Did anyone else pick up what John said to Major Sholto at the wedding? Sholto asked if John was still seeing the "trick cyclist," a rather disdainful military euphemism for a therapist. John admitted that he still was "from time to time." So despite the fact that John got his best friend back, he and Sherlock have reconciled, he's enjoying going out on cases again, has a thriving practice and a loving new bride, John still feels the need for therapy. That implies that his mental health problems are not situational, but chronic.
"John having to hear Sherlock confirm that all his friends hated him. Judging from his face, he seems to agree with Sherlock there."
I hope that's not true. That was way harsh. I hope Sherlock is just trying to say "your friends hate you, so just stick with me." They're making Sherlock too much of a jerk; I'm beginning to wonder why John cares so much!
"Another fridge tearjerker: at the Christmas party, Sherlock is told by both John and Lestrade to, quote, "shut up." He butted into a conversation about Harry to abruptly tell John she was still drinking; he knows this is a sore point for John but still expressed it as "nope!", whereupon John uses easily the most vicious tone of voice with him for the entire episode."
I didn't think John sounded "vicious" here at all...just a bit annoyed, even affectionately so, and wearily impatient, as in, "It's Christmas, Sherlock...for once turn off the deductive machine and let me believe the best about my sister, if only for a few hours!"
Love and agree with nearly all your interpretations. I would like to add one more tearjerker moment to John's first blog post in the follow-up to series three, though...it's clear from Ella's comment and John's reply that he's still under her care. John strikes me as an emotional "stuffer," but he returned to Ella because he was hurting so much over Sherlock's death that he felt he had to do *something.* I thought his beautiful speech at Sherlock's grave was probably prompted by Ella, that after she told him to "say it now," and he said, "Sorry, I can't," her next words were probably, "Then go to his grave and say it there, because you need to get it said."
Ella's response to John's post implies that he's still seeing her regularly for therapy, and the nature of it suggests she may even have urged him to begin writing again. His slightly awkward, hesitant words indicate he's having a bit of trouble with it, but he's trusted Ella this far and he's determined to give her the professional courtesy of following her "prescription" to the letter. So, despite the fact that John has clearly moved on, he needed professional help in order to do so and apparently feels he still needs it. That's really sad! :-(
Edited by 70.33.147.42
Could all discussions on whether something is or isn't a tearjerker go here, please? I don't agree with all listed as "tearjerkers" but it's a place to collect moments that made you cry, not a place to debate plot points or contradict people.
Yep, you know, the more I think about it, the more I think Sherlock was an absolutely irredeemable bastard for the prank with locking John in the lab. In the dark. Deliberately blinding him with bright lights followed by what would have pretty much been pitch blackness. What's weird is that it seems to me as if this is almost Played for Laughs in the final scenes of the episode... but why? It's horrible. And John is surprisingly forgiving about it all. I can only assume he's plotting some seriously twisted revenge. Thoughts?
Edited by Edhla
" In the bonfire scene, at first, both Mary and Sherlock tried to make a way out for John. When Mary's hands got burned, she stopped immediately, whereas Sherlock continued to dive in, ignored the burns, and saved John while Mary - his fiancé, was standing outside shouting "Sherlock! No!". That showed us how much Sherlock cared for John, regardless of his sharp tongue and dick moves."
Huh? When did that happen?