#*appreciation

One thing I can say that went just as I’d hoped at least in TFP is the consistency and closure of Sherlock’s character arc. Not only was it a masterful example of Sherlock’s best qualities anyway… but it also because it was the one most redeemable thing about the (rather OTT) episode that was TFP for me. My main prediction for S4 was always that it would turn out Sherlock was never ‘autistic’ or ‘removed’ by nature like people always used to say, because that always seemed ludicrous to me; I’ll explain why.

I always said, due to the fact we studied in psychology, that Sherlock being a ‘sociopath’ didn’t make much sense, not only because he has so much emotion, shooting walls and what have you, but also because that’s not really how the ‘psychopath’ spectrum gene works? The psychopath gene, according to my A Level teacher, is not only rare (obviously) but it also gene skips generations. Therefore, I’ve always said it made no sense that BOTH Sherlock and Mycroft were cold and unfeeling and ‘incapable of human emotional’ (Mycroft’s words I believe) from birth. Obviously, we’ve always been shown that Sherlock was cold, unfeeling, cruel, manipulative… and therefore been conned into believing, just like John, that Sherlock was indeed what he labelled himself as: a sociopath.

However, TFP has made a point of finally showing that this is just not true by demonstrating that the psychopath gene of the Holmes family wasn’t even Mycroft… but Eurus. This therefore, in tandem, also opened up a whole new reality to the character of Mycroft. We were always shown a Mycroft that drilled into Sherlock emotions and attachments didn’t matter because (we always assumed) that was the way he saw the world and therefore he believed 'that was the way his brother must too’. We were told his little brother didn’t understand or wasn’t capable of emotion… but now we see it’s in fact because he knew his little brother would understand emotions far too well that he drilled such behaviour?

He in fact knew his brother was normal; intelligent yes, incredibly so, but, emotionally, 'normal’ - ('You were a rather emotional child, in the early days.’) Mycroft knew that Sherlock had seem the worst kind of emotions, the kind only accessible if one should lose something as irreplaceable as a best friend; and he also knew his lack of detachment meant the very memory of that would destroy him.

Meaning: Mycroft did it all to try to prevent him from remembering…. Now, tell me that isn’t character arc bloody development. (!!!!!!!!)

Sherlock was always shown to is the weaker one; the lesser Holmes brother: an addict, haphazard, careless, emotional bordering on hysterical; fragile… but up to now we put this down to his lack of understanding the rest of world, his lack of understanding 'normal’. But TFP has finally explicitly shown the audience what many of us had already known: it’s not that Sherlock was incapable of normal, but that he’s in fact the most normal of all?!?!

Sherlock’s no psychopath - he’s not even a sociopath! Certainly not in the way he used to think he was. He’s just traumatised. That’s all.

He’d simply hidden himself away because the last time he didn’t, he lost everything. He’s just one big, frightened, lost, clever little boy.

The big difference between The Six Thatchers and now? Sherlock sees it, too - finally - (the 'I don’t want to die’ scene; the latest 'I love you’ scene in which he realised he had to unearth his ability to FEEL, bare and for all to see, to save Molly… subsequently realising once and for all that he did have the capacity to feel, hence the rage and guilt (and coffin destroying) that ensured; the utter adoration his has for John with the bloody walking stick trigger moment! I mean (!!!!) and that’s one mighty, well-deserved character 360 indeed. Something tells me, should John need any further wedding guests to be threatened in future, that Sherlock won’t be using the threat of being a sociopath anymore. :’)