# Questions about Sherlock S3E1 (open spoilers) \[US\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536 "2014-01-23T17:33:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/21 "2014-01-23T21:29:39Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Here’s one for you: The name of the abandoned tube station, Sumatra Road, is an allusion to “The Giant Rat of Sumatra”, which is one of Holmes’s adventures that Watson mentions, but which is never detailed. > > Also, yay for this thread! It’s been bothering me that I can’t look at the Season 3 thread because there’s no way to tell where I’d hit spoilers. :mad: More than that, “Sumatra Road” is mentioned just after Holmes refers to his “rats” (the people Holmes was watching to detect changes in their behavior), and in particular, calls Moran the “biggest rat.” ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/22 "2014-01-23T22:18:44Z")
Ah yes–I knew there was some sort of reference to rats as well, but couldn’t remember the specifics. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/23 "2014-01-23T22:39:59Z")
In the era of cell phones there’s no possible way that 30 people carrying an inflatable building-jump-survival bag around in London in the middle of the day could ever possibly remain secret. And if the road was closed off, then there’s no way THAT could remain secret. (What about everyone at every window overlooking the street?) If there are in fact “remnants of Moriarty’s network that would want revenge”, and if they were so perceptive that Watson knowing the truth would mean that they would inevitably learn the truth by observing him or reading his blog or whatever (and for fuck’s sake, he could trivially post “my friend is dead, I will stop updating this blog in his honor” and then get some help from Mycroft to stay hidden, WHICH WOULD BE A REASONABLE THING FOR HIM TO DO IN ANY CASE) then those same elements would certainly hear some of the rumors about the crazy stuff that wasn’t going on. The idea that it is essential that WATSON be kept in the dark but that an operation as huge and visible as the one in the third story would be acceptable is ludicrous. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/24 "2014-01-24T16:23:09Z")
I’ve thought of another question, on a different topic. During the games of Operation and deduction between Mycroft and Sherlock (my second favorite scene), Sherlock makes a couple of remarks about Mycroft’s private life: “Can’t handle a broken heart. How telling.” -and- “Not that you’ve ever spoken to a woman with short hair, or, you know, a woman.” At the end, Mycroft gets his drift and says, “I’m not lonely!”, to which Sherlock says “How would you know?” Perhaps there’s an upcoming episode which will explore Mycroft’s private life? I hope so - I love Mark Gatiss and welcome any expansion that will get his character more screen time. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/25 "2014-01-24T16:34:35Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I’ve thought of another question, on a different topic. > > During the games of Operation and deduction between Mycroft and Sherlock (my second favorite scene), Sherlock makes a couple of remarks about Mycroft’s private life: > > “Can’t handle a broken heart. How telling.” > > -and- > > “Not that you’ve ever spoken to a woman with short hair, or, you know, a woman.” > > At the end, Mycroft gets his drift and says, “I’m not lonely!”, to which Sherlock says “How would you know?” > > Perhaps there’s an upcoming episode which will explore Mycroft’s private life? I hope so - I love Mark Gatiss and welcome any expansion that will get his character more screen time. I am all for more Mycroft. My favorite part of this episode (aside from Sherlock/Moriarty on the roof giggling) was Mycroft’s imploring Sherlock to come save him from Les Mis. “You could take over at the interval” he pleads as we hear _Can You Here the People Sing?_ in the background. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/26 "2014-01-24T16:53:48Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I’ve thought of another question, on a different topic. > > During the games of Operation and deduction between Mycroft and Sherlock (my second favorite scene), Sherlock makes a couple of remarks about Mycroft’s private life: > > “Can’t handle a broken heart. How telling.” > > -and- > > “Not that you’ve ever spoken to a woman with short hair, or, you know, a woman.” > > At the end, Mycroft gets his drift and says, “I’m not lonely!”, to which Sherlock says “How would you know?” > > Perhaps there’s an upcoming episode which will explore Mycroft’s private life? I hope so - I love Mark Gatiss and welcome any expansion that will get his character more screen time. Mycroft always wears what looks very much like a wedding ring on his right hand. That’s never been mentioned. What, doesn’t the beauteous “Anthea” count as a woman? Maybe he never speaks to her directly. Am I misremembering, or were they playing Operation without looking at the board? That would be funny and very like the two of them. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/27 "2014-01-24T17:13:13Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Did everyone know there’s a real blog, keeping up in live time? It’s a hoot. > > [Here it is](http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/). It started back with the beginning of the series, and continues through the end of this season, so if you American fans don’t want to be spoilered, don’t read the most recent entries. > > The comments by other the characters after each entry are fun. I think they’re trying to implant hints of mysteries to come in the comments of some mystery posters. Looked at it for a moment… …it appear to be content spoilers for episodes unaired in the US? If so…thanks for the spoilers? ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/28 "2014-01-24T17:18:16Z")
Does anyone else see an occasional parallel between the way the Holmes brothers act toward each other and some of the sibling rivalry of Frasier and Niles Crane? I mean that in the best possible way–I love this show. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/29 "2014-01-24T17:55:36Z")
> [@Lare](#): > > Does anyone else see an occasional parallel between the way the Holmes brothers act toward each other and some of the sibling rivalry of Frasier and Niles Crane? > > I mean that in the best possible way–I love this show. Yeah, someone has noticed that. > **[Sherlock and Mycroft's relationship 'was inspired by Frasier and Niles Crane'](https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/sherlock-series-3-mycrofts-relationship-2933300)** > > Martin Freeman insists he had nothing to do with the casting of his real-life partner Amanda Abbington ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/30 "2014-01-24T18:31:53Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Did everyone know there’s a real blog, keeping up in live time? It’s a hoot. > > [Here it is](http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/). It started back with the beginning of the series, and continues through the end of this season, so **if you American fans don’t want to be spoilered, don’t read the most recent entries**. > > The comments by other the characters after each entry are fun. I think they’re trying to implant hints of mysteries to come in the comments of some mystery posters. > [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Looked at it for a moment… > …it appear to be content spoilers for episodes unaired in the US? > If so…thanks for the spoilers? Bolding mine. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/31 "2014-01-24T18:40:04Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > Bolding mine. :rolleyes: :dubious: Hard not to do when they appear to be the **first thing** you see when you click on the link. (I could be wrong since I glanced at the page saw what appeared to be spoilers and then closed it) ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/32 "2014-01-24T19:51:19Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Looked at it for a moment… > …it appear to be content spoilers for episodes unaired in the US? > If so…thanks for the spoilers? Did you read the post you quoted? ETA: I see this post is a bit late now. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/33 "2014-01-24T20:15:31Z")
I just rewatched the first two seasons and then the first ep of the third. I was amazed at how many clue the first two seasons actually gave away if one was paying attention. The first ep in three seems to have contradicted a lot of what happened at the end of season two. I would have rather them skip the entire how of him not dying rather then trying to screw with us. They didn’t even deal with Moriarty’s body that I remember. Just way too many things they skipped over or changed between the two seasons. I didn’t care for the first episode at all. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/34 "2014-01-24T20:18:19Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > Mycroft always wears what looks very much like a wedding ring on his right hand. That’s never been mentioned. > > What, doesn’t the beauteous “Anthea” count as a woman? Maybe he never speaks to her directly. > > Am I misremembering, or were they playing Operation without looking at the board? That would be funny and very like the two of them. It does look like a wedding band, yes. Probably yet another purposeful plot thread. Anthea isn’t a woman, she’s an employee. She’s also at the very least another sociopath, so that’s two counts against her. And yes, they were playing Operation without looking at it. The whole scene has them with locked eyes. Very fun, and must have been a hoot to rehearse and film with those two. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/35 "2014-01-24T20:48:03Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > :dubious: > > Hard not to do when they appear to be the **first thing** you see when you click on the link. > > (I could be wrong since I glanced at the page saw what appeared to be spoilers and then closed it) Anyone accessing John’s blog and not wanting to see the latest entries, scroll down right away to the bottom of his blog where the oldest entries are. And then email John and tell him that his blog design is _so_ 2010. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/36 "2014-01-24T21:29:18Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Here’s one for you: The name of the abandoned tube station, Sumatra Road, is an allusion to “The Giant Rat of Sumatra”, which is one of Holmes’s adventures that Watson mentions, but which is never detailed. Because it was “a story for which the world is not yet prepared.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/37 "2014-01-24T21:33:59Z")
As for whether Sherlock was telling Anderson the truth or not: After the episode there was a behind-the-scenes doc about the start of season three. Moffat and Gatiss sat in easy chairs in front of a fireplace and talked about — among other things — each of the three stories presented in the episode. Then Moffatt said something to the effect that, “The viewer will have to make up his own mind as to whether or not the explanation Sherlock gave is the real one.” ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/38 "2014-01-24T22:40:30Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > Then Moffatt said something to the effect that, “The viewer will have to make up his own mind as to whether or not the explanation Sherlock gave is the real one.” What an unbelievably douchey thing to say. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/39 "2014-01-25T00:02:09Z")
they were playing chess with brief, quick glances at the board, then moved onto operation. they must have played many, many, games of chess, and i’m sure are very familiar with each other’s style of play. the body made the “boom” sound that bodies do when they fall from height. falling into an air mattress would not make the same sound. also the body landed nearly face down, as sherlock was falling face down. how would watson believe it was sherlock if he didn’t see his face? the body landing front would be easier to match up, for the funeral, inquest, etc. remember when he identified irene adler by “not her face.” ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536/40 "2014-01-25T00:13:55Z")
I saw this theory on another site, but I like it, so here goes… The exact details of Holmes’ survival don’t matter. The few details we got are as good as we can expect and they can be mutated by the fans in any way they see fit: 1. Sherlock jumped. 2. Whether through bungie cord or airbag, he was prevented from hitting the ground at a speed that would kill him. 3. The Holmesless Network was involved somehow. 4. Molly and Mycroft were involved somehow. 5. The bicyclist purposely knocked over John. 6. John believed Sherlock was dead after examining him on the ground even though he was just faking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-sherlock-s3e1-open-spoilers-us/679536.md?page=3)