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not GENRE Savvy
Deleted line(s) 47 (click to see context) :
* GenreSavvy: When John asks why Mycroft doesn't trust his own subordinates, Mycroft points out that they all spy on people for money. Which is ironic since he wanted Watson to spy on Sherlock for money.
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* GenreSavvy: When Magnussen threatens her with blackmail of her husband to stop a government investigation against him, her solution is to go to Sherlock.
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Changed line(s) 27 (click to see context) from:
** [[spoiler: Eurus is a completed matter. He's her brother, but he's more interested in keeping everyone else safe from her than vice versa for obvious reasons.]]
to:
** [[spoiler: Eurus is a completed matter. He's her brother, but he's more interested in keeping everyone else safe from her than vice versa for [[AxCrazy obvious reasons.]]]]]]
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* FatalFlaw: For someone who claims he's not big on sentiment and doesn't think he has basic human decency, almost every major mistake Mycroft makes onscreen is because he loves of his sibling. Correction, [[spoiler:siblings.]]
Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
* "The Final Vow" shows us his childhood, confirming he used to be rather rountound.
to:
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* "The Final Vow" shows us his childhood, confirming he used to be rather rountound.
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Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* BigBrotherInstinct: In a rare tie in with BigBrotherIsWatching. Apparently, when you're a shadowy government official, keeping tabs on your little brother involves kidnapping and bribery. [[spoiler: The feeling does not extend to his sister Eurus, however.]]
to:
* BigBrotherInstinct: In a rare tie in with BigBrotherIsWatching. Apparently, when you're a shadowy government official, keeping tabs on your little brother involves kidnapping and bribery. [[spoiler: The feeling does not extend to his sister Eurus, however.]]
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** [[spoiler: Eurus is a completed matter. He's her brother, but he's more interested in keeping everyone else safe from her than vice versa for obvious reasons.]]
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* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler: His little sister murdered the best friend of his little brother and then burned down the family house. It turned him into an emotionally stunted man, desperate to protect his family without knowing how.]]
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* ProperlyParanoid: [[spoiler: Considering what Eurus did to Sherlock while they were kids it explains why he's so protective of his little brother.]]
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Changed line(s) 28 (click to see context) from:
** In "The Lying Detective", spoiler:Faith - well, Eurus, outright says this when she notices the helicopter following her and Sherlock.]]
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** In "The Lying Detective", spoiler:Faith [[spoiler:Faith - well, Eurus, outright says this when she notices the helicopter following her and Sherlock.]]
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Changed line(s) 28 (click to see context) from:
** In "The Lying Detective", Faith [[spoiler:Well, Eurus, outright says this when she notices the helicopter following her and Sherlock.]]
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** In "The Lying Detective", Faith [[spoiler:Well, spoiler:Faith - well, Eurus, outright says this when she notices the helicopter following her and Sherlock.]]
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** In "The Lying Detective", Faith [[spoiler:Well, Eurus, outright says this when she notices the helicopter following her and Sherlock.]]
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Changed line(s) 66 (click to see context) from:
** Seems to realize that [[spoiler:letting Eurus talk to Moriarty for five minutes unsupervised was one of the biggest mistakes he could have made, as those five minutes eventually let her completely take over Sherrinford and play mind games with him, Sherlock, and John. Sherlock calls him out on it.]]
to:
** Seems to realize that [[spoiler:letting Eurus talk to Moriarty for five minutes unsupervised was one of the biggest mistakes he could have made, as those five minutes eventually let her completely take over Sherrinford and play mind games with him, Sherlock, and John. [[WhatTheHellHero Sherlock calls him out on it.it]].]]
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** Seems to realize that [[spoiler:letting Eurus talk to Moriarty for five minutes unsupervised was one of the biggest mistakes he could have made, as those five minutes eventually let her completely take over Sherrinford and play mind games with him, Sherlock, and John. Sherlock calls him out on it.]]
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Changed line(s) 17 (click to see context) from:
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: True to the books, he is smarter than Sherlock. In "The Empty Hearse," they reflect on how they thought Sherlock was stupid because, as children, they had no one to compare him to but Mycroft.
to:
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: It's played with. True to the books, he is called smarter than Sherlock.Sherlock more than once. In "The Empty Hearse," they reflect on how they thought Sherlock was stupid because, as children, they had no one to compare him to but Mycroft. On the other hand, whereas Mycroft got outplayed by Irene Adler and Magnussen, Sherlock managed to take them both down.
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Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* BigBrotherInstinct: In a rare tie in with BigBrotherIsWatching. Apparently, when you're a shadowy government official, keeping tabs on your little brother involves kidnapping and bribery.
to:
* BigBrotherInstinct: In a rare tie in with BigBrotherIsWatching. Apparently, when you're a shadowy government official, keeping tabs on your little brother involves kidnapping and bribery. [[spoiler: The feeling does not extend to his sister Eurus, however.]]
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Changed line(s) 66 (click to see context) from:
* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler: Whatever he had to do to Eunus when she became a security risk.]]
to:
* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler: Whatever he had to do to Eunus Eurus when she became a security risk.]]
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Changed line(s) 63,65 (click to see context) from:
* LoveIsAWeakness: Firmly believes that "caring is not an advantage".
** Ultimately played straight becuase Moriarty, Irene, and Magnussen all know that the best way to get to Mycroft is through his brother.
** He also loves his parents.
** Ultimately played straight becuase Moriarty, Irene, and Magnussen all know that the best way to get to Mycroft is through his brother.
** He also loves his parents.
to:
* LoveIsAWeakness: Firmly believes that "caring is not an advantage".
** Ultimately played straight becuaseadvantage", which in a nice case of DramaticIrony is used against him because Moriarty, Irene, and Magnussen all know that the best way to get to Mycroft is through his brother.
** He also loves his parents.little brother.
** Ultimately played straight becuase
** He also loves his parents.
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* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler: Whatever he had to do to Eunus when she became a security risk.]]
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*ShipTease: With Mycroft of all people.
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Changed line(s) 39 (click to see context) from:
* FormerlyFat: Gatiss claims Mycroft was on a lot of yo-yo diets. This is a reference to the books, in which Mycroft was actually corpulent in the present tense.
to:
* FormerlyFat: FormerlyFat:
** Gatiss claims Mycroft was on a lot of yo-yo diets. This is a reference to the books, in which Mycroft was actually corpulent in the present tense.
** Gatiss claims Mycroft was on a lot of yo-yo diets. This is a reference to the books, in which Mycroft was actually corpulent in the present tense.
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Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
--> '''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'''!
to:
--> '''Mycroft:''' Do you have any idea what it was like, Sherlock, going ‘under cover,’ "under cover", smuggling my way into their ranks like that? The ''noise''; the ''people'''!'''people'''!
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* RedHerring: In "A Study in Pink", you'd be forgiven for thinking Mycroft as Moriarty, particularly when he mentions that Sherlock refers to him as his ArchEnemy
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* 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'''!
--> '''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'''!
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Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
* FateWorseThanDeath: Played for laughs in "The Empty Hearse". He begs Sherlock to take over sitting through [[spoiler:the Literature/LesMiserables musical]] with their parents.
to:
* FateWorseThanDeath: Played for laughs in "The Empty Hearse". He begs Sherlock to take over sitting [[spoiler:sitting through [[spoiler:the the Literature/LesMiserables musical]] musical with their parents.]]
Changed line(s) 47 (click to see context) from:
** Not to mention that Sherlock's "queen" joke [see AmbiguouslyGay above] combines with this to form a rather interesting pun.
to:
** Not to mention that Sherlock's "queen" joke [see AmbiguouslyGay above] combines with this to form a rather interesting pun.
Changed line(s) 112 (click to see context) from:
* BeleagueredBureaucrat: [[spoiler: She's not particurarly thrilled to sign the order for Sherlock's exile, but sees herself obliged to do so anyway.]]
to:
* BeleagueredBureaucrat: [[spoiler: She's not particurarly particularly thrilled to sign the order for Sherlock's exile, but sees herself obliged to do so anyway.]]
Changed line(s) 114 (click to see context) from:
* TheChainsOfCommanding: [[spoiler: She's not particurarly thrilled to sign the order for Sherlock's exile, but does so anyway in the interests of "justice".]]
to:
* TheChainsOfCommanding: [[spoiler: She's not particurarly particularly thrilled to sign the order for Sherlock's exile, but does so anyway in the interests of "justice".]]
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Changed line(s) 67,70 (click to see context) from:
** At the end of ''The Abominable Bride,'' he asks John to watch over Sherlock. That's still in-character for him, except that his voice is filled with as much worry as possible. And then he says please.
* ParentalSubstitute: Besides his "constant" worrying about Sherlock, it's made fairly clear in "Scandal" that Sherlock regards him as this:
-->'''Mycroft''': (pouring tea) I'll be "mother".
-->'''Sherlock''': And there's a whole childhood in a nutshell.
* ParentalSubstitute: Besides his "constant" worrying about Sherlock, it's made fairly clear in "Scandal" that Sherlock regards him as this:
-->'''Mycroft''': (pouring tea) I'll be "mother".
-->'''Sherlock''': And there's a whole childhood in a nutshell.
to:
** At the end of ''The "The Abominable Bride,'' Bride," he asks John to watch over Sherlock. That's still in-character for him, except that his voice is filled with as much worry as possible. And then he says please.
please. He has ''never'' said please in the entire series at this point.
*ParentalSubstitute: ParentalSubstitute:
** Besides his "constant" worrying about Sherlock, it's made fairly clear in "Scandal" that Sherlock regards him as this:
-->'''Mycroft''': (pouring tea) --->'''Mycroft:''' ''[pouring tea]'' I'll be "mother".
-->'''Sherlock''':"mother".\\
'''Sherlock:''' And there's a whole childhood in a nutshell.
*
** Besides his "constant" worrying about Sherlock, it's made fairly clear in "Scandal" that Sherlock regards him as this:
-->'''Sherlock''':
'''Sherlock:''' And there's a whole childhood in a nutshell.
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* AllThereInTheManual: The script for "A Study in Pink" that comes with the LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition of series 1-3 reveals her first name to be "Andrea".
Deleted line(s) 97 (click to see context) :
** AllThereInTheManual: The script for "A Study in Pink" that comes with the LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition of series 1-3 reveals her first name to be "Andrea".
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Changed line(s) 63 (click to see context) from:
* ManChild: Not as much as Sherlock. But it's still there, being around his parents brings it out in him.
to:
* ManChild: Not as much as Sherlock. But it's still there, there; being around his parents brings it out in him.
Changed line(s) 67 (click to see context) from:
** At the end of ''The Abominable Bride,'' he asks John to watch over Sherlock. That's still in-character for him, except that his voice is filled with as much worry as possible. And then he says please. Mycroft's the British Government. He's never needed to say please.
to:
** At the end of ''The Abominable Bride,'' he asks John to watch over Sherlock. That's still in-character for him, except that his voice is filled with as much worry as possible. And then he says please. Mycroft's the British Government. He's never needed to say please.
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Changed line(s) 67 (click to see context) from:
** At the end of ''The Abominable Bride,'' he asks John to watch over Sherlock. And he says please. Mycroft's the British Government. He has ''never'' said please in the entire series at this point.
to:
** At the end of ''The Abominable Bride,'' he asks John to watch over Sherlock. That's still in-character for him, except that his voice is filled with as much worry as possible. And then he says please. Mycroft's the British Government. He has ''never'' said please in the entire series at this point.He's never needed to say please.
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** At the end of ''The Abominable Bride,'' he asks John to watch over Sherlock. And he says please. Mycroft's the British Government. He has ''never'' said please in the entire series at this point.
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Changed line(s) 109,111 (click to see context) from:
* BlueBlood: She's an MP who presumably sits in the House of Lords.
** BeleagueredBureaucrat: MPs cannot sit in the house of Lords. As she is chairing an inquiry into press standards, she is not a minister in the Lords either. She is therefore a senior civil servant or a judge.
* TheChainsOfCommanding: [[spoiler: She's not particurarly thrilled to sign the order for Sherlock's exile, but does so anyway in the interests of "justice."]]
** BeleagueredBureaucrat: MPs cannot sit in the house of Lords. As she is chairing an inquiry into press standards, she is not a minister in the Lords either. She is therefore a senior civil servant or a judge.
* TheChainsOfCommanding: [[spoiler: She's not particurarly thrilled to sign the order for Sherlock's exile, but does so anyway in the interests of "justice."]]
to:
* BeleagueredBureaucrat: [[spoiler: She's not particurarly thrilled to sign the order for Sherlock's exile, but sees herself obliged to do so anyway.]]
* BlueBlood: She's
** BeleagueredBureaucrat: MPs cannot sit in the house of Lords. As she
* TheChainsOfCommanding: [[spoiler: She's not particurarly thrilled to sign the order for Sherlock's exile, but does so anyway in the interests of
Deleted line(s) 113 (click to see context) :
** WrongGenreSavvy: [[spoiler: Sherlock fails, and a freezeframe bonus reveals Lord Smallwood committed SUICIDE]].
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* MI6: It's implied one of her duties is to oversee British Intelligence, meaning she is technically Mycroft's superior.
to:
* MI6: SecretIntelligenceService: It's implied one of her duties is to oversee British Intelligence, meaning she is technically Mycroft's superior.
Changed line(s) 118 (click to see context) from:
* UngratefulBitch: [[spoiler: Signs an order for Sherlock to be sent on suicide mission for MI6, after he kills Magnussen, on Mycroft's behest. Although she notes it is "hardly merciful".]]
to:
* UngratefulBitch: UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler: Signs an order for Sherlock to be sent on suicide mission for MI6, after he kills Magnussen, on Mycroft's behest. Although she notes it is "hardly merciful".]]
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* WrongGenreSavvy: She's quick enough to go to Sherlock when Magnussen threatens her with blackmail of her husband, but [[spoiler: Sherlock fails, and a freezeframe bonus reveals Lord Smallwood committed SUICIDE.]]
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natter
Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
* AloofBigBrother: To Sherlock.
to:
* AloofBigBrother: To Sherlock.He prefers to keep his constant worrying over Sherlock unmentioned around him. He remarks to John that Sherlock believes them to be enemies; ''arch'' enemies in fact.
Deleted line(s) 16,21 (click to see context) :
* AmbiguouslyGay: If you take Sherlock's "queen" joke at face value. He does have a few of the traits.
-->'''John Watson:'''(wondering what they're doing in Buckingham Palace) Here to see the Queen?\\
(Mycroft walks in)\\
'''Sherlock Holmes:''' Oh, apparently yes.\\
(Sherlock and John giggle like children)
** Though this could be more towards the statement of Mycroft being the government.
-->'''John Watson:'''(wondering what they're doing in Buckingham Palace) Here to see the Queen?\\
(Mycroft walks in)\\
'''Sherlock Holmes:''' Oh, apparently yes.\\
(Sherlock and John giggle like children)
** Though this could be more towards the statement of Mycroft being the government.
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* BadassBureaucrat: Apparently he ''is'' the British government.
to:
* BadassBureaucrat: Apparently he He ''is'' the British government.
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-->''I worry about him. Constantly.''
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Removing word cruft
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* {{Expy}}: Gatiss' portrayal is pretty much based on the Creator/ChristopherLee Mycroft from ''Film/ThePrivateLifeOfSherlockHolmes'', WaistcoatOfStyle and all.
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* {{Expy}}: Gatiss' portrayal is pretty much based on the Creator/ChristopherLee Mycroft from ''Film/ThePrivateLifeOfSherlockHolmes'', WaistcoatOfStyle and all.
Changed line(s) 86 (click to see context) from:
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Will do just about anything in the interests of British national security (as well as keeping his little brother safe), up to and including assassinations.
to:
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Will do just about anything in the interests of British national security (as well as keeping his little brother safe), up to and including assassinations.
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Changed line(s) 39 (click to see context) from:
* {{Expy}}: Gatiss' portrayal is pretty much based on the Creator/ChristopherLee Mycroft from ThePrivateLifeOfSherlockHolmes WaistcoatOfStyle and all.
to:
* {{Expy}}: Gatiss' portrayal is pretty much based on the Creator/ChristopherLee Mycroft from ThePrivateLifeOfSherlockHolmes ''Film/ThePrivateLifeOfSherlockHolmes'', WaistcoatOfStyle and all.
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[[Characters/{{Sherlock}} Back to Sherlock Character Index]]
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Mycroft Holmes]]
!!Mycroft Holmes
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/holmes_mycroft_6528.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"All lives end. All hearts are broken. Caring is not an advantage, Sherlock."'']]
->'''Played By:''' Creator/MarkGatiss
Sherlock's older brother, who claims to be a minor government functionary. Sherlock, on the other hand, claims that he ''is'' the British government, and considering the number of pies Mycroft has his fingers in, he seems to be right.
----
* AlmightyJanitor: He claims his position in the British government is "minor"; we know he works for MI6 but it's not clear if he's the man in charge, or if he's just a high ranking operative.
* AloofBigBrother: To Sherlock.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: True to the books, he is smarter than Sherlock. In "The Empty Hearse," they reflect on how they thought Sherlock was stupid because, as children, they had no one to compare him to but Mycroft.
* AmbiguouslyGay: If you take Sherlock's "queen" joke at face value. He does have a few of the traits.
-->'''John Watson:'''(wondering what they're doing in Buckingham Palace) Here to see the Queen?\\
(Mycroft walks in)\\
'''Sherlock Holmes:''' Oh, apparently yes.\\
(Sherlock and John giggle like children)
** Though this could be more towards the statement of Mycroft being the government.
* AscendedExtra: Originally just a cameo, Mycroft is central to most of the happenings of Series 2.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Sherlock is his 'pressure point.'
--> '''Mycroft:''' Also, your loss would break my heart.
--> '''Sherlock:''' What the ''hell'' am I supposed to say to that?!
* BadassBookworm: Even smarter than Sherlock, as he himself acknowledges.
* BadassBureaucrat: Apparently he ''is'' the British government.
* BigBrotherBully: Probably unintentional, but still present. Sherlock thought he was 'the stupid one' and Mycroft apparently did too, Mycroft in Sherlock's mind palace sits above him and judges him in the courtroom, and his stories to Sherlock as a child were about unworthy children being plucked from the earth, of which Sherlock was one. In Sherlock's own words, "He was a rubbish big brother."
* BigBrotherInstinct: In a rare tie in with BigBrotherIsWatching. Apparently, when you're a shadowy government official, keeping tabs on your little brother involves kidnapping and bribery.
* BigBrotherIsWatching: Quite literally, in fact. Mycroft's command of seemingly every surveillance camera in London under the vague name of the "government".
* BigBrotherMentor: Sherlock pictures him in his Mind Palace when he needs help.
* BreakTheHaughty: Gets this twice throughout the series, due to his arrogance: [[spoiler: Driving Sherlock towards Irene results in an anti-terrorist plot being compromised in "A Scandal in Belgravia". In "His Last Vow" he refuses to deal with Magnussen. Also he rather carelessly leaves his laptop out in the open at his parents home, which Sherlock takes in an attempt to bargain with Magnussen. When the deal goes sour, Sherlock ends up killing Magnussen.]]
* BrilliantButLazy: Typical for the character, he can even outdo Sherlock when it comes to deductions, but he dislikes legwork.
%%* TheChessmaster
%%* DeadpanSnarker / GentlemanSnarker: Very much.
* DefrostingIceQueen: We get to see a more human side of Mycroft in Series 3, one who does such prosaic things as [[spoiler:play board games, lament "the horror" of having to take his parents to see a musical, and chide his mother for calling him "Mikey" and leaving potatoes on his state-secret-habouring laptop. He also admits to Sherlock that losing him would break his heart, and we're shown him seeing an imperiled Sherlock as a frightened little boy]].
* EmbarrassingNickname: Mrs. Holmes calls hims "Myc" much to his displeasure.
* EvilMentor: Not truly ''evil'' per se, but "The Sign of Three" suggests that a lot of Sherlock's mannerisms and habits are due to Mycroft's influence, subconsciously grilling him to be less emotional and more detached, whilst pushing him to find the answers.
* {{Expy}}: Gatiss' portrayal is pretty much based on the Creator/ChristopherLee Mycroft from ThePrivateLifeOfSherlockHolmes WaistcoatOfStyle and all.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Played for laughs in "The Empty Hearse". He begs Sherlock to take over sitting through [[spoiler:the Literature/LesMiserables musical]] with their parents.
-->'''Mycroft:''' But you don't understand the pain of it... the horror!
* FormerlyFat: Gatiss claims Mycroft was on a lot of yo-yo diets. This is a reference to the books, in which Mycroft was actually corpulent in the present tense.
** In "The Sign of Three", Sherlock phones him to find him out of breath, commenting that either he's caught him in a compromising position or he's been working out trying to lose weight.
* GenreSavvy: When John asks why Mycroft doesn't trust his own subordinates, Mycroft points out that they all spy on people for money. Which is ironic since he wanted Watson to spy on Sherlock for money.
* GoodIsNotNice: Devoted to queen, country, and little brother, but definitely not one of the angels.
* GuileHero: It comes with the territory of being a KnowledgeBroker and TheSpymaster.
* HeroicBSOD: Has had two so far. The first is when [[spoiler: Moriarty texts him to inform him his counter-terrorist enterprise has been compromised.]] The second is after [[spoiler: Sherlock shoots Magnussen.]]
* IAmTheNoun: Like his Doyle counterpart. Actually, he one-ups him in a few departments:
-->"He ''is'' the British government -- when he's not too busy being the British secret service or the CIA on a freelance basis."
* IceQueen: A true male example - Moriarty's code name for him is "The Iceman". Mycroft's feelings only extend to Sherlock's well-being; everyone else is expendable.
** Mycroft seems to only let himself feel any sort of attachment, however remote, to Sherlock and his immediate family. He even worries that Sherlock developing feelings for his small group of friends will leave him vulnerable. Mycroft even goes so far as to [[spoiler:remind Sherlock of his childhood pet having to be put down]] to warn him about the dangers of emotions, a lesson he himself has learned and mastered.
** Not to mention that Sherlock's "queen" joke [see AmbiguouslyGay above] combines with this to form a rather interesting pun.
* InstantExpert: He claims he learned Serbian in two hours. Sherlock mentions he's slipping, to which Mycroft replies it's because he's reached middle age.
* InsufferableGenius: In some ways even worse than his brother, as "The Empty Hearse" shows.
* IntelligenceEqualsIsolation: Unlike Sherlock who has John, Molly, Greg, and Mrs. Hudson as his friends, Mycroft has nobody except his brother, and that's rocky most of the time.
** Reinforced in "The Empty Hearse" by none other than Sherlock, who wonders what Mycroft did for two years without him and eventually forces Mycroft to say, "[[BlatantLies I'm not lonely, Sherlock.]]"
** In the same conversation, he comments that since he ''is'' smarter than Sherlock, he's a little envious since - while his brother lives in a world [[SurroundedByIdiots surrounded by idiots]] - Mycroft lives in a world surrounded by ''goldfish''.
* JustTheFirstCitizen: According to the world he "Occupies a minor position in the British Goverment" but is actually (according to Magnussen) the most powerful man in Great Britain.
* KickTheDog: Sherlock doesn't like it when people insult Mrs. Hudson, remember? Mycroft telling her to "shut up" wasn't the wisest idea. Also mentioning Redbeard to Sherlock.
** There was also his reaction when Anderson and his colleague overheard John mention Magnusson's name.
* TheKindnapper: To John, usually when he's concerned about Sherlock.
%%* KnightTemplarBigBrother
%% * KnowledgeBroker
* LonelyAtTheTop: He is seen sitting alone doing nothing on Christmas Eve in "A Scandal in Belgravia". Of course to him it may be a special luxury to do so. In fact he seems to prefer being alone.
* LoveIsAWeakness: Firmly believes that "caring is not an advantage".
** Ultimately played straight becuase Moriarty, Irene, and Magnussen all know that the best way to get to Mycroft is through his brother.
** He also loves his parents.
* ManChild: Not as much as Sherlock. But it's still there, being around his parents brings it out in him.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Subverted: it turns out he and Sherlock planned the fall and he deliberately leaked info about Sherlock to Moriarty.]]
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Magnussen has sensitive personal information on ''every'' important person in the Western World (and proably beyond that). He's seen blackmailing an MP and it's implied he's even blackmailing the '''Prime Minister'''. You'd think he'd want Magnussen out of the picture since he's a threat to British Security. But he does '''not''' want Sherlock to go after him in anyway at all, telling Sherlock "you go against Magnussen and you go against me."
** He even tells Anderson and his friend to forget that Sherlock even mentioned Magnussen or else he'll throw them both in jail. He even tries to threaten ''John'' (it doesn't work).
* ParentalSubstitute: Besides his "constant" worrying about Sherlock, it's made fairly clear in "Scandal" that Sherlock regards him as this:
-->'''Mycroft''': (pouring tea) I'll be "mother".
-->'''Sherlock''': And there's a whole childhood in a nutshell.
** In "His Last Vow", [[spoiler: after Sherlock kills Magnussen, Mycroft sees his brother as a scared little boy.]]
* PetTheDog: Regardless of how they interact, he does genuinely care for Sherlock, his parents, and respects Watson.
* SharpDressedMan: Always seen wearing fancy suits.
* SherlockScan: Even better at it than his brother. He figures out a case Sherlock was working on by briefly glancing at the cliff-notes! He also became fluent in Serbian in less than two hours, simply by listening to the locals.
* TheSociopath: Has even fewer emotions and less genuine feeling than Sherlock, but hasn't hit Moriarty levels, so far.
* TheSpymaster: According to Sherlock, he "is the British Government," in addition to a number of foreign agencies that Mycroft supposedly controls.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Surrounded by ''goldfish'', according to him.
* UngratefulBastard: In "His Last Vow". [[spoiler: Sherlock has killed Magnussen. Instead of pardoning Sherlock, or hushing the whole thing up, he sends him on 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 realize how much they need Sherlock.]]
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: He gave Sherlock's life story to Moriarty (who he knows is dangerously obsessed with his brother) in exchange for something that, it turns out, never existed in the first place. Whoops.]]
** Subverted. [[spoiler: If Sherlock is to be believed, it was Moriarty and not Mycroft or Sherlock who was the UnwittingPawn all along.]]
%%* WaistcoatOfStyle
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Will do just about anything in the interests of British national security (as well as keeping his little brother safe), up to and including assassinations.
** 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: "Anthea"]]
!!"Anthea"
->'''Played By:''' Lisa [=McAllister=]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anthea_1032.jpg]]
Mycroft's personal assistant, almost always seen texting on her phone.
----
* CommutingOnABus: Shows up in "A Study in Pink", then doesn't come back until "The Empty Hearse".
* DropInCharacter: Has only a couple lines in the first episode of Season 1 and has an even shorter appearance in the first episode of Season 3 when she hands Sherlock his trademark coat.
* GirlFriday: To Mycroft.
* NoNameGiven: Her name is never given; she introduces herself to John in "A Study in Pink" as "Anthea", but cheerfully admits that it isn't her real name.
** AllThereInTheManual: The script for "A Study in Pink" that comes with the LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition of series 1-3 reveals her first name to be "Andrea".
* PhoneaholicTeenager: Though not a teenager, she is almost always seen texting.
* SexySecretary: Mycroft's.
* ShoutOut: A bit of an obscure one: this isn't the first show based on ''SherlockHolmes'' to feature a [[spoiler: government employee]] whose fake name is Anthea. ''JonathanCreek'' originated it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lady Smallwood]]
!!Lady Smallwood
->'''Played By:''' Lindsay Duncan
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sherlocksmallwood_9495.jpg]]
A member of the British Parliament who is being blackmailed by Magnussen (just like everyone else). Unlike everyone else, she figures out a way to fight back--by calling Sherlock Holmes.
----
* BlueBlood: She's an MP who presumably sits in the House of Lords.
** BeleagueredBureaucrat: MPs cannot sit in the house of Lords. As she is chairing an inquiry into press standards, she is not a minister in the Lords either. She is therefore a senior civil servant or a judge.
* TheChainsOfCommanding: [[spoiler: She's not particurarly thrilled to sign the order for Sherlock's exile, but does so anyway in the interests of "justice."]]
* GenreSavvy: When Magnussen threatens her with blackmail of her husband to stop a government investigation against him, her solution is to go to Sherlock.
** WrongGenreSavvy: [[spoiler: Sherlock fails, and a freezeframe bonus reveals Lord Smallwood committed SUICIDE]].
* IronLady: Absolutely '''refuses''' to let Magnussen walk over her or her husband.
--> "You do '''not''' own me!"
* MI6: It's implied one of her duties is to oversee British Intelligence, meaning she is technically Mycroft's superior.
* TheStoic: Keeps her cool, during her episode with Magnussen.
* UngratefulBitch: [[spoiler: Signs an order for Sherlock to be sent on suicide mission for MI6, after he kills Magnussen, on Mycroft's behest. Although she notes it is "hardly merciful".]]
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Asking Sherlock to bring down Magnussen sets off a chain of events that [[spoiler: lead to Magnussen being murdered by Sherlock, and nearly exiled stopped only by Moriarty's "resurrection".]]
[[/folder]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Mycroft Holmes]]
!!Mycroft Holmes
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/holmes_mycroft_6528.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"All lives end. All hearts are broken. Caring is not an advantage, Sherlock."'']]
->'''Played By:''' Creator/MarkGatiss
Sherlock's older brother, who claims to be a minor government functionary. Sherlock, on the other hand, claims that he ''is'' the British government, and considering the number of pies Mycroft has his fingers in, he seems to be right.
----
* AlmightyJanitor: He claims his position in the British government is "minor"; we know he works for MI6 but it's not clear if he's the man in charge, or if he's just a high ranking operative.
* AloofBigBrother: To Sherlock.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: True to the books, he is smarter than Sherlock. In "The Empty Hearse," they reflect on how they thought Sherlock was stupid because, as children, they had no one to compare him to but Mycroft.
* AmbiguouslyGay: If you take Sherlock's "queen" joke at face value. He does have a few of the traits.
-->'''John Watson:'''(wondering what they're doing in Buckingham Palace) Here to see the Queen?\\
(Mycroft walks in)\\
'''Sherlock Holmes:''' Oh, apparently yes.\\
(Sherlock and John giggle like children)
** Though this could be more towards the statement of Mycroft being the government.
* AscendedExtra: Originally just a cameo, Mycroft is central to most of the happenings of Series 2.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Sherlock is his 'pressure point.'
--> '''Mycroft:''' Also, your loss would break my heart.
--> '''Sherlock:''' What the ''hell'' am I supposed to say to that?!
* BadassBookworm: Even smarter than Sherlock, as he himself acknowledges.
* BadassBureaucrat: Apparently he ''is'' the British government.
* BigBrotherBully: Probably unintentional, but still present. Sherlock thought he was 'the stupid one' and Mycroft apparently did too, Mycroft in Sherlock's mind palace sits above him and judges him in the courtroom, and his stories to Sherlock as a child were about unworthy children being plucked from the earth, of which Sherlock was one. In Sherlock's own words, "He was a rubbish big brother."
* BigBrotherInstinct: In a rare tie in with BigBrotherIsWatching. Apparently, when you're a shadowy government official, keeping tabs on your little brother involves kidnapping and bribery.
* BigBrotherIsWatching: Quite literally, in fact. Mycroft's command of seemingly every surveillance camera in London under the vague name of the "government".
* BigBrotherMentor: Sherlock pictures him in his Mind Palace when he needs help.
* BreakTheHaughty: Gets this twice throughout the series, due to his arrogance: [[spoiler: Driving Sherlock towards Irene results in an anti-terrorist plot being compromised in "A Scandal in Belgravia". In "His Last Vow" he refuses to deal with Magnussen. Also he rather carelessly leaves his laptop out in the open at his parents home, which Sherlock takes in an attempt to bargain with Magnussen. When the deal goes sour, Sherlock ends up killing Magnussen.]]
* BrilliantButLazy: Typical for the character, he can even outdo Sherlock when it comes to deductions, but he dislikes legwork.
%%* TheChessmaster
%%* DeadpanSnarker / GentlemanSnarker: Very much.
* DefrostingIceQueen: We get to see a more human side of Mycroft in Series 3, one who does such prosaic things as [[spoiler:play board games, lament "the horror" of having to take his parents to see a musical, and chide his mother for calling him "Mikey" and leaving potatoes on his state-secret-habouring laptop. He also admits to Sherlock that losing him would break his heart, and we're shown him seeing an imperiled Sherlock as a frightened little boy]].
* EmbarrassingNickname: Mrs. Holmes calls hims "Myc" much to his displeasure.
* EvilMentor: Not truly ''evil'' per se, but "The Sign of Three" suggests that a lot of Sherlock's mannerisms and habits are due to Mycroft's influence, subconsciously grilling him to be less emotional and more detached, whilst pushing him to find the answers.
* {{Expy}}: Gatiss' portrayal is pretty much based on the Creator/ChristopherLee Mycroft from ThePrivateLifeOfSherlockHolmes WaistcoatOfStyle and all.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Played for laughs in "The Empty Hearse". He begs Sherlock to take over sitting through [[spoiler:the Literature/LesMiserables musical]] with their parents.
-->'''Mycroft:''' But you don't understand the pain of it... the horror!
* FormerlyFat: Gatiss claims Mycroft was on a lot of yo-yo diets. This is a reference to the books, in which Mycroft was actually corpulent in the present tense.
** In "The Sign of Three", Sherlock phones him to find him out of breath, commenting that either he's caught him in a compromising position or he's been working out trying to lose weight.
* GenreSavvy: When John asks why Mycroft doesn't trust his own subordinates, Mycroft points out that they all spy on people for money. Which is ironic since he wanted Watson to spy on Sherlock for money.
* GoodIsNotNice: Devoted to queen, country, and little brother, but definitely not one of the angels.
* GuileHero: It comes with the territory of being a KnowledgeBroker and TheSpymaster.
* HeroicBSOD: Has had two so far. The first is when [[spoiler: Moriarty texts him to inform him his counter-terrorist enterprise has been compromised.]] The second is after [[spoiler: Sherlock shoots Magnussen.]]
* IAmTheNoun: Like his Doyle counterpart. Actually, he one-ups him in a few departments:
-->"He ''is'' the British government -- when he's not too busy being the British secret service or the CIA on a freelance basis."
* IceQueen: A true male example - Moriarty's code name for him is "The Iceman". Mycroft's feelings only extend to Sherlock's well-being; everyone else is expendable.
** Mycroft seems to only let himself feel any sort of attachment, however remote, to Sherlock and his immediate family. He even worries that Sherlock developing feelings for his small group of friends will leave him vulnerable. Mycroft even goes so far as to [[spoiler:remind Sherlock of his childhood pet having to be put down]] to warn him about the dangers of emotions, a lesson he himself has learned and mastered.
** Not to mention that Sherlock's "queen" joke [see AmbiguouslyGay above] combines with this to form a rather interesting pun.
* InstantExpert: He claims he learned Serbian in two hours. Sherlock mentions he's slipping, to which Mycroft replies it's because he's reached middle age.
* InsufferableGenius: In some ways even worse than his brother, as "The Empty Hearse" shows.
* IntelligenceEqualsIsolation: Unlike Sherlock who has John, Molly, Greg, and Mrs. Hudson as his friends, Mycroft has nobody except his brother, and that's rocky most of the time.
** Reinforced in "The Empty Hearse" by none other than Sherlock, who wonders what Mycroft did for two years without him and eventually forces Mycroft to say, "[[BlatantLies I'm not lonely, Sherlock.]]"
** In the same conversation, he comments that since he ''is'' smarter than Sherlock, he's a little envious since - while his brother lives in a world [[SurroundedByIdiots surrounded by idiots]] - Mycroft lives in a world surrounded by ''goldfish''.
* JustTheFirstCitizen: According to the world he "Occupies a minor position in the British Goverment" but is actually (according to Magnussen) the most powerful man in Great Britain.
* KickTheDog: Sherlock doesn't like it when people insult Mrs. Hudson, remember? Mycroft telling her to "shut up" wasn't the wisest idea. Also mentioning Redbeard to Sherlock.
** There was also his reaction when Anderson and his colleague overheard John mention Magnusson's name.
* TheKindnapper: To John, usually when he's concerned about Sherlock.
%%* KnightTemplarBigBrother
%% * KnowledgeBroker
* LonelyAtTheTop: He is seen sitting alone doing nothing on Christmas Eve in "A Scandal in Belgravia". Of course to him it may be a special luxury to do so. In fact he seems to prefer being alone.
* LoveIsAWeakness: Firmly believes that "caring is not an advantage".
** Ultimately played straight becuase Moriarty, Irene, and Magnussen all know that the best way to get to Mycroft is through his brother.
** He also loves his parents.
* ManChild: Not as much as Sherlock. But it's still there, being around his parents brings it out in him.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Subverted: it turns out he and Sherlock planned the fall and he deliberately leaked info about Sherlock to Moriarty.]]
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Magnussen has sensitive personal information on ''every'' important person in the Western World (and proably beyond that). He's seen blackmailing an MP and it's implied he's even blackmailing the '''Prime Minister'''. You'd think he'd want Magnussen out of the picture since he's a threat to British Security. But he does '''not''' want Sherlock to go after him in anyway at all, telling Sherlock "you go against Magnussen and you go against me."
** He even tells Anderson and his friend to forget that Sherlock even mentioned Magnussen or else he'll throw them both in jail. He even tries to threaten ''John'' (it doesn't work).
* ParentalSubstitute: Besides his "constant" worrying about Sherlock, it's made fairly clear in "Scandal" that Sherlock regards him as this:
-->'''Mycroft''': (pouring tea) I'll be "mother".
-->'''Sherlock''': And there's a whole childhood in a nutshell.
** In "His Last Vow", [[spoiler: after Sherlock kills Magnussen, Mycroft sees his brother as a scared little boy.]]
* PetTheDog: Regardless of how they interact, he does genuinely care for Sherlock, his parents, and respects Watson.
* SharpDressedMan: Always seen wearing fancy suits.
* SherlockScan: Even better at it than his brother. He figures out a case Sherlock was working on by briefly glancing at the cliff-notes! He also became fluent in Serbian in less than two hours, simply by listening to the locals.
* TheSociopath: Has even fewer emotions and less genuine feeling than Sherlock, but hasn't hit Moriarty levels, so far.
* TheSpymaster: According to Sherlock, he "is the British Government," in addition to a number of foreign agencies that Mycroft supposedly controls.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Surrounded by ''goldfish'', according to him.
* UngratefulBastard: In "His Last Vow". [[spoiler: Sherlock has killed Magnussen. Instead of pardoning Sherlock, or hushing the whole thing up, he sends him on 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 realize how much they need Sherlock.]]
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: He gave Sherlock's life story to Moriarty (who he knows is dangerously obsessed with his brother) in exchange for something that, it turns out, never existed in the first place. Whoops.]]
** Subverted. [[spoiler: If Sherlock is to be believed, it was Moriarty and not Mycroft or Sherlock who was the UnwittingPawn all along.]]
%%* WaistcoatOfStyle
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Will do just about anything in the interests of British national security (as well as keeping his little brother safe), up to and including assassinations.
** 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: "Anthea"]]
!!"Anthea"
->'''Played By:''' Lisa [=McAllister=]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anthea_1032.jpg]]
Mycroft's personal assistant, almost always seen texting on her phone.
----
* CommutingOnABus: Shows up in "A Study in Pink", then doesn't come back until "The Empty Hearse".
* DropInCharacter: Has only a couple lines in the first episode of Season 1 and has an even shorter appearance in the first episode of Season 3 when she hands Sherlock his trademark coat.
* GirlFriday: To Mycroft.
* NoNameGiven: Her name is never given; she introduces herself to John in "A Study in Pink" as "Anthea", but cheerfully admits that it isn't her real name.
** AllThereInTheManual: The script for "A Study in Pink" that comes with the LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition of series 1-3 reveals her first name to be "Andrea".
* PhoneaholicTeenager: Though not a teenager, she is almost always seen texting.
* SexySecretary: Mycroft's.
* ShoutOut: A bit of an obscure one: this isn't the first show based on ''SherlockHolmes'' to feature a [[spoiler: government employee]] whose fake name is Anthea. ''JonathanCreek'' originated it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lady Smallwood]]
!!Lady Smallwood
->'''Played By:''' Lindsay Duncan
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sherlocksmallwood_9495.jpg]]
A member of the British Parliament who is being blackmailed by Magnussen (just like everyone else). Unlike everyone else, she figures out a way to fight back--by calling Sherlock Holmes.
----
* BlueBlood: She's an MP who presumably sits in the House of Lords.
** BeleagueredBureaucrat: MPs cannot sit in the house of Lords. As she is chairing an inquiry into press standards, she is not a minister in the Lords either. She is therefore a senior civil servant or a judge.
* TheChainsOfCommanding: [[spoiler: She's not particurarly thrilled to sign the order for Sherlock's exile, but does so anyway in the interests of "justice."]]
* GenreSavvy: When Magnussen threatens her with blackmail of her husband to stop a government investigation against him, her solution is to go to Sherlock.
** WrongGenreSavvy: [[spoiler: Sherlock fails, and a freezeframe bonus reveals Lord Smallwood committed SUICIDE]].
* IronLady: Absolutely '''refuses''' to let Magnussen walk over her or her husband.
--> "You do '''not''' own me!"
* MI6: It's implied one of her duties is to oversee British Intelligence, meaning she is technically Mycroft's superior.
* TheStoic: Keeps her cool, during her episode with Magnussen.
* UngratefulBitch: [[spoiler: Signs an order for Sherlock to be sent on suicide mission for MI6, after he kills Magnussen, on Mycroft's behest. Although she notes it is "hardly merciful".]]
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Asking Sherlock to bring down Magnussen sets off a chain of events that [[spoiler: lead to Magnussen being murdered by Sherlock, and nearly exiled stopped only by Moriarty's "resurrection".]]
[[/folder]]
----
