I realize I'm writing a very reactive post as the episode JUST aired and I haven't really had much chance to muse on it. But I'm away this weekend so I feel like I need to get this out of my system before then.
Again, I didn't care much for the plot of this episode. I was more interested in how they'd deal with the fallout of Joan's kidnapping and the revelation that Mycroft is MI6. It saddens me that I really loved the first half of the episode only to be rather disappointed toward the latter half.
First off, I really loved the reunion moment between Sherlock and Joan. I'm not sure how it was that JLM managed to look like he wanted to hug Joan and yet not hug her at the same time because Sherlock does not do hugs and yet he so wished to express his relief that Joan was okay. I liked that he later tried in his usual awkward Sherlock way to offer comfort and support (and he did it pretty well) by offering to talk to Joan about being deceived by a lover. I liked Joan's very clear reasoning of why she could never be with someone like Mycroft. I liked that she told him this with absolutely no room for argument. I liked that despite that Joan still wanted to move out for her own sake and Sherlock faced that news with equal parts denial and hurt. That was all great. And then things took a turn.
Okay, I'm very well aware that a lot of my dislike for the last half of the episode has to do with not liking this Mycroft/Joan pairing. I just don't like it. At all. I don't think the actors have chemistry and I really cannot shake the image of Mycroft being more sleazy and creepy than charming and dashing. So about 60% of my hate for the last half was just having to witness Mycroft and Joan post-sex. There is not enough bleach in the world. But setting aside just my personal aesthetics, I'm not all that pleased about what they've done with Mycroft's character.
I was happy for about a week that it seemed like Mycroft would indeed be the smarter brother. But it's clear he's not the smarter one or perhaps even on par with Sherlock in terms of the observation department. It felt like the writers just made Mycroft Sherlock's blind spot as Sherlock hated him so much growing up that he just couldn't see clearly when it came to his older brother. Thus Sherlock is just dumber when it comes to Mycroft rather than the latter being smarter. Mycroft didn't deceive Sherlock out of his own deviousness but Sherlock merely failed to deduce correctly. That to me was rather disappointing as I've always been happy that the BBC show kept to the idea that there is a Holmes even more genius than Sherlock. Also, Mycroft's "revelation" that he had a talent for storing information after working for MI6 for a bit felt ludicrous because did he never go to school where he'd figure that out?
The additional reveal that Mycroft actually left MI6 only to return in order to save Sherlock from long time imprisonment felt a little lazy on part of the writers. Joan had so many excellent reasons not to be involved with Mycroft that the only thing that would make it okay was the realization that actually, Mycroft committed himself to this life of secrecy to protect Sherlock, a task Joan also shares. This is what bonds them. I don't know. Am I the only one that felt like this "solution" was contrived? It felt less like a natural reveal of Mycroft's better character and more like a method by which to shoehorn in a plausible reason why Joan would take him back, thus setting the stage for there to be a rift between Joan and Sherlock. Or am I just completely biased because I cannot be on board the Joan/Mycroft ship? I don't even find it that plausible because no matter what the reason behind Mycroft's dedication to deception, he still DOES IT. Isn't that the part Joan's uncomfortable with?
I'm very much willing to take back this review if it turns out the finale next week delivers something awesome. But for now, I'm disappointed in the show's characterization for the first time ever. They still have a much better track record than any other show out there but I can't help but be a bit sad that this particular story arc didn't work for me. The only thing I liked about the last half was Sherlock's line about confessing to studying Mycroft's fingerprints obsessively when they were kids. That's so Sherlock.
Again, I didn't care much for the plot of this episode. I was more interested in how they'd deal with the fallout of Joan's kidnapping and the revelation that Mycroft is MI6. It saddens me that I really loved the first half of the episode only to be rather disappointed toward the latter half.
First off, I really loved the reunion moment between Sherlock and Joan. I'm not sure how it was that JLM managed to look like he wanted to hug Joan and yet not hug her at the same time because Sherlock does not do hugs and yet he so wished to express his relief that Joan was okay. I liked that he later tried in his usual awkward Sherlock way to offer comfort and support (and he did it pretty well) by offering to talk to Joan about being deceived by a lover. I liked Joan's very clear reasoning of why she could never be with someone like Mycroft. I liked that she told him this with absolutely no room for argument. I liked that despite that Joan still wanted to move out for her own sake and Sherlock faced that news with equal parts denial and hurt. That was all great. And then things took a turn.
Okay, I'm very well aware that a lot of my dislike for the last half of the episode has to do with not liking this Mycroft/Joan pairing. I just don't like it. At all. I don't think the actors have chemistry and I really cannot shake the image of Mycroft being more sleazy and creepy than charming and dashing. So about 60% of my hate for the last half was just having to witness Mycroft and Joan post-sex. There is not enough bleach in the world. But setting aside just my personal aesthetics, I'm not all that pleased about what they've done with Mycroft's character.
I was happy for about a week that it seemed like Mycroft would indeed be the smarter brother. But it's clear he's not the smarter one or perhaps even on par with Sherlock in terms of the observation department. It felt like the writers just made Mycroft Sherlock's blind spot as Sherlock hated him so much growing up that he just couldn't see clearly when it came to his older brother. Thus Sherlock is just dumber when it comes to Mycroft rather than the latter being smarter. Mycroft didn't deceive Sherlock out of his own deviousness but Sherlock merely failed to deduce correctly. That to me was rather disappointing as I've always been happy that the BBC show kept to the idea that there is a Holmes even more genius than Sherlock. Also, Mycroft's "revelation" that he had a talent for storing information after working for MI6 for a bit felt ludicrous because did he never go to school where he'd figure that out?
The additional reveal that Mycroft actually left MI6 only to return in order to save Sherlock from long time imprisonment felt a little lazy on part of the writers. Joan had so many excellent reasons not to be involved with Mycroft that the only thing that would make it okay was the realization that actually, Mycroft committed himself to this life of secrecy to protect Sherlock, a task Joan also shares. This is what bonds them. I don't know. Am I the only one that felt like this "solution" was contrived? It felt less like a natural reveal of Mycroft's better character and more like a method by which to shoehorn in a plausible reason why Joan would take him back, thus setting the stage for there to be a rift between Joan and Sherlock. Or am I just completely biased because I cannot be on board the Joan/Mycroft ship? I don't even find it that plausible because no matter what the reason behind Mycroft's dedication to deception, he still DOES IT. Isn't that the part Joan's uncomfortable with?
I'm very much willing to take back this review if it turns out the finale next week delivers something awesome. But for now, I'm disappointed in the show's characterization for the first time ever. They still have a much better track record than any other show out there but I can't help but be a bit sad that this particular story arc didn't work for me. The only thing I liked about the last half was Sherlock's line about confessing to studying Mycroft's fingerprints obsessively when they were kids. That's so Sherlock.
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