S02.E21: The Man with the Twisted Lip

[ElectricBoogaloo]

When Sherlock's brother Mycroft makes a surprise return to New York, his motivations cause discord between Sherlock and Joan. Meanwhile, a missing person case takes Sherlock and Joan inside the world of unmanned aeronautics.

Promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peJ-qOVLLYQ

[frenchtoast]

The Doyle story is one of my favorites, but this seems nothing like it. Which describes most of adaptations of Sherlock Holmes these days honestly, so that doesn't bother me. But something about the promo turns me off a little. But I'll watch anyway, because I'm crazy that way.

[txwatcher]

Enjoyed this episode, but What the hell is up with Mycroft?

[Mama No Life]

Good question.

I keep thinking about Sherlock's share in the meeting at the beginning of the episode.  What exactly was he trying to say about not having a peer being a threat to his sobriety? Because no one really GETS him, b/c no one is like him?  I guess I get that but it seemed to come out of the blue.  That said, it's about time he had his sobriety tested...he hasn't really been in danger of a relapse since Joan moved in. I don't think that's realistic.

Joan can do so much better than Mycroft's horrible self. He will always be the stupid kicker in The Replacements to me. lol  But he is right about one thing...Sherlock doesn't want to share. And I don't like how cranky that makes Joan. :/

[shapeshifter]

Good question.

I keep thinking about Sherlock's share in the meeting at the beginning of the episode. What exactly was he trying to say about not having a peer being a threat to his sobriety? Because no one really GETS him, b/c no one is like him? I guess I get that but it seemed to come out of the blue.

I think he meant an equal, intellectually. And I think it fits with the matter of fact arrogance we've seen from him when he easily solves a cold opening case before they get the real COTW.

What really bugged me was that I doubted a lot of those at the meeting understood what he meant. I mean, it's such an academic term (peer reviewed articles) or else used in the phrase "peer pressure," in which it is a more general term than what he meant.

I'm guessing they may be hinting at an end game/series finale in which Watson has achieved peer status in his eyes--which would be a refreshing change from the usual finally falling in love romantically.

Edited April 25, 2014 by shapeshifter

[Mr Rampage]

Note to self - buy a safe that can't be opened with a slim jim.

[possibilities]

I thought Mycroft's startle at the idea of Joan getting her own place betrayed that his interest in her is mainly a strategy to gain access to Sherlock.

 

All in all, I thought they portrayed Joan as being uncharacteristically dim this episode.

 

RE: not having a peer, I think it is a threat to sobriety because it's isolating and painful, and no one can call you on your shit or keep up with your layers. So you are in pain, and the usual checks on that are not as effective. It makes him a little crazy to feel so out of step with everyone around him and the only ones who get him are insane.

Edited April 25, 2014 by possibilities

[FormerMod-a1]

I thought Mycroft's startle at the idea of Joan getting her own place betrayed that his interest in her is mainly a strategy to gain access to Sherlock.

I couldn't shake the feeling that Mycroft had ulterior motives with his "proposal" to Joan, and maybe this is partly why. I had that feeling from the beginning though.

When Joan was following that French guy, I kept thinking, "No! Wait longer, don't go alone.." Anything different otherwise you'll get caught. And she did. And how did that guy notice her take the one picture as she put on her coat and left? That was weird.

[Kathira]

A rare episode where I was more interested in the case than the personal stuff. I thought the teeny drones were cool. Did they really resolve that case? Was it the COO guy, because the victim was going to blow the whistle?

 

I'm not sure I buy the triangle with Sherlock, Mycroft and Joan. Maybe because although I like Rhys Ifans, I'm not getting the attraction between him and Joan.

[frenchtoast]

I think they resolved the case--it was the COO and he copped a deal and the report would be made public. And that mosquito (and I love how Sherlock said that) was rather creepy.

 

I don't know what to think about Mycroft. At first, rather liked him, and I can't blame the man for seeing Joan as more than Sherlock's friend. However, I can understand why people are sometimes reluctant to get involved with friends of siblings. And knowing Sherlock it's doubly bad. It just seemed like he as stirring trouble in the name of "we're adults and should behave as if it doesn't matter." Well, it does matter and just because you're adults doesn't mean you're not human.

 

Oh, Joan, this is what Gregson meant when he said that Sherlock tends to dance between the rain drops and he doesn't want those around him to get hurt.

 

Finally, why was this entitled The Man with the Twisted Lip? Because it bore very little resemblance to the original story. And there was nothing about an actual twisted lip. The only link was the missing sister and the beginning of the story involves a missing husband who was last seen over an opium den. And frankly, it's a story that could be modernized. And drones are an issue that could be addressed. I just don't see how the two are linked.

Edited April 25, 2014 by frenchtoast

[Tara Ariano]

Here's Julian's post on the episode!

[Helena Dax]

I know Sherlock can  be a pain in the ass and also that Joan's free to start a relationship with Mycroft if that's what she wants, but if I were Sherlock, I'd feel absolutely bertrayed. I couldn't trust her anymore. I mean, I'm even clutching my pearls here.

 

 

When it comes to Sherlock's family, she always thinks she knows better than him. Sherlock told her once that his dad wasn't going to show up at the restaurant, but she didn't believe him. And Holmes sr. didn't show up. Now she knows that Sherlock thinks that Mycroft doesn't mean well (I'm talking about Joan, not his hypothetical crimes), but she still thinks that Shelock's overreacting, that Mycroft can't be that bad and that he's legitimally interested in her. 

 

(And if Mycroft wants Sherlock back in London, ruining Sherlock's relationship with Joan would be a great step).

 

 

I can also understand the bit about the peers. I don't see why he can't find other super genius to talk with, but I'm sure it must be tiring to be in his situation, His high intelligence doesn't only mean that he's got more information about things, I believe it's also about seeing the world in a different way. We feel so lucky when we know someone who can understand us... It's a precious experience. But can Sherlock share his world with someone?

 

 

Watson being kidnapped looks like a cheap move. I still have faith on the writers, though, so maybe this won't be a damsel in distress plot.                               

[jhlipton]

Mrs Hudson is back!  Only for a short scene, but better that nothing!  Hurrah!

 

I'm glad they left out a scene.  "Tess, yeah, your sister is dead.  No not an overdose or even due to being associated with a heroin  ring.  Just was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Pity." 

[MaryHedwig]

I'm glad they left out a scene.  "Tess, yeah, your sister is dead.  No not an overdose or even due to being associated with a heroin  ring.  Just was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Pity."

I was actually hoping for a scene where Sherlock consoles Tess (one addict consoling another).  Tess is in the same situation that Sherlock was in last week- someone they loved started using again.  I thought Sherlock could have given her some wise words to help prevent her from relapse.  Then there would have been one minute in the episode where we would have seen the tender, unselfish side of Sherlock, instead of just the petulant child.

 

My favorite scene still might be the one where he consoles the Russian sex slave.  I was hoping for another one last night.

[webruce]

Who was the man with the crooked lip anyway? One of the dead guys??

Nice to see Miss Hudson back.

Does Dr. Sutherland have more to do with this?

Was interesting to see Holmes at his AA meeting and telling he had no peers. The greatest threat to his sobriety. We see later he hides narcotics in his book,or was it Jimmy Sextons phone number? As someone else pointed out, will Mycroft drive him to use again? Or does Sherlock test himself?? Carry it around but don't use it? Like say someone with a headache, and carry the Excedrin around but don't use it?

The little Mechanical Mosquitoes story was interesting. With drones shooting to death Paige Dahl and Zach Pollar, would not the FBI/Homeland/NCIS be called in? The one that Sherlock had trapped at the brownstone kept flying around the glass like a real one. Did they think they were still making them believe it was real? They had a towel over the glass, and then Sherlocks notes were funny. Was also surprised they did not tell Captain Gregson. Surprised that McCarthy-Strauss employee Kenneth Carlson was surprised in interrogation that a mosquito was flying around. Thought he would know about his companies stuff? Holmes got in there to late for Joan to save him.

I was surprised that after Joan found out the 1 guy in Mycroft's Restaurant had a record that she didn't tell Captain Gregson?? Then when she went to meet Mycroft and he was not there, she should have called Sherlock or Marcus to come help. She should not have followed Marchef alone. Grabbed and taken in a Dodge Van. Wonder if that is what Mycroft was talking about on the phone to try a different way to get Sherlock to move back home? Does Guillume de Soto know about the kidnapping?

[shapeshifter]

We see later he hides narcotics in his book,or was it Jimmy Sextons phone number?

No, it is a heroin packet. I just checked because I had totally missed it the first time having watched on my 22" TV from 12' away. The card with the phone number was larger, and the logo was also proporitionately larger.

In the text of the original story (bakerstreet.wikia.com/wiki/Story_Text:_The_Man_with_the_Twisted_Lip) "twisted lip" is part of disguise of a wealthy man who earns his money pretending to be a beggar.

At the beginning of the same story, Watson finds Holmes disguised in an opium den where he is trying to get information.

Maybe there is hope that our Sherlock is only keeping the heroin packet for a similar purpose--to convince drug dealers that he is outside the law.

[Cress]

I do know the original "Twisted Lip" story and I'm still seeing no clear connection to this episode. Why on earth did they choose this title? This episode was deeply disappointing to me for this reason, and it distracted me the whole time.

 

I liked seeing Ms. Hudson, but then she had one line only and just sat there at dinner while everyone else talked. Not even a comment on the food? What a waste of the actress! If she doesn't have some major scenes/conversations with Holmes about Watson's kidnapping next episode, I'm going to be so mad! GRRR!

Edited April 26, 2014 by Cress

[MaryHedwig]

I liked seeing Ms. Hudson, but then she had one line only and just sat there at dinner while everyone else talked. Not even a comment on the food? What a waste of the actress! If she doesn't have some major scenes/conversations with Holmes about Watson's kidnapping next episode, I'm going to be so mad! GRRR!

My money is on Ms. Hudson finding the heroin.  It was stashed in the books which she has rearrange twice (In Snow Angels and The Many Mouths of...),  If Watson did move out, Ms. Hudson would make an interesting house mate for Sherlock, agree?

 

I don't get the Italian candy.  Why would Dr. Sutherland want to hoard and hide them.

Edited April 27, 2014 by MaryHedwig

[Danielg342]

I'm uncomfortable with how the storyline with Mycroft is going. For most of the time we've known Sherlock, he's been ultra protective of Watson, doing just about everything he can- even if it violates her personal space, like her privacy- to keep her from trouble. Most of the time it's kept to a tolerable level, but sometimes Sherlock seems to get so overbearing that it borders on abuse. Yet, frustratingly, we hardly ever see Watson take a stand for herself outside of making a snide remark, telling us, the viewer, that what Sherlock is doing is right, when it isn't.

Then, once Mycroft came around and started flirting with Watson we see Sherlock's overbearingness come to a head. Here was the perfect situation to remind Sherlock that Watson is an adult capable of determining who is right for her to associate with and who is not, and I think Watson gaining that level of trust from Sherlock would have been another layer of character growth for him. Watson was the first person he cared about since Irene, and I think seeing him realize that he can still care and "nuture" someone without having to be overbearing about it is a wonderful lesson to learn.

Instead, with Mycroft being evil- as it seems like this storyline is going- undoes all that. Sure, Watson may be right that Sherlock should respect her privacy- but why would that matter? She put herself in danger, telling Sherlock that she truly cannot be trusted to make decisions on her own so he must make them for her, and Watson wouldn't have a leg to stand on. It's not like things turned out okay which would allow Sherlock to see the value in trusting the judgement of those he cared about- no, to Sherlock, someone he cared about put herself in danger because his efforts to control her failed, proving to him he has to do a better job controlling her in the future.

I might have found this storyline palatable if- onscreen, at least- it wasn't Sherlock that first realized that Mycroft was doing something untoward but Watson, with perhaps Watson deciding to keep up a "ruse" to throw off Mycroft, because at least it looks like Watson's judgement is still intact. I would have no problem, then, if Watson got into peril- she is the more daring one, after all, and just because she can anticipate trouble doesn't mean she can avoid it (plus this gives Mycroft the added bonus of being up to task with Watson all along).

Instead- as happened already this season with the dreadful "detective backlash" storyline- we're stuck with characterizations contriving themselves abnormally just to fit the plot and I'm not sure I like that.

[MaryHedwig]

I'm uncomfortable with how the storyline with Mycroft is going.

I love all your deep thinking about this.  I like to think a lot about these episodes too- mainly because I (for now) trust the writers and believe that the plots will hold up to analysis.

Most of the time it's kept to a tolerable level, but sometimes Sherlock seems to get so overbearing that it borders on abuse. Yet, frustratingly, we hardly ever see Watson take a stand for herself outside of making a snide remark, telling us, the viewer, that what Sherlock is doing is right, when it isn't.

Can you give me some examples of the ones you see that border on abuse?  The ones I am thinking of as possibilities are changing the ringtone on her phone, opening up her mail, and (the one I couldn't not stand) entering her room and waking her up.  Of course the deal-breaker for me was in the pilot when he destroyed her car.  Did he ever pay her back?  She hasn't seem to have a car since.

 

Watson was the first person he cared about since Irene, and I think seeing him realize that he can still care and "nurture" someone without having to be overbearing about it is a wonderful lesson to learn.

And I don't think he will learn it here.  I am concerned that in this episode and in a previous one Sherlock wondered if Mycroft has taken "liberties" with her.  I am surprised that Watson couldn't figure out what that means- I think it means that Sherlock doesn't think that Mycroft would respect a woman's no to sexual advances.  If that is the case, I get why Sherlock would not respect her boundaries when it comes to Mycroft.  I didn't like the way that Ms. Hudson appeared trapped to do Mycroft bidding in the opening.  All I am saying (but I am craving other's thoughts) is that I think it is asking a lot of Sherlock to start having good boundaries with Watson when the subject is Mycroft.  There are so many reasons that he could have to not trust Mycroft and, honestly, employees who sleep with their boss's brothers should not expect their bosses to take it well.  (I know we are suppose to think of Watson as a partner and not an employee but she draws a guarantee income and Sherlock could dismiss her at any time- sounds like an employee to me.)

 

 

Sherlock to see the value in trusting the judgement of those he cared about- no, to Sherlock, someone he cared about put herself in danger because his efforts to control her failed, proving to him he has to do a better job controlling her in the future.

Right (if I am following).  Sherlock will not learn from this to respect Watson's boundaries.  He will wish he had micromanaged her more, which is probably how he felt about Irene (back to his discovery of the blood in her flat).  I expect that this is what will trigger the (hopefully prevented in the nick of time) relapse. He will believe that he has no peers: he was right to trust his instincts and live by his own book, he should have never trusted anyone's but his own advice, when he tries to learn from others- the people he loves get hurt.

 

Please know that I am not looking for debate- just a discourse with other fine mind and what (I hope) is a fine plot that can stand up to analysis.

 

Instead- as happened already this season with the dreadful "detective backlash" storyline- we're stuck with characterizations contriving themselves abnormally just to fit the plot and I'm not sure I like that.

So right now this does not look like a story where we see Watson become even more independent valuable partner.  I want Watson to be that.  I have been frustrated with the characterization contrivances even since if was revealed that Watson has slept with Mycroft.  I have gone back to 2:1 "Step Nine" and I really don't think they played it that way.  The clothes (don't try to convince me that Watson wears the same thing after sex- she sometimes must make a clothes change in the tube as she leaves the house and then arrives somewhere in two different outfits) and the timeline do not work for me.  Also, I cringed when Watson followed the French guys.  She looked like someone there that I wanted to protect and I usually let TV characters make their own mistakes.

[Trey]

I would like to think that Watson was pretending to reciprocate Mycroft's interest in her so she could find out what he's up to.  It's obvious to us, the audience, and to Sherlock that he's up to something and maybe Watson isn't quite as dense as she's being portrayed.

[j5cochran]

I don't get the Italian candy.  Why would Dr. Sutherland want to hoard and hide them.

 

There is an Italian candy called Kinder Sopresa -- Kinder Surprise or Kinder Eggs.  They are made of a chocolate shell around a plastic egg that contains a small toy. You can get Kinder Eggs throughout Europe, but they're banned in the United States.  To quote Wikipedia's entry on Kinder Surprise:

 

Prohibition on sale or import into the United States

 

The 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act contains a section highlighting that a confectionery product with a non-nutritive object, partially or totally embedded within it, cannot be sold within the United States, unless the FDA issues a regulation that the non-nutritive object has functional value. Essentially, the 1938 Act bans “the sale of any candy that has embedded in it a toy or trinket”.

 

In 2012 the FDA re-issued their import alert stating “The embedded non-nutritive objects in these confectionery products may pose a public health risk as the consumer may unknowingly choke on the object”.  In 1997, the staff of the CPSC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, examined and issued a recall for some Kinder Surprise illegally brought into the US with foreign labels. The staff determined that the toys within the eggs had small parts. The staff presumed that Kinder Surprise, being a chocolate product, was intended for children of all ages, including those under three years of age. On this basis, the staff took the position that Kinder Surprise was in violation of the small parts regulation and banned from importation into the US.

 

Kinder Surprise bears warnings advising the consumer that the toy is “not suitable for children under three years, due to the presence of small parts” and that “adult supervision is recommended”.  In June 2012 the potential fine per egg was quoted as US$2,500. The rationale against a ban of the product also takes the form that deaths have been too few for it to be considered a serious danger. Additionally, the argument is made that there should be a consistent standard in place, as several worse dangers are not regulated.

[possibilities]

I would like to think that Watson was pretending to reciprocate Mycroft's interest in her so she could find out what he's up to.  It's obvious to us, the audience, and to Sherlock that he's up to something and maybe Watson isn't quite as dense as she's being portrayed.

This is the only explanation that doesn't assassinate Joan's character, and I really hope you're right.

[caseylane]

I actually kind of felt that Watson was faking it for Mycroft. Thought it was my own dislike for the pairing that put it there so I'm glad that I'm not the only one. I think her statement that she was going to look for another place was to see just how that idea plays out with Mycroft. If he would do something to discourage that.

[jeansheridan]

I am mixed about Joan playing Mycroft. That seems too cynical for her.

I do love Sherlocks symmetrical features comment about Watson. He can't call her beautiful! Too imprecise.

[Holmbo]

On 2014-04-26 at 0:01 AM, Helena Dax said:

I can also understand the bit about the peers. I don't see why he can't find other super genius to talk with, but I'm sure it must be tiring to be in his situation, His high intelligence doesn't only mean that he's got more information about things, I believe it's also about seeing the world in a different way. We feel so lucky when we know someone who can understand us... It's a precious experience. But can Sherlock share his world with someone?              

Maybe it's not just about intelligence. A peer would be someone who is at the same level as him in his field. He seems to place a lot on his self value in his ability to solve cases.  Perhaps that's what he values in other people as well and so, since no one is a good as him, he has trouble at finding them truly important.

As to why the peer reflection came up in this episode in particular... it makes me wonder about Mycroft. In the original canon he's described as better than Sherlock, though lazy. I wonder if this start of a longer plot will end in the revelation that he does much more than just handle restaurants. I realize that if that's the case it will have been revealed already since this show is at season 5 now. But I haven't seen it yet so I wanted to comment.