"Irene’s" theme in Sherlock’s mind palace

 (Sherlock Meta by Loudest Subtext in Television)

bridgie said: Have you noticed Irene's theme continues to play through Sherlock's Mayfly Man deductions? She leaves the scene but they keep playing the song in the background, though it's a bit subdued. Seems a bit significant if I'm hearing it right. Love your metas, thanks so much!

[...] I should clarify that when I say Irene’s theme, I certainly don’t think that theme refers solely to Irene - to Sherlock it symbolizes desire and sex, not just her, it’s just that she’s the person the song is most associated with. [...]

Loudest Subtext in Television:

Yes, I agree the music more broadly represents just the unanswered question of romance and sex, and it’s big clue from the soundtrack that’s what Sherlock is working through.  It’s actually kind of funny how the timing comes in perfectly…  This is how the scene goes:

[epiphany begins when Sherlock is about to toast John’s marriage]

[glass begins to fall]

Sherlock in mind palace:  ”What did you say? You said John Hamish Watson.  You said that.”

[whole sequence with him trying to figure out John’s middle name]

Sherlock in mind palace:  “And The Woman.  She knew.”

[Sherlock back in A Scandal in Belgravia.]

[Big shot of Irene’s face for a few seconds.]

[…Theme does not play.]

John: “Hamish.”

[Theme starts up!]

John:  ”John Hamish Watson.”

[Theme gets louder!]

Sherlock in mind palace, to Irene:  ”Out of my way, I’m busy.”

[Irene gone.]

[…Theme keeps talking while Sherlock talks about John’s name for a bit. Interesting.]

[Theme keeps playing while Sherlock puzzles over someone who seems to be in two groups at once.]

[Theme keeps playing while Mycroft says that person is really in both groups then, which means they lied about their identity.]

Sherlock at wedding: “The Mayfly Man is here today.”

[glass shatters on ground, theme stops]

[murder theme comes in while Sherlock tries to work on that, but he can’t focus until he declares his… something… to John, then it’s more murder theme until the end of the speech]

He had a romantic epiphany.  He was hit by feelings he didn’t understand right as he was about to toast John’s marriage.

His brain knew it was something to do with John, and then once his brain connected the unresolved question of sex/romance and John in the same memory, the theme started up when John said his own name.  Sherlock was thinking about sex/romance in the back of his head even once Irene was gone, while he kept talking about John and people lying about being in two groups.

Then the glass shatters.

That whole sequence was the “!!!” face Sherlock made when he stopped mid-sentence.  He had the sudden feeling that something terrible was about to happen and he had to stop it.  The soundtrack tells us it was something to do with romance, as does the timing.

Sherlock realized John had been in love with him and was slipping away before Sherlock realized his own feelings in return.  Which makes sense: Sherlock hadn’t thought John would EVER be in love with him; he didn’t even think he was John’s best friend.

Then he starts talking aloud: since he’d never considered it an option before, he didn’t know how to feel, and he works through his whole sexual/romantic issues.  Etc etc.