Sherlock: Where is all the speculation?
Is it just me or is there limited speculation surrounding Sherlock since the end of series three?
I could be looking in the wrong places of course but it seems to me that, following series two, you could not be on the web without tripping over some kind of speculation regarding the fall.
That does not seem to be the case when it comes to the question of whether or not Moriarty has really dodged the bullet and come back. There are plenty of articles floating around regarding the difficulties of recording series four and the possible plots but I've not seen any speculation about what might happen with Moriarty.
Can you point me towards any?
Written by Alistair Duncan
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I could be looking in the wrong places of course but it seems to me that, following series two, you could not be on the web without tripping over some kind of speculation regarding the fall.
That does not seem to be the case when it comes to the question of whether or not Moriarty has really dodged the bullet and come back. There are plenty of articles floating around regarding the difficulties of recording series four and the possible plots but I've not seen any speculation about what might happen with Moriarty.
Can you point me towards any?
Written by Alistair Duncan
It is awfully still, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt think Moffat and Gatiss have shot themselves in the feet with a terrible series three. Moffat spent the last series hiatus crowing about how everyone missed a clue in how Sherlock survived the fall and then in series three does not even bother to give us the solution. With so many implausible happenings being passed of as canon, why should the public speculate? Either the showrunners will try to pass off the ridiculous as the sublime (bombs with off switches--gotta love it) or not even bother with an explanation--just have Anderson an his Empty Hearse group fanfic speculation for the camera.
ReplyDeleteSo you believe it to be inaccurate when the director refers (on the DVD extras) to the inflatable mattress solution as the "real" solution?
Deletei do not yet have the DVD, so I do not know what the director claims. Such a statement is is not "canon" as it is not in the "text" of the show. Besides, are we really to believe that a cast of dozens was needed to pull it of and no one involved leaked any information during the hiatus. Also remember, Sherlock wasn't out to fool John but Moriarty's minions. Could not the sniper across from St. Barts have seen all those extras hauling the air mattress? It is a stupid explanation, one Sherlock rightly dismisses to Anderson.
DeleteMoffat spent the last series hiatus crowing about how everyone missed a clue in how Sherlock survived the fall and then in series three does not even bother to give us the solution.
DeleteYES, this drove me CRAZY. It can't be the stupid blue mattress because there was no "clue" about that. Every single other part of the Lazarus plan was something I'd heard fans speculate about repeatedly, from Mycroft's involvement to the rubber ball.
I think that and other details have shaken a lot of people's faith in the writers and their ability to actually clean up all the threads they leave dangling. So as I said below, people are speculating about Mary - but at the same time, those same people are often feeling kind of wary, thinking that maybe we're supposed to take her whole story at face value and there's nothing to speculate about despite all the little things that don't add up. :(
Oh God, it pains me to say so, but I have to agree with Mr O'Leary again. Look at how few articles appear about the show in comparison to two years ago. And even more important, how few comments these articles generate, also in comparison to 2012. Another series like S3 and the show'll be dead in the water. At the moment the fandom seems to fear S4 as much as it longs for it.
ReplyDeleteSherlock fandom resides on tumblr these days and I can tell you positively that no one is even a little interested if Moriarty is dead or alive. What fans speculate about is Sherlock's love life. Will he be romantically attached to John (80%) or Molly (10%) or Janine (5%) or even Irene (5%). And, of course, the Mary question. Redeemed sinner or evil incarnate?
They really have shot themselves in the foot.
The whole business of guns aimed at feet needs to be looked at. You both say that they have damaged themselves. That rather depends on your criteria. Apart from some criticisms, the show remains popular, continues to be discussed and sells well globally. Was it not Oscar Wilde who said that the only thing worse than being talked about was not being talked about?
ReplyDeleteThey only have reason to fear if the discussion about the show stops altogether. Series three had its faults but I think that was as much to do with the elevated expectations that series two (and the delay between it and three) created as it was the scripts. For me the series three scripts focused too much on characters rather than crimes (well until S3E3) but the show is far from being in danger as far as I'm conerned.
Series four (or the rumoured special) are key at this point. If they return more to the model of the first two series I think all will be well. If it remains in the model of three then I'll agree that we need to worry.
But you said it yourself, respectively asked about it, 'Where is the speculation?'
DeleteFact is S3 isn't as widely discussed and cherished as S2 was. Because they've disappointed the viewers with their cop out and now the fandom is frustrated and the mainstream not that interested anymore. There's simply not that level of enthusiasm there was for S2 which was extraordinary.
Of course ratings for S3 were great - due to S2! Nobody knew what to expect before actually watching it and the disappointment came only later. I bet S4 will have a diminished viewer count (if it comes at all). Part of fandom thinks it's fishy that nothing's announced yet. MF started talking about the one off and AA just recently in a cooking show used 'IF' it comes at all.
Yes to your last paragraph. If they manage to return to their old form - and a lot will also depend on choice of director! - they'll be fine. Another rom-com season and it'll be over.
Ah. There you misunderstand me. I agree that fan speculation has fallen but not general discussion across the internet. There is still quite a lot of articles about when the series might film. Whether or not there will be a special. In that sense there is still a fair amount of coverage. The fan speculation is what has dropped.
DeleteYes, but there's no continuing praise and amazement about S3 as there was for S2 and speculation is not about what'll happen in S4 (Moriarty or not or whatever), but just about when it will be produced/aired. And that in itself is telling, methinks.
DeleteOn tumblr, most of the speculation and discussion revolves around Mary. Nobody really gives a shit about Moriarty. The questions everyone there wants to answer are - can we really trust Mary? Do Sherlock and John really trust her? Is she (or was she at one point) working for Moriarty? Is Sherlock pulling a long con against her, and that's why he claimed that a clearly near-fatal shot was "surgery" when in fact it was very likely to kill him? Was CAM reaching for his cel phone as Sherlock was shot, implying that he, not Mary called the ambulance? Does Sherlock know that? If we are supposed to trust Mary, will she get a real redemption arc rather than the writers just declaring that Sherlock trusts her and John forgave her, therefore we should do the same?
ReplyDeleteEtc etc etc. Moriarty? Whatever. Mary's the interesting one here.