Why all this talk of people suing others? This isn't the first remake/adaption in history.

First of all, I'm sure the American producers are savvy enough to know they can't directly copy the ideas of other works within copyright, such as Moffat and Gatiss.

Secondly, I'm sure Moffat and Gatiss aren't eager to sue anyone, having directly lifted ideas from other films for the Sherlock series (The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes and The Woman in Green to name but two). They admit this openly on the dvd commentaries. I see this as a sincere form of flattery, homage even, as I think do they. They are obviously major Sherlock geeks and I'm sure they are just as eager to see what the new series is like than we are. It would take a lot for a lawsuit to even enter their mind.

The discussion basically comes from comments made by Sue Vertue

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s129/...lementary.html

There has been a tremendous amount of nonsense written about CBS "Ripping Off Sherlock" in the British media, and in internet forums like this one. And yes, it is good to see that some people here are correctly pointing out that Sherlock Holmes is a "public domain" character, meaning that ANYBODY is perfectly free to create new stories built around Sherlock Holmes -- whether it is for print, TV, or the cinema. But even the narrower accusation being made, that CBS is stealing the idea of having Sherlock Holmes in our modern world from Moffat's series, is false. Now, I have no doubt that CBS is INTERESTED in this project -- called "Elementary" -- because Sherlock has been a success in the US on PBS, but it is not true that bringing Sherlock Holmes into the present was ORIGINATED by Moffat or the BBC. Who knows when anybody first has an "idea," but "Sherlock Holmes in the 21st Century" got going as an actual TV project in the US first -- in the year 2000, in fact. The project was even called "Elementary" back then, but at that time the project was being developed at the ABC network, not CBS. A script was written for a pilot for a series, but ABC never gave the green light to film the pilot, so the project died. The writer of the script was Josh Friedman, who a few years ago was the executive producer of the Fox science fiction series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and has been in the news just recently because Fox has ordered a pilot from him for a spy series called The Asset. Anyway, nobody has to simply take my word that this script was written, and in the year 2000, because you can read Friedman's script yourselves. It is available to read on the internet. Just Google the following:

"Elementary1X01PilotJoshFriedman2000."

Also of note, while CBS's Elementary is going to be set in New York, Friedman's Elementary was going to be set in San Francisco.

Ah, I see, thanks for that.

Still, the American producers would be daft to try and copy any original ideas from the BBC series anyway, more so because the lawyers are apparently in the picture. TV networks have legal teams whose job it is to try and avoid any lawsuits so fingers crossed this CBS series will bring something else new to the Sherlock name. I'm sure there will be some similarities though, maybe just different enough to avoid any legal wranglings.

It's interesting to know that the BBC producers are keeping an eye out for it now.

I'll be giving it a watch, out of interest, but it I'll be surprised if it comes anywhere close to this BBC series .

It is just a pilot, you understand. The US networks make many pilots early in a new year, and it is only a minority that get turned into series for the next season. This is another way in which the British media has been remiss reporting this story. They are making it sound like it is definite that there is going to be an American Sherlock series when it is very far from definite. Last year, in early 2011, there were stories in the British media about how a new Wonder Woman series would be made in America. Of course a pilot was made, and then rejected, by the NBC network, so no new Wonder Woman series was produced.

the yanks have already made their own modern day version, and called it House

You beat me to it!!

I'm slow, only just realised what the squash ball was for

what was it for ?

Yeah, and the main character is played by a British actor .
House was at least clever and original at the same time. Didn't ACD base his Sherlock character on Joseph Bell, a forensic pathologist? And the producer had openly admitted that he was a fan of the books, hence the obvious similarities. But the timing of the CBS version does make it seem like an attempt to copy the BBC version because of it's success. Plus calling it Elementary doesn't inspire any confidence in Holmes' fans since ( if I'm not mistaken ) Holmes never said the phrase "Elementary my dear Watson" in the books ??

Furthermore, the name Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are so synonymous with London and England, ie. they're like cultural icons, that the thought of a total Americanised version would just not feel right ! Sure you can base it on the original, just don't call them Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. It's like trying to do an American spy movie and calling the hero James Bond rather than Jason Bourne.

One of the more interesting ideas put forward at least it gives some credence to a double suicide.
But:
Would Sherlock have really been able resist not showing off in Kitty's flat?
We still don't know why the girl screamed which would suggest Sherlock having a twin/double.
There has been no hint or suggestion of it in the previous five episodes, has there?


One thing bugging me now. Who (apart from Anderson and Donovan) wanted to see Sherlock disgraced? It's proposed that Moriarty would do it to precipitate his suicide? But what was Moriarty's motivation for this and why then kill yourself before seeing the denouement? Surely Moriarty was having a whale of a time becoming ever more outrageous and having Sherlock chase around after him?
Last edited by iamian : 22-01-2012 at 20:34

I am not sure whether these are actual clues or just 'styling' but I keep thinking of the many religious symbols:
The black IOU wings(black angel) - the crucifix shape 'Sherlock makes before leap. It is also inreadibly bright when Moriarty is sat on the roof. (It was getting dark when John and Sherlock went to Barts so they must have stayed there over night- hence John asleep and Sherlock up all night sorting out his fake death) Lucifer was the bright angel who became jealous of Jesus being promoted to God's equal (I think) - he had a group of angels who joined him on his rebellion - he was not alone. I can't get any further than this.

I also have noticed the shoes - as mentioned before on here - there is a long close up of Moriarty's shoes as he enters Sherlock's flat. Also - just a tiny detail (obsessive Moi???) but is there blood on the ledge when Sherlock steps onto it for the last time and not earlier - I think it is on the vertical plane.?

The "blood" on the parapet has been reported and explored elsewhere (Grauniad).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-rad...ock-doctor-who

This is only the first close up you see of the parapet. It may be significant but I don't see to what?

Throughout the rooftop scene, including when we glance back at Moriarty's body after Watson arrives it is bright and sunny yet Watson walks through puddles and Sherlock lands onto a rain-soaked pavement.

Btw someone has also mentioned that it's a throwback to the movie, The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan, where the same song was used. You may have heard it from there. That was a clever storyline, loved the movie.

I'm presuming but...I found a recap for a US show which we get on C5. He uses a squash ball under a mob boss' arm to stop his pulse so people would think he was dead.

Thanks to iamian for the link - http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-rad...ock-doctor-who (sorry not worked out how to quote yet)- loads of interesting ideas there should keep me busy - it appears just about every idea has been covered.. one last thought
Moriarty could have been assassinated for shaking Sherlocks hand as the previous assasins were- but I'm sure that is mentioned too when I trawl through. Thanks again.

I watched the last episode for the second time tonight, and perhaps I am reading too much into these so called "clues" but I came up with two possible hypothesis's or scenarios.

The first scenario I was thinking was: What if those gangsters who were trying to keep Sherlock alive- are still trying to do so? Perhaps they wouldn't let him fall to his death because they still think he has the key? or something along those lines. So they were around to make sure he doesn't die. Although..maybe I am totally off the mark here.

Some other things I noticed in this episode were that John stated at the end that he owed Sherlock because he was alone and Sherlock helped him, and I am thinking perhaps that's why Moriarty said it too- as because of Sherlock he isn't alone anymore with all of the "ordinary" people.

There were a lot of word play in this episode "you repel me" "I owe you" "three little words" etc. However, I am just thinking out loud here and am not sure if they are clues. Another word which kept cropping up were "Angels".

Other things I noticed were:

Like the other poster stated- Sherlock wore different shoes like soft shoes compared to ones he always wore. They were really soft shoes like the type modern dancers wear I think.
Sherlock raised his arms out like an angel before he fell and Moriarty did a similar pose also when he was breaking in to steal the crown jewels.
I also noticed Sherlock cried just before he fell and he never cried in any other episode, I guess this showed the more human side to him.

The big clue perhaps is the "IOU" that is on the wall with the wings around it-again pointing to angels or something with wings along with the word angels which was said once or twice in the program. This brings me to the second possible scenario which is: Like angels have wings, Sherlock had a parachute under his coat or something to break his fall and land softly (however his landing was hidden by the truck, so John couldn't see it) and then like the other poster said he used the rubber ball to stop his pulse.

Anyway sorry for the rambling post and bad grammar :P but again, I am just thinking out loud here more than anything. Perhaps by posting this someone might get an idea and come up with an even better theory as to how Sherlock faked his death and perhaps the right answer too.

That's kind of what I was getting at yesterday when I mentioned the quote from Molly to Sherlock about him looking sad when he thinks John can't see him, i.e he isn't looking at him on the rooftop and he was obviously "upset" at that point. *Shrug*

It started to rain as Sherlock turned away from Moriaty's body, and back towards the parapet. I only noticed it on the second viewing.

Did Sherlock jump, had thought of a way to make Moriarty's body fall after he did. Moriarty hit the pavement, Sherlock had already hit the laundry van, threw Moriarty into it then lay down on the pavement.

I love this theory!

Although in that case, I reckon that they were a set of triplets.My class was taken by a supply teacher the other day who looked and sounded identical to Moriarty.
And his name was James

Has anyone spotted any Easter Eggs in the last episode?

Just found this pic someone posted of an Easter Egg in 'The Hounds of Baskerville':

http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/...418uo2_500.png

Top right hand corner showing the Tardis and Sherlock.

Good observation Ellaboo, I must check out the scene again. Your thoughts also ties in a little with Chocolate Monke's dad's theory about there being more than one Moriarty i.e. a group of angels etc. I agree with OnaOakley that its a great theory indeed. Especially when I want to see more of Moriarty or his followers in the next series

Re: the two Moriarty's. I've thought about that a bit, too, as there are in fact two 'James Moriarty's' in the Conan Doyle canon, both brothers. I read somewhere that Steven Moffat said they are thinking of using it somewhere down the line in further episodes.

If, as Moffat has said recently, that he hopes Sherlock episodes will be around "for decades", then it doesn't make sense to kill off Sherlock's nemesis so early in the Series imho.

A squash ball under the armpit stops the blood flow in the arm and makes it look like the pulse has either stopped or is very slowed down. It's a magician's trick.

And at the scene of the fall it shows that Sherlock's right hand is blue.

I do think it is Sherlock lying on the ground, as I have noticed that Benedict has a long life line on his hand and he also has rather distinctive fingernails. Am I sad or what?