A Subtext in Belgravia

I ‘ve heard so many times that in ASiB finally a woman made Sherlock Holmes mix up his words. Personally, I disagree. There is a true gem-subtext Mr Moffat hid in this scene. So here’s the dialogue during the first encounter with Irene Adler and its subtext, as I perceive it. 

There, there, see? People jump over John’s extremely suggestive smile and assume that Sherlock lost his words because the Woman said that brainy is the new sexy. But Sherlock didn’t even lose his words when she suddenly appeared all naked in front of him! Why would he lose it because of such a simple statement?  In other words, it’s pretty obvious that Irene hits on him with all the means she can use - nudity, BDSM, intelligence, everything. And after all that, the phrase “brainy is the new sexy” is really what got him? No. He panicked because he saw John hit on Irene. Furthermore, the whole dialogue sounds more like a Johnlock quarrel… They.managed.to.have.a.quarrel.in.front.of.a.naked.sex.worker. Seriously.

Also something else I need to say, sorry: Sherlock sexually oblivious MY ASS 

Okay, I think the Read More bar was what caused problems and the tumblr app showed the post as deleted so I removed the bar completely. I hope it works for phones now as well. If you ever have problems reading a post of mine please tell me :)

accurate.

another thing people are forgetting when they think, oooh irene is so into sherlock, is that moriarty threatened to "make her into shoes", if she didn't do what he wanted. so she isn't just "playing the game" here, or entertaining a social caller. she is WORKING, and she is using all her considerable skills to achieve a specific goal. that goal has a lot to do with what jim wants, and whatever she promised him, and sherlock is either an obstacle, or part of what jim wants. or both.

john is such a mixed bag. he has real competence as a doctor and as a soldier, but he doesn't seem to know himself, deep down, all that well. there's too much denial in the way. he's more susceptible to both irene and sherlock as a result. there's a nice arc from asip to trf on that.

The Pattern of their Stripes Reveals Their Sexuality

Ready for a fun visual comparison? John Watson is very frequently seen wearing plaid. Stripes that run both horizontally and vertically. Stripes that go both ways. 

He usually wears stripes that go both ways, but they’re always hidden by a neutral coat or a sweater. However, he has no problem wearing stripes loud and proud when they run only one direction. He’s comfortable with that side of himself.

Keep in mind both of those episodes focus heavily on John “I’m not gay” Watson and his growing dependency on Sherlock (ASIB and TBB). 

But What about when he openly wears plaid at Baker Street? Without a cover?

It happens when John reads about himself in the newspaper being a “confirmed bachelor” – obviously Sherlock’s gay lover. Whoa there, John, you’re talking about your sexuality? “What they hell are they implying?” That you’re a raging bisexual. That’s what they’re implying. Your freaking shirt told everyone.

How about another time he wore plain stripes at a very “I’m proving I love women VERY much” moment?

Or how about another time just like that?

Or how about one more time:

Oooooooo John “I Don’t Shave for Sherlock Holmes” Watson is trying his damn hardest for his heterosexuality not to be questioned. But we all know what will happen if he continues to closet himself:

They hinted at John being suicidal in episode one. His feelings of loss and loneliness only increased after he was forced from his home in the army and instructed to go back to “civilian life”. He felt most at home being both a soldier and a doctor. He didn’t have to ignore half of himself. He would absolutely kill himself if he has to stay closeted. It is only a matter of time. This is the subtext.

But we have hope! Obviously. Why? Because of this:

John is comfortable in his plaid. There’s no jumper. His armor is gone. 

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

Molly Hooper has been a mirror for John this whole time. They even have the same lines at some point. This is old news. 

But the stripes/plaid subtext works for her, too.

When she talks about her “type” and falling for Sherlock’s playful banter:

But wait…. what is THAT.

Plaid hidden by a cover made of only stripes?? Lines going both ways being covered by lines as straight as an arrow? Plaid under her armor??

You heard it here, folks. Molly is a bisexual threatened by compulsory heterosexuality. It’s in the subtext. Probably why she feels most comfortable dating gay men. 

John Watson’s Left-Handedness

It has always been peculiar to me that Watson is portrayed as being a leftie when he uses his right hand a lot - as it it were the dominant hand. 

Okay if the idea is that he re-trained his shooting from left to right in order to deal with his shoulder injury (although it is doubtful that one could be a “crack shot” so quickly, when the shooting of pistols is very carefully controlled in the UK; he’d have to be re-training from the moment he left hospital). 

But eating? 

Drinking a cup of tea? 

Eating and drinking would not be affected by his intermittent tremor. 

Or taking something (Lestrade’s ID) from Sherlock’s hands.

Of course, Martin Freeman is left-handed, but as an actor he would have learned how to pass as a right-handed person. 

Hmmm… what should we make of this?

i love all the notes suggesting that john is ambidextrous, which of course. more subtext that john is bi!

A case of Identity: John’s bisexuality.

Don’t believe the words of a deceitful, manipulative villain; trust the narrative instead. Throughout four series, Sherlock has proved that who you really are not only matters, but it’s actually the whole point. They made John himself a living proof that bi-visibility is a big issue. Oh and, mind you, I used “Who I Want to Be”, from TLD’s soundtrack. That title, in itself, says a lot. I’ve been meaning to make this one ever since The Final Problem aired, so I’m glad I finally got around to do it. You can find my meta-videos collection in this tag.

Don’t ever forget: your identity matters. It is, in fact, the most important thing.

Also remember,

‘Actually’ is often used in speaking to indicate a change or contrast in what is being talked about. We use the word actually to give more detail about a topic. We can use actually to emphasise a contrast with what is expected to be true or real. And we can also use actually to correct someone politely. (From Cambridge dictionary.)

Here’s a fine example of ‘actually’ being used for all three purposes at once:

The Pattern of their Stripes Reveals Their Sexuality

Ready for a fun visual comparison? John Watson is very frequently seen wearing plaid. Stripes that run both horizontally and vertically. Stripes that go both ways. 

He usually wears stripes that go both ways, but they’re always hidden by a neutral coat or a sweater. However, he has no problem wearing stripes loud and proud when they run only one direction. He’s comfortable with that side of himself.

Keep in mind both of those episodes focus heavily on John “I’m not gay” Watson and his growing dependency on Sherlock (ASIB and TBB). 

But What about when he openly wears plaid at Baker Street? Without a cover?

It happens when John reads about himself in the newspaper being a “confirmed bachelor” – obviously Sherlock’s gay lover. Whoa there, John, you’re talking about your sexuality? “What they hell are they implying?” That you’re a raging bisexual. That’s what they’re implying. Your freaking shirt told everyone.

How about another time he wore plain stripes at a very “I’m proving I love women VERY much” moment?

Or how about another time just like that?

Or how about one more time:

Oooooooo John “I Don’t Shave for Sherlock Holmes” Watson is trying his damn hardest for his heterosexuality not to be questioned. But we all know what will happen if he continues to closet himself:

They hinted at John being suicidal in episode one. His feelings of loss and loneliness only increased after he was forced from his home in the army and instructed to go back to “civilian life”. He felt most at home being both a soldier and a doctor. He didn’t have to ignore half of himself. He would absolutely kill himself if he has to stay closeted. It is only a matter of time. This is the subtext.

But we have hope! Obviously. Why? Because of this:

John is comfortable in his plaid. There’s no jumper. His armor is gone. 

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

Molly Hooper has been a mirror for John this whole time. They even have the same lines at some point. This is old news. 

But the stripes/plaid subtext works for her, too.

When she talks about her “type” and falling for Sherlock’s playful banter:

But wait…. what is THAT.

Plaid hidden by a cover made of only stripes?? Lines going both ways being covered by lines as straight as an arrow? Plaid under her armor??

You heard it here, folks. Molly is a bisexual threatened by compulsory heterosexuality. It’s in the subtext. Probably why she feels most comfortable dating gay men. 

I love this fandom!

genius.

and as @actingchoices pointed out, John’s bi is a lil’ bit showing during the Sherlock is actually a girl’s name/I love you scenes.

META COLLECTION

MASTERPOST n.1 - JOHN'S PAST/FAMILY

X (Why does John hate Hamish? - John's father - bisexuality)

X (John's bisexuality - repression - struggling)

X (Authority figures in Sherlock - John's father - army)

X (Reed - John's father - army)

X (John's CV)

X (John and Harry - master post)

X (Why does Harry never appear?)

Part two is coming soon!

(P.S. Tell me if you're looking for a master post/meta in particular!)

The Sign of Three visually tells us that John swings both ways.

So I was going through all the screen caps of a Sign of Three to find the scene where John is visualised by Sherlock inside his mind palace because my first reaction when I saw him there wasn’t ‘Oh hello John’, it was ’Well hello John that’s a rather bright cardigan for you, since when did you wear cerise...’

And then last night I realised if anyone was going to tell us the truth about John’s sexuality, it’s going to be Sherlock.

Well maybe.. but in the course of looking for this screen cap I found these ones instead and took a moment to stare in awe at the last club scene one of the stag night as I realised in fact it’s with John himself we see into his own mind regarding his feelings for Sherlock.

  And now let me give you this.

                             This is the bisexual pride flag. And John in the last scene in the club is literally standing in front of this flag. Right you’re going to argue that the lighting is the wrong way round, but this scene is being rather subversive and also playing a very clever trick in how it becomes lit, in regards to John’s thought processes…

Because each of those colours represents what bisexuality means.

The deep pink or rose stripe at the top of the flag represents the possibility of same gender attraction; the royal blue stripe at the bottom of the flag represents the possibility of different gender attraction and the stripes overlap in the central fifth of the flag to form a deep shade of lavender or purple, which represents the possibility of attraction anywhere along the entire gender spectrum.   source

So once again let me break it down…

Prominent blue. Streak of purple and a hint of pink.

This is John at the moment he decides to knock that sneaky one down. This is John Three Continents Watson the ladies man…but the pink is creeping in here, the same sex attraction…

And now that pink lighting has become more prominent and John is sneaking that extra shot into Sherlock’s beaker WHILE looking at Sherlock. Pink equals same sex attraction remember.

But look how the lighting is hitting Sherlock…

He is now shaded in the purple and pink light and the blue is stronger on the other side of the screen. We’re looking at Sherlock through John’s eyes here, remember and John does not consider himself to be gay.

But evidently John is attracted to Sherlock and he is also attracted to Mary. But that is why there’s the purple stripe in the flag. It means this person is neither gay or straight because their sexuality is between those two states. And that’s how John Watson swings both ways.

Why The Woman is naked in Sherlock's Mind Palace ~ TSoT

Inspired by this great post.

I realise why it’s much more meaningful that Sherlock sees The Woman naked in his Mind Palace in Series 3.  This is Irene the moment she sees through his straight façade, this is Irene who sees all.  She sees what he likes (dudes) and who he likes (John).

So, yeah, I don’t see her as being, ‘reduced’, to her nude form in his MP in series 3.  Or as just a representation of sex or romance.  Rather this is The Woman at her most powerful.  She is victorious over Sherlock because she has, with one simple move, read him like a book.

The Mayfly Man deductions are all about John’s sexuality and his own sexuality.  Besides the obvious, 'not you’, sequence, seeing The Woman at the moment that she knows he’s gay and in love with John is very telling of what she means to him in that part of his deduction.  Just as he’s figuring out that John’s bi and that she knew, she’s there naked as a reminder that she knew about him, too.

Maybe he dismisses her because he’s annoyed that she knew so much earlier than he did.  He figures this out 4 episodes later than the woman and several years after, he must be pissed about that.  I think maybe it’s like, 'I know!  You knew!  Don’t rub it in!’.  I mean, the actual words he says when he sees her are, 'The Woman: she knew.  God knows where she is.  "Out of my head, I’m busy!“’  Now, in the text this is supposed to be about John’s middle name.  Which is code for his bisexuality, anyway, right?  But, The Woman didn’t just know John was bi, the Woman-woman knew-knew.  She knew everything.  She knew about him.  That was her job and she was dammed good at it.

Basically, here’s The Woman when she knew about John, dressed like Sherlock,

And here’s The Woman when she knew about Sherlock,

Though I’m pretty sure that the woman already knew about John, here, when she was also dressed like Sherlock, (when she’s in the robe his jealousy is really driven home, though),

So, the woman figures out that John likes women from being naked having John find her attractive and that John likes Sherlock from dressing like Sherlock/creating jealousy in him hence his, 'Hamish’, comment.  She figures out Sherlock is gay from being naked and having him not find her attractive and from the jealousy that that causes in him with regards to John’s reaction.  Once the woman has Sherlock’s coat on, John is even more interested and then Sherlock really gets jealous.  This confirms everything that’s going on with our two main characters all at the same time.

So, in the context of what Sherlock is saying in his Mayfly man deductions Irene, "knew”, about John but her appearing nude in in Mind Palace is a reference to when she knew about Sherlock. Even her gesture is reminiscent of that moment when she said, 'look at those cheekbones…’.  She reaches out to touch his face as if she were saying that, once more.

oooh, yes! i think connie and kenny might have been included in one of @sagestreet ’s metas, maybe the one about pairs of people representing john’s bisexuality, but i’m not sure.

the dynamic of the facade and unreliable info, failing to pursue enough evidence, and probably getting it wrong, wow. that has implications both for us as puzzle solvers, and for the show. cos i can’t even count how many times the show passes something off in a confident tone and only later, maybe years later, someone in fandom says, hey wait a minute, that’s BS, why would he say that? and then we realize it’s another one of those snags, a handle to pull on and see what subtext is underneath.

other random thought… if someone was from samara, would they be a samaritan? asking because there’s a meeting in samara later.

That was, indeed, my old meta from 2017: “Connie and Kenny Prince as John’s bisexuality”.

BTW, it draws on pretty much the same idea which I proposed in this earlier meta here: “The fisherman and his mother” (those two are also metaphors for John’s bisexuality).

Both metas are part of my seven-part meta series ‘Follow the dog’, which you can read either here on tumblr or here on AO3. (With an added sequel…)

@garkgatiss @sarahthecoat

Also, thank you @kettykika78​ for the shout-out.:)

that's the one! memory like a steel... sieve, me.

oooh, yes! i think connie and kenny might have been included in one of @sagestreet 's metas, maybe the one about pairs of people representing john's bisexuality, but i'm not sure.

the dynamic of the facade and unreliable info, failing to pursue enough evidence, and probably getting it wrong, wow. that has implications both for us as puzzle solvers, and for the show. cos i can't even count how many times the show passes something off in a confident tone and only later, maybe years later, someone in fandom says, hey wait a minute, that's BS, why would he say that? and then we realize it's another one of those snags, a handle to pull on and see what subtext is underneath.

other random thought... if someone was from samara, would they be a samaritan? asking because there's a meeting in samara later.

Bisexual flowers and houseplants

I only recently noticed this. (Sorry if this has been discussed before).

When John is in therapy in ASIP, he is framed with two different houseplants in the shot:

On the right hand side, there are “Calla lilies” (I encircled them in pink for your convenience). 

I’m sure you can all do the whole google and wikipedia thing just as well as I, so I’ll just say that they are often associated with the Greek goddess Hera, with femininity, fertility and childbirth. Bingo!

So, that’s our metaphor for heterosexuality on this show; that’s the heterosexual side of John’s dual sexuality, so to speak.

Do you want further proof? Well, do you know what a “Calla lily” actually looks like? I shall be a gentleman and refrain from posting pictures of the female organ in question here. Instead I will just leave you with this lovely painting by Georgia O’Keeffe and whistle innocently to myself:

On the left hand side, there’s a “Monstera” (I encircled it in blue in the screencap above).

This houseplant is literally called the “monstrous” or the “abnormal”. You do understand where I’m going with this, right? Mofftiss have repeatedly used this metaphor in (and even outside of) their show because it’s something that has been done A LOT in Victorian horror stories. Think of the brilliant meta ‘Ghost stories are gay stories’ (x) by @heimishtheidealhusband. Mofftiss did this with ‘Dracula’, too, wherein Dracula himself is a metaphor for repressed, ‘abnormal’ homosexual desire, for the monstrous, the exotic, the weird.

And if you don’t believe me that the “Monstera” plant in that shot is supposed to represent John’s homosexual side, here’s one other little hint. This is the fruit of the “Monstera”:

Yeah, I know, right?:D 

Kinda phallic!

And what’s even better: You can eat it.:D Apparently, it’s delicious. Which is why this plant is actually called “Monstera Deliciosa”. You can’t make this stuff up.:)

So, in other words: John is sitting in the office of his therapist, and visually his problem (his actual problem, not the surface-text problem, but the subtextual one) is sitting right there in the room with him: He has trouble dealing with his bisexuality.

I mean we had seen a similar metaphor on the menu during John’s wedding, hadn’t we? There were two meal options, remember? (x)

Bonus plant:

There’s actually a third plant in that room (encircled in yellow). (Of course, there is! This is five minutes into the show; it’s all exposition. They have to introduce Sherlock, too.)

It’s a bit blurry, but I’m willing to bet that this is a ficus. And you know, ‘ficus’ is slang for ‘gay man’ in some languages. Because a ficus is, erm, tall, wispy and sort of sprawling all over the place…like…I hate to say this, but there’s an ironic eye twinkle in this and I’m saying this with love, really…like Sherlock!:)

And look they put it right next to the infamous bust, which I had already discussed in my sculpture and art meta series (here: x), the bust that represents introspection and childhood.

Yeah. So, the solution to John’s conundrum above (bisexuality) is already in the room: The solution is Sherlock! It’s just that Sherlock is caught up in some introspection business (dare I say, extended-mind-palace stuff) and has to deal with his childhood first (*ahem* see ‘Follow the dog’ theory: x) before he can be the solution to what ails John.

—————-

And I have only decided to post this now because @dinner-starving had asked me about any new meta coming up. Apparently I need a kick up the backside sometimes.:)

All screencaps taken from here: https://kissthemgoodbye.net/

Tagging a few people: @loveismyrevolution @waitedforgarridebs @loudest-subtext-in-tv​ @ebaeschnbliah @gosherlocked @sarahthecoat @sherlockshadow @possiblyimbiassed @raggedyblue @spenglernot @tjlcisthenewsexy  @dinner–starving  @kateis-cakeis  @kettykika78 

wow, this show really doesn't miss an opportunity!

ive literally never seen bisexual lighting as explicit as that shown in stag night

imagine being john watson and being so bisexual that your surroundings change its hue to match your bisexuality

john being a “conductor of light” may make you think of light like lamplight or sunlight, but it’s actually bisexual lighting

As the writers of Sherlock so kindly told us in series three about coincidences, “The universe is rarely so lazy.”

Just remember, “The universe is rarely so lazy.“ 

and apparently neither are the writers of Sherlock

gif credit: x, x, x, x 

And don’t forget the other line that John and Molly share in TEH…

… and how bad their “move on” goes in HLV. 

gif source x

yep, they wrote that.

Ever remember the deleted scene where John was going to ask Corporal Lyons if he got any free time which is the same line he used on Anthea? 🚬😑

mmhmm.

Surely it means something when John shows up to therapy… before we know anything else about him… and the shot is dominated by a closet.

In fact, what is it that’s getting between him and Ella?

More fucking closets. This show.