Page 2: 10 ‘Sherlock’ moments you missed because you don’t read the books
“‘You have done all the work in this business. I get a wife out of it, Jones gets the credit, pray what remains for you?’
‘For me,” said Sherlock Holmes, “there still remains the cocaine bottle.'”
– Arthur Conan Doyle, ‘The Sign of Four’
Here we are again – another example of poor old John Watson falling foul of Arthur Conan Doyle’s memory sieve. Last August, when speculating about the source material for Sherlock series 3 (by the way we definitely have two of our predictions right, with the jury still out on the third – but who’s counting?), we pointed out how ambiguous the good doctor’s relationships are. Some fans and academics have even trawled the manuscripts and found the potential for up to SIX wives. The first of those is Mary Morstan, who we will soon be meeting in season 3, episode 1 “The Empty Hearse,” but Doyle mentions others falling ill or breaking up with Watson.
The Sherlock writers poke plenty of fun at this with Martin Freeman’s string of girlfriends (the always astute Sherlock can’t remember their names), and the tabloids calling him a “bachelor.” It looks like John is finally settling down as we join him and his moustache early next year, but these fun little jests were great while they lasted.
“Mycroft Holmes was a much larger and stouter man than Sherlock. His body was absolutely corpulent, but his face, though massive, had preserved something of the sharpness of expression which was so remarkable in that of his brother. His eyes, which were of a peculiarly light, watery gray, seemed to always retain that faraway, introspective look which I had only observed in Sherlock’s when he was exerting his full powers.”
Article Continues Below
– Arthur Conan Doyle, The Greek Interpreter
In the source material, Sherlock’s elusive brother Mycroft is described as a large and stout man. When it came to the BBC series, the writers encountered an obvious problem – Mark Gatiss is neither large nor stout. However, being the hardcore Holmes fans that they are, Mofftiss (that’s what the Tumblr fangirls call them, anyway) didn’t want to just completely ignore this important character trait of Sherlock’s brother.
So, they invented the genius idea of Mycroft’s weight constantly yo-yoing. When we meet him in season 1, episode 1 “A Study in Pink,” the other Holmes is on another diet. Sherlock asks if he’s putting on weight again, but Mycroft insists he’s “losing it, in fact.” The idea that we only ever see the older Holmes when he’s doing well on the weight scale is a great way to avoid Gatiss having to pile on the pounds to play the part, and presents a fun mental image of the writer/actor when the cameras stop rolling.
“Opening it hurriedly, out there jumped five little dried orange pips, which pattered down upon his plate. I began to laugh at this, but the laugh was struck from my lips at the sight of his face. His lip had fallen, his eyes were protruding, his skin the colour of putty, and he glared at the envelope which he still held in his trembling hand, ‘K. K. K.!’ he shrieked, and then, ‘My God, my God, my sins have overtaken me!'”
– Arthur Conan Doyle, The Five Orange Pips
In season 1, episode 3 “The Great Game,” Andrew Scott’s terrifying Jim Moriarty lends a dark sense of foreboding to the episode before we’ve even met him. By toying with our favourite consulting detective, the yin to Sherlock’s yang also gives a creepy reference to one of the Holmes canon’s lesser-known adventures.
The five beeps that precede each puzzle are directly lifted from the titular Five Orange Pips. Though we’ll probably never see this particular adventure on screen (the links to the Ku Klux Klan provide incredibly sensitive material), the scary use of the “pips” in the series 1 finale is a chilling way to pay homage to Arthur Conan Doyle’s seventh favourite Holmes story.
“It is the unofficial force – the Baker Street irregulars.”
– Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of Four
The homeless network is only seen once in Sherlock, helping Cumberbatch’s detective foil Moriarty in the third episode (though they are mentioned again in “The Reichenbach Fall”). Their appearance is fleeting, but crucial to the plot. And their Victorian counterparts were just as important in A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four, where they appeared as the Baker Street irregulars.
This gang of street urchins popped up in Watson’s journals from time to time, and he always described them with the same sense of bewilderment and shock. Fronted by a character called Wiggins, the irregulars were paid a shilling a day (plus expenses) for their work, and Sherlock (channeling Fagin from Oliver Twist it seems) would also give a guinea for vital clues. It’s understandable that the makers of the show wanted to avoid the irregulars – exploiting homeless child labour isn’t exactly a ratings winner. But the homeless network is a nice homage to everyone’s favourite street urchins.
“Have you tried to draw a harpoon through a body? No? Tut, tut, my dear sir, you must really pay attention to these details. My friend Watson could tell you that I spent a whole morning in that exercise. It is no easy matter, and requires a strong and practiced arm.”
– Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of Black Peter
It was a hilarious and captivating way to start season 2, episode 2 “The Hounds of Baskerville,” and Sherlock entering 221B covered in blood and holding a harpoon before declaring “That was tedious!” sets the tone for the rest of the Gothic episode. Though this little skit works well as a black comedy opening, it’s also a nod to one of Sherlock Holmes’ hidden gems of an adventure.
When young police inspector Stanley Hopkins approaches the great detective with a grisly murder in The Adventure of Black Peter, the sleuth instantly recognises that the choice of murder weapon – a harpoon – is crucial in solving the case. We don’t want to ruin the plot for you, but let’s just say that harpooning a pig leads to the Baker Street Boys cracking the puzzle. Though it lasts no more than a minute, this little scene provides Doyleites with just enough nostalgia to know we’re in for another great ride.
So, there you have it! A list of moments from our beloved TV show that you’ll only really understand if you’ve read Arthur Conan Doyle’s repertoire of novels (or you’re lazy and know how to use a search engine). We hope you liked this list, and who knows? Maybe you’ll be inspired to pick up the books to help you through these last moments in the run up to Sherlock series 3. If you’ve already read them, you should by now be feeling suitably smug – and please feel free to mention any nods to canon we didn’t include.
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.