Mycroft and Molly: The two most important people inside of Sherlock’s Mind Palace

 (Sherlock meta by doortotomorrow)

This would be a great time to talk about the two most important people inside of Sherlock’s Mind Palace and what they symbolize inside of Sherlock’s subconscious.

In the entirety of the Mind Palace sequence, Mycroft and Molly are the two most prominent people we see and Sherlock’s reaction to when they switch places is a great way to gauge what they mean to Sherlock.

When Molly is by his side, Sherlock is able to speak, he’s able to breathe easier, and he’s open and receptive to communication. He’s more in control of the situation, and just thinking about Molly has placed him in a more relaxed state meaning he can think through the problem easier.

However when Mycroft shows up, Sherlock completely shuts down. He’s not able to speak, his breathing becomes erratic, and now he’s back into panic mode. He’s not able to think the problem through rationally; he’s paralyzed.

So what does this mean? It means that Sherlock associates Molly with being in control and being in a relaxed state of mind. She represents safety, security, and in this situation, life. Molly is Sherlock’s lifesaver when he’s been thrown overboard.

And even though we know that Mycroft loves his bother regardless of what he says, the way Sherlock perceives him is the absolute opposite. Sherlock has always felt intimidated, inferior, and has felt like a failure in comparison to him so that’s exactly what Mycroft represents. He represents fear, failure, and ultimately death in this scene.

So what we have here is an epic battle between Mycroft and Molly for superiority. Molly and Mycroft are fighting for the key to Sherlock’s heart and ultimately in the end when Sherlock reaches the deepest recesses of his subconscious, the last word we hear him utter is “control”. In the end, Molly overthrows Mycroft and sends him packing as Sherlock’s brought out of the limbo between life and death.

We already know that Mycroft has been paramount in forming Sherlock as a person due to how he was treated when he was a child, so what does that make Molly then? The person who’s been helping him become a man, and that’s why she matters so much to Sherlock.

Whenever there’s a big leap in development concerning Sherlock’s character, Molly’s almost always there to start it. She’s the catalyst, and in the end, she has made a profound impact on Sherlock’s life if she’s been able to reach this far into his mind.

All hail the queen.