Molly doesn’t want a “normal” relationship

 (Sherlock meta by vesperass-anuna)

Q: I always thought ‘Tom’ was to show that Molly could never actually be in a normal relationship. That even when she got everything she supposedly “wanted” and “needed” - it wasn’t her type of thing. Just saying.

A: I’m in a rambly, meta-y mood, and I’ve seen [the] entire [s1-3 of] Sherlock like three weeks ago, and then rewatched most of it and ended up shipping Molly and Sherlock, like, A LOT and this is one of the things I’ve been thinking about -

To me it wasn’t “Oh poor Molly can’t have a (normal) relationship” (I’m sure there are people who see it like that; I however don’t). Maybe it’s my ship tinted glasses (d'oh, of course it is), I agree - Molly doesn’t want a “normal” relationship. In regards to “normal” I think she might be like Sherlock - normal is dull, it’s boring. Why else would she have a crush on a man who does mad science and bizarre experiments and requires dead bodies for it? Sherlock is interesting, and exciting - because he’s smart, he’s different, he defies societal norms (and so does Molly, her clothes illustrate that rather vividly), and I doubt mister meat - dagger - Tom is her idea of happiness. Sherlock is a catalyst of things. He pushes (sometimes too much), he says inappropriate things, he’s a challenge, and considering Molly’s change through [the first three] seasons of the show, it’s a challenge she can handle. Not only that, she pushes back, ever since she told him ["you always say such horrible things"] Sherlock was an absolute ass to her, and she was there in her pretty dress, and didn’t try to hide anything, instead she shows him she’s hurt, and that’s something that affects him. The fact that she doesn’t shy away in embarrassment shows that she’s strong. The fact that she doesn’t start hating him, even after all the awful things he’s said speaks enough of her character. She’s not a person who simply allows the big bully Sherlock to do what he wants, she calls him out on things which aren’t okay, and teaches him something. As a result he changes. That’s the challenge. Someone who provides a push and pull sort of dynamic, and is also interesting and smart and defies the rules.

There’s a sceencap of them that I love, walking through the hall of St Bart’s next to each other - him wearing the coat - the coat he’s always wearing, and if that’s not weird I don’t know what is - and her wearing a potpourri of colors; clothes that would look horribly mismatched on anyone else, but on her they just work. In that aspect they’re similar. They don’t belong to the side of predictable and routinely boring. They’re both wierdos in a way - so no - Molly can’t have a “normal” relationship, and doesn’t want one (although she would enjoy some aspects of it, like going out on weekends) - not when she spent years being fascinated with [the] weirdest guy you can imagine.

Finally, what comes to mind is that essay from one or so years ago - Don’t date a girl who reads - which basically says, a girl who reads doesn’t want a life that’s dull and ordinary; she wants a life worth of being storied, and I feel that’s also true for Molly. She doesn’t want normal, she wants extraordinary - just like she is extraordinary.