A strange man shows up at the precinct. He calls himself "the knight", and claims to have killed "the queen". He takes off his coat, revealing a shotgun. The police point their guns at him and order him to step away from the shotgun. Sherlock offers some help, only for the scene to cut to a courtroom. He is asked how this relates to Bell's shooting, before he tells them to be patient. Sherlock continues his story where he tells them about how he told "the knight" that his scarf is a lady's favor and he must give it up. When he tries to, the police tackle him. Gregson begins describing Sherlock as a "noble bastion of justice".
The scene goes back to the courtroom when the judge states that he has known Gregson for years and that he does not talk like that. Back to the investigation the man is being interrogated. The man is Silas Cole and he is a schizophrenic. Still caught up in his delusions, he claims he is guilty but Sherlock is not so sure.
Tropes:
- Asshole Victim: James Dylan is a sleazeball who works for a company offering predatory loans to terminally ill patients and who has a history of violence having been convicted of breaking someone's legs in a bar fight. His alibi is even that he was at a bar in violation of his parole at the time of the murder. So when Holmes steals his phone and uses it to blackmail him for information about the victim by threatening to reveal his criminal history to his employers it comes across as better than if he had done it to most people. Eventually Deconstructed, when James confronts Sherlock and Bell revealing that he lost his job and has his parole revoked after his coworkers overheard his interrogation. Sherlock continuing to antagonize and dismiss him at that point leads to James trying to shoot Sherlock and Bell being shot in the stomach causing an injury that might end his career. Watson points out that if Sherlock had not viewed James Dylan as an acceptable target he might have been more careful not to ruin his life while interrogating him or even just not acted as callous towards him during the final confrontation. Essentially even if James Dylan was an asshole treating it like that makes it okay for him to be victimized was wrong.
- Bullying a Dragon: Holmes doing this by repeatedly antagonizing Dylan is what causes Bell to get shot.
- Courtroom Episode: Holmes and Watson are under review, their role in the NYPD at risk when his methods get Bell shot.
- Foreshadowing: In "Risk Management," Gregson warns Joan about Sherlock, telling her that he "walks between the raindrops." Meaning that while he manages to safely maneuver through a dangerous world, the people around him aren't always so lucky. Sooner or later, someone in Sherlock's circle is going to get seriously hurt, or worse. In this episode it finally happens but to Bell, not Joan.
- Double-Meaning Title: The title Tremors figuratively refers to Holmes and Watson dealing with the rippling consequences of one of their investigations and the literal tremors in Bell’s hand as he struggles to move it which throw doubt on if he will ever regain use of the limb after this episode.
- Funny Schizophrenia: Strongly averted with Silas Cole whose condition is taken seriously and not played for laughs in any way. Sherlock quickly works out the pattern of his delusion and uses his own knowledge of Middle Ages chivalry to talk Cole down.
- Insane Equals Violent: Silas Cole walks into the precinct with a shotgun claiming he killed "the queen" which leads the police to assume he's the murderer. The investigation into Rada Hollingsworth's death reveals that while Cole is troubled his delusions are such that he wouldn't have killed her by shooting her heart. Further discoveries confirm that her doctor killed her to cover up his bungled treatment of her heart condition and framed Cole for the murder.
- The Lady's Favour: Sherlock spots a scarf on Silas Cole's wrist that Cole confirms is meant to be a favor from his girlfriend, all part of his delusion that he's a Medieval knight.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Sherlock is absolutely devastated that his actions caused Bell to be shot.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: This episode illustrates the consequences of Sherlock's antics finally catching up to him. A suspect pushed too far by Sherlock's antagonism tries to kill him. Bell suffers a career-threatening injury as a result and (temporarily) ends his friendship with Sherlock, and Holmes and Watson are dragged before a committee to answer for their less-than-legal methods that led to said injury.
- Taking the Bullet: Bell throws himself between Dylan and Sherlock when Dylan starts shooting, saving Sherlock but getting seriously wounded. Bell survives, but the trauma from this leads to him ending his friendship with Holmes for a spell.
- Too Dumb to Live: Yes, Sherlock. Continue to antagonize, harass, and taunt the obviously unstable man whose life, unsavory as it might have been, you have just ruined. It's not like he's going to take potshot at you or anything.
- Unreliable Narrator: As Holmes is on the witness stand, his recounts of his case is from his perspective. Some details are very exaggerated.
- We Used to Be Friends: This is Bell's attitude toward Holmes after Holmes accidentally gets him shot. They eventually reconcile, though.
- Wham Shot: During the first act we learn that an officer was injured in the line of duty as part of Sherlock's investigation and his injuries are possibly life threatening. It's only at the end of the first act when Watson goes to visit the injured officer that the audience discovers it is Detective Bell.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Watson and Gregson frequently talk to Sherlock about his bad behavior and his ego. His attitude is catastrophic, probably causing permanent damage in Bell's arm thanks to a bullet and getting himself and Watson fired from the NYPD until Bell himself decides to make an intervention. However, Holmes' relationship with Bell also took a hit.
