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rusty_armourOh, I'm so over the moon about "The Great Game" that I barely know where to start! That cliffhanger was superb! I wondered if Gatiss might treat us to a conclusion à la "The Final Problem"! I love the way Gatiss substituted a pool for Reichenbach! Instead of dangling over the edge of those Swiss falls, Sherlock and Jim are left facing off at the edge of the swimming pool! And Gatiss even managed to work in his own version of Moriarty's canon speech to Holmes in which Moriarty says, "You must stand clear, Mr. Holmes, or be trodden under foot." Well, Jim doesn't say that, of course. Being a thoroughly modern IT guy, he sums it up in two words: "Fuck off". Oh! But Gatiss did work in these famous lines from "The Final Problem":
Moriarty: All I have to say has already crossed your mind.
Holmes: Then possibly my answer has crossed yours.
Unlike the original "Final Problem," Gatiss adds a twist. While Watson is led on a bit of a wild goose chase as Holmes goes off to face Moriarty (In "The Final Problem," Watson receives a fake note telling him that an English woman staying at the Englischer Hof has fallen ill), he isn't there when Holmes and Moriarty have their life and death struggle at Reichenbach Falls. However, in "The Great Game," Watson is not only a witness to Sherlock and Jim's duel but a pivotal player as well. It was so moving when he tried to save Sherlock's life, proving once again his courage, loyalty and deep affection for his friend. It's even more satisfying to catch glimpses of emotion from Sherlock that even Jim the psychopath can spot. I love it when Jim threatens to burn out Sherlock's heart if he doesn't stop prying, informing Sherlock that they both know he has one despite what he may have heard to the contrary.
The actor who played Jim was marvelous and utterly delicious! Okay, he's no Eric Porter, but maybe that's a good thing. He brought something fresh to the role and made the character a lot of fun. Twisted and evil as hell, but still fun. And I love love love this new dimension of Moriarty - that he's a "consulting criminal"! Okay, it's rather in the vein of Michael Kurland's Moriarty pastiches, but I think Gatiss still put his own spin on it.
Before I forget, a BIG round of applause for
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puckrobin for figuring out that Jim the IT guy was Moriarty after seeing his name mentioned on The Personal Blog of Dr. John H. Watson! That was extremely well spotted! I've gone on so much about Moriarty and "The Final Problem" that I'm almost afraid to mention other aspects of the episode. I'd certainly say it had a darker tone than "A Study in Pink" and "The Blind Banker". After that old woman was killed, I'm not surprised Lestrade wasn't happy to hear a kid's voice on that pink mobile! Still, the series of tests that Jim sets up for Sherlock reveal some interesting facets of Sherlock's character. Poor Watson is left to wonder if Sherlock really is so heartless as to not care about the people being used as hostages. You'd have to be blind not to notice the pleasure Sherlock derives from each puzzle. However, he makes a good argument for not caring when he points out that it will make no difference to the people being taken hostage whether he has a heart or not, that being emotional might actually hinder his ability to help them. Of course, it's a different story when Watson is the hostage. You can see Sherlock struggling to push past his emotions and keep up with Jim's feats of mental gymnastics.
I know I've gone on and on about this in every Sherlock post, but the geeky amateur Sherlockian is busting to get out as the canon references this time around totally blew my mind! Holy crap! I'm not even sure how many novels/stories Gatiss included! Of course, there was "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans". With the possible exception of "The Final Problem," that was the most obvious one. I was impressed by the way Gatiss was able to weave that story throughout "The Great Game". In fact, I believe this is the one Conan Doyle story the Sherlock writers have been most faithful to. As in canon, Mycroft is the one to bring this case to his brother. While the Bruce-Partington Plans become the Bruce-Partington Project in "The Great Game," many details remain the same. Both murdered men are name "West," though "Cadogan West" becomes "Andrew West" in "The Great Game". In "The Bruce-Partington Plans," West's body is also placed on top of a train through the window of a building. It then falls off that same train when the train passes over the points. There was even the fiancée who swore West was innocent and the mention of a knighthood for Sherlock. At the end of "The Bruce-Partington Plans," Holmes receives an emerald tie pin from Queen Victoria.
As I'd like to go to bed some time tonight, I'll just include a quick list of some of the other canon references I noticed:
Bullets in the shape of a smiley face in the wall ("The Great Game") / Bullets in the shape of V.R. in the wall ("The Musgrave Ritual")
John mocking Sherlock for not knowing how the solar system works ("The Great Game") / Watson mocking Holmes for not knowing how the solar system works (A Study in Scarlet)
"I'd be lost without my blogger." ("The Great Game") / "I am lost without my Boswell." ("A Scandal in Bohemia")
Sherlock's Homeless Network ("The Great Game") / Holmes's Baker Street irregulars (The Sign of Four)
Sherlock telling John that he missed most of the important details about the trainers in the lab ("The Great Game") / Holmes telling Watson that most of his conclusions were erroneous when it came to Mortimer's walking stick (The Hound of the Baskervilles)
Sherlock receives a letter written by a woman on Bohemian paper ("The Great Game") / Holmes is hired to retrieve an indiscreet letter that the King of Bohemia sent to Irene Adler. For that matter, Holmes receives a letter from Irene Adler himself after she outsmarts him. ("A Scandal in Bohemia")
The old woman hostage is killed ("The Great Game") / Holmes's client (John Openshaw) is killed ("The Five Orange Pips")
I'm positive that there are more references that I'm missing, but those were the ones that immediately sprang to mind when I was watching the episode. Okay, I'll admit that I've had to do some fact-checking as I wasn't sure which Conan Doyle story described the "V.R." Holmes shot in the wall. I also wasn't sure if it was in The Hound of the Baskervilles or "The Blue Carbuncle" where Holmes told Watson that most of his deductions were wrong. In "The Blue Carbuncle," Watson finds Holmes studying a mysterious hat that has been brought to him by Commissioner Peterson. However, Watson doesn't even try to make any deductions about the hat, declaring that he can see nothing.
Well, it's going to be hard waiting to see how the Moffat/Gatiss team plans to resolve that spectacular cliffhanger, but the frustration hasn't hit me yet because I'm still so thrilled about that episode!
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Date: 2010-08-10 06:00 am (UTC)Will comment more later (it's only 8 am!) but I couldn't wait to see your reaction to "The Great Game". It was bloody brilliant!
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Date: 2010-08-10 07:42 am (UTC)Yes, but the poor thing only got to rest for about 2-3 hours before it was switched on again. It's about 3:30 a.m. here and I'm awake with a leg cramp. As I lay in bed trying to ignore it, I suddenly remembered another canon reference and thought I'd try to sneak on here to record it before anyone read this post. Should have known a sneaky Dutch woman would beat me to it. *g* Here's the reference in case you missed it:
Sherlock's Homeless Network ("The Great Game") / Holmes's Baker Street irregulars (The Sign of Four)
Will comment more later (it's only 8 am!) but I couldn't wait to see your reaction to "The Great Game". It was bloody brilliant!
Considering the early hour, I appreciate you even trying to read this long rambling post! *g* I'm so glad you enjoyed the episode, despite that nasty cliffhanger. As you say, it was bloody brilliant! :-D
Right. I should probably make another attempt to get some sleep. I didn't sleep as well as I could have on Sunday night either, so I'm going to be frickin's shattered tomorrow. *g* Catch you later,
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Date: 2010-08-10 10:06 am (UTC)That cliffhanger so darn awesome. Actually that whole final scene. I loved how they used the infamous dialogue from The Final Problem. That made me fairly squee with delight. Your analysis of the episode is hugely enjoyable to read :)
Oh! And I finally bit the bullet and posted the first fic in my SPN slave!fic verse. It's Dean/Cas. If you have time to check it out, I'd love your thoughts: http://funkyinfishnet.livejournal.com/188311.html#cutid1
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Date: 2010-08-10 03:27 pm (UTC)Yes, that episode was very intense! I was pretty much on the edge of my seat too! And I can relate to Anthony feeling great about guessing one of the plot points, as I find it very satisfying to guess where an episode might be going based on a given canon reference.
That cliffhanger so darn awesome. Actually that whole final scene. I loved how they used the infamous dialogue from The Final Problem. That made me fairly squee with delight.
The cliffhanger absolutely ROCKED and the whole scene was a joy to watch! I really got caught up in what was going on and found Jim genuinely creepy.
Your analysis of the episode is hugely enjoyable to read :)
Thank you! I'm very happy you enjoyed it,
Oh! And I finally bit the bullet and posted the first fic in my SPN slave!fic verse. It's Dean/Cas. If you have time to check it out, I'd love your thoughts: http://funkyinfishnet.livejournal.com/188311.html#cutid1
I saw that your first SPN slave!fic verse story had been posted. I'm still massively behind with your other SPN fic, but I'll skip ahead and read this story as soon as I can. I might even have time tonight. :-)
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Date: 2010-08-10 10:36 am (UTC)I love the fact that Lestrade and Sally have actually read the blog and know details like that about Sherlock.
One of the things that made Holmes and Watson seem truly alive is that they are aware of the actual stories we've read. Such as Holmes commenting that Watson's "degraded what should have been a course of lectures into a series of tales". I don't think this translates as well to the filmed versions of Sherlock Holmes, because the characters have not seen *exactly* the same stories we have as they aren't watching movies or TV versions of themselves. (I'm talking about a gut reaction to Holmes and Watson discussing the stories. I mean think about it too much and you start wondering why have none of Holmes's clients come after Watson after reading the stories. Or why do characters seem to be aware of the stories prior to 1887?)
I'm still up in the air about how I feel about Undergrad Moriarty. I do like the Consulting Criminal idea rather than just a straight mob boss type.
Allen
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Date: 2010-08-10 05:00 pm (UTC)Yes, but that one puzzle in "The Great Game" aside how often is Sherlock or Holmes likely to need knowledge of Astronomy when trying to solve a mystery? My understanding of Holmes's brain attic argument is that he tries to store only that information that will be most useful to him in his chosen field. I can't remember if it was a Conan Doyle story or a pastiche in which Watson admits that he didn't know Holmes well when he wrote his list, but I'm sure there are a number of details he didn't get right considering that Holmes was still such a mystery to him at the time.
I love the fact that Lestrade and Sally have actually read the blog and know details like that about Sherlock.
I had to laugh when Lestrade said, "Do you really not know that the Earth goes around the sun?" Yes, it's pretty hilarious that Lestrade's whole team seems to read Watson's blog. *g*
One of the things that made Holmes and Watson seem truly alive is that they are aware of the actual stories we've read. Such as Holmes commenting that Watson's "degraded what should have been a course of lectures into a series of tales".
I think I get what you're saying. When Holmes or Watson makes reference to a past case, it almost does make it seem as if they're living, breathing people, especially when Holmes criticizes the way Watson writes up his stories. *g*
I'm still up in the air about how I feel about Undergrad Moriarty. I do like the Consulting Criminal idea rather than just a straight mob boss type.
Allen
Well, I think having a younger Moriarty works here because a lot of his skills seem to be related to computers and technology -- an area that younger people seem to excel at because they've grown up with things like cell phones, the internet, etc. And IT guys often seem to be young men as opposed to older ones, not that this is always the case, of course. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I have an easier time picturing a computer hacking type villain being a young man as opposed to an old one. I think the younger age also works in the sense that he's a closer match to Sherlock. The episode seemed to emphasize the characteristics they shared in common, such as the dread of being bored and the need to exercise their brains. I like to think that Jim is what Sherlock could have become if he'd been a psychopath rather than a sociopath.
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Date: 2010-08-11 03:19 pm (UTC)Less the cases themselves and more the actual published accounts. Like the stories we are reading actually exist in the Holmes-universe too. And therefore, perhaps his universe is our own.
Sure, it doesn't stand up to logical scrutiny. Why would the king of Bohemia's past affairs and involvement with Irene Adler become acceptable common knowledge within three years? How would the Bruce-Partington Plans adventure ever get declassified within their lifetime? And why did none of Holmes's clients sue Watson for libel? Why did no client burst into laughter when Holmes said Watson could be discreet? And looking at the chronology, only A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four had been published at the time Holmes "died" fighting Moriarty even though the stories themselves would imply more accounts were available to the general reading public.
But in an emotional sense ... that Holmes and Mycroft and various clients appear to have read *precisely* the same stories we have, it makes it feel like they are part of our world too.
And it's less cosomology as all the other things that Watson claims Holmes is ignorant of. He claimed Holmes had virtually no knowledge of theology or literature and an extremely limited knowledge of politics, yet all these things can serve as motivations. (Holmes later displayed great knowledge in all these areas, so I guess Conan Doyle changed his mind.)
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Date: 2010-08-12 02:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-10 11:22 am (UTC)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz6I60ZVvXM
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Date: 2010-08-10 11:43 am (UTC)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT4ztbVlimU
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Date: 2010-08-10 03:30 pm (UTC)It's coming back.....
Date: 2010-08-10 01:03 pm (UTC)Not like there was any doubt after the ratings of the first episode.
Re: It's coming back.....
Date: 2010-08-10 07:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-10 04:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-10 07:31 pm (UTC)I know what you mean! My mind keeps wandering back to it again and again!
I wonder how long we have to wait for a new eppy?
Not long, I hope. I'm guessing money won't be an issue considering its initial success. I think the real problem will be time. Steven Moffat already has a pretty full plate considering that he's at the helm of Doctor Who...
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Date: 2010-08-10 09:02 pm (UTC)Luckily I had watch the episode earlier. Dude, even I chanted "I am lost without my Boswell"! Love the pool instead of the falls. Jim is awesome! He cracks me up! I think it's hilarious that the cops read Watson's blog. Hopefully, at some point, they'll show that a million people have "friended" his journal.
Like the third much better than the second. Although I think Study in Pink is still my fav.
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Date: 2010-08-11 01:16 am (UTC)Well, I'm even worse. I hadn't realized that your story (http://jackycomelately.livejournal.com/28790.html) had been posted until around 5:15 when I finally took some time to check my flist properly. It sucks that you weren't told what your posting day would be until the night before. As you say, formatting, etc. always takes more time than you think it will. It's not at all suprised that you were late for work. :-( Anywaaaaaay, even if you hadn't been given your posting date, I would have understood any delays in responding -- not that I consider this a delay. If you'd taken a week or two then, yeah, but otherwise... *g*
Glad to get it posted anyway.
It's always a great feeling, isn't it? If nothing else, there's a tremendous sense of relief. *g* Seriously, though, I was pretty excited to see your story (http://jackycomelately.livejournal.com/28790.html) pop up on my flist. :-)
Thanks again for the beta and the title!
No problem! I'm happy I could help with both! :-)
Luckily I had watch the episode earlier.
Oh, man. It would have been horrible if you'd been forced to postpone watching the episode because of your posting date. *shudder*
Dude, even I chanted "I am lost without my Boswell"!
Woo hoo! *Gives
Love the pool instead of the falls.
The pool is a great substitute for Reichenbach! I'm sure they must have saved a mint with the budget! *g* It is a good modern London equivalent for Swiss falls.
Jim is awesome! He cracks me up!
Jim is a lot of fun. He creeps me out, but he's very funny. I actually found myself wondering today if Jim would meet the same fate as Moriarty in "The Final Problem". It would be a real shame if that happened. Hopefully, the writers will find a way around it. Maybe it will be like the Rathbone films where Moriarty died on at least four or five different occasions. *g*
I think it's hilarious that the cops read Watson's blog.
I got such a laugh out of that! Sherlock sounds almost disgusted when he says, "You read his blog?" And Lestrade has just the right amount of enthusiasm when he announces that they all read it. *g*
Hopefully, at some point, they'll show that a million people have "friended" his journal.
LOL! Oh, I can only imagine how pissy Sherlock would be! I really hope that happens!
Like the third much better than the second. Although I think Study in Pink is still my fav.
I feel the same way. While I liked the second episode, I enjoyed the third one more. And, like you, "A Study in Pink" is my fave. :-)
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Date: 2010-08-11 02:50 am (UTC)After a little hyperventilating (and about a half an hour) I got a working copy.
This episode was so packed! The second one was a bit slow in the middle, but this one was a rollercoaster.
Something I liked this time was that I'd checked out John's blog and Sherlock's forum before I saw the show, so I had little clues about what was going on (I assume anonymous was Moriarty -- still not sure who "theimprobableone" might be). I like the idea of being someone who's following John's blog, and being in the dark as to what's happening to him (until I got my uncorrupted file!).
One thing I keep coming back to -- they could have made him lovable and heroic. They could have made him to have this super intelligence, and still be deeply concerned about the people in jeopardy. But they didn't. They were willing to make him unlikable, and I love that.
I've got one question though: What accent do you think Moriarty supposed to have? Sounded north american to me...most of the time. I suppose he could be affecting an accent, just to mess with Sherlock.
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Date: 2010-08-11 05:00 pm (UTC)Yikes! I'm not surprised that you nearly had yourself a little nervous breakdown! I almost started screaming when I tried accessing the episode at my usual YouTube channel and discovered that the BBC had got there first. Thankfully, someone else had posted the entire episode, so I was still able to watch it. I also made sure to download it that very night in case those files were also removed.
After a little hyperventilating (and about a half an hour) I got a working copy.
Thank Herne for that! :-)
This episode was so packed! The second one was a bit slow in the middle, but this one was a rollercoaster.
I know! I'm not sure if the episode slowed down for a second! It was very packed and oh-so-rollercoastery! :-)
Something I liked this time was that I'd checked out John's blog and Sherlock's forum before I saw the show, so I had little clues about what was going on (I assume anonymous was Moriarty -- still not sure who "theimprobableone" might be).
Damn. That's what I should have done. I have to admit that I really only took a quick look at John's blog and read what I believe was the first entry. I'd have to take a look, but I would think it's likely that Moriarty is "anonymous". I'm not sure about "theimprobableone". Maybe it's a character that has yet to be introduced. The other possibility is a character we have seen but have been mislead about -- someone who isn't all they seem maybe.
like the idea of being someone who's following John's blog, and being in the dark as to what's happening to him (until I got my uncorrupted file!).
Well, whoever came up with the idea of providing fans with access to John's blog is a genius, especially if hints and clues are being dropped for upcoming episodes. I'll definitely have to make an effort to be a regular follower.
One thing I keep coming back to -- they could have made him lovable and heroic. They could have made him to have this super intelligence, and still be deeply concerned about the people in jeopardy. But they didn't. They were willing to make him unlikable, and I love that.
Yes, I'm actually very happy that they didn't make him lovable and heroic. I thought it was wonderful when Sherlock told John quite bluntly that he wasn't a hero and that he should look somewhere else if he's trying to find one. Since the episode I've been wondering if Sherlock believes in justice the same way Holmes does. Despite Holmes's flaws, he does believe in justice. It's not always justice in a strictly legal sense, but it's justice all the same. I'm not sure if Sherlock is the same. For him, it seems to be about the pleasure he derives from solving a mystery -- and that's it. It makes me wonder if that's what Lestrade meant when he said that Sherlock was a great man but not a good one.
I've got one question though: What accent do you think Moriarty supposed to have? Sounded north american to me...most of the time. I suppose he could be affecting an accent, just to mess with Sherlock.
Okay, so I wasn't the only one! I thought maybe I was imagining it! If anything, I would think the accent he used by the pool would be his real one as he apparently had every intention of killing Sherlock and John and had no need to hide anything anymore. If he had been talking to Sherlock over the phone (and trying to disguise his identity), I could see him adopting a fake accent. Hmm...Maybe he has a split personality, or maybe - just maybe - the guy actually is North American...
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Date: 2010-08-11 11:03 pm (UTC)Oooh! That's an interesting potential difference between the original character and the current one. That would also go along with whatshername police person who was saying that if he got bored enough, he'd start committing the crimes himself. I don't think he'd go so far as to do it, but perhaps people in the police department don't see him as committed to a concept of Justice. He has enough of a moral compass that he's a consulting detective instead of a consulting criminal (love that idea), but only so far as it provides his brain with interesting puzzles.
Maybe the after effects of realizing that he does care if someone is killed (John) will lead him to solving some boring crimes, just to make sure justice is served.
Just so long as he stays a sarcastic bastard too...
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Date: 2010-08-12 02:50 am (UTC)I think you could be right about Sherlock eventually taking on some boring cases to make sure justice is served. I'm not sure how long that would last, but I could see it happening if there's an inner struggle going on between the great man and the good man. Well, I, for one, would be very interested in seeing where such an inner struggle might take Sherlock in terms of character. However, like you, I don't want it to be at the cost of his bitchy side. There's no question about it: he has to stay a sarcastic bastard. *g*
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Date: 2010-08-15 05:53 pm (UTC)I enjoyed this episode a great deal more than the second one, but not quite as much as the first one. I'm looking forward to some more episodes, but I suspect it'll be at least a year before we see any. :-(
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Date: 2010-08-15 09:44 pm (UTC)Well, I'm very happy you enjoyed it! :-) As I said in the post, the references were just zinging all over the place, so I'm sure there are a number that I forgot. If you like reading about the various canon references then you might enjoy
I enjoyed this episode a great deal more than the second one, but not quite as much as the first one.
I'm in total agreement. I did enjoy the second episode, but I liked "The Great Game" a lot more. "A Study in Pink" still remains my favourite of the three. :-)
I'm looking forward to some more episodes, but I suspect it'll be at least a year before we see any. :-(
Yes, a year is probably a pretty realistic estimate, especially when Doctor Who needs to be worked into the schedule. Thankfully, the Sherlock communities have been very active, so I've had fic to keep me going so far. Not the same as actual episodes, but it helps.