and John's character arc is about him realizing that actually despite the fact that it's a terrible idea he's totally hot for Sherlock and would love to be boyfriends. Whatever, sigh.

No longer being curmudgeonly, but being quite silly, I want it on record that the casting of Russell Tovey as Henry Knight made it very difficult for me to not assume that the big reveal would be of the fact that Henry has become a werewolf. Also the fear gas kept giving me Batman Begins flashbacks. On the other hand, I loved that my knowledge of the source text made me assume Dr. Stapleton was the villain, so I still got to enjoy the reveal. I also enjoyed John calling Sherlock 'Spock,' though I think that the comment was just because Sherlock was babbling on about the messiness of emotion, not because he said "Once you have eliminated the impossible then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Because Spock said that in the last film! Because he ... was quoting Holmes. It was delightfully recursive.

In conclusion, that may have been the most solid Gatiss-penned episode of anything I have seen, though I suppose both Great Game and Unquiet Dead did have their good points too.

Comments

[sahiya]

Yes, Gatiss really brought it on this one (though that CGI dog . . . *shudders* seriously, if you don't have the budget, just don't do it).

I still really like "Scandal in Belgravia," including Irene (the last few minutes could have been done differently to better effect, but that doesn't mean I can't love her). I'm trying really hard not to let fandom make me grumpy, when I wasn't to begin with. There are times when I really wish we didn't all feel the need to critique everything so goddamn hard.

[aria]

Yeeeah, the dog was only scary until they revealed it. YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW! They could have been cowering from a shadow, and finally when they all shoot it, you can reveal it as a dead, perfectly ordinary large dog.

I really liked Scandal in Belgravia too! But ... I do not want to squee people's harsh when they have legitimate points to critique. On the other hand, I am right now in the place where I'm mostly like, "Yes, that was quite problematic! And you are correct! Now excuse me, I want to still deeply enjoy this problematic thing." Ah well.

[sahiya]

I do not want to squee people's harsh when they have legitimate points to critique.

I think at this point I am just sick to death of having my squee harshed, especially when people don't have the decency to cut-tag their shit. I just get really tired sometimes of being made to feel like a bad feminist because I love Moffat's writing. Is it perfect? No. Nothing is (I say this as a fan of The West Wing, which had sexism issues coming out its ears, especially under Sorkin). I think Moffat took a lot of chances in "Scandal in Belgravia," and yeah, he flubbed the ending, but he gets credit for the other 80 minutes.

I understand all the reasons that critique is necessary, but goddammit, I do literary criticism for a living and sometimes I just want to love what I love.

[aria]

Ahh, yeah, if people aren't cut-tagging their rage that is kind of not okay; it's one thing to know that people are writing up their issues with Moffat, and another to be unable to avoid it. :(

(Also, I don't want to get into internet fights with people who are bringing up good points about how Moffat flubbed Irene, but I am really tired of this weird underlying assumption lots of people seem to have that Moffat is a horrible gross misogynist who writes awful stock ladies. Because I very frequently adore Moffat's women, and also because while Moffat sometimes says pretty gross stuff, it feels much more like a case of internalized gender essentialism than any deliberate malicious misogyny. ANYWAY.)

[sahiya]

Oh God, yeah, I never read or watch Moffat's interviews (but I don't consider those to be part of The Text, anyway). He certainly has his issues (which are, I think, most visible in Coupling, which, for all its hilarity, completely revolves around an essentialist view of gender), but that doesn't mean his writing isn't awesome and it doesn't mean his female characters don't rock.