My thoughts on His Last Vow.

S3 SPOILERS

I believe this was inspired by a post at SherlockCares.  It may have been an email, however.  I know the quote isn't mine.

​It's not the minor moments of OOC and plot screw ups that drive me totally nuts with Moffat, it is the total disregard and disrespect he shows for the characters AND his audience when he goes for an emotional manipulation trick instead of spending the time and effort to get his responses honestly.

​Shooting SH was one of those.  I mean, it was visually stunning and pretty cool in many ways.

But Mary did not need to shoot SH.   She could've threatened him -- knocked him out -- knocked out CAM first and then talked with/argued with SH.  Lotsa things.

Saying she wasn't trying to kill him is a pretty lie Sherlock tells himself.

Yes, a head shot would've been almost definitely fatal.  Shooting him in the chest... is because Mary knew he would live because the actor and the writer knew.

I mean, it's not like this is a roleplaying game, where you can look over at Sherlock's stat sheet, and see "Has supernatural ability to not die as title character" ffs!

Author knowledge possessed by the player chara​cter is cheating.  I zing my authors about it all the time.  8)  When that happens, the author has given the character [actor] knowledge s/he ought not have, period.


I betcha Moff wanted that to be the story ending, and something got taken out.  THAT would've been a great cliffhanger.  Leaving SH in hospital and us not knowing what John would or wouldn't find out?

Or even better, Sherlock trying to remember what Mary had stood over him and said... leaving it ambiguous.  Was she going to come back and finish the job?


Also, John was nasty to her.  I know finding out your wife has a hidden past is going to gack up most relationships.  Treating her like "You are only a client and we will decide whether we want you" -- is bogue.  Wrong.

Yes, Sherlock was trying to calm John down, and succeeded... but srsly?  WTF, John?  You needed to be punched out.

It's out of character.  John's allowed to be angry and hurt, sure.  He's got a temper.  But this is a case of John telling himself lies (that he wants to have a normal life without danger) and being angry at himself as well as Mary.  He's taking out way too much on her, refusing to admit that he chose her.

Just as much as she chose John, I imagine.

Well, I have some dark fic ideas about that, but I haven't finished them off, or even written them down, so I won't say any more about them.  John's acting like he hates her, the same way we hate the exSO who was a rotten choice.

Post-breakup, that is.

But... they didn't break up!