thewhitelily | Sherlock Fandom: The Final Problem

I don't even know what to say, but I'll try. Spoilers Ahoy for Sherlock S04E03.

I didn't enjoy the episode. The first words I spoke when the credits rolled was "Oh my god, that was so BAD!" I went online, and now I wish I had enjoyed it, because I don't want to be on the same team as most of the other people who didn't enjoy the episode.

i thought the whole bad-bond-villain-death-trap choose-who-to-shoot-for-science-bwa-hahaha, let-me-force-you-all-to-make-emotional-ooc-confessions-and-dying-speeches-to-one-another was lame. Not just the scene with Molly, but Mycroft and Sherlock and John and uuuurgh, and all the overblown ending stuff. GOD, guys. Remember subtlety? Remember it? It was so, so lame that it cut the whole heart out of the episode for me, and I just know they can write better than that. It wasn't bad in a series-wrecking way, it was just a bad episode because it felt so forced, such a lazy way to bring about character moments that made them feel false to me. Oh well. Everyone's allowed a bad story every now and then. I write them myself. Just a shame that it finished on a flat note like that, because if it was going to finish, it deserved a big finish--and, I understand that's what they tried to give us, but... for me, they pushed too hard, and it didn't work. *shrug* Oh well.

The rest, I liked. I loved seeing the boys back together, a thoroughly united team again. There was some amazing banter. I loved Eurus. And the lack of glass! The inmate being in charge of the asylum! I loved Moriarty. I loved Eurus and Moriarty, LOL! I loved the solution to the mystery--the change to the ritual, the fact that Eurus just wanted Sherlock to play with her all along, that the solution was not in his brain but to open his big heart and bring her in, make her part of saving John, and the violin duets at the end, oh my heart.

I liked the way they left it open to all ships, threw most of the big ships a bone and left asexuality as the default too. That was nice, and I think it was fantastic fan service. I hate to see them being villified like this for being INCLUSIVE.

Yeah, there could have been more on a number of issues, but seriously, guys, you don't get to throw a tantrum about things you wanted not being in a story for which you are not the author. Not cool. I do wish there had been any scene in this series where Molly wasn't either a. baby-minder, or b. crying, or c. both, but hey she got to be bad-ass in prior seasons, and Mrs Hudson basically did all the badassing that was required for this season. I understand there's a queerbaiting issue which a lot of people are upset about. I don't personally understand that because asexuals are queer too, and the implied unconfirmed/platonic relationship is and always has been my jam--personally, leaving it open like this is my perfect ending--but... I can understand that it means something to a lot of vulnerable people, and that a lot of people built their hopes on that. I still don't think there's any good reason for hate speech to be directed against anyone, particularly not over the storyline choices for a creative endeavour. What the fuck, entitlement. Seriously.

Most of all, I liked the way that the characters were left back closer to the people I loved in the end. Futurefic is now officially back to being the s1&2 dynamic with added character development and optional (given Rosie seems to spend a LOT of time in childcare) kidlock as well. We're officially past the arcs with the storylines I didn't like, with John projecting his hurt by being an entitled tool and Sherlock projecting his guilt by being a martyred doormat. No more need to include specified or unspecified angst-fixing to get things to a place where I like how the characters relate to one another. But plenty of remembered angst to hook into, to add colour whenever I need it. And if I want them to be a little more emotionally constipated, well, I can always go back in time. Sherlock's emotional development is ambiguous enough that I can still write him taking a rather circuitous unaware path to emotional revelations, as I so love to do.

I see a good amount of casefic coming on, and 221B domesticity fic coming on, and creepy Eurus fic coming on, maybe something to resolve Molly's arc, and a couple of metas... I dunno. I feel hopeful, if a bit flat right now. I hope fandom feels better soon. *pets it* *from a safe distance*

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I didn't like it, but none of the last three episodes have done anything for me. I half watched, because I have a lot of fandom friends, both online and in RL who were watching, and I wanted to see what was happening. And I'm still writing in the Sherlock fandom, so the ending (although I had significant problems with it) means I can happily continue to write the sort of fics I've always written.

My own feeling is that a lot of people were drawn in by the first two series and then it changed into a different sort of programme, but they stayed and were unhappy with the way it went. They might have been better to bail earlier. I have friends who enjoyed the latest series, but we look for different things. I also think there were people who were caught up in the hype more than was good for them. And maybe the writers/producers (who to an extent encourage the hype) were also sucked into thinking 'we have bigger budgets we can do more', and forgot that bigger doesn't always mean better.

Can you tell me why you didn't like it/your issues with the episode? Was it just flat about it because of all the drama/change of direction like me, or was there anything specific? I need some validation from someone who's not throwing a Johnlock tantrum. :P

Yeah, I think they got so caught up with making Sherlock a better person that they forgot we loved the restraint and ambiguity of who he was. Although that said, a lot of people have said they liked Sherlock's direction over the past two seasons even if not John's, and I've been like... did we love the same show? As you said, I guess we look for different things. I was never, ever here for the drama--and I will always take the freeze-frame flashes of character development almost drowned out by plot over being forcefed Now He's A Good Man, Look!

Still. I love these characters, and I always will. I will always adore what they did with them, and the fanfiction that arose out of the first couple of hiatuses. I hope there's still some great stuff to come, because I would be really sad if the fandom just fizzled at this point.

Glad that the ending leaves it open for the kind of fic you like to write, too.

I'd be extremely unlikely to throw a Johnlock tantrum! I'm one of the few people who never believed in Johnlock (although I write it on occasions), because one I liked the dynamic as friends, I didn't see it as a good romantic partnership for them.

I disliked the 'everything's going to be wonderful again' ending, which made the last two series feel irrelevant - why go through all the trauma to come full circle. I also felt that ultimately there were no consequences.

Not a popular view, but I felt they should have killed either Molly or Mycroft. Not because I dislike the characters - and I had no wish for them to die - but because they built up the tension and then the main characters escape because they are invincible.

And finally, I found it an inward looking episode and my preference would be to look outward.

But, as ever, it's horses for courses. I didn't watch to criticise - in which case better not to watch - but to keep up with fandom friends.

Thank you.

Yes, I knew you would be the Johnlock tantrum kind for more than one reason. ;) I like the romantic partnership, on a narrative completion level, but I like their friendship even more and dislike the idea that their friendship is not as valuable if it's *not* a romantic partnership, like, they're so close they've got to have sex! Well, no. That's not actually what everything's about. (Have possibly just written a fic to this effect. :P) I really like the idea that anyone can write it whichever way they want now rather than anyone 'winning' the shipping war. It means something to me that they never ruled it out, either. So many shows would have arbitrarily paired them up to have that happy ending, and that's at least one thing I'm glad the ending didn't attempt.

The everything is wonderful again ending was incredibly overblown and rushed--but although it was difficult to watch, I didn't mind on a series-level that it erased the last two seasons, because I wanted those seasons gone. :P And yes, I didn't want them to kill Molly or Mycroft, because I think that would have made it all angstier and I didn't want that, but the build up of false danger and then invincibility fell flat for me, too. Particularly since Eurus had previously been killing everyone involved in each experiment, even the ones who were implied to stay safe. Perhaps if they'd skipped the scene with Molly (which was a very random scene) and only done Mycroft (which fit into the themes a bit more) it would have worked better for me, but by the time I got to Mycroft's scene it was just a disappointment. And absolutely agree on the inward/outward episode, too. I had never thought of it precisely like that, but that's a very good way of putting my difficulty with most of S3&4. I prefer to do my inward facing in fic, where every theory is as good as every other, and keep the show facing outward where what lies beneath remains mysterious. :)

Anyway, as you say. Watching to criticise is not the best way, but hopefully if I can put my finger on a few of the things that bothered me I can deliberately put them aside on my rewatch and enjoy the rest of it as a whole. Thanks, I appreciate it: you're a wonderful fandom friend. :)

I've just read your fic, which is lovely. Really spot on and shows a real understanding of the characters.

I didn't think you were watching to criticise, but I know some who did, and it's something I have to remind myself on occasions. Looking at a programme critically, to work out what is bothering about it, is a totally different matter. And quite often it will lead to fanfic, as the writer seeks to resolve the issues. Which is never a bad thing.

Thank you so much. That means a lot particularly from you. :)

Mmm, yes, it's something I have to remind myself of too, particularly in things I'm fannish about. I develop my own theories and ideas about things and I get attached to them but I still expect the direction the original writers take to be better--but of course I mostly feel it's the other way around because my theories were what felt right to my brain. So in that sense I can sympathise with the JLCers who lost their nuts. It's always a hard shock when the resolution is less satisfying to you than the one you devised--but at a certain depth of fandom it is inevitable.

And yeah, I've had someone hanging around in the comments on my stories over the past few weeks who apparently never liked Sherlock, or John, or the plotlines, or the real-world detail, right from ASiP, in a way that meant they couldn't enjoy it ever, and I'm just like... okay. I'm not entering this conversation anymore. Go find a fandom where you're going to have fun.

PS: Have just realised there was a typo in my previous comment which I assume you picked up from the context, but I meant "Yes, I knew you WOULDN'T be the Johnlock tantrum kind" Way to miss the negation. *facepalm*

Haha, yes I did spot the typo!

Sherlock Fandom: The Final Problem

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject