#bumblebee watson

since it was biochemical methodologies get a fluffy haired jeremy to celebrate! (Mr Sherlock Holmes, you were lucky AF to find a way to salt out hemoglobin alone!)

Returning for 2026, the Watson Birthday Prompt Fest! According to some sources, John Watson’s birthday is August 7. So, lets celebrate it, by having a prompt fest!

Come over to the Ao3 collection and leave a prompt or claim a prompt. Open to all Sherlock Holmes related fandoms, and all genres, ratings, and relationships (ships, gen, etc). The main rule being that all fanworks should focus on our beloved Watson.

Prompting and claiming will be open until August 7, 2025.

If you’re not sure how a prompt fest works on Ao3, please check out Ao3’s FAQs, and check out the rules for this fest here. If you have questions my ask box is open.

I complained that Holmes was a little too prefect in the first films, but we do see some more of his flaws as the films go on. Not the cocaine use from the books, but there is a couple of comments in a couple of the films that allude to this Holmes having also had problems with drug addiction in his past. No, I think his biggest flaws in these films was him overestimating himself or underestimating his enemies. This Holmes gets kidnapped multiple times! A few of those are on purpose, but many aren't! He always gets kidnapped when Watson isn't with him for some reason, so more reason for him to always keep his trusty Watson by his side!

I found out that Nigel Bruce's Watson is sometimes referred to as "Bumblebee Watson", because of his bumbling nature. Although, how much he is a bumbler varies from film to film, depending on what's needed for the plot or to add some comic relief. His abilities vary from one film to another as well, like in one film they demonstrate that Watson is a "crack shot" and in another he is shooting all wily nilly.

Watson had two "old friends" in two different films that turned out to be villains, and in another film one of Watson's old friends gets killed. Poor Watson has the worst luck with friends who aren't Holmes.

The Holmes/Watson relationship in these films grew on me too. It's not like canon, and I'm sure many would say that it's not a relationship of equals, but I still find it appealing. Holmes is so endearingly fond of his Watson, he praises Watson to others, and when Watson is about to reveal something he shouldn't to someone Holmes gently steers the conversation away. I think there is only one time in the films when Holmes gets angry at Watson that his bumbling ruined a lead or some such, but he can't stay angry at him for long and apologizes soon after. Watson on the other hand is very protective of Holmes, even though Holmes is the cleverer and the more resourceful of the two, he also puts himself in danger more often than he probably should, which causes a great deal of worry for Watson.

There were three different actors who played Moriarty in these films, and surprisingly I enjoyed all of them. They each had a slightly different take on Moriarty, but they were all menacing in different ways.

I think my favourite films were The Spider Woman and The Woman in Green (they are the ones I find myself thinking a lot about after the fact). The Spider Woman has a smart woman villain, and so does The Woman in Green, although she is more a minion of Moriarty. Also, in The Woman in Green Moriarty threatens Watson's life, why don't more stories do this? Can't they all see that Holmes' soft spot is Watson! Nothing comes of it, but I was still so happy to see it included. I also like Pursuit to Algiers where Holmes and Watson are contained on a cruise ship together as they try to protect a young man, and they share adjoining cabins!