In The Great Game, we learn that Moriarty killed Carl Powers 20 years ago. And that is where a young Sherlock Holmes began, by trying to get the police interested in Carl’s missing shoes.
In the Hound of Baskerville episode, we learn that Bob Frankland got his start 20 years ago … and part of how he got started was by killing Henry Knight’s father when he caught him doing experiments with the HOUND nerve gas.
Twenty years before these episodes aired would have been (approximately) 1990 to 1995. Don’t know what was in the air during that time, but it sure gave a start to a lot of nastiness.
Actually, this is absolutely brilliant. This connection could be spun out in a ton of different ways. Was young Moriarty exposed to the gas somehow? Did it make him lose his mind? Is there some sort of metaphorical paralleling going on?
interesting to run across this after @sagestreet ’s recent meta discussing the possible allusion to the AIDS epidemic in the “murder=falling in love” metaphor. I just did a real quick google on “aids 1990” and confirmed my recollection that the early 1990s were the peak of the new cases, loads of famous people died , and there was horrible stuff like an immigration ban, workplace harassment, irrational terrorizing of people with hiv/aids. Talk about “fear in the air”, it was bad. If bbc moriarty represents mr sex, internalized (or not) homophobia, ticking time bombs, yeah, this could be a “where he started” kind of moment, at least in young sherlock’s consciousness. Love could literally kill you.
Exactly! @sarahthecoat
And not just kill you, but potentially kill the one you love. No wonder Sherlock would rather be alone.
in case anyone needs it, i think this is the meta by @sagestreet that first brought up HIV/AIDS: http://sagestreet.tumblr.com/post/180410462932/hhholmes-is-about-the-gay-sex-scene Look into the discussion in the notes as well. It was a real game changer for me.
