How John reacted to the ILY Scene

 (Sherlock meta by celticmoonbeam and waytoomanyhobbies)

celticmoonbeam:

Today I’m wondering about how John reacted to the ILY scene… Who has head canons about that that they’d like to share? Last night I had fun talking through the ILY scene with a friend who interprets it totally differently. She thinks Sherlock just loves Molly platonically, and I see him loving her romantically. (And we are still friends and we enjoy talking about it and seeing the other person’s POV! As fandom stuff should go.) While I was explaining my perspective, I was surprised how much I was describing things that happened in past episodes, rather than clues about his feelings in that particular scene.

My friend was surprised too. She loves Molly Hooper, but she got it firmly in her head in season 1 that Sherlock would never be interested in Molly, and so the little Sherlolly-esque details I fixated on slipped past her completely. She viewed all their scenes in light of Sherlock having no interest in Molly. (Again, total valid reading–this post isn’t to say that she’s wrong and I am right!).

Anyway… I found myself reshaping my headcanons about John’s reaction to the ILY scene. Now I’m wondering if he would respond a lot like my friend, automatically assuming that Sherlock isn’t interested and he said “I love you” just to save her life. After all, John wasn’t around for the vast majority of their scenes together. I don’t know that he ever picked up on Sherlock’s feelings. In TLD, he calls Molly the last person Sherlock would ever think of. So what exactly does he think is going on with the phone call? And how long does it take him to realize what’s really going on with Sherlock and Molly? After all the craziness of Eurus, I doubt that would be the first thing on his mind…

waytoomanyhobbies:

When the test first ended, John and Mycroft were ready to crack on like soldiers. Realizing that Sherlock wasn’t right behind them raises alarm bells. John turns back to find his best friend ritualistically placing the lid on the coffin, staring at the “I love you”, caressing the wood, and then repeating the word “no” before destroying Molly’s coffin with his bare hands. John is visibly struck by it.

John would have seen the entirety of Sherlock’s violent outburst until Sherlock finally spent all that emotion and slumped against the wall. He saw even more than we did of Sherlock screaming and breaking everything he could until he was exhausted. John has seen Sherlock remain calm in the face of innocents murdered before. Sherlock didn’t even have a outburst like this after identifying the supposed body of Irene, despite all Sherlock’s later melancholy. The incident would have to have raised some questions, especially thinking back to Eurus’s taunts.

John has been questioning Sherlock for years about his love life and hoping for Sherlock to find a relationship. John hadn’t picked up on it before then, but John has a history of wanting Sherlock to find romance, which could lead him to wanting to meddle. When John thought Sherlock may have found a woman in the two previous instances (Irene and Janine) John was pleased and very curious. He was very recently trying again to get Sherlock to find a woman who makes him the man he wants to be. John is quite invested in helping Sherlock find that romantic entanglement that he feels would do Sherlock good.

Not to mention that John has still only recently lost Mary, so how much of Sherlock’s outburst might have struck John as familiar from what he, himself, has recently gone through? It would be very odd for him to not start thinking back and reexamining what he’d seen between them.

It’s an interesting talking point. From my point of view, if John doesn’t know he should at least suspect. He’d be raising that subject soon enough if Sherlock didn’t take initiative with Molly first. John tried to play matchmaker for Sherlock only weeks before this, and he would probably be watching them like a hawk after this.

Romantic Entanglement

 (Sherlock meta by celticmoonbeam)

SHERLOCK: As I think I have explained to you many times before, romantic entanglement, while fulfilling for other people … 
JOHN: … would complete you as a human being. 

This line in The Lying Detective hit me so hard. Because, it’s true! Over 4 seasons, we’ve seen Sherlock learn to let friends into his life. We’ve seen him improve his family relationships, particularly with Mycroft.

But, he’s never really opened himself up to romance. He seemed to have some feelings for the Woman, but as he says, he hardly texts her back. His relationship with Janine was a lie to get access to Magnussen.

To complete his character development arc, to become complete as a human being, this is the last hurdle Sherlock has to cross. He has to open himself up to romance. This line resonates because of its truth. And why plant that idea and then do nothing with it in the narrative?

In my mind, this line helps set up Sherlock’s character arc–and it’s evidence that Sherlock meant it when he admitted his love for Molly Hooper. It takes that idea to a conclusion. We see Sherlock become more complete as a human being. When he finally says, “I love you,” he’s opening himself up to romantic entanglement. He’s admitting he can have those feelings, and he DOES have those feelings. Eurus’s vivisection rips him open and shows his heart… and this new side of him can fill that last gap and complete his character development arc.

Yes, he admits it under duress… but that’s part of the beauty of the scene! At times in the past, he’s taken Molly for granted (although I would argue that changed in season 2). But now he’s faced with the possibility of her death–of losing her forever. He’s absolutely frantic and panicked. I think facing her impending demise, imagining what life would be like without her, makes him realize more than ever how much he cares. You can see in his eyes that her loss would destroy him.

For me, this scene fits best into the narrative if Sherlock does love Molly. He’s cleared that last hurdle and he’s about to become more complete as a human being.

The ILY scene is still not a setback for Molly's character

 (Sherlock meta by mizjoely)

Q: Honestly, even if the second ILY wasn't real (dont perry, I believe wholeheartedly that it was), that scene is still in no way a setback for Molly's character. Who on earth thinks that S1!Molly would have demanded he say it first? Plus, my personal interpretation of that demand has always been that Molly was putting them on equal footing, that she took a little moment to be selfish and decided that he had to experience for himself just how difficult what he was asking of her would be.

A: That right there, my friends, is a grown ass woman who is over her silly S1 crush and is capable of working around her feelings, capable of putting the man she loves in his place, capable of not just giving into his every demand. So really, all the people who pretend to feel sympathy for Molly can just eff right off because the rest of us can see just how wrong, misplaced, and fake it is. [...]

Sherlolly Thoughts

 (Sherlock meta by temporarymuse42)

So, I’ve been thinking about the ILY scene (because it hasn’t been analyzed to death already) and I had a thought:

When Sherlock says “I love you” the very first time, he does it so clinically, as if he’s giving Molly instructions, which other people have noted before. But its also in a very halting sort of manner. “I. Love. You.” Full stop after each word. As if he’s deliberately separating the phrase into fragments, words. Just words.

The rest of the time, right up until he’s forced into a corner, he never repeats it. He just keeps saying “these words” “do this for me” “say it”. He NEVER says it again until he does in an act of real desperation, and then once again (for no reason at all, I’m sure.)

You know how Molly couldn’t say “I love you” to Sherlock because it was true? So much so that she literally couldn’t say those words without meaning them?

Just a thought.

My thoughts on the ILY Scene

 (Sherlock meta by mybrainrots)

[...]

That scene is painful to watch, but it’s not because of Molly’s pain, not really. Because after telling him that she can’t say that and he knows why (which is obviously agonizing for her), she takes control of the conversation. I’d argue that although it’s still painful for Molly, from that point on it’s beautiful and affirming too. At that point, when she says “You say it first” it becomes affirmative.

We all know that she loves Sherlock, has loved him for 7 years, but since S3, I think Sherlock has loved Molly back, whether he was aware of it or not. Since S3, Molly has had the control in almost every interaction with Sherlock and certainly does here too. She forces him to confront and admit his feelings, and it is painful, intense and agonizing for her, but EVEN MORE SO FOR SHERLOCK. Just look at his face during the scene…

Does this look AT ALL like Sherlock is using Molly? (Remember, Molly can’t see him, so there’s no point in acting these emotions for her benefit) Does it look like he doesn’t appreciate her? No, he’s terrified of losing her. He’s willing to do anything to save her. The conversation is clearly more difficult for Sherlock.

Molly actually actually smiles a bit when he says it the first time.

Yes, it’s painful for her, but ultimately affirming. Sherlock, on the other hand, comes completely undone. In the past, when Sherlock put on an act to get what he wants, as soon as it’s accomplished, the act is dropped and he’s back to unemotional Sherlock moving on to the next step in the game.

But this wasn’t an act. The proof (there’s a lot of proof, but just one example) is Sherlock’s reaction when she finally says it. Yes, he’s relieved his friend isn’t dead, but it’s so much more than that. He tries to do what he always does, shake it off, get back to business, “I won. I saved Molly Hooper. Let me talk to the girl on the plane.” but he can’t. All the emotional turmoil of admitting his love for Molly bubbles back up. He tries to put it back in the box, and HE CAN’T.

That’s the kind of love I want for Molly. I want Molly to be with someone who loves her so intensely and powerfully that he would not only destroy a coffin with his bare hands, but also destroy the carefully constructed walls he’s built around his heart, not because her life was in danger, but because SHE ASKED HIM TO. 

People keep saying Molly deserves better, but seriously, how could anyone ever give her anything better than Sherlock completely stripping himself bare and offering his heart to her? It’s not reductive in the least.

Storytelling and the Sherlock x Molly Relationship 

 (Sherlock meta by strawberrypatty)

Okay, so I’ve been talking about Sherlock and Molly a lot in the past few days and of course I’m TERRIBLY biased because I’ve shipped them for a long time, but I really think that it makes sense based off the story we’ve been presented from them that Sherlock romantically loves Molly and tells her so in The Final Problem. 

The story between Molly and Sherlock has always been one with romantic overtones. In their very first scene together, Molly asks Sherlock out on a date and he is completely oblivious to the implications, because at this time, Sherlock is socially incapable of understanding that sort of thing.

Series One is primarily about Sherlock not understanding Molly’s emotions and her feelings for him. But those feelings are ever-present in their interactions. Romance plays a part in every scene they’re in. In A Study in Pink, Molly is asking Sherlock on a date and he doesn’t get it. In The Blind Banker, Sherlock flirts with Molly in order to receive access to the morgue. In The Great Game, Sherlock coldly dismisses Molly’s romantic interest in “Jim”, trying to be kind to her, but mucking it up horribly, because, well, Sherlock.

Their dynamic changes in A Scandal in Belgravia. It is only then that Sherlock realizes the depth of Molly’s feelings for him. She is actually in love with him. He does not reciprocate them, but we’ve reached a point where he doesn’t want her hurt.

In The Reichenbach Fall, Sherlock tells Molly how much she means to him. This is a huge moment. Sherlock is honestly telling someone their value to him. It is not just because she’s useful, but because he trusts her because of who she is. She has surprised him by being able to understand what he is going through and he chooses to trust her above everyone else in his life.

In Series Three, Molly has attempted to move on from Sherlock and he wants her to be happy. I’ve written a lot of meta about the hallway scene and how both Benedict and Loo play it. There is a melancholy in Benedict’s performance that indicates he might not be happy with the idea of Molly moving on. At the end of the scene, we hear Molly say “Maybe it’s just my type.”, telling us her feelings for Sherlock remain. When we meet Tom it becomes a certainty that she’s still hung up on Sherlock. Their relationship is continued to be framed in a romantic light. Molly turns Sherlock down for dinner because she’s engaged. This has heavy romantic implications on both sides.

The Sign of Three doesn’t have a lot of Molly in it, everything is incredible subtle, but is textual none-the-less. We see how she’s become unhappy with Tom, but she tries to show that she’s happy with him (her repeatedly kissing him and telling Sherlock they’re having quite a bit of sex comes off as overcompensation). Molly is the only one who notices Sherlock leave at the end, but she doesn’t go after him, because she’s trying to move on.

In His Last Vow, Molly becomes angry at Sherlock’s abuse of drugs. She has no problem yelling at him for hurting himself and those around him. It shows that Molly’s feelings for Sherlock are not romantic fantasy. She loves him, but she’s realistic about it. She loves who he is, but she’s also not going to put up with his crap.

When we see Molly in Sherlock’s Mind Palace, she is the only one who is HELPING Sherlock. She is telling him what he needs to know and is providing him some level of comfort. Mycroft is mocking, while Anderson is just reciting facts. While Molly is not what pulls him from death (it is the idea John is in danger) she plays an absolutely key role. Molly is utterly important to Sherlock. We still don’t know to what extent and as The Final Problem reveals that’s because Sherlock himself doesn’t know.

Molly’s part in The Abominable Bride is interesting. This is the only time we ever really see her in opposition to Sherlock. This is likely because of her angry at Sherlock (there had been no resolution to Sherlock’s drug use) and Sherlock’s guilt over hurting her repeatedly.

There isn’t a lot about Molly and Sherlock’s relationship early in Series Four. This is because Molly’s part was WOEFULLY underwritten, but there are still things we can glean. Molly is no longer the Morgue Mouse who squeaks “okay” if Sherlock insults her. She’s able to criticize him and when she tells him to do something, he does it. She makes him better.

Molly and Sherlock’s relationship in The Lying Detective is interesting because most of the salient details don’t actually come from their interactions, but from John. Yes, they do have moments together, but it is largely a retread of what we saw in His Last Vow. Molly is concerned about Sherlock’s self-harm.

But John’s comment on Molly is incredibly telling, “The one person who— unlike me— learned to see through your bullshit long ago.” It is a huge compliment to receive. Now I don’t think it’s true that Molly is the one person (I think Sherlock has an affinity for women who can do this. Look at Irene and Mary.). Molly is able to see past Sherlock’s charm and sees him for what he is. But we still see how much she cares for him.

At the end of that episode, we get a speech from John. The speech is primarily about John’s relationship with Mary and is framed as being about Sherlock and Irene, but it can be applied to Sherlock and any woman. John’s not preferential as to whether or not Sherlock is with Irene. He just wants Sherlock to find happiness with someone, because John has been robbed of it with Mary’s death.

I’m not trying to defame the ship of Sherlock and Irene, but in terms of the show itself Sherlock dismisses Irene as an option. He admits he texts Irene, but says it’s a “Bad idea” and he “Tries not to”. Even after John gives his speech, he doesn’t believe he wants to go down that path with Irene because that is not the type of relationship they have.

While initially Sherlock tries to brush aside John’s speech about romantic entanglements, saying they’re not for him, once John gets into it, he stops protesting. He listens to everything John has to say without comment. And there are some very important things John says:

“She thought that if you put yourself in harm’s way I’d … I’d rescue you or something. But I didn’t – not ’til she told me to. And that’s how this works. That’s what you’re missing. She taught me to be the man she already thought I was. Get yourself a piece of that.”

This is a huge scene in the episode and is textually about John and Mary, but as it is framed as a speech to Sherlock to find himself someone who would make him a better man. As I’ve already pointed out, Molly has been portrayed as this type of person since the beginning.

Another line from John’s speech which is incredibly important:

“That chance doesn’t last forever, Sherlock. It’s gone before you know it. Before you know it.” 

None of this relates to Molly, but it does relate to Sherlock. The issue of Molly and Sherlock’s relationship isn’t just one of will-they-won’t-they, it is Sherlock being emotionally ready and willing for a relationship with someone. This speech— given by one of the people most responsible for Sherlock’s emotional development— is important to him as a character. Sherlock also says that emotional entanglements are not for him and in the next episode, we find out why.

Welcome to The Final Problem.

In the beginning of the episode, Mycroft says that Sherlock had been an emotional child. He only cut himself off from that because of the extreme trauma he had suffered from his sister murdering his best friend. It’s not that Sherlock doesn’t feel anything, he feels TOO MUCH. He can’t deal with it, so he locks it away.

Eurus exploits Sherlock and Molly’s relationship. Here is my problem with the idea that Sherlock doesn’t love Molly: Eurus wouldn’t have an interest in her otherwise. She is entirely focused on hurting Sherlock, John and Mycroft, with most of her focus on Sherlock. She wouldn’t be content hurting Sherlock by having him hurt Molly. It’s not enough. I’ve written on this before, so I won’t rehash everything here.

The moment Sherlock sees the “I Love You” on the coffin, he knows who it is meant for. Yes, he has already made the basic deductions about the coffin, but it’s an abstract. When he sees the words he absolutely knows who the coffin is for, because he knows Molly has always been in love with him. Benedict plays it as a devastating discovery, closing his eyes and turning himself away from the words. He starts to blink a lot, generally becoming agitated.

This moment brings all of the previous Sherlock and Molly moments into focus. Everything is stripped down. There are only a few minutes to get everything done. Sherlock is fighting against the clock (“That chance doesn’t last forever, Sherlock. It’s gone before you know it. Before you know it.”) The scene is entirely between them. They aren’t interrupted by text alerts or fiances. They finally have the chance to be honest.

For all Sherlock claims not to lie, he’s never had a problem with bending the truth in order to get what he needs, especially in a life or death situation. There were a lot of ways he could’ve gotten Molly to say the words I love you. Hell, he could’ve asked her to sing the third verse of The Beatles’ “Michelle” and they would’ve been done in five seconds. But he can’t imagine Molly saying those words without it being a declaration of love to him. 

But Molly doesn’t want to to say it.

“Because it’s true. It’s true. It’s always been true.”

She also knows that Sherlock knows she’s in love with him. Their relationship has always been one with romantic elements, albeit heartbreakingly unrequited.

When Sherlock tells her to say it anyway, Molly tells him to say it first.

Like I said: Sherlock has never had a problem with lying. And as Molly said, she doesn’t want to say it because it’s true. Molly’s life is on the line and Sherlock doesn’t want to say the words, not because it’s a lie, but because he feels something for her and he’s still emotionally constipated from the trauma of Victor’s death.

But Sherlock struggles to get out the words. He isn’t able to look. And once he does get the words out, Benedict’s body language completely changes. Sherlock’s body relaxes and he opens his eyes and looks at the camera image of Molly while he says the words for a second time with no hesitation. Benedict acts like a dam has broken in Sherlock.

As stated in The Lying Detective, Molly is the one person who can see through Sherlock’s bullshit. If she didn’t think that he meant it, she wouldn’t have said it in return.

In the end, Eurus mocks Sherlock for it. Emotions are foolish and he’s stirred so many of them up. She’s been able to destroy both Sherlock and Molly by confusing them.

I’ve seen people critical of the scene between Molly and Sherlock in The Final Problem, but most of those are from people who don’t think Sherlock meant the second 'I love you'. They feel it’s just toying with Molly’s emotions yet again. But if Sherlock does truly mean what he says then it is the culmination of four series of back and forth between them.

Them admitting their feelings also fits with a lot of the tone of this episode and that is Sherlock letting go of the pain of his past, which will finally allow him to grow as a person. He has reached the point where he CAN admit he loves Molly, really and truly.

So… Why isn’t there any follow-up at the end? Well, I think part of that comes from the fact this scene was written very late in the process. The original scene sounds like it cut out any of the emotions, making it just about a puzzling where Molly was in danger. Mark and Steven liked that scene, but everyone else hated it. I’m betting Sue was a big opponent of it (as they have pointed out, Sue is the real boss). As I said, they needed to address Molly and Sherlock’s relationship with each other, because it has been a reoccurring element since Sherlock’s very first scene in the series.

The other reason we don’t get any follow-up is because… Well, it’s not about that. There was so much in this episode, it would’ve been incredible awkward to fit a scene in where Molly and Sherlock hash out what their actual feelings are. Sherlock might not even be entirely sure yet (Which is how Benedict played it). But the thing is, if Sherlock isn’t sure… That means he probably DOES have romantic feelings for Molly. It definitely means he does love her. He wasn’t just lying. A lie wouldn’t need any time to unpack. Also, if he just had platonic feelings for her, it wouldn’t be so complicated. But romance is something that is foreign to him so something he has to think about for longer.

By the end of things, we do know that everything is all right between Molly and Sherlock. Molly shows up at 221B, smiling and happy. They have been able to sort themselves out.

While canonically, it might be ambiguous, there is a clear thread throughout the series from the first moment in A Study in Pink. Sherlock and Molly have come a long way and they do have an ending in The Final Problem. Sherlock absolutely does love her.

Eurus, Sherlolly and “I Love You” 

 (Sherlock meta by strawberrypatty)

So a lot is going to be made of THAT SCENE, in several different ways. But we really need to break it down.

Sherlock declares that he won, by getting Molly to tell him “I love you”. But Eurus claims the victory and reveals that Molly was never in any physical danger.

All of Eurus’ games had been lethal ones up until then. But then she forced Sherlock to get Molly to say 'I love you'. With how intelligent Eurus is, she KNEW Sherlock was going to have to say 'I love you' first.

Sherlock says it. Twice. The first time, he says it because Molly told him to say it. And then the second time… There’s a difference in him. Finally he’s said the words and he knows they’re true.

Eurus grew up in a family where “Sentiment is a chemical defect found in the losing side”. The reason why she didn’t have to hurt Molly physically, why she thinks she won, is because Sherlock and Molly DO love each other. It reminds me of the exchange from Batman Returns: “Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it.” “But a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it.”

Getting Sherlock to say he loves Molly and for her to say it back is the most destructive thing Eurus can think of, because they both MEAN IT.

Even after Sherlock finds out Molly was never in any danger, he lashes out, destroying the coffin. I think there is an element of wanting to destroy a coffin meant for Molly, but more than that… Eurus has forced Sherlock to expose himself. He’s stripped to the nerve and he’s never been in that position before.

When we next see Molly, she’s coming into 221B, smiling and happy. Eurus hasn’t destroyed the two of them. Their relationship is okay.

Because Eurus is wrong. That kind of reveal isn’t something destructive. Sherlock did win.

They might not have made it 100% crystal clear, but Molly and Sherlock are a couple by the end of The Final Problem.

 The "ILY" was not a setback

 (Sherlock meta by mizjoely)

Q: I was reading some metas about The Final Problem and some (who aren't "Jlock Conspirators" oddly enough) claim that aside from Sherlock lying to Molly, Molly was in no danger and Sherlock knew it, since it explains how hurt both of them sound on the phone. What confuses me is how is all of this a setback to Molly's characterization since some claim she's back to being a lovesick puppy ("who deserves better") she was at the start of the show?

A: It’s only a setback if you feel it brings her back to being S1 Molly, the girl with the crush whom Sherlock manipulated. If you believe he was manipulating her again, and that his second “I love you” was nothing more than him “saying it like he meant it” as requested, then that can be viewed as a setback to her character.

I, however, do not believe that for one instant he “knew” she was in no danger. He believed she was in danger, therefore he was desperate to save her. That first “I love you” was him attempting to do as she demanded of him (oh, how weak of her, to demand that he say it first!); the second one, is him meaning it for real. A coerced confession doesn’t necessarily mean a faked confession, which is where I feel a lot of people are getting confused.

Just because he made her say it, and just because she made him say it, doesn’t mean it wasn’t true both times.

An explanation for John's reaction as Sherlock says “I Love You” to Molly

 (Sherlock meta by Ivy Blossom)

Q: Ok but what other explanation is there for this reaction from John as Sherlock says “I Love You” to Molly? I really want to try and figure out what other reading I can glean from this because…. Why? He looks similar to when Sherlock proposed to Jeanine (although John is more upset in this photo). Why would Martin select this acting choice for this scene. What other meaning can there be?

A: [...] To me, this is a pretty important moment to pay attention to when you’re trying to work out where the relationship between Sherlock and John is at this point in the story. We know already that it’s changed; John’s long-awaited moment of honesty at the end of The Lying Detective and Sherlock’s subsequent acceptance and embrace is a profound turning point, so where are they now?

It’s honestly a bit hard to tell, because The Final Problem is a non-stop action adventure, and Sherlock and John have no scenes properly alone together. It’s also the first episode that isn’t about Sherlock and John’s relationship, which is super interesting. Why would that be? Because that relationship is now resolved and it has settled into its fated state, and we are seeing it at it’s birth. Literally: this new relationship between them began on Sherlock’s birthday.

So how does this moment help us understand what the new state of affairs between Sherlock and John is?

John doesn’t appear to be jealous; his flat out jealousy comes with a trademark angry smile. Is he devastated? Perhaps. Could it be empathy? Empathy for whom?

If John is feeling empathy for Molly, it means that he understands what it feels like to have to speak the most painful truth imaginable to the person it hurts the most to tell. We know John does understand how that feels, because he did the same thing at the end of The Lying Detective. It’s possible that he’s remembering that very damp and devestating moment.

Or: John is feeling empathy for Sherlock. Does that mean he knows what it’s like to cause someone you care about unbearable pain? He certainly does. Is it understanding that Sherlock knows he can’t give Molly what she want from him, he can’t be the person she wishes he were? He knows all about that!

But I think there’s something else at work here.

I think it’s is hard to John to watch Sherlock hurt Molly because he knows exactly how this much it hurts Sherlock to do so. Again. Because now, finally, after years of thinking Sherlock didn’t feel things, John knows that that’s not the case. He knows that Sherlock is not proud of the cold and casually cruel way he’s behaved most of his life. John and Molly, two people who love Sherlock most, have received the brunt of this in recent years. Sherlock pretended to be dead for the lulz, for one. Sherlock also created a near-replica of this “I love you” scene at a Christmas party at 221b and hurt Molly terribly. Sherlock has repeatedly hurt the people he cares about in ways that will never fully heal, and he knows that.

Sherlock wants to be a good man. He is trying very hard to be. But this situation is forcing him back into the horrible fake-sociopath shell from whence he’s just emerged. Going back to that, to confront the depths of his own past callousness, hurts him. And John knows that.

Who should be hurting the most here? Molly, obviously. But it’s Sherlock who combusts in an emotional frenzy and destroys the coffin.

John: Look, I know this is difficult and I know you’re being tortured. 

This is new. For a long time, John has assumed that Sherlock is pretty impervious to emotional pain, and certainly not harmed by casually destroying people, even people he knows well (including John). He’ll do it in a pinch. He’ll do it for a case. He’ll do it because it’s the best decision in the moment, right? Not anymore.

John says: “I know you’re being tortured.” He knows Sherlock far better in this scene than he ever has. He knows the inner workings of Sherlock’s heart. He knows what hurts, and he knows why.

What has passed between them since The Lying Detective to give John this much insight into Sherlock’s most private world?

I think what you’re seeing on John’s face is both empathy and love.

Molly is Sherlock's safe sanctuary

 (Sherlock meta by fangirlhani)

I think to Sherlock, Molly feels like an escape from what he is. A hideaway from everything that make him Sherlock. He thinks that sentiment is a defect but he’s never embarrassed to be vulnerable in front of her. He thinks that it’s not a pleasent feeling but he’s not afraid to feel human with her. She’s his safe sanctuary, a literal comfort zone. A curtain to his heart and he’s protective about what happens behind that curtain. Like Molly is his little secret which he doesn’t want to share with a soul. That’s why each and every heartfelt interaction between them have always been private, always. I feel that It confers a special value to their unique relationship. So if John Watson thought she’s the last person Sherlock would think of or Irene is the somebody who loves Sherlock, I can’t blame him. None of Sherlock’s close friends have ever been the audience until THIS particular moment.

Eurus wanted him to face his feelings 

 (Sherlock meta by cherish--these--times)

Don’t tell me that someone who presumably convinced Jim Moriarty, in the spam of five minutes, to kill himself if necessary and predicted three terrorist attacks on twitter in less than an hour did not foresee Sherlock having to say 'I love you' first. That was the whole point. Eurus wanted him to face his feelings and prove to him how detrimental they are to his thought process. The prospect of losing Molly Hooper made him lose his cool and his logic. (Duh, of course there was no bomb in her flat you dummy).

He knew that Molly loved him. He knew that asking her to say the words was cruel. And that’s why the whole make-her-say-it procedure took far longer than it should have.. He hesitated, rambled, begged. He was a mess of emotions. A disconnected Sherlock would have lied to her face in order to save her life 10 seconds into the conversation. This is what he is best at. Seeing the bigger picture and putting feelings aside to achieve the goal. Being a soldier. And he is brilliant at it. But this is the woman he loves. Hurting her hurts him too. That’s how it works. Add a death threat on top of it that turned out to be a scam and that’s what you get.

On Frames and Deductions 

 (Sherlock meta by bassfanimation)

I don’t normally do stuff like this, but in light of recent hypocrisy regarding the "I Love You" scene that’s coming from The Other Side, I feel somewhat justified. And since the OP has me blocked I’m just going to recreate the post here in a condensed fashion. This isn’t about making fun of them, or their ship, but about showing how people viewed this scene prior to it’s airing.

The original meta, again posted before the episode’s airing, was from a JLer about how the scenes below are framed and what each scene was about. I’ve done some similar posts but not quite from this angle. I spoke mostly about facial expressions, but this is actually a much cleaner representation of why this scene was A) real and that B) Sherlock wasn’t lying. Honestly it’s all assumption until Moffat or Gatiss confirms or denies, but this is about as close as it gets to anti-shippers doing your work for you.

I’m going to keep it concise as I don’t know if copying and pasting their post in it’s entirety is too much of a Tumblr faux pas. Again, this post isn’t to belittle that person, their post, or their ship. The point in posting this is to show that even those guys saw then what we are seeing now, only now they’re deriding us and calling us losers for it.

First, the original thoughts, which are actually very good.

——————————————————————

TGG 

The Van Buren Supernova. The fourth pip. A kid’s life is at risk. People in the back, Sherlock looking at the painting(camera), yelling the puzzle’s answer to the phone.

ASIB 

Irene’s safe code/Vatican cameos. John’s life is at risk, people in the back, Sherlock looking at the safe (camera) trying to deduce its code; the safe contains her cell phone. Double deduction, as he realises there’s a trap in the safe.

TRF 

Addlestone. Children’s lives at risk, people standing at his side, Sherlock is looking at a map (camera) in his [Mind Palace], placing the info he just received via his phone. Info that helped him to narrow down the kids location.

TSOT 

(the two reasons why every single one of us is) here today: The mayfly deduction. Sherlock looking at the photographer’s camera (actual camera). Someone’s life is at risk (Sholto’s), Sherlock just poured his soul reading John’s blog from his phone, and people are sitting beside him.

So all these scenes: 

• Have an audience. 
• Sherlock is looking directly at a clue/camera (in reality or in his MP)
• Involve a cell phone. 
• Are about Sherlock saving someone’s life. 
• Have Sherlock saying his deduction outloud. 

So what can we say about this?

It has an audience, probably it will be about saving someone’s life, Sherlock’s eyes are focused on something (a clue) and his deduction is I LOVE YOU. What can be that puzzle, the thing that makes him say it?

We all know how in this show a clue or a deduction is not JUST that, but it carries a meaning and say something about Sherlock. And the fact Sherlock says these words out loud deserve all the freaking out we can experience.

“I LOVE YOU” SAVES A LIFE

LOVE CONQUERS ALL

————————————————————————

(Now, here’s me agreeing with about 99.9% of their thoughts.)

Beautiful meta. I agree these shots are intentional, and what they mean for the ILY scene…

In each shot, Sherlock is making a discovery/deduction. We’re intended to see these frames as if we’re looking directly into Sherlock as he is looking directly into his discovery. We get to witness his feelings firsthand like this, meaning there’s no hiding what he’s feeling. Those behind him, the “audience” OP speaks of, they actually can’t see him so he has this benefit of hiding some of what he’s going through. But we, the true audience, we see it in full. So, absolutely, yes, there’s huge importance in the way these shots were filmed.

Also, in each situation, a person’s life is in danger. This is Sherlock’s “style”. In The Six Thatchers, when he meets with Ella, she asks him to reciprocate her communication and he says that’s “not his style”. No, it’s not, but this is. Sherlock only knows how to communicate if it is laid out in the guise of a case. The Sign of Three was a beautiful example of this. He’s saying all these wonderful things to the camera about John and Mary, but it is hard for him…very hard. It only begins to become easier when Sherlock focuses on the murder case that’s happening right in front of them. Same goes for all those other frames. As long as something is presented as a ‘case’, then Sherlock can ‘deduce’ it…even if it’s about himself, which was the intention of Eurus setting up Sherrinford as one huge case, all centering on Sherlock himself. Without danger, without a case, without the threat of a life ending…he can’t see anything.

In the longer version of OP’s meta, they first thought this scene was occurring in the Mind Palace. It’s interesting that so many saw the "I Love You" scene as taking place in Sherlock’s head. Almost everyone thought it was in his imagination, because there’s no way he would ever say those words in real life, right? But no, this room turned out to be real. It’s a deduction zone, as we’ve seen so, so many times before, with one big difference. In that room, with Mycroft and John there, as well as Eurus, we effectively see Sherlock absolutely unable to hide himself any longer. Normally when he’d turn towards us to make his deduction, it would feel safer for him, but not this time. This secret….this secret that he’s not allowed a single person to know, he’s being forced to spill it via the only thing that can do this to him: a deduction. But this time, the deduction, and the case, are ALL about him.

“This is all about you. Everything in this room.” -Mycroft

The importance of Mycroft and John alone being there for this startling revelation, and why it’s so ingenious (and cruel), is those are the two people Sherlock fears knowing this deduction. Mycroft, who holds love up to be about as important as a paper cup, and John, who has always thought love was an unknown quantity to him, not to mention John is still suffering the loss of his wife. Also, Sherlock still feels he has to play this role with John, being a sort of superhero who ‘doesn’t love’. He even goes through that whole “While romantic entanglements might be fulfilling for ordinary people” spiel at the end of The Lying Detective to try and maintain the last hanging threads of this image. It is all image with Sherlock, but especially with Mycroft and John. Here, in this room, right now…that image is about to be destroyed. The image he’s worked so hard on for almost his entire life, is about to be utterly demolished.

And it’s all because of a deduction. The deduction that Sherlock loves Molly Hooper.

‘I LOVE YOU’ SAVES A LIFE: it does, it saves Sherlock’s life. Molly’s life was never in danger, but Sherlock’s life always was. 

LOVE CONQUERS ALL: it did. Love conquered trauma for Sherlock, John, Mycroft and Eurus. Love conquered fear for Mary Watson. Love conquered the hate of Moriarty. Love conquered loneliness for Molly Hooper. Love truly conquered all.

My thoughts on the “I Love You Scene” and Afterwards

 (Sherlock meta by thedramaticfanatic)

 This entire post is basically going to be an in-depth analysis of the scene, and why I believe that not only is it finally a verbal confirmation of how Molly feels for Sherlock, but also a confirmation of how Sherlock feels for Molly. I believe that he truly does love her. And I will explain why. I will warn you in advance that this is going to be a very, very long post, but I want to thoroughly explain why I believe this. So if you can hang on until the end, I promise I’ll try to make it worth your while.

First off, I’ll begin with Eurus discussing the third test (I’m quoting directly from the episode, I keep pausing it while typing to make sure I get it completely accurate).

E: “Coffin. Problem: someone is about to die. It will be, as I understand it, a tragedy. So many days not lived, so may words unsaid, et cetera, et cetera…”

As soon as Eurus gives the word, Sherlock begins his deductions, examining the coffin and wasting no time whatsoever. He’s clearly in his element, two seconds away from going full out (what I like to call) Trippy Deduction Mode- and then, Mycroft breaks in with this:

M: “Yes, very good, Sherlock, or we could just look at the name on the lid.”

Then Sherlock looks at the lid, and his expression, his expression when he sees the words “I LOVE YOU” on that lid says EVERYTHING. Absolutely everything. He knows, in less than a second, in less than a milosecond, as soon as he reads the words, who it is.

Sherlock knows that coffin is meant for Molly Hooper, and neither Mycroft nor John have any clue.

Sherlock Holmes steps back from the lid, and almost staggers back to the coffin, clinging to it and staring into it with an expression of pure horror while John and Mycroft try to guess. John’s first guess is, of course, Irene Adler (and I’ll go into that in a little bit), and Sherlock dismisses that idea completely, doesn’t even give it a second thought. In fact, he dismisses it as ‘ridiculous’, and I believe he does this for two reasons. One, the coffin is clearly not the style that The Woman would pick out for herself. It’s not made of marble and gold, for one thing (haha, terrible joke, but I’m kind of serious), and for a second thing, Irene Adler is not his weakness. She’s his intellectual match (almost; she’s very sharp, but not as sharp as Sherlock, but I would say her understanding of human nature which Sherlock lacks does give her enough of an edge that his advantage over her is rather slight), and certainly he finds her attrative and he is attracted to her, but she is not his weakness. He likes her, but he doesn’t love her. She’s fun for him, like unstable fireworks. My opinion, of course.

But no, the coffin is for Molly Hooper. Listen to the way he describes her; he says “Unmarried, pratical about death, alone.” When he was trying to deduce earlier, without a name or a face, he says the exact same things, but the words are hurried, they’re facts, they’re just descriptions of a random figure. But when he says them about Molly, it’s like each word is another nail in the coffin right in front of them.

Then Eurus turns the screen on, and we see cameras in Molly’s kitchen. We see Molly moving around. Sherlock’s eyes are glued to the screen, they never leave it. Until Eurus says “Make her say it”. And once again, Sherlock’s face says everything.

He knows, in that moment, that in order to save Molly’s life, he has to shatter her. He has to break her. He has to rip her heart open, and let it bleed. He has to do it to save her, and as Eurus calls Molly, he visibly begins to brace himself to do it. The call progresses, Molly doesn’t pick up. Sherlock clearly becomes quite agitated.

The scene cuts to Molly. She sighs and picks up the phone. I want everyone to pay special attention to what’s going on on Sherlock’s end before she answers. His head is bowed, pressed against the barrel of the gun. He’s shifting back and forth. He is clearly, visibly, upset. And when he hears her voice, he lifts up his head and his eyes are clear and wide, almost unbeliving. He’s relieved, quite obviously so.

He starts talking to Molly. He’s still anxious, but trying to hide it. He seems borderline desperate, but holding it together. Even so, this is hard for him. He knows he’s going to hurt her.

He tells her what to say. She’s about to hang up. Sherlock aboslutely loses it at this point. He doesn’t stop trying to hide his fear, he is incapable of doing so. He cannot keep himself from reacting at the thought of her hanging up, and him losing his chance to save her. He BEGS her. He’s said in previous episodes he’s never begged for anything, but he begs her not to leave.

Sherlock makes himself calm down at Eurus’ warning (and note that John and Mycroft are barely keeping it together themselves in the back). But he’s shaken, he’s breathing hard, he’s trembling slightly. But as soon as Molly says “I’m not an experiment,” he breaks down again, the emotions flood back, and he’s trying desperately to keep her there.

She says she can’t say it. He asks her why. She says “You know why.” Sherlock says, “No, I don’t know why.”

At this point, right here, Sherlock is lying. He’s clearly lying. He undoubtedly knows that she loves him, as evidenced not only in the last season when they discussed her engagement over chips, but when he saw the “I LOVE YOU” on the coffin. He knows Molly Hooper loves him. But he has to make her say it, has to save her, so he pushes her, trying to get her to admit it. Moriarty’s videos aren’t really helping to keep him calm, either. Then she says “Because it’s true.” And there’s something in his face when she says that, something that’s suddenly vulnerable, and soft. And suddenly when he speaks to her, his voice is quiet and gentle. And I think this is partially because he wants her to say it, and also partially because he actually feels something when she says it. When she says that, and he becomes still, it’s like a peace has suddenly come over him. It’s like something has suddenly clicked into place for him, and his composure is back.

Until she demands that he say it first, and to say it like he means it.

I want to point out here he once again loses his composure. He’s flustered, taken aback. He did not expect this. But he takes a moment, and says “I… I love you.” He goes from his eyes closed, trying to form the words, to looking up at the screen and saying it.

And then. after a moment, he says it again. He says “I love you,” while looking at the screen, while looking at Molly, his gaze not wavering.

He says “I love you.”

And this time, he means it. This time, it’s real. This time, he knows it’s real and he means it, and that’s why he says it in a voice of almost wonder, of surprise. Of awe. Sherlock Holmes has told Molly Hooper that he loves her, and he truly does, and he didn’t know it until just that moment.

Now, I will take you back to just one episode before, though it’s been stated several times before that- Molly Hooper can see Sherlock. She can really see him. She can see through his bullshit, through his lies, through his posturing. She knows, when he says it, that he is not lying.

Molly Hooper knows that when Sherlock Holmes tells her that he loves her, he truly does. And that is why, at this moment of complete and utter vulnerablitly, she can tell him that she loves him back.

The seconds in-between him saying he loves her and her saying she loves him are actually quite delicious to me, because Sherlock is now the one who is waiting for her. His distress is almost palpable at this moment, it was so beautifully done. And when she finally says it, it looks like he almost collapses in relief.

And THEN comes the real punch to the gut. It was all a trick. Sherlock didn’t win. Eurus reveals that he destroyed Molly Hooper’s heart for nothing. She thinks Sherlock Holmes has just played an elaborate, horrible, experimental trick on her, and she’s been humiliated by the man that she loves. By the man who, at this point, I am completely convinced, loves her.

And then we come to the coffin scene. Mycroft and John are about to walk out the door, they seem surprised that Sherlock isn’t following and confused by what he’s doing.

But Sherlock places the lid on the coffin, and stares at it. Then he says “No. No!” and goes to town on it with his bare hands, screaming at it and tearing it to pieces. The coffin that was meant for Molly Hooper, the One Who Mattered Most, The One Who Counted, The Woman Who Loves Him. Some have said that the destruction of the coffin is because Sherlock is angry that despite years of trying to avoid love, Sherlock has fallen for her just the same. Some have said that it’s because he can’t stand the idea of Molly lying dead in that coffin, lying there dead right after he’s realized he loves her. I’ve read a few people saying it was just pure frustration that he did it. The first two, I can see both being very possible, and I personally think it’s a combination of the two. The last one, I don’t buy.

Remember that this is Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes, in all his cases, has never, ever, ever, EVER lost his cool the way he did when he found out he’d destroyed Molly Hooper for nothing. Not John having bombs strapped to him, not discovering that a woman he cared about was actually alive, not him jumping off a roof and lying to his friends about it, not having his best friend’s wife shoot him in the chest, not seeing a man kill himself in front of him, and not seeing a woman shot and three men dropped to their deaths just minutes before. He was the one who kept Mycroft and John calm. He was the one who kept everyone together. But it was Molly Hooper, Molly Hooper’s love, and Molly Hooper’s potential death, that brought him low.

Also keep in mind that right after this, Sherlock has to choose between shooting his best friend or his brother, and he stays calm during that. Then he has to save his best friend from drowing, and he stays relativly calm during that. He keeps his head on. He doesn’t panic completely.

The only time IN THE ENTIRE SERIES OF THE SHOW where Sherlock Holmes has lost his shit (pardon my language) is when it comes to MOLLY HOOPER.

And yes, we don’t know what happened between Sherlock and Molly after Eurus was re-captured to reconcile them, and we don’t know if their relationship is now romantic or platonic. Chances are, we may never know, especially if this is the last season and given that neither writers like to comment on romance. But I thoroughly believe, especially after this episode, that Sherlock is in love with Molly Hooper. And I personally choose to believe that they’re happy, and even though it’s not confirmed in-show, that they’re happy together. 

So, there’s why I think that Sherlock loves Molly. Feel free to agree or disagree, but this is my belief and my reasons why I believe it. Thank you for reading this whole long thing, and have a wonderful evening/day, depending on where you are.

“I saved Molly Hooper!”

 (Sherlock meta by waytoomanyhobbies, thequietone0008 and celticmoonbeam)

celticmoonbeam:

My thoughts on the end of the ILY scene….

She said it. The timer stops. Mycroft steps forward and tries to comfort his brother. “Sherlock, however hard that was…” (Of course we’ll never know what he was going to say, but in my head it was “you did the right thing.”)

But Sherlock cuts him off. “Eurus, I won. I won. Come on, play fair. The girl on the plane. I need to talk to her.” Then, with a little more emotion, “I won. I saved Molly Hooper!”

Why does Sherlock want to move on so quickly? My take on this… With the other two challenges, he thought he’d won, only for there to be a sudden twist. The Governor was dead, but because he didn’t die by John or Mycroft’s hand, Eurus still killed his wife. Sherlock identified the Garrideb brother who was a murderer–only for Eurus to kill the two innocents.

I think he is terrified of another twist, one that results in Molly’s death after all. He wants to move Eurus on quickly and get back to the girl on the plane and make sure that Molly stays safe in her kitchen. I think his desperation shows through when he says, “I saved Molly Hooper!” He wants her to be saved–no surprises, no tricks. Because it would be very uncharacteristic of Eurus to spare Molly after all.

But then, Eurus shows her hand. There was a twist indeed–fortunately not one that will cost Molly her life. This was psychological torture. Molly was never in danger, and Sherlock just hurt her for no reason. He just damaged their relationship–maybe irrevocably–not to save her life, but just for his sister’s whim. And he’s just been forced to realize how very much Molly means to him. He loves her. He loves her and even though she’s alive, he may have lost her all the same.

He lost the game because he didn’t see through Eurus’s ploy. Molly is his blind spot.

thequietone0008:

OMG that’s exactly it . He was ensuing there were no after effects like the other two.. And look at his reaction to the countdown ending.. compare to the boy on the phone at the art gallery . Done over…next.. even gallery owner was more sickened.

waytoomanyhobbies:

So much yes! Sherlock is obviously terrifed for Molly throughout this scene. Molly is the woman who repeatedly saves him, and he both relies upon her and loves her–as he realizes during the scene. This is a Sherlock who is desperately trying to save Molly this time.

Downplaying Molly’s importance seemingly kept her off Moriarty’s radar, so it is a logical strategy for him to attempt here. As celticmoonbeam pointed out, Eurus has twisted both of her previous “tests” to hurt him. He can’t let that happen again with Molly’s safety in the balance. So trying to distract Eurus before she can turn this around is the most natural way he could respond here.

Sherlock is thinking so loudly in that moment that you can practically hear his thoughts screaming, “Get Eurus’s attention off Molly. Cajole Eurus into not cheating again. Make Eurus move along before she can go back on her word!”

And, while Sherlock knows that Molly can see through his facades and bullshit, he’s in uncharted emotional territory now. Platonic love took him time to wrap his head around, and he’s just been thrown into the deep waters of romantic love in a terrifying way. Someone previously described this scene as their feelings… their “I love you"s … as having been ripped from them, and that is such a perfect description. He never expected to be someone’s best friend even, let alone the love of someone’s life. He’s been denying for years that emotional entanglement had any meaning for his life, and now he’s forced to admit that it most certainly does have meaning to him and how human he is.

He’s going to have all the normal fears. Can he even do this whole relationship thing? Does he want to or feel ready to, knowing how painful it can be (Mary’s death devasted everyone, but Sherlock nearly killed himself trying to bring John back from it per Mary’s request) and how vulnerable it can make him? Will Molly even still want him after all the pain he’s caused her? He hasn’t had time to process any of it yet, and he’s trying to protect that fresh emotional wound that Eurus has made. (I think that is another reason he cut Mycroft off.) Instead, Eurus’s twist is to rub that emotional wound raw.

As Benedict Cumberbatch said Sherlock’s weakness is failing to see what’s right in front of him. Oh how many times that has bitten him in the butt regarding Molly! Meanwhile, Eurus doesn’t understand how to make connections with others, but she certainly can recognize them between others and exploit them.

Here’s a thought (about Molly)

 (Sherlock meta by creamocrop)

Sherlock Holmes imagined Molly Hooper as a progressive Victorian woman who risked her reputation and life just so she can study and practice pathology (her obvious passion), and fight for a cause that she believes in.

High-as-a-kite Sherlock Holmes, subconsciously think and (therefore) imagined that Molly has the courage and determination to pursue being a pathologist in a time when women were confined to minimal social roles.

His subconscious revealed that he believed that if Molly was born during the Victorian era, she would fight for her dream, such that she would actually take the dangerous route of pretending to be a male, just so she can pursue and practice her dream.

He believed that Molly has what it takes to get what she wants.

Sherlock sees Molly as a strong, independent woman.

If high-as-a-kite Sherlock Holmes can see this, why are there people who still look at Molly as a weak character?

This is also the same woman, who in the midst of tremendous emotional distress, showed a rebellious streak by making Sherlock Holmes (the same stubborn man who walked into Buckingham Palace wrapped in a sheet) say. it. first. 

 And while we are on that topic, the same Oh-look-at-me-sitting-inside-Buckingham-Palace-with-just-a-sheet man, said it…

TWICE…

When Sherlock says he doesn't know 

why Molly can't say ILY to him

 (Sherlock meta by writingwife-83)

Q: Molly says that she can't say "I love you" to Sherlock, and that he knew why, but Sherlock denies it and says he doesn't know why. Do you think he lied or genuinely did not know why she wouldn't say it to him?

A: I don’t think he was lying at that moment. I think he honestly didn’t understand why she couldn’t just say it. Because in his mind it was already established that she loved him. It wasn’t a secret. So he simply wanted her to say the words. And actually, it’s obvious that his initial attempt was to get her to say them WITHOUT the meaning behind them. Basically just a “repeat after me” idea. But that’s where he was at first still thinking too much with his head.

I said this before in another post, (and also in my post TFP fic) but the problem with that is that those aren’t just meaningless words. If you say them to someone and mean it, they’re very emotionally powerful. It’s a powerful experience to hear it said to you but also to speak it, especially the first time! My belief is that he didn’t fully grasp that till she made him say it first. Which, to me, proves their truth from his lips. If he spoke those 3 words without the hard hitting truth behind them, I really don’t think he would have felt the need to shred a coffin with his bare hands immediately afterward.

So basically, once again, Molly Hooper schooled him.

Two good friends who have been through all sorts of shit together who just need to say 'I Love You'...

 (Sherlock meta by theleftpill)

Q: [Eurus] sits back and watches them both go completely bonkers. Literally fall apart over something as simple as saying 'I love you'. Two good friends who have been through all sorts of shit together who just need to say 'I love you' – for a case, for a game, for a dare. I mean, how difficult should that be? Well. If there were no complications, it would be simple and quick. But things have become quite complicated with those two under their facade of "You're my friend. We're friends". All Eurus in fact [has] done is metaphorically put these two people in a room together and put before them the word 'love'. And they both go completely bezerk, completely lose it. And in the process, the facades come crashing down. And when I saw Sherlock on the floor, with his back to the wall, still shaking with all the shards around him. -those shards, that's his facade in pieces right there. Not clumsy at all, Eurus, not clumsy at al.

A: [...] I am in complete agreeance - the very existence of the struggle from both of them proves “ILY” is legit. I mean, it’s no surprise from Molly, but Sherlock should have breezed his part, right? And I love your parallel of the coffin being his facade. What I love about that moment is its complexity: he’s destroying his facade, he’s raging against his entrapment and manipulation, he’s punishing himself for hurting Molly - and how does he feel about all that??? I don’t get the feeling that the rampage is entirely controlled or deliberate; Sherlock doesn’t go off like that. He doesn’t even know what he’s feeling or why he’s doing it.

But you’re right - making these two finally face what’s really going on between them was hugely destructive in the best way. If nothing else makes Sherlolly canon, this does:

Two good friends who have been through all sorts of shit together who just need to say I love you – for a case, for a game, for a dare. I mean, how difficult should that be? 

If there were no complications, it would be simple and quick. 

Nailed it.

What was Mycroft going to say?

  (Sherlock meta by penelope1730)

Q: In The Final Problem, towards the end of the ILY scene, Mycroft steps forward and says, "Sherlock, however hard that was..." What do you think he was going to say?

A: [...] Great question and one I’ve thought about a lot. I think there’s a multitude of answers that would fill in ‘the blank’ nicely. My initial thought when I first watched the scene is that Mycroft was going to offer words to console…perhaps something along the line of reminding Sherlock that Molly is alive and for now that’s what matters - he would be able to explain everything later and make things right.

That answer still makes sense to me because, in that moment, that’s what’s true and about the only thing Sherlock has control over. Mycroft can see that Sherlock’s been laid vulnerable and wants to help him regain some emotional balance. It’s interesting to watch that part of the scene, as John has been taken out of the frame leaving only Sherlock and Mycroft. Watching Mycroft’s reaction when Eurus tells Sherlock he “lost” is very telling - as though Mycroft now has a full grasp of Eurus’s end game.

I think it’s also important to consider what Mycroft knows, not just what he might have said. He’s learned that Sherlock and Molly love one another, but it was a forced acknowledgement, which left both in a place of emotional pain and uncertainty. For as tough and cold as Mycroft can be, we’ve discovered his soft side that allows romance and sentiment - especially where his family is concerned.

So, whatever Mycroft was going to say - I believe it was fueled with the knowledge that his brother is in love and that Molly’s loss would have been unbearable.

[...]

On Reading Sherlock’s Face 

 (Sherlock meta by mild-lunacy, leapingcat and renniejoy)

mild-lunacy: 

I’m not a fan of metas based on reading faces. I’ve seen other people do it well, but I’ve never liked actually basing conclusions off expressions alone. Everything exists in context, but especially facial expressions. They’re also the easiest thing to project onto– you can read a lot of things into a facial expression, and I’m very wary of that sort of thing in analysis. I am particularly wary when shippers do it and/or there’s an agenda involved (and usually there is an agenda involved, in fandom). My point: I don’t really do facial analysis if I can help it, and certainly not alone. But there’s definitely a point in TFP where the show kinda begs you to look at Sherlock’s face, and I can’t deny it’s interesting.

In a general sense, I’m also kinda going through the things that seem off or are interesting in Series 4 (in no particular order), and of course, I haven’t addressed this yet:

 I remember being struck by this when I saw it in the trailer, and analyzing it a bit. It was obvious to me it wasn’t to John, because John is behind Sherlock. In thinking about it before I knew the context, I thought it was weird, because Sherlock looked so unhappy. His whole expression is… tense, disturbed at something. It’s not the kind of face (or set-up) one associates with an ‘I love you’, so I thought something rather dark must be going on.

Now, I agree with the analysis that this isn’t Sherlock’s ‘lying face’, or the over-the-top acting Sherlock was doing with Janine in His Last Vow. This is definitely different. But the only two options aren’t ‘he’s lying’ vs ‘he’s just realized he means it’. The difference between The Final Problem and His Last Vow is context: in His Last Vow, Sherlock went on to dismiss John’s horror at his callousness, and say love was ‘human error’. In The Final Problem, Sherlock no longer thinks so. That is the point.

A lot of people (no matter what they ship) don’t understand this scene– they either seem to think it’s gratuitous emotional torture, bad Molly characterization (because she’s apparently not gotten over her feelings, though as I’ve said, there’s no reason to think she had), or– I suppose– there to show us that Sherlock just loves Molly back, all appearances to the contrary. Of course, many fans essentially believe there doesn’t really need to be a reason for that last option, particularly seeing as it’s about a heterosexual couple, so I’ll just say that no, there actually does need to be a reason, not to mention build-up. Besides, if Sherlock simply… meant it, that would kill the drama (and the intended darkness) of the scene. In general, no matter what Sherlock’s face says, the narrative has to support it or it makes no sense and constitutes bad writing. But for what it’s worth, his face doesn’t really say ‘I love you’. He looks sad and disturbed, but I do believe he also looks like he’s realizing something on some level. It’s a form of his serious deduction face, except we don’t get as much of an inward look as we did the last time this happened, during the wedding speech in The Sign of Three (as I once wrote extensively about).

So what is Sherlock realizing, in context? 

That question is closely tied to asking why that scene is there. I mean, I’ve seen plenty of Johnlock shippers sort of riff on the fact that the deduction of the person meant for the casket could have been about John– he too is short and practical, and he loves Sherlock! But I think bringing John into it is a derailment. It’s not about John, but it’s not about Molly, either, not directly. Like I said in my John analysis in The Lying Detective, it’s not about John ‘cause it’s about Sherlock. Obviously, this applies to this scene: we’re focused on Sherlock’s face here, full screen. That certainly suggests that we’re meant to be focusing on him (and his arc).

And yes, that’s what I think it’s about. I realize most people who’re not Johnlockers seem unaware there’s an arc, but even though we’ve been wrong about various things, the one thing I’ve been right about is the importance of Sherlock’s arc. Moffat has explicitly referred to it and its relevance to The Final Problem, too. This is Sherlock’s test, his final test (as administered by Eurus, the embodiment of the ‘high-functioning sociopath’ persona). The Final Problem is becoming human.

So what does that have to do with Molly? He’s already told Eurus that he realizes his life is not his own: “Your own death is something that happens to everybody else.” So he’s learned the lesson of Reichenbach. The ‘human error’ thing is about people like Janine and Molly though, in the show. He doesn’t really have a problem accepting his feelings about John (however you want to read them); as soon as he realized them, around The Empty Hearse and The Sign of Three, he accepted them. John is always the exception. It’s everyone else’s feelings– and feeling in general– that Sherlock hasn’t taken seriously or accepted as valid, as important, as worth empathizing with. So this is the final step: he’d already felt bad for Molly in The Empty Hearse, but he didn’t take her feelings fully seriously, because then there was Janine. Love was still ‘human error’… but then Sherlock kept making that error. You don’t have to read this romantically, though it’s certainly not been about Molly. He’s made the error about John, about Mary, and even about Eurus (in The Lying Detective). That’s what he was telling Mrs Hudson with ‘Norbury’. He knows that ‘human error’ is something he has to take into account. Heartbreak is something Sherlock is now very familiar with. He has to feel it, but he doesn’t have to fear it (as Moriarty said).

Sherlock fake-smiled when he proposed to Janine because he was dissociating, essentially. Here, he wasn’t. But that doesn’t mean he was confessing his love. It means he was fully feeling the awfulness of what he was doing to Molly, and that he was aware he was using his real feelings– because he really does care about her as a friend– to hurt her, essentially. This is the realization he started to have at the end of The Abominable Bride, about how many women he’d hurt. This is the consequence: it hurts. It burns. It aches, being human. But it allows him to reach his sister, in the end, so the point is not about avoiding the pain but embracing it.

leapingcat:

So basically you are reducing Molly into nothing more than a plot device.

There are several ways to read this and they don’t all lead to the same conclusion. You also negate the concept of Platonic love. Love doesn’t come in just one flavor and yet you always go for romantic love as being that between John and Sherlock. This is too simplistic an explanation and it’s clear to me anyway, that your endgame is no matter what, Johnlock. Yet the truth of the matter is that a lot of what happened in this show, have two and three meanings, if not more. When you put it all together, how do you know that you went down the “right path”? Before The Final Problem, its really is clear as mud. The things that are stumbling blocks to Johnlock being the end game, are many, and many which have been conveniently brushed away, ignored taken out of context, or thrown, under the proverbial carpet..

It doesn’t explain why or how Anderson “knew” before Sherlock ever told him that Molly was involved in his fake suicide. There are things in this show that seem to “happen” completely off screen. Even Louise Brealey in her interview with Masterpiece said as much. Yes, the actress who plays that part. You’d think she’d know more than us “out here”, yes? Anyway, these things aren’t shown, only subtly hinted at, blink and you’ve missed it; if we are to believe that nothing happens in a vacuum, that idea that Molly and Sherlock shared a kiss must have come from some where. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t real. The foundation for that idea exists “somewhere”. Anderson didn’t just pull it out of thin air. He saw or heard something, maybe the “grapevine”?

The whole episode of A Scandal In Belgravia, say what you will, generally also gets the once over. Yet there is something to be said for the grieving that Sherlock apparently undergoes… John describes it as doesn’t eat, doesn’t talk, writes/plays sad music. Sounds like situational depression to me. It took up a large part of the episode. If he was “in love with John” why would he travel a long distance, risk life and limb to rescue Irene from the executioner’s sword? That’s a lot of work for someone he couldn’t care less about. Not only that, he kept her phone as a memento. If John is his one and only true love, what would he want with her phone. Yep sure give it back to Mycroft.

Now, the stairwell scene with Molly, the expression on his face, on spotting her engagement ring. Why the forlorn expression? He wished she would be happy, but he really didn’t look happy or do you think he’s just given to bouts of melancholia for no reason? And there’s the business with the bolthole and who knows how that arrangement came about or what happened behind closed doors? Again it’s all off screen. Much of their “relationship” how ever you want to characterize it, is off screen.

So you see, why so many people read this differently?

I don’t feel Molly was simply a plot device and nothing more. The “I love you” scene. Much has been written about this, but simply the second time he says is significant. It’s how he said it, and the fact he did not have to say it twice to just to get the job done. Oh sure why not, that’s what men do, they are goal oriented and they get the job done. But the thing no one in this fandom pays any attention to is male conversational styles even though there whole books written on the subject. When men say things there is no subtext, unless they are blatantly trying to get away with something. Generally, they mean what they say. When John says he’s not gay, he’s telling you the truth; you don’t need to question it. When the second ''I love you'' came freely flowing out of Sherlock’s mouth, he wasn’t dissembling. He meant it. That was the point behind the supposed genius of all geniuses, Eurus’ wanted to get across or did you not get the meaning behind her words, “It will be a tragedy, so many days un-lived, so many words unsaid…”. On Molly suddenly turning the tables on Sherlock’s request; how do you extract an “I love you” from someone who is nothing more than a friend? Most people would not go there. If there’s nothing there and you did that, they’d laugh in your face… unless, there was something more that happened between them that we were not privy to… again, off screen stuff.

Molly is key to what I think is a “hero’s journey” type of story, Love in all its forms is the elixir that the hero emerges at end of his ordeal/cycle… The last scene with her walking into 221B with that wide sunny smile. Open to interpretation, yes, but maybe the more likely explanation is that she’s with him. Or as Moffat said, "she got over it". Oh give me a break! She was in love with the man. You don’t get over that just like nothing…

renniejoy:

How insulting to say that only Johnlockers realize that Sherlock has a character arc. No shit he has an arc, that’s the whole point of the entire show!

Why can’t that scene be about Sherlock *and* Molly? That is how it’s shown, a conversation between (and therefore about) *two* people. Oh right, you have decided that Molly doesn’t count. Well, the story has told us the opposite since S2.

There is no in-text reason to believe that it is not romantic. Declarations that Sherlock couldn’t possibly love Molly in that way are based on pre-conceived notions that dismiss an awful lot of textual evidence that Sherlock does take her seriously (including the agreement between John and Sherlock that Molly sees through *all* Sherlock’s bullshit).

But yes, once you’ve decided that Sherlock doesn’t mean that he’s in love with Molly, because he’s in love with someone else or he’ll never be in love with anyone, then you can find all kinds of reasons to back up your opinion.