Sherlock series 3 continued last night, and to celebrate, the Hypable staff have picked their favorite moments from “The Sign of Three.”
Sherlock is only on air for about two weeks every two years, so when we do get these concentrated bursts of brilliance, it’s important to enjoy every second of it that we can! To help you relish this short but sweet broadcast window, Hypable writers Harri Sargeant and Marama Whyte have selected their 10 favorite moments from “The Sign of Three” in the second of a series of Sherlock articles, accompanied by GIFs made by writer Tariq Kyle. Check them out below, and make sure you share your faves in the comments below!
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Poor Greg Lestrade has always been one of the unsung heroes of Sherlock. He is constantly the third wheel to the Sherlock and John bromance, he manages to put up with Sherlock’s strangeness, and he is generally the last to know absolutely anything. The opening sequence of “The Sign of Three” was pure Lestrade gold. The growing frustration, the yelling, the kicking, oh Lestrade. But it also set up the rest of the episode, which was decidedly focused on Sherlock’s character, rather than a case of the week. This scene perfectly demonstrated this change – the audience is taken from what could be the new case to Sherlock, as he copes with the best man duties that will occupy him for the remainder of the episode. Of course the reveal that Sherlock was not really in danger was fairly predictable for the audience, but once again poor Lestrade didn’t see it coming. While Lestrade really should know better by now, the way he dropped absolutely everything to go to Sherlock’s aid showed just how much he valued his friend. – Marama Whyte  |
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It’s sometimes easy to forget that John was a soldier when he’s dealing with awkward ailments and chasing around after the great detective. “The Sign of Three” was a nice throwback to Martin Freeman’s character’s long and illustrious career in the forces. It was nice too, to see the effect he had on James Sholto, showing the difference John has made for people in all kinds of different situations. And Sherlock’s discussion with Sholto, where he convinced John’s former superior to stay alive for his wedding day was touching proof of this. Of course, we also had the obligatory “pulling rank” while investigating the mysterious murder of the Queen’s Guard – a fun throwback to “The Hounds of Baskerville” – proof that though he may have retired, John will always be a noted and respected man of honour. – Harri Sargeant  |
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She’s become a regular mainstay in our favourite moments of every episode, but the subtlety and realism that Louise Brealey’s brilliant portrayal brings makes Molly an unforgettable character in a sea of memorable ones. The small glimpses into her speculation with Mrs. Hudson and Greg Lestrade were a nice touch, as we so rarely see her interact with anyone other than Sherlock. It was great to see a bit more of Tom too, and Molly’s embarrassed hushing of him while he tried to turn his hand to solving the case is evidence that high functioning socio-paths have sort of become her type. Though they looked genuinely happy together while dancing at the episode’s close, we can’t help but feel the relationship is only temporary. It’s anyone’s guess what’s next for the only regular character not created by Arthur Conan Doyle, but with the constant references to her love life we can’t help but feel their could be another spark on the horizon for the Sherlolly shippers out there. – Harri Sargeant  |
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The end of “The Sign of Three” might not be to everyone’s taste, but it made sense for this slightly bizarre episode. Not only does this send a twist into our story, but the idea that Sherlock makes deductions everywhere he looks without intending to is endlessly fascinating. The reveal was set up from the beginning, when Sherlock made one too many deductions about a possible date for Mary’s bridesmaid. And like all good mysteries, the signs were there throughout the episode, but as always, Sherlock was the only one who noticed them. The fact that Sherlock was the one to recognize this pregnancy seems somehow fitting for this odd trio. Neither Sherlock nor John may have believed that a wedding would change their friendship, but there is no question that a baby will. And so our detective boys face another challenge going into the season 3 finale, “His Last Vow.” Marama Whyte  |
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It is no secret that Sherlock is one of the most visually stunning television shows, but season 3 has really stepped it up a notch. The structure of this episode meant that there was a heavy reliance on flashbacks, and one of the flashbacks we enjoyed most was Sherlock interviewing the women who had been involved with the “Mayfly Man.” And that’s not to mention the beautiful interpretation of the wedding photos. A show like Sherlock that is so closely tied to a single man’s thought process does face the obstacle of becoming repetitive. The constantly changing visuals are one way that the writers and directors keep us involved and interested, and in such a character-focused episode as this one, they were critical. Plus, being inside Sherlock’s head has other benefits – like another appearance by Mycroft (this time sans workout clothes), and a surprising cameo from The Woman – Irene Adler. We wonder just how much time Irene usually occupies in Sherlock’s mind. – Marama Whyte  |
On page 2:
That stag night, an awkward silence, and Sherlock the wedding planner
Page 2: ‘Sherlock’ Series 3: Our 10 favrite moments of ‘The Sign of Three’
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Of course, this is a bit of a cheat as Sherlock’s best man’s speech was essentially the framing device for the whole episode. Bless him, though he’s an incredibly perceptive genius, Sherlock does drone on a bit, doesn’t he? We can forgive him though, because the speech just has so much to love. It was at times hilarious, at times awkward, and often (surprisingly) touching. As the second episode in the show’s run from the great detective’s perspective rather than his best friend’s, the speech delves deeper into his psyche than we’ve ever seen before. From the bumbling and mumbling as he tries to begin, to the frantic recounting of cases past (the elephant in the room being a personal highlight), the speech really did have a bit of everything. Of course though, EVERYONE’S favourite part was when he let down his defenses and delivered a beautiful, heart-warming tribute to the happy couple. The speech gave a unique opportunity to peel back the mysterious and reserved layers he often disguises himself in when out on a case. – Harri Sargeant  |
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After “The Empty Hearse” we waxed lyrical about our love for the new Mrs. Watson, and following “The Sign of Three” this has not changed at all. In fact, the marvelous Mary Morstan has only become more and more fabulous. Mary continued to display no jealousy or insecurities over Sherlock and John’s friendship, instead she encourages it. Her growing attachment to Sherlock is a wonderful new addition to Sherlock season 3. She seems completely at ease with the strange detective, as seen when she teases him during the reception for being very clearly jealous over John’s friendship with his commanding officer. She also puts his skills to good use, especially during the flashbacks when she quizzes him over where to seat the guests. And in the end, Mary might understand Sherlock even more than John does. She is the one who recognizes just how difficult this for Sherlock, who helps John to help him. In the end, what can we say. We just love Mary. – Marama Whyte  |
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Well, almost. But once he managed to understand exactly what (and who) John meant when he talked about the best man – and after some very rapid blinking – Sherlock does seem to take his best man duties very seriously. Given the nature of the task, it isn’t surprising that there were some obstacles here for Sherlock to overcome, but his dedication to the task was somewhat surprising. We got to see the humorous, like Sherlock’s vetting and instructing the wedding party on their required duties (someone should probably keep an eye on that kid though). And we also saw the emotional, like Sherlock’s surprisingly touching speech about John and Mary. And who knew he had those killer origami skills? Sherlock’s new duties also demonstrated the growing friendship between Mary and Sherlock, one that we are eager to see more of. And unsurprisingly in a show called Sherlock, the wedding was more about Sherlock than it was about the bride and the groom, but it was no less enjoyable because of it. – Marama Whyte  |
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Though actually a fairly brief sequence, John’s stag night could have easily filled an hour and a half by itself. As Sherlock tried to calculate the exact amount of alcohol they would have had to consume across very specific time frames, John had the odd secret shot and eventually inadvertently spiked his best man. What followed was perhaps the most hilarious run of scenes we’ve ever seen from the show, as a sequence of highlights sent us on a whirlwind so fast and surreal that afterwards, we felt like we had a hangover ourselves. The Baker Street name game and Sherlock’s unfortunate stomach voiding on a client’s carpet were both so funny. However, for us, there was one standout. As the super sleuth drunkenly tried to deduce the evidence of the crime scene before him, his typical precise calculations were replaced by bizarre ramblings. Who doesn’t want an Egg-Chair-Sitty-Thing in their living room now? – Harri Sargeant  |
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He’s never been the most socially aware gentleman in the world, so there were no surprises that Sherlock couldn’t comprehend that John was asking him to be his best man. As we discussed above, he eventually excelled in the role, making origami Sydney Opera Houses at lightning speed and composing a beautiful Waltz for the happy couple’s first dance. However, the long awkward silence immediately following the proposition was television gold. We heard everything the great detective meant to say via his speech, but all John got was a lengthy puzzled look. It’s rare we see Sherlock lost for words, so this silence was a testament to just how much he dreaded the social interactions and responsibility required for the role. Then again, the fact that he put himself through such momentous personal pressure shows just how much he really cares for John. – Harri Sargeant  |