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[CyclopsRock]

I mean some people thought they'd use the fear gas from Baskervilles, would that have been better?

Better than what? We still don't know how he did it.

 

[twobear]

Id like stalk Rupert graves through an abandoned car park too

That man is such a dish

 

[Quidam]

So, how did he survive?

 

[War Peaceman]

Better than what? We still don't know how he did it.

Yes we do. He said he is indestructible. Also, what he told Anderson is what happened. The joke is that fans would never believe something so mundane. Hence the trolling to mystify it again.

Id like stalk Rupert graves through an abandoned car park too

That man is such a dish

I don't know what a dish means but yes. Yes.

 

[AngryMoth]

Wait so people think they didn't explain it? The way I interpreted it that last one was meant to be how he "really" did it. Otherwise that scene is kinda pointless and very oddly placed in episode for a troll. If it was meant to be canon I didn't like it very much though.

Anyway I liked the episode overall. I get the complaints about the terror plot being an afterthought but it's understandable given the other stuff they had to address and the show has never been particularly good at crime stories anyway. The dialogue is the main attraction and here it was wonderful, Freeman and Cumberbatch were both fantastic. It felt like a very dense 90 minutes packed with lots of fun moments. I appreciated the more playful tone given that it's been away such a long time, and I suspect the following episodes will be more serious.

 

[Deaf Spacker]

Spoiler

Sherlocks parents were Benedict's real parents.

 

[The Artful Dodger]

Just started watching! Soooo excited!

 

[Chopper]

Kinda disappointed that they pussied out of the explanation, but I enjoyed the episode anyway. Cumberbatch and Freeman are just too good. My only real issue is the small number of episodes per series.

Edit: Wait, there was more than two "explanations"?

 

[War Peaceman]

Kinda disappointed that they pussied out of the explanation, but I enjoyed the episode anyway. Cumberbatch and Freeman are just too good. My only real issue is the small number of episodes per series.

They explained it very clearly.

 

[Deaf Spacker]

The more I think about it the more I think that the last explanation was how he did it.

 

[ThankeeSai]

Wait so people think they didn't explain it? The way I interpreted it that last one was meant to be how he "really" did it.

That's what I thought too, tbh. Am I missing something?

Really enjoyed the episode overall

 

[Chopper]

They explained it very clearly.

Someone's gonna have to explain that to me, cos I only saw two fake explanations.

 

[VanquishUK]

Someone's gonna have to explain that to me, cos I only saw two fake explanations.

You obviously only watched the first half of the episode then.

 

[Empty]

i thought the last one was the real explanation and the joke with the guys reaction was that for some people (aka the shows obsessive fans) an explanation will never be enough as they love the mystery so much

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Anderson gone cray-cray.

 

[Deadly]

If you're someone who thought he would swoop in through a window and snog Molly you deserve to be mocked. Thoroughly.

Obviously fake but it sure was awesome hahaha

 

[War Peaceman]

Someone's gonna have to explain that to me, cos I only saw two fake explanations.

What he says to Anderson is what happened.

Anderson - representing the 'fandom' - doesn't believe him. So Sherlock trolls Anderson when he is disappointed.

None of the details of this telling are off. The music is 'right'. Everything is right unlike the other retellings. There would be no point to show it otherwise.

 

[Chopper]

You obviously only watched the first half of the episode then.

i thought the last one was the real explanation and the joke with the guys reaction was that for some people (aka the shows obsessive fans) an explanation will never be enough as they love the mystery so much

I thought the guy's reaction suggested that Holmes was just humouring him. Might watch the scene again!

What he says to Anderson is what happened.

Anderson - representing the 'fandom' - doesn't believe him. So Sherlock trolls Anderson when he is disappointed.

None of the details of this telling are off. The music is 'right'. Everything is right unlike the other retellings. There would be no point to show it otherwise. I

I guess you're right. The fact they kept it ambiguous with Watson kept me wondering.

 

[Dennis]

Watching now!

Hold me, GAF!

 

[War Peaceman]

It was great that Sherlock got Lestrade's name wrong haha.

 

[Nesotenso]

When is this coming on PBS?

 

[Tugatrix]

Nothing main happen, but i was expecting that, they needed this episode to create the base for the rest of the series and let the characters develop, so now i expect a full steam episode next week...

 

[Wes]

I thought the guy's reaction suggested that Holmes was just humouring him. Might watch the scene again!

That was the real one. That whole scene was a jibe at all the theorists online. A kind of "oh, that's it? But this other theory would've been a lot cooler...." that's likely happening on discussion boards online right now.

Edit: Didn't see the post at the time but basically what vcassano1 said above!

 

[Lashley]

Spoiler

Sherlocks parents were Benedict's real parents.

nice, i didnt know that

 

[Tugatrix]

Spoiler

Sherlocks parents were Benedict's real parents.

Spoiler

I knew they both were actors but i didn't expect them to appear on the show, nice cameo

 

[Blue Lou]

Empire have published quotes from a Q&A with the episode creators:

http://www.empireonline.com/empireblogs/small-screen/post/p1439

 

[Chopper]

That was the real one. That whole scene was a jibe at all the theorists online. A kind of "oh, that's it? But this other theory would've been a lot cooler...." that's likely happening on discussion boards online right now.

Edit: Didn't see the post at the time but basically what vcassano1 said above!

Yep. Makes sense.

 

[SKINNER!]

Wait so people think they didn't explain it? The way I interpreted it that last one was meant to be how he "really" did it. Otherwise that scene is kinda pointless and very oddly placed in episode for a troll. If it was meant to be canon I didn't like it very much though.

I thought that last explanation was the real one too as opposed to the previous explanations that were evidently OTT hypotheses and fanfiction. Why did people assume that the last explanation was just another fake one? Because the conspiracy nut didn't buy it?

Yeah, felt the main plot was weak and the whole Sherlock in troll mode psyching Watson to say something nice is getting a bit grating now. Still, the chemistry and written dialogue between characters is splendid. Good to see them back on TV.

 

[NinjaFridge]

2 years was far too long. Hope we don't have to wait 2 years for the next series.

 

[ScreenSplitter]

2 years was far too long. Hope we don't have to wait 2 years for the next series.

Well Cumberbatch and Freeman's careers haven't exactly got any quieter :\

 

[AngryMoth]

Empire have published quotes from a Q&A with the episode creators:

http://www.empireonline.com/empireblogs/small-screen/post/p1439

On working out how The Reichenbach Fall would work…

Moffat: “Working out how to do it was a long and difficult process, and one very much helped by the geography of St. Bart’s hospital, as you wouldn't see the body hit the pavement.”

Gatiss: “We were going to do it as a two-stage trick. There was going to be a platform, like a window-cleaning platform, which Sherlock would hit, then another body would drop out of it. That’s why there’s a reference in the newspaper to the refit of a historic hospital, then we changed our minds because Toby Haynes, the director of Reichenbach, noticed that the ambulance station was at exactly the right point.”

Implicit confirmation that they did explain it.

I feel silly saying I'm disappointed since they already made fun of me for it. But I also feel the fact that they anticipated this reaction is an acknowledgement that it wasn't a very satisfying explanation. Too elaborate. I know a lot of people would probably have hated it but honestly I'd have preferred it if they had offered the super cheesy one from the opening as a fun explanation and then left it ambiguous from there.

 

[Tugatrix]

2 years was far too long. Hope we don't have to wait 2 years for the next series.

Well prepare for that

 

[Flandy]

About to watch the episode. Can't wait

edit: My body was not ready for those first 3 or so minutes

 

[BatDan]

Finished watching The Empty Hearse.

God it feels good to see new Sherlock. Funny, gripping, and so damn enjoyable to watch.

As for the explanation

Spoiler

it made sense. Let's be real, the explanation wasn't going to satisfy everyone.

 

[glaurung]

Watched it, liked it. The restaurant bit was properly funny and I like

Spoiler

John's new fiancee.

Regarding the explanation as to how Sherlock did it, I think

Spoiler

that we were not given a proper real explanation at all and maybe we never will be. The scene where Sherlock explains it to the bearded conspiracy nut might as well be an elaborate ruse. Or it all took place in that guy's head.

Also, the new

Spoiler

menacing museum villain looked like Sean Bean in his closeups.

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Implicit confirmation that they did explain it.

I feel silly saying I'm disappointed since they already made fun of me for it. But I also feel the fact that they anticipated this reaction is an acknowledgement that it wasn't a very satisfying explanation. Too elaborate. I know a lot of people would probably have hated it but honestly I'd have preferred it if they had offered the super cheesy one from the opening as a fun explanation and then left it ambiguous from there.

Too elaborate? I think you have to forgive a show of being elaborate when a character can mentally map out the entire geography of London in his brain.

 

[LordCanti]

Fantastic.

 

[AngryMoth]

Oh, and what a nice surprise it was to find out that episode 2 is actually on SUNDAY! So soon!

 

[Lashley]

Next episode is on Sunday

 

[Lashley]

Watched it, liked it. The restaurant bit was properly funny and I like

Spoiler

John's new fiancee.

Regarding the explanation as to how Sherlock did it, I think

Spoiler

that we were not given a proper real explanation at all and maybe we never will be. The scene where Sherlock explains it to the bearded conspiracy nut might as well be an elaborate ruse. Or it all took place in that guy's head.

Also, the new

Spoiler

menacing museum villain looked like Sean Bean in his closeups.

Looked absolutely nothing like Sean Bean? haha

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Next episode is on Sunday

Not even a week break between episodes, it's like not getting any for two years then prematurely ejaculating...

 

[Lashley]

Not even a week break between episodes, it's like not getting any for two years then prematurely ejaculating...

Good that we dont have to wait long between eps, bad it'll end sooner and we'll be old men by the time it's back

 

[NekoFever]

What exactly did people expect? We knew the building blocks, even down to using a ball to stop your pulse, so to pull something completely unknown out to explain it would have been cheap. It's the perfect example of why some things are best left unexplained since whatever they came up with was guaranteed to disappoint. But now it's out of the way and we can enjoy the rest of it.

Too elaborate? I think you have to forgive a show of being elaborate when a character can mentally map out the entire geography of London in his brain.

Knowing the whole of London is unrealistic?

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Look, it wasn't a robot version of Sherlock with a tiny Sherlock inside, I'm cutting the losses and leaving it yeah?

 

[kayos90]

The new songs in this episodes were super killer. Very good.

 

[vgJames]

I thought it did a neat job of explaining how he did it and simultaneously using Anderson as what the audience would think.

What, was that it? was basically cleverly answering the responses to how he did it. It wasn't some great party piece.

Spoiler

The Squash ball was the bit everyone missed; I liked that

-Didn't explain that very well rereading it. Our expectations will never be met on that one is how I see it.


Overall a good episode, not the best but a very solid and welcome return.

Excellent from Freeman and Cumberbatch, interesting side character developments but agree the overall thread could have been more engaging.

However I don't think the overall thread is the meat of the episode, the introduction to the characters is.

And good stuff it was.

Spoiler

People guessed the squash ball beforehand, it was heavily foreshadowed. I think what people missed was that there's a building in-between Watson's view of the incident. Which is fair enough since cameras hid it until this episode.

 

[HigXx]

The first 5 minutes was some of the best television I've ever watched, love Derren Brown and the music was absolutely fantastic

 

[Screenboy]

I thought the episode was very self aware, it felt like a fangasm of the characters rather than having actual elements that make me love Sherlock in the first place. I can understand it being like that after the break but I hope the next 2 episodes dive straight into the deep end rather than showing me everyone's opinion on him being back.

 

[Tremas]

So many lovely character moments. Sherlock and Mycroft's game of Operation and Mycroft being stuck at Les Mis were brilliant.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Spoiler

People guessed the squash ball beforehand, it was heavily foreshadowed. I think what people missed was that there's a building in-between Watson's view of the incident. Which is fair enough since cameras hid it until this episode.

? The building between Watson and Holmes was never hidden.