first, I saw her frustrated and irritated in response to Sherlock saying he might still be a lost cause. His half-embarrassed laugh made me think part of him was wishing for reassurance, maybe, and she wasn’t going to cater to his manpain. Mostly I think she didn’t want to entertain any possibility that he might leave again. She resented him bringing up the possibility of any threat to their life together — it’s not an option she’s willing to consider, so he shouldn’t imply the possibility either.  She takes a breath, looks away in displeasure, and glances back with almost a side-eye.

and then he continues, explaining that not losing her is the primary reason he works so hard on himself. This gives her pause, because it actually directly addresses her initial fears: he does value the partnership as much as she does, and she’s a little taken aback by his oblique reassurance.

and then he shakes her assessment of them and herself once more, by questioning whether Shinwell has a similar motive to improve for the sake of others. And here Sherlock’s fear for Watson’s safety comes as a sucker punch to Joan’s weakest spot, her fear that she’s made a mistake in believing in Shinwell. And that’s her tipping point: the conflict between her confidence in her ability to assess Shinwell’s intentions and her guilt that she was wrong, that she put Sherlock in danger. And maybe also a little bit of worry over what would happen to Sherlock if she were hurt or killed because she trusted Shinwell. And so she does what she always does when she’s stressed: moves away from the feelings and uncertainty and dives into work. She shifts a little further back against the couch and the camera pulls a little further away from her, adding to her emotional distance before she drops the files and flees.

Eventually the viewers learn that Joan was at least partially vindicated, based on what Shinwell told her later. I would love for all of that to come to light with Sherlock, and for him to acknowledge that Watson was ultimately justified in her decision to continue working with Shinwell. But I’m not holding my breath.

warning: spoilers for the episode inside. and also a mistake in how many episodes Liu has directed: this was her fourth, not her third:

Paint It Black, 2x22

Female of the Species, 3x14

Turn It Upside Down, 4x22

Or if such a set already exists, point me to it, please?