Smokes... and rakes.

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

I rewatched Scandal last week -- and RF, but let's skate past that, shall we? -- and Baskerville today.


People seem to think in some parts of the InterWeb that John is not into girls, or a womanizer, or a flirt. I can't understand this. I can see the tells.

For that matter, I'm very familiar with them. :)

In Baskerville, when John's chatting up Henry's therapist, John is having a good time. He isn't pretending. They're addressing each other as Doctor, playing off the fact that they both are, and doing that feeling-out sort of flirtation one does.

Let's cut back to Scandal. When Irene's wearing Sherlock's coat, and sits down, then John sits down next to her. His body language changes. He visibly slips into "how to talk to girls" mode. Social skills, but in particular, the kind you use to get to know someone -- or at least to get along with them, and possibly manipulate them, depending.

Irene responds. Of course. She's completely familiar with that, totally comfortable, and she starts talking to John.

And Sherlock sees that and sputters, making that not-a-word noise, which he quickly morphs into discussing the hiker. John looks at him in shock.

No surprise, since Sherlock doesn't get discombobulated. Ever. Does he? [Well, Baskerville, but let's pretend not for this in particular.] Because John has a high score in Flirtation, let alone chatting up girls, and Sherlock doesn't.

This is something that John does better than Sherlock.

Also, they've got a Plan, so they can't be getting distracted. Right, you tell yourself that, Sherlock honeychild.


There's also when John walks outside 221B Baker Street, and there's a pretty girl who calls his name. John straightens up and he immediately brightens. His eyes are all on this girl, this pretty girl. You can see him switching gears.

If we'd got another moment, there WOULD have been instant flirtation. And then the black car drives up.

John must think that Mycroft breaks his assistants or something. :) (Seriously, it's not like Anthea flirts with John, so that should have been his clue, but this girl's entire purpose was to distract him and play him, so as ploys go, it works.) John is our resident rake, you know.


Thanks to MK Hey and sundry others around the 'Net for helping me notice Sherlock's murmfle moment, and for reinforcing this whole schemiel.


Postcript: After cracking up again over antsy Sherlock in Baskerville, I think he was only off cigarettes for two days. Maybe I'm wrong and he managed a whole week, or even five days, but I doubt it.

Snarfing up the smoke, ohmigod. Sherlock hoovering! It must be the only thing he hoovers.

John really needs to give him back the nico patches. (That does lend a whole 'nother reason to why Sherlock might be so pale in RF, come to think of it... hmm.) But Sherlock in withdrawal is worse for those around him. Even if it's terribly funny to watch. :)

Thank God poor Henry had started to take Sherlock in stride, and realized that Sherlock was trying to help him there at the end.

"Sherlock." | "What?" | "TIMING." | "Not good?" :D