Tuesday 26 January 2016


Sherlock's and Molly's relationship in The Empty Hearse
 (Sherlock Meta by Ivy Blossom)

Q: tarale43 asked: What do u think about Sherlock's and Molly's relationship in The Empty Hearse? That kiss on the cheek? That you be yourself and not the replacement of john? People kept worrying about Irene and sherlock, but molly just breaks some of sherlock's rule? He said that she is the most important or some thing around that line of the friend that morierty doesn't know about.

A: What I think? I’m not sure you’re going to like it.

Their relationship is odd, and it’s interesting. They don’t quite know how to talk to each other. There’s always this undercurrent of discomfort between them. Molly is hopelessly and pointlessly in love with Sherlock, and he doesn’t return the feeling. She is the opposite of him in pretty much every way. He doesn’t know how to relate to any element of her. Until suddenly he does.

Sherlock constantly rejects Molly in series 1, and becomes awkwardly aware that he’s causing her so much pain and how inexcusable that is in series 2. His relationship with her demonstrates how he changes once John enters his life, and the fact that he alters his behaviour towards her is entirely due to John’s influence. He tries to be kinder to her, but he’s not very good at it, and fails.

When John rejects him, Sherlock finally knows what it feels like to be rejected by someone you love completely and hopelessly.

Often Molly is a mirror of John, and putting her in John’s shoes seems to underscore that, but I think Sherlock’s behaviour towards her at that point is more about himself. John has told him to fuck off. Sherlock doesn’t think he’ll speak to John again, and the mean voice berating him in his head is John’s. He’s haunted by that rejection. He’s ravaged by it. His heart is torn out, just like Molly’s always is.

It’s interesting that he chooses to include Molly in his life in a new way just then. He suddenly understands what it would mean to get the attention of someone he loves, and he’s finally behaving with some level of empathy towards Molly. For once, they’re in the same boat.

Sherlock’s assurance to Molly that she shouldn’t be what someone else wants her to be, but should just be herself, is the lesson he’s also trying to learn. He says it to Mycroft, too: maybe he doesn’t mind being different. Why would anyone mind? He’s finally looking at her and seeing himself: rejected, awkward, feeling out of place, and alone without wanting to be. But why shouldn’t he be himself? Why shouldn’t she be herself? Neither of them can mould themselves into being what they think someone else wants. They just have to be themselves, both of them. Rejected or not, it’s the only way. That’s Sherlock’s reality, and Molly’s.

When Molly is a mirror of Sherlock, she’s his quiet, shy, awkward and emotional self, the one who’s too nervous to say how he feels or ask for what he wants. When Molly is Sherlock, she’s the part of him that will accept whatever crumbs he can from someone who’s rejected him. And she’s the part of himself that he wishes were stronger.

That’s what I see in their relationship in The Empty Hearse.

Q: tarale43 asked: Thank you for the meta, it really fits fromt hat perspective. Total respect, but could you explain the kiss on the cheek thing? That's the part I don't understand why A [This is a follow on from tarale43’s previous Q about Molly, which I attempted to answer here.]

A: No? It’s a perfectly fitting action, it seems to me. Sherlock has been terrible to Molly, and he’s only just begun to understand what he’s been putting her through. He’s suddenly very sensitive to it, since, as I said, he’s hurting from being rejected himself.

In spite of being engaged, Molly still wants Sherlock, and he knows it. He tries to fit her into his world, but it doesn’t work out. For once, he’s sorry that he can’t give her what she wants, and he doesn’t want to make her feel the way he feels. So while he does reject her again because he has to, he’s much more kindly about it this time.

He’s grateful for what she’s done for him, and what she’s endured because of him. He kisses her on the cheek because he’s both grateful for her actions and repentant for his own. He knows viscerally how much pain he’s caused her, and in that moment, for this and other reasons, he’s sorry that he’s a terrible human being. Molly never deserved to be treated the way he treated her, and neither did John. Sherlock’s very, very sorry.

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