Season 3 meta

There was/is a lot of debate in fandom about this season. I don't think either of the two previous seasons inspired so many confused and ambivalent feelings. Myself, I kind of like that. I understand and feel for the people who are put off by the feelings of betrayal and unease this season generated, though.

I especially appreciate how much meta sprung from these confused feelings, though. Oh my god, SO. MUCH. META.

This is why we love this show: The post that made me feel better about this season after I was feeling a little disappointed after episode 2.

Incredibly detailed analysis of The Empty Hearse Part one, Part two, and Part three: Not much conjecture, but a lot of good analysis of the cinematography and film-making.

Why I really really do not like that ‘Holmes Parents’ scene and a followup post by the same author here: I agree completely, even though I couldn't put my finger on why until I read these posts. It was charming to see Benedict's parents in these roles, but the scene rubbed me wrong from the first.

The Empty Hearse: Some Thoughts on the Fans and the Fannish.

The fine line between comedy and pathos: The train carriage sequence analyzed from a very literary perspective.

The loudest subtext in television: The more I read posts like this the more I wonder how people don't see the subtext.

John Watson's feelings: Completely leaves aside the potential shippiness of the Sherlock/John dynamic and focuses on how (if not why) John Watson loves Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock's Dilemma: Why loving John Watson would destroy Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes's feelings: Pretty much the opposite of what everyone else saw and thought about the ending of The Sign of Three (including me) and I love it.

Johnlock is not just for fans anymore: Some important thoughts on queerbaiting that the post in my first link doesn't address. A companion piece that references this post is here: An ode to unconventional relationships (or, queerness vs. queerbaiting — there’s another possibility).

Another Johnlock isn't just for fans anymore essay: Addresses only what we see on screen without attaching politics and culture to the issue (at least, without attaching them as much as one can).

It wasn't John and Mary's wedding we were supposed to witness: pennswoods nails it, succinctly and beautifully.

You Asked For It, You Got It: A shot-by-shot analysis of John and Sherlock's body language in the drunk guessing game scene, done by someone who analyzes body language for a living.

Sherlock reacts to the nurse's story: How much of her story is a reflection of his feelings about John?

Humanizing Sherlock: This is the post that converted me to being 100% okay with the decreased emphasis on cases.

Dixiebell's argument that Sherlock did tell John that he loved him.

Penance: Sherlock in S3: this is a fantastic observation of how S3 was Sherlock's paying for his betrayal of John, and how much more painful that is than would be his punishment for actually murdering someone.

Love and Breadcrumbs: The entire season broken down into John and Sherlock's relationship arc, with gifs and analysis.

I don't feel the same way about Moffat, but I am 100% on board with drinkingcocoa's thoughts on John and Mary's love.

What to do when None of This Makes Any Sense to you.

If you wanna get all SRS BSNS and academic about it, here's Bakhtin, Dialogue, and The Empty Hearse.

Stone Romancer, John Watson: Some thoughts on John’s Sexuality.

All these holes in his habit: A fucking brilliant analysis of John Watson's wardrobe.

Hands down absolutely the most amazing macro-meta analysis of the general show is right here. And she's got a host of addendums (to which she is still adding as of 02/03/14) here.

And if all that's not enough for you, here and here are giant lists of collected meta posts. I also put up a shitload of reblogs on my Tumblr today. Some are the ones I linked here, some aren't, and there are several fanvids and gifsets, none of which I linked here.

Happy reading.

Season 3 meta

There was/is a lot of debate in fandom about this season. I don't think either of the two previous seasons inspired so many confused and ambivalent feelings. Myself, I kind of like that. I understand and feel for the people who are put off by the feelings of betrayal and unease this season generated, though.

I especially appreciate how much meta sprung from these confused feelings, though. Oh my god, SO. MUCH. META.

This is why we love this show: The post that made me feel better about this season after I was feeling a little disappointed after episode 2.

Incredibly detailed analysis of The Empty Hearse Part one, Part two, and Part three: Not much conjecture, but a lot of good analysis of the cinematography and film-making.

Why I really really do not like that ‘Holmes Parents’ scene and a followup post by the same author here: I agree completely, even though I couldn't put my finger on why until I read these posts. It was charming to see Benedict's parents in these roles, but the scene rubbed me wrong from the first.

The Empty Hearse: Some Thoughts on the Fans and the Fannish.

The fine line between comedy and pathos: The train carriage sequence analyzed from a very literary perspective.

The loudest subtext in television: The more I read posts like this the more I wonder how people don't see the subtext.

John Watson's feelings: Completely leaves aside the potential shippiness of the Sherlock/John dynamic and focuses on how (if not why) John Watson loves Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock's Dilemma: Why loving John Watson would destroy Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes's feelings: Pretty much the opposite of what everyone else saw and thought about the ending of The Sign of Three (including me) and I love it.

Johnlock is not just for fans anymore: Some important thoughts on queerbaiting that the post in my first link doesn't address. A companion piece that references this post is here: An ode to unconventional relationships (or, queerness vs. queerbaiting — there’s another possibility).

Another Johnlock isn't just for fans anymore essay: Addresses only what we see on screen without attaching politics and culture to the issue (at least, without attaching them as much as one can).

It wasn't John and Mary's wedding we were supposed to witness: pennswoods nails it, succinctly and beautifully.

You Asked For It, You Got It: A shot-by-shot analysis of John and Sherlock's body language in the drunk guessing game scene, done by someone who analyzes body language for a living.

Sherlock reacts to the nurse's story: How much of her story is a reflection of his feelings about John?

Humanizing Sherlock: This is the post that converted me to being 100% okay with the decreased emphasis on cases.

Dixiebell's argument that Sherlock did tell John that he loved him.

Penance: Sherlock in S3: this is a fantastic observation of how S3 was Sherlock's paying for his betrayal of John, and how much more painful that is than would be his punishment for actually murdering someone.

Love and Breadcrumbs: The entire season broken down into John and Sherlock's relationship arc, with gifs and analysis.

I don't feel the same way about Moffat, but I am 100% on board with drinkingcocoa's thoughts on John and Mary's love.

What to do when None of This Makes Any Sense to you.

If you wanna get all SRS BSNS and academic about it, here's Bakhtin, Dialogue, and The Empty Hearse.

Stone Romancer, John Watson: Some thoughts on John’s Sexuality.

All these holes in his habit: A fucking brilliant analysis of John Watson's wardrobe.

Hands down absolutely the most amazing macro-meta analysis of the general show is right here. And she's got a host of addendums (to which she is still adding as of 02/03/14) here. ETA: If you don't read any of the other meta I linked here, read acafanmom's stuff because seriously she is amazing.

And if all that's not enough for you, here and here are giant lists of collected meta posts. I also put up a shitload of reblogs on my Tumblr today. Some are the ones I linked here, some aren't, and there are several fanvids and gifsets, none of which I linked here.

Happy reading.

I might be okay but I'm not fine at all

And while we're on the subject of meta and analysis for Sherlock!

My post-Reichenbach song for them was Wrecking Ball.

Post Season 3, it's this.

"" (Watch on YouTube)

"All Too Well"

I walked through the door with you, the air was cold,
But something 'bout it felt like home somehow.
And I left my scarf there at your sister's house,
And you still got it in your drawer even now.

Oh, your sweet disposition and my wide-eyed gaze.
We're singing in the car, getting lost Upstate.
Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place,
And I can picture it after all these days.

And I know it's long gone,
And that magic's not here no more,
And I might be okay,
But I'm not fine at all.

'Cause there we are again on that little town street.
You almost ran the red 'cause you were looking over me.
Wind in my hair, I was there, I remember it all too well.

Photo album on the counter, your cheeks were turning red.
You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-size bed
And your mother's telling stories about you on a tee ball team
You tell me 'bout your past, thinking your future was me.

And I know it's long gone
And there was nothing else I could do
And I forget about you long enough
To forget why I needed to...

'Cause there we are again in the middle of the night.
We dance around the kitchen in the refrigerator light
Down the stairs, I was there, I remember it all too well, yeah.

Maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much,
And maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up.
Running scared, I was there, I remember it all too well.

Hey, you call me up again just to break me like a promise.
So casually cruel in the name of being honest.
I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here
'Cause I remember it all, all, all... too well.

Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it
I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it
After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own
Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone

But you keep my old scarf from that very first week
'Cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me
You can't get rid of it 'cause you remember it all too well, yeah

'Cause there we are again, when I loved you so
Back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known
It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well

Wind in my hair, you were there, you remember it all
Down the stairs, you were there, you remember it all
It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well

I might be okay but I'm not fine at all

And while we're on the subject of meta and analysis for Sherlock!

My post-Reichenbach song for them was Wrecking Ball.

Post Season 3, it's this.

"All Too Well"

I walked through the door with you, the air was cold,
But something 'bout it felt like home somehow.
And I left my scarf there at your sister's house,
And you still got it in your drawer even now.

Oh, your sweet disposition and my wide-eyed gaze.
We're singing in the car, getting lost Upstate.
Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place,
And I can picture it after all these days.

And I know it's long gone,
And that magic's not here no more,
And I might be okay,
But I'm not fine at all.

'Cause there we are again on that little town street.
You almost ran the red 'cause you were looking over me.
Wind in my hair, I was there, I remember it all too well.

Photo album on the counter, your cheeks were turning red.
You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-size bed
And your mother's telling stories about you on a tee ball team
You tell me 'bout your past, thinking your future was me.

And I know it's long gone
And there was nothing else I could do
And I forget about you long enough
To forget why I needed to...

'Cause there we are again in the middle of the night.
We dance around the kitchen in the refrigerator light
Down the stairs, I was there, I remember it all too well, yeah.

Maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much,
And maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up.
Running scared, I was there, I remember it all too well.

Hey, you call me up again just to break me like a promise.
So casually cruel in the name of being honest.
I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here
'Cause I remember it all, all, all... too well.

Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it
I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it
After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own
Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone

But you keep my old scarf from that very first week
'Cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me
You can't get rid of it 'cause you remember it all too well, yeah

'Cause there we are again, when I loved you so
Back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known
It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well

Wind in my hair, you were there, you remember it all
Down the stairs, you were there, you remember it all
It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well