History Characters / SherlockGovernment

* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Zig-zagged. {{Aloof Big Brother}} Mycroft has a stable career in politics, maintains reasonable social skills (read: knows how to influence and manipulate people), remains calm and more or less rational in the face of argument, and insists that he merely wants to help and protect his brother while Sherlock is perpetuating a 'childish feud' between them. Sherlock has a much more unstable career as a consulting detective, displays almost {{No Social Skills}} at times, flares up in anger more often than Mycroft, not infrequently acts in a [[DitzyGenius rash and reckless manner]], and indulges in various types of childlike behaviour, such as using his powers of observation to embarrass police officers and insult John's girlfriends. However, Sherlock also manages to create and maintain several more or less good relationships with people (John, Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade, Molly) and [[CharacterDevelopment learns to value them]], keeps his career successful enough to pay the rent (although John's blog and Mrs. Hudson's leniency probably help), and is clear-headed enough to [[NervesofSteel keep his cool]] in dangerous and difficult situations and therefore get himself and others out of them. Mycroft, on the other hand, is [[BrilliantButLazy less energetic]], seems to have zero personal life, and is practically an {{Overprotective Dad}} to Sherlock by trying to monitor him with security people, while at the same time managing to put his brother in danger by making [[WellIntentionedExtremist a couple of]] [[UnwittingPawn massive screw-ups]]. So while it's clear that Mycroft ''thinks'' he's the Responsible Sibling of the two, they end up on more or less even footing, with Sherlock at perhaps only a slight disadvantage due to his risky behaviour and all the people he [[InsufferableGenius gleefully pisses off]].

* UngratefulBastard: In "His Last Vow". Sherlock has killed [[spoiler: Magnussen.]] Instead of pardoning Sherlock, or hushing the whole thing up, he sends him on [[spoiler: a suicide mission for [=MI6=]. The MP who hired Sherlock to bring down Magnussen, Lady Smallwood, is the one who signs the order.]] They only change their minds when Moriarty comes back and they realize how much they need Sherlock.

** Averted with Magnussen. Despite how dangerous a threat he is to the British Government, he's content to let him continue his activities even as he's blackmailing MP's, one of who is his own superior.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Not as obvious as Sherlock, but there's something off with Mycroft with his borderline sociopathic tendencies-- and he's way more anti-social than his brother, and that's saying something. In fact he complains about having to be around people when he rescued Sherlock from the Serbian prison in "The Empty Hearse":
--> '''Mycroft:''' Do you have any idea what it was like, Sherlock, going "under cover", smuggling my way into their ranks like that? The ''noise''; the '''people'''!

* AscendedExtra: Originally just a cameo, Mycroft is central to most of the happenings of Series 2.

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: He isn't exactly handsome, but is far less slovenly than generally depicted. Because SocietyMarchesOn, he's shed most of the extra weight he carries in other adaptations.