S04.E14: Who Is That Masked Man?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

When Holmes' investigation into the attempt on Morland's life pushes their strained relationship to the breaking point, the identity of Sherlock's mother is revealed. Also, when three gang members are murdered, Holmes and Watson are amazed when an elderly woman emerges as their prime suspect.

 

Promo (sorry for the terrible quality but it's the only one available right now):

[whatsatool]

I can't turn the sound up enough. They are whispering.

[MisterGlass]

Didn't care much for the case of the week, though I appreciate a nod to Sherlock's literary disguises.  It hasn't occurred to me before now, but this Sherlock tends o present himself to suspects as himself only.

 

The family bits were worth it.  I liked how understated the scene between Joan and Sherlock was when he finally talked about his mother.   Both characters were so deliberately calm about such a tender subject.  And then the confrontation with Morland over the other facts about his wife was harsh on several levels.  He was tired of keeping the secret, he was tired of being harassed by Sherlock, and he was tired of feeling guilty, but in the end Morland didn’t get much from his revelation.  Perhaps confessing was something in itself.  There is such tension in the room whenever Sherlock and Morland speak.

[AimingforYoko]

Didn't care much for the case of the week, though I appreciate a nod to Sherlock's literary disguises.  It hasn't occurred to me before now, but this Sherlock tends o present himself to suspects as himself only.

 

The family bits were worth it.  I liked how understated the scene between Joan and Sherlock was when he finally talked about his mother.   Both characters were so deliberately calm about such a tender subject.  And then the confrontation with Morland over the other facts about his wife was harsh on several levels.  He was tired of keeping the secret, he was tired of being harassed by Sherlock, and he was tired of feeling guilty, but in the end Morland didn’t get much from his revelation.  Perhaps confessing was something in itself.  There is such tension in the room whenever Sherlock and Morland speak.

I did admire Morland's honesty that enforcing the pre-nup was "The pettiest thing he'd ever done." and not some noble thing he did to protect the boys.

[Actionmage]

It was a pretty entertaining case. It was a mix of famous folks and telegraphed folks.

 

We also got more background on Momma Holmes. While I understand Morland's tack on keeping the kids out of the messiness- and his hair- while the shit went down, he's such a narcissist/ sociopath that he didn't think to keep the boys close to him to help them. They would just be whiny children and ugh!  So, since they were already to go to boarding school, it was ndb, at least to Morland.  I need John Noble to convince me otherwise. ( Breaking News: John Noble could see me beachfront property in the Antartic. I'd even go in for the good sunscreen.)

 

Elizabeth Sung, iirc, was one of Jack Abbott's big lost loves on The Young and The Restless back in the 80s or 90s. I smiled, not sure if that was the lady I was thinking of, but hearing her and seeing her face? Yeah. She still looks good.  I was hoping that Kevin Kilner would be a red herring, but no, yet another white business dude being venal. That whole thing could have been an episode. This hour breaking down the motive and then Gregson could loop them in on a takedown of the facility. I guess that might be deemed as too depressing for 9PM/ 10Eastern on a Thursday night.

 

How would Sven know that Bai May-Lung was even around the old folks facility? Did Kilner tip him off? I get the revenge thing, but how did Sven even get the info on the chain of command?

 

It was nice to see that Sherlock, while processing the new information on his mom, could be open to Watson. Not wide-open dam levels, but " working through some new family info" and Joan was savvy enough to offer support and space. ( See Arrow, work partners can be written that way!)

 

Next week intrigues me with the "wacky" music and the Shih Tzu.

 

added:

not some noble thing he did to protect the boys.

 

Nope; it felt/sounded like he was angry and hurt and just wanted to be alone and could make it so. So he did.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Actionmage

[possibilities]

I thought it was notable that Morland didn't even register that sending the boys away was part of why Sherlock hated him. All Morland was focused on was how he treated Mary.

[fauntleroy]

At least they had enough respect for the viewers not to show the masks in use. Good that Sherlock ridiculed the effectiveness of disguises and wigs, and these only worked because through a foggy window or whatnot. It's a ridiculous, persistent conceit, routinely abused by shows that should know better. Mission Impossible, both the TV series and the movies, was a particular offender, by having the actual actor pretend to be the hero wearing a mask, then do a cut to Tom Cruise or whoever pulling off the mask. So tacky!

 

Dedicated special effects/makeup people can't even do it convincingly. Star Trek often tried and It's always oh look, they've tried to make Diana Muldaur look "old" by covering her with putty! Wouldn't convince anybody for a second.

 

Basically, disguises designed to make you look like a specific person are rubbish. If you have to rely on poor lighting etc then it just doesn't seem worth the bother. Even if he got the face more or less right he is still a big guy with at least 50 lbs and several inches on that petite Chinese lady. What a lot of trouble just to get in the door. Not sure why he ditched the disguise in the nearby trash instead of keeping it with him, other than for the convenience of Sherlock who could find it and go - ah hah! Then, mortician's putty! Hey that witness was a mortician. he was probably involved. A case of no shit, Sherlock.

 

Don't know why Morland kept the story of his wife from Sherlock for all this time. Why bother? I know he gave an explanation, but it was unconvincing to me.

[theatremouse]

Don't know why Morland kept the story of his wife from Sherlock for all this time. Why bother? I know he gave an explanation, but it was unconvincing to me.

I had no problem with the explanation. Once you've not said something for a certain period of time, it becomes very easy to continue not saying it. Especially given that they're established as having a strained relationship, they'd need a reason for it to come up. Which it did here. I didn't get the impression Sherlock regularly confronted his father on specific details for why he hated him; just call him a terrible father and storm off, so it's not like Morland'd need to bring it up to defend himself. And it's not like Morland would just bring it up out of the blue. For me it's less of a "why bother keeping it secret" and more of a "why bother explaining now" issue, and as presented, I did think they earned the "why now" moment, or at least close enough. Edited February 26, 2016 by theatremouse

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm still not sure how I feel about them casting some of the go-to Asian actors for this episode. I guess I should just be glad that they didn't go the usual route with the most recognizable actors being the perpetrators. It's still kind of annoying that an episode with multiple Asian people had to be gang related.

 

I was surprised Morland admitted that he had been petty. That's more than I'd ever expected from him.

[Badsamaritan]

At least they had enough respect for the viewers not to show the masks in use. Good that Sherlock ridiculed the effectiveness of disguises and wigs, and these only worked because through a foggy window or whatnot. It's a ridiculous, persistent conceit, routinely abused by shows that should know better. Mission Impossible, both the TV series and the movies, was a particular offender, by having the actual actor pretend to be the hero wearing a mask, then do a cut to Tom Cruise or whoever pulling off the mask. So tacky!

Dedicated special effects/makeup people can't even do it convincingly. Star Trek often tried and It's always oh look, they've tried to make Diana Muldaur look "old" by covering her with putty! Wouldn't convince anybody for a second.

Basically, disguises designed to make you look like a specific person are rubbish. If you have to rely on poor lighting etc then it just doesn't seem worth the bother. Even if he got the face more or less right he is still a big guy with at least 50 lbs and several inches on that petite Chinese lady. What a lot of trouble just to get in the door. Not sure why he ditched the disguise in the nearby trash instead of keeping it with him, other than for the convenience of Sherlock who could find it and go - ah hah! Then, mortician's putty! Hey that witness was a mortician. he was probably involved. A case of no shit, Sherlock.

Don't know why Morland kept the story of his wife from Sherlock for all this time. Why bother? I know he gave an explanation, but it was unconvincing to me.

I take it you're not a General Hospital watcher lol. Former head writer Ron Carlivati took the use of masks to a whole nother level. Unfortunately for viewers, not in a good way.

This is pure spec and I have no spoilers but, I think maybe May is still alive, and she is the one trying to have Morland killed. For revenge, for how Sherlock and Mycroft turned out, etc. Of course she's crackers, and that may be the reason for the addiction as well, self medicating and all that. And I think Morland may suspect it, but he's keeping it to himself. In his own way, he may believe he's protecting his sons, like sending them away when May fell off the wagon. I'm assuming May was also highly intelligent as I don't see Morland marrying someone of average anything. My spec is, this will lead up to the season finale and that's when Sherlock will discover both that his mother is alive, and she's the one behind the attempt on his father. I also think the girlfriend was actually the target - May is jelly that Morland found a new love. That fire story is just too suspect to me.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Badsamaritan

[Gregg247]

Not a very good case-of-the-week this week.  I think EVERYONE involved turned out to be a bad guy.  Were there any innocent characters in this one?  

 

Plus, the story didn't make use of any of Sherlock's special skills of deduction.  We could have (and probably have) seen the exact same story played out on Hawaii Five-O, Blue Bloods, The Mentalist, or any of the NCIS shows.  Nothing special here at all, except for the personal Holmes family stuff, which seemed to be tossed in here to pad out the episode.

[AnnaMayWong]

To me, SHERLOCK has been spooling away from usage of his 'special skills' for a while now. Many of the subtle intricacies in plot, ancillary devices, and complex Sherlockian characterization and acts have diminished.

And, I agree about the volume. Sherlock, especially, is becoming prone to duller enunciated low sounding murmuring speech.

[whatsatool]

Which makes me wonder how his neighbor could ever complain about sound.

Actually I can't watch it without closed captions. Lol. Until this season, which I think is GREAT, it has functioned as a sleeping pill.

Edited February 26, 2016 by whatsatool

[kitmerlot1213]

Mary is not Sherlock's mom's name, it's May--otherwise both Joan and Sherlock's mothers would have the same first name.  Talk about confusing :)

 

I did like learning more about Sherlock's past, especially his being sent to boarding school earlier then he should have been and therefore more available for being bullied.  Poor little mite that he was.

Edited February 26, 2016 by kitmerlot1213

[MaryHedwig]

This is pure spec and I have no spoilers but, I think maybe May is still alive, and she is the one trying to have Morland killed. For revenge, for how Sherlock and Mycroft turned out, etc. Of course she's crackers, and that may be the reason for the addiction as well, self medicating and all that.

I don't know if you are correct but I love your creative process. If you are, I wonder who they would cast as May Holmes?  What actress is up for standing up to John Noble and Jon Lee Miller?

[fauntleroy]

Speaking of rugs, James Hong was sporting a nice one. He is on every TV casting person's speed-dial for old Chinese guy. Still in the game at 87! And Tzi Ma always seems to play a bad guy.

[basil]

If you are, I wonder who they would cast as May Holmes?  What actress is up for standing up to John Noble and Jon Lee Miller?

 

 

Dame Maggie Smith, of course, but that's not gonna happen. I think they should let dead mothers lie, in this case.

 

What on earth was Morland thinking when he gave Sherlock the dossier on his mother? What did he think the result of that was going to be?

 

And what was May's poison? 

[Primetimer]

Sherlock and Joan head down to Chinatown to answer the question 'Who Is That Masked Man?'

Read the story

[tennisgurl]

As soon as Sherlock started talking about his sainted dead mom, I knew it would turn out there was more to her story than just being the perfect mother of the Holmes boys. And now that THAT whole revelation has happened, I assume she is going to pop up again. Maybe a criminal mastermind? If that is the case, Sherlock might need to consider that he has a bit of an Oedipus complex, what with his "presumed dead but is actually a criminal mastermind" ex girlfriend.

 

It's still kind of annoying that an episode with multiple Asian people had to be gang related.

I have just made peace with the fact that any episode of a procedural with multiple people of any ethnicity other than WASP will be involved with whatever their ethnic crime gang of choice is. I guess it makes sense, considering cop shows wont both too much with law abiding citizens, but it can be a bit annoying when it seems like all ethnic people are connected to crime.

 

The tension with Moorland and Sherlock is still really interesting to watch, and one of the more interesting parts of the show. Not as good as Joan and Sherlock scenes, but still very interesting.

[elle]

I was hoping that Kevin Kilner would be a red herring, but no, yet another white business dude being venal.

What is the name of that trope? "the most recognizable guest actor is the culprit" As soon as I saw him I thought, oh it's him. And there were a number of recognizable guest actors this time.

[basil]

From Previously TV's recap:

 

Sherlock even speaks in a Chinese dialect in a short scene but, sadly, Watson never does. It's a shame: I know Lucy Liu speaks Mandarin, and I would have liked to hear her bust it out on some triad members while brandishing her vicious longstick.

 

 

 

She might not have spoken any, but she certainly got an earful from the little old lady in the old folks home. It was a nice subtle little touch that Watson let a barrage of Chinese flow over her before hearing something particularly egregious, and saying "That's not very nice".

[basiltherat]

I vote for Helen Mirren for Mama Holmes -- 'cuz she can be badass and have fun doing it! Hell, if she can appear on a Disneyland special, a TV serial is not "beneath" the Dame!

Also, Joan is an "ethnic" and is not a gang member. Nor is Marcus.

[thuganomics85]

Great seeing both Tzi Ma and James Hong, but I totally cared the mortician and business guy being the ones involved with the crime in each one's respected first scene, because they both just came off shady in their own ways.  I didn't know exactly why, and I'm still not entirely sure, although it sounded like it was something like the business guy poisoned someone, the mortician noticed it, business guy sent a bunch of Triads after the mortician to keep him quiet, and then the mortician killed the thugs because he only has a year to live, so fuck it, why not? 

 

The stuff involving Sherlock and his family was way more interesting.  Morland is really becoming a fascinating character and John Noble is playing him perfectly.  There is still a lot about Morland that isn't likable, but the farther this story goes, the more it seems like there is more to him then just want Sherlock always assumed about it.  That said, May/Sherlock's mom dying by a fire totally sounds like a set-up for a "She isn't actually dead!" reveal.

 

I agree that they need to start using Sherlock's special skills and deduction more, because a lot of the cases do feel like they were solved less by those, and more by typical procedural methods.  I don't want him to be brilliant to the point of obnoxious, but I do think the show needs to remember that there is a reason he's considered one of the best, and why people put up with his less then admirable attributes.

[dargosmydaddy]

 

This is pure spec and I have no spoilers but, I think maybe Mary is still alive, and she is the one trying to have Morland killed. For revenge, for how Sherlock and Mycroft turned out, etc. Of course she's crackers, and that may be the reason for the addiction as well, self medicating and all that. And I think Morland may suspect it, but he's keeping it to himself. In his own way, he may believe he's protecting his sons, like sending them away when Mary fell off the wagon. I'm assuming Mary was also highly intelligent as I don't see Morland marrying someone of average anything. My spec is, this will lead up to the season finale and that's when Sherlock will discover both that his mother is alive, and she's the one behind the attempt on his father. I also think the girlfriend was actually the target - Mary is jelly that Morland found a new love. That fire story is just too suspect to me.

Hmmm... I am wondering what they're building up to here. Seems like every end-of-season involves Sherlock getting the rug pulled out from under him and being devastated... the mom returning and proving not to be the lovely woman he remembers her as would fit the bill, but would also feel like a Moriarty re-tread. I hope TPTB get a bit more creative than that.

 

I'm not a big John Noble fan, but the Sherlock & Moreland scenes are really growing on me, mainly due to JLM. His delivery of, "She's still dead. I'm still an addict. You're still not a father" (I might be paraphrasing the last line) was awesome.

[Kathira]

I've also never been a huge John Noble fan, but he is really convincing me as Morland. The scene at the brownstone, where he takes responsibility for Sabine's death was nothing short of amazing. I actually gasped when he stepped in towards Sherlock and said "You invoke your mother now?" The acting work between him and Jonny is truly stellar. And speaking of stellar, I seriously covet Joan's long red print skirt, with the short skirt under it. Pairing that with the white blouse was genius. She sat in it in one scene and crossed her legs apparently just to remind viewers why she's considered to be one of the most beautiful women in the world. My only complaint about her gorgeous wardrobe is that she seems to be over-dressed for many of her scenes. Realistically, she should probably dress down a bit more.

[Margherita Erdman]

I did admire Morland's honesty that enforcing the pre-nup was "The pettiest thing he'd ever done." and not some noble thing he did to protect the boys.

I was surprised Morland admitted that he had been petty. That's more than I'd ever expected from him.

That confused me actually, because call me a heartless witch (or just the child of one alcoholic plus one codependent enabler), or both, or maybe they amount to the same thing — but enforcing the pre-nup to divorce when she abandoned her sobriety, and to allow her only visitation with her kids — i.e., protecting Mycroft & Sherlock from the worst of their mother's addiction — seems like the right thing to do. Boarding school, that does seem harsh, unnecessary, and yes, petty, if done in part to punish May/Mary.

I thought it was notable that Morland didn't even register that sending the boys away was part of why Sherlock hated him. All Morland was focused on was how he treated Mary.

But Sherlock does seem obsessed with and solely focused on Morland's treatment of his mother — only resenting his early enrollment at boarding school because it meant separation from his mother. He doesn't seem to have wanted any closeness with his father even as a child.

Don't know why Morland kept the story of his wife from Sherlock for all this time. Why bother? I know he gave an explanation, but it was unconvincing to me.

I thought it was to protect her memory, not just for the sake of his sons but as a mark of his love for her. Morland isn't an ink-black villain, as we've all agreed.

edited for clarity

Edited February 27, 2016 by Margherita Erdman

[MisterGlass]

 

That confused me actually, because call me a heartless witch (or just the child of one alcoholic plus one codependent enabler), or both, or maybe they amount to the same thing — but enforcing the pre-nup to divorce when she abandoned her sobriety, and to allow her only visitation with her kids — i.e., protecting Mycroft & Sherlock from the worst of their mother's addiction — seems like the right thing to do. Boarding school, that does seem harsh, unnecessary, and yes, petty, if done in part to punish May/Mary.

 

All fair points.  I think the question is more about Morland's motives than actual deeds.  Morland couldn't have known that divorcing her would lead her to reside in an unsafe building, which in turn led to her death.  That wasn't what he intended at all; he does seem to have loved her.  The way he describes it he acted out of contempt and anger, not concern or parental instinct.  He left his sons (or at least Sherlock) with no understanding of why they and their mother were being treated in what appeared to be a tyrranical way.  I wonder what Mycroft knew.  He's several years older, and he maintained a much closer relationship with their father in the intervening years than Sherlock did.

 

His wife's death drove a mammoth wedge between Sherlock and Morland, but based on the final scene Sherlock still believes Morland was a poor parent for other reasons than his mother's death.  Given Morland's unparalleled ability to be emotionally detached, and the stubbornness they both show, it's no wonder the relationship broke down entirely.

 

On a lighter note, was Joan wearing a blouse covered in red lips?  I thought she was early on.

[dargosmydaddy]

 

On a lighter note, was Joan wearing a blouse covered in red lips?  I thought she was early on.

I thought they were feathers? Maybe? (I have a small, very un-HD TV, so who knows...)

[theatremouse]

Well you know, a couple weeks ago it was dinosaurs vs wild cats, so with Joan's funky prints, it tends to require a re-look.

[mojoween]

The newspaper headline in the police station irritated me because I think it should have read "SLAIN" not "SLAYED".

And Morland was reading a newspaper that had columns written in presumably English but the large point appeared to be Arabic which I found interesting, especially if Morland speaks Arabic, even if that doesn't mean anything at all.

[theatremouse]

More interesting if he reads Arabic, which in my experience is even harder to learn than to speak. I was wondering precisely that when I saw the paper.

[MaryHedwig]

I think the question is more about Morland's motives than actual deeds.  Morland couldn't have known that divorcing her would lead her to reside in an unsafe building, which in turn led to her death.  That wasn't what he intended at all; he does seem to have loved her.

..which helps us understand why Morland paid for Sherlock's rehab and gives him unlimited access to his brownstone.  Although did Morland make sure that it meets fire standards? Nothing really looks up to code to my eyes.

[marieYOTZ]

I am 97% sure in the early scene where they're at the crime scene, Sherlock says "I count three blood splatters, two victims, one knife".

Everyone knows it's "blood spatter", Sherlock. Yeesh.

[Margherita Erdman]

And Morland was reading a newspaper that had columns written in presumably English but the large point appeared to be Arabic which I found interesting, especially if Morland speaks Arabic, even if that doesn't mean anything at all.

I'm about 90% sure that newspaper was Indian, though whether the language was Hindi or Bengali or another language I could not tell you. My 2nd guess in that brief glance was maybe Thai. 100% sure it was not Arabic or Farsi (which is written in the same script).

I am 97% sure in the early scene where they're at the crime scene, Sherlock says "I count three blood splatters, two victims, one knife".

Everyone knows it's "blood spatter", Sherlock. Yeesh.

Where is Dexter when you need him?

Still chopping down old-growth forest in Oregon while dismembering the occasional miscreant with his chainsaw, no doubt...

[DeLurker]

I am 97% sure in the early scene where they're at the crime scene, Sherlock says "I count three blood splatters, two victims, one knife".

Everyone knows it's "blood spatter", Sherlock. Yeesh.

I didn't.

[basiltherat]

Well, regarding pluralization, British English sometimes adds "s" when Americans don't -- such as, Americans say "shrimp" and British say "shrimps"

The lingering on Morland's newspaper was deliberate -- I think they did that to make us assume it was Arabic.

[theatremouse]

I am 97% sure in the early scene where they're at the crime scene, Sherlock says "I count three blood splatters, two victims, one knife".

Everyone knows it's "blood spatter", Sherlock. Yeesh.

It depends? I'm pretty sure "spatter" requires small drops and small drops only. Usually that's what gets studied/referenced in a crime scene, Dexter, whatever. But splatter is a word, and depending on the scene, could apply if there were large, medium and small drops, blobs or pools of blood. I don't remember what the crime scene looked like but depending on the visual, splatter may have been an appropriate choice of words. Edited February 28, 2016 by theatremouse

[MaryHedwig]

This is pure spec and I have no spoilers but, I think maybe May is still alive, and she is the one trying to have Morland killed. For revenge, for how Sherlock and Mycroft turned out, etc. Of course she's crackers, and that may be the reason for the addiction as well, self medicating and all that.

How about Helena Bonham Carter to play May Holmes?  Helena could play her masterfully, whether May be dead or alive.

Edited February 28, 2016 by MaryHedwig

[DeLurker]

^^^

I love that!

Is HBC old enough? Not IRL since she is less than 10 years older than JLM.

But I have a healthy dose of hand wavium I could use on that storyline.

[jhlipton]

The newspaper was d finitely Sanskrit. Considering how much influence India has in the world economy, it would make sense for Morlsnd to keep up with Indian news.

[fastiller]

Well you know, a couple weeks ago it was dinosaurs vs wild cats, so with Joan's funky prints, it tends to require a re-look.

A few weeks back I was at a baby shower and a cousin went out for a cigarette.  When she came back in I said she looked "hippy-dippy" while another cousin went to "Ted Kazinski'.  So we decided it was a Rorshasch (sp?) test.  Could be similar for patterns/prints on Joan's clothing.  You see what you feel/are?

[Clanstarling]

Well, regarding pluralization, British English sometimes adds "s" when Americans don't -- such as, Americans say "shrimp" and British say "shrimps"

US "math" vs UK "maths"

Count me who think that Mummy may not be dead. Or, alternatively, that she was murdered. Mutually exclusive, I know, but both with huge dramatic possibilities.

I don't recall the timeline regarding his mother - was there time enough for her to deliver a sibling (half or otherwise)? That would probably go against canon - but I'm not sure how much this show sticks to it, as I only read one or two of the books I've long since forgotten.

[MisterGlass]

A long lost sibling would be a trope too far for me.  I would rather have Mycroft back (and does anyone else tend to type Microsoft instead of Mycroft)?  I'm more open to the idea that Sherlock's mother might still be alive or have died in a different way than stated, but I hope this is one case where things are as they seem.  I'd like Sherlock's memory of his mother not to change anymore than it already has.  Also, if there were something unusual about her death, I think Morland would have seen and addressed it.

 

It is fun to imagine possible mothers, though.  Helena Bonham Carter is too young to me.  Helen Mirren is intriguing, but does not seem likely.  I wouldn't mind seeing Blair Brown for a bit of a Fringe reunion, even though she's American.

[torqy]

(and does anyone else tend to type Microsoft instead of Mycroft)?

A natural Freudian slip since both are evil? (and I'm a Windoze user)

 

Previous posters discussed Miller's speaking style, which is another reason I watch with captions on. Mrs. Torqy gave up on this show early on because she couldn't understand Miller, even captions didn't help.

 

The newspaper headline looked like Devanagari script; I'm not Indian so just a guess.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The problem with the way JLM speaks is that he often goes down to the bottom of his register and simultaneously speaks very softly (and that's before you get into the fact that he sometimes mumbles). Mr. EB has terrible hearing so we have to crank up the volume for this show. I have really good hearing and even I have difficulty hearing everything JLM says sometimes, so I can only imagine how hard it must be for someone like Mr. EB to decipher everything.

[Margherita Erdman]

It is fun to imagine possible mothers, though.  Helena Bonham Carter is too young to me.  Helen Mirren is intriguing, but does not seem likely.  I wouldn't mind seeing Blair Brown for a bit of a Fringe reunion, even though she's American.

This *is* fun. Here are my contributions to the list!

Charlotte Rampling

Judi Dench

Juliet Stevenson

Vanessa Redgrave

Jenny Agutter (think the Jenny Agutter of MI-5/Spooks, not so much the version channeled in Call the Midwife)

[AnnaMayWong]

I certainly hope that SHERLOCK does not create a Mama-Moriartyish raging against Big Bad DaddyO plot-line. It would be a too tired with hardcore baseline predictability story.

[Driad]

 

The problem with the way JLM speaks is that he often goes down to the bottom of his register and simultaneously speaks very softly (and that's before you get into the fact that he sometimes mumbles). Mr. EB has terrible hearing so we have to crank up the volume for this show.

Also difficult for viewers who have neighbors or kids, so we can't blast the audio.  I have to keep turning it up for JLM's lines and down for everything else.  Annoying, and makes it harder to concentrate on the plot etc.

 

 

 

[bannana]

I've also never been a huge John Noble fan, but he is really convincing me as Morland. The scene at the brownstone, where he takes responsibility for Sabine's death was nothing short of amazing. I actually gasped when he stepped in towards Sherlock and said "You invoke your mother now?" The acting work between him and Jonny is truly stellar. And speaking of stellar, I seriously covet Joan's long red print skirt, with the short skirt under it. Pairing that with the white blouse was genius. She sat in it in one scene and crossed her legs apparently just to remind viewers why she's considered to be one of the most beautiful women in the world. My only complaint about her gorgeous wardrobe is that she seems to be over-dressed for many of her scenes. Realistically, she should probably dress down a bit more.

I have loved her wardrobe this season but it is such a contrast to how she dressed before in more casual gauzy flowy comfy high end leisure or vacation wear.  I know that is a strange description, not sure how to describe it really, but I liked her wardrobe before as well.  This season is very elegant and chic and I love it too.

[snarktini]

Joan dressed more in street wear early on, relaxed urban chic. Now I find her wardrobe fussy. The costumer said they wanted her to look more "sophisticated" this season to reflect her growing status and confidence. While her wardrobe looks clearly expensive / high-fashion, to me all the peter pan collars and neck bows and tiny ties and mini skirts feel more school-girlish than strong. (How many bows can one woman own?!)