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.