I thought it was excellent... good lines, good script and good acting. And I an unanimous in that.

Sherlock couldn't work out quickly who the target was despite them being dressed in full military uniform and Holmes recently saying 'he gets more death threats than you do'? Also the belt explanation was about as stupid as last week and their ACME bomb with the off switch. Like being decapitated and you're fine as long as you don't take your turtleneck off.

I agree that some of the Sherlock thinking scenes are quite well done. It saved the need to bounce off a side-kick like some do.

the writer is on the radio with Chris Evans at the moment if you want to listen to it on listen again it will be about 2hours and five minutes in

Whilst this might seem like a funny story - which indeed it was - I didn't recognise it as good old, reliable Sherlock. It was a great – stand-alone play about another person, but this just wasn't Sherlock.

To me, It was like having a new script writer, who hadn't read or seen the previous Sherlock stories.

For example, Sherlock's meticulous palette would have tasted the spirit in his drinks,,, & he would realise what was going on.
Even if he didn't, he would have realised something was amiss when he started to lose the plot. He wouldn't allow himself to lose his marbles - that's the whole core of his very being (I'm assuming he isn't into opium now ?).
Nor would he act so slushy at the wedding - it just isn't in him.

I will concede - it was a touching moment revealing the pregnancy, & the few lines following that.

Like most interlopers, I initially thought Mary was a bad ‘un, working for one of the Worlds worst groups, & would meet a grizzly end. But then, Sherlock did give her ‘the once over’ when they first met.

Great acting by all concerned, but I hope it returns to the real Sherlock now though.
If Mr Gatiss wants to write funny stories - that's fine - he does a damn good job of 'em, but please, not with our hero.

This is a very valid point.

That's the thing, though - is it more or less plausible than using phosphorescent dog to scare someone to death?

Ways of killing people in detective fiction can tend towards the inventive and unusual. Being donged on the head by an antique urn tends towards the banal, really.

Slouchythingy, please just tell us this.... does Mary choke to death on a Malteser whilst watching a male strip-show?

It reminded me of a particularly self-indulgent episode of Supernatural in which the director, writers and actors appear to be having a very good time at the expense of continuity and character integrity. Too much bromance not enough suspense.

As an aside, Dr Watson (Martin Freeman) seemed to look smaller than ever. I was half expecting Gandalf to turn up at his wedding.

Oh hat's definitely the way I want to go

Not only I then, that's good That first episode did not gain my curiosity.

Bit disappointed with last night's episode. It seemed too long by about half an hour or so. There were some lovely moments, but it started to drag.

Just as there are other people who who are determined to dislike it regardless of it's strengths, many because they dislike what one of the writers did to their beloved Doctor Who.

Would it be considered spoilery if I said no?

I suspect that a lot of Dr Who fans love Sherlock because this series it seems interchangeable (pace wise, dialogue wise, performance wise) with it.

Not watching again. It was rubbish the previous episode and this was just one monotonous monolgue. Sherlock mumbling for 90 mins. Had to put the subs on. I lasted 30 mins and switched off. Rather just see a normal case.

I'm afraid that I don't 'get' that at all. What it's basically saying is that people who like one programme like another - which is pretty standard isn't it?
I like Dr Who and Sherlock.
The other half likes Dr Who and has never been a Sherlock fan.
My mum loves Sherlock and wouldn't watch Dr Who if you paid her in cold hard cash.

Sometimes, people just like what they like - or don't like what they don't.

Anyway, I must be a pretty poor watcher of both Dr Who and Sherlock 'cos I don't really find them interchangeable at all. I watch Dr Who knowing it's Dr Who and Sherlock as Sherlock.

I didn't have a problem with last week's episode at all - I wasn't too keen on the "nods to the fandom" stuff but each to their own, and it didn't bother me that much; I just thought it was a bit silly.
But on the whole, I thought it was watchable and it was perfectly acceptable to spend episode one rebuilding relationships and setting the scene for the next two.
I really didn't enjoy last night's though - I thought it was overlong, the crime plot was weak, and fairly predictable and it had a feel about it of something that is being deliberately wedged into a cult shaped hole ( and I didn't know until reading this thread that the writers were involved with Dr Who - I don't watch DW and tend to avoid reading too much about the stuff I do watch, like Sherlock because I prefer to just watch and enjoy - or not)
I hope the finale is tighter and has more substance to it, and I suspect it will, but I'm disappointed with the fact that we've now had two fairly light episodes.
For all that, it'll take a lot for me to stop watching as I still think it's worth tuning in for just for performances of the two leads.

I was slightly annoyed too that the victim was very apparent, the importance of the belt was highlighted, and that the woman's connection to 'John Hamish Watson' was made so easy too. And that the photographer was fairly transparently placed mid-scene close to the recap of the photographer stalking the guardsmen.

I prefer not to be able to put these things together myself, personally Having said that, I do dislike detective dramas where the final denouement rests entirely upon some piece of evidence known only to the detective.

I'm perfectly happy with the belt explanation, though. Credible enough for my suspension of disbelief.

I heard and understood every word and I am watching in a foreign language (English). Maybe there is something wrong with your TV.

Yes. I agree with you. Also we like Dr Who and our kids like it too. Talking to my next door neighbor has shown me that Dr Who has changed a lot over the numerous years it has been made also.

Ijust noticed something in latest episode that relates exactly to next weeks!!!!

I was immediately reminded of that Supernatural episode, during last week's Sherlock, the whole Wincest! (some fangirl dreams of romantic overtures between the two leads who are brothers on Supernatural for those who don't watch) and Sherlock/Moriarty.

I enjoyed that episode, especially the downgrading of the restaurants and I did giggle at the off switch on the bomb. It was nice to see something different to the usual cutting of the correct wire a tenth of a second before it explodes.

I didn't like this episode as much. It had its comical moments - the stag 'do, Lestrade sending armed response and whoever else to Baker St. and I really liked the courtroom scene, but it just felt a bit overblown and padded. At times I found myself thinking 'get on with it', and the murder plot felt like it had been crowbarred into place. I can see what they were trying to do, but for me, it didn't quite work.

From my own layman's point of view, I'd have thought the same (especially as the major may not be able to tighten his belt - it depends on whether you could tighten it one handed, after fastening it). But similarly, I don't know about the real situation.

In both cases, what would the person do who started to feel pain? They still wouldn’t know they had been stabbed. The soldier on guard duty would carry on guarding until relieved. The Watson/Holmes dialogue touched on this when discussing scratching. Idle chat at the time, but ultimately relevant to the plot. I think a re-watch of the episode would indicate both showing discomfort, but not enough for the viewer to realise without the advantage of hindsight.

I don’t know if the major got up from his seat and returned to his room because he now realised what had happened, based on Sherlock’s speech, or if he was just feeling unwell.

It is certainly not unknown for people to have serious internal injuries but for them to not realise how badly hurt thry are and so put off getting help until it is too late.