[weaponization]
Jan. 2nd, 2014 08:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tellitslantI was really amused by Elementary basically mirroring one of the core elements of my Yuletide story, and then it went on to say that this ep was sponsored by the album from which the fic title came. Hee. But I am quite pleased that I got into Moriarty's brain enough to basically pull out the whole "I will write to Sherlock and tell him that he's on my approved visitors list" thing. I grinned very hard. (I can't decide whether I want to edit the single sentence in my fic that makes it slightly out of step with this episode. I mean. Single sentence. That's pretty good.) (Right up there with the really pointed "So I won't be in prison for long, did I tell you?" remarks. HA.)
(This does not stop me from wanting the next thing I write to be a splitting-off-from-canon AU, however.)
Speaking of guessing, yes, I guessed (in fact, I said out loud to the television, "WHY didn't they name her Patricia?" /Russell fandom joke) as soon as the Elementary writers tweeted that the episode name was from canon; "The Diabolical Kind" comes from "The Final Problem": But the man had hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind. A criminal strain ran in his blood, which, instead of being modified, was increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers. Oh yes, that is so subtle, PERHAPS the adorable moppet kidnapped this episode is Moriarty's daughter. *facepalm*
I am not yet sure what I think of Moriarty as mother! (I... actually can't remember if Moriarty-as-father is ACD canon or if I'm just putting it in there from Russell? Well, wiki says he was unmarried in ACD.) I like the way it has been done here: the daughter isn't really part of Moriarty's life, she's used as leverage but then there isn't some bit soppy reunion scene, she doesn't look set to become part of Moriarty's life, there wasn't some weird thing where Sherlock took the kid in or anything, all remains status quo except for Moriarty playing on Sherlock's desire to see her change. I mean, there's certainly development and room for the relationship to evolve - and I love that we've got Sherlock taking the stereotypical "I want to change her" position and no clear answer on whether Moriarty might change or whether she's just playing him; given the parallels she's been so keen to tease out, it could easily go either way. And of course, as we've now learned, she is fully cognizant of what 'love' is, is not in fact a pure sociopath, and is presumably more cognizant of her own feelings than Joan would have suspected.
I also love how much the show is visually pitting Joan and Moriarty against each other. There's blonde versus brunette, naturally, but it's carried through into their clothing really nicely (the trenchcoats were great). I have a lot of feelings about the relative hardness and softness of them, visually, too. It's interesting, because of course in ACD canon Irene is the woman, who "eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex," but the genderswapped Watson means that Joan has become the woman in Sherlock's life, and it's fascinating to see that play out - and so lovely that it doesn't come down to a catfight. I think it's because both women feel that they're perfectly and entirely secure in that role, and we don't fully get an answer as to which is right (at least, not from a Watsonian point of view, hur hur hur I see what I did there).
I don't ship Sherlock and Moriarty so much as I enjoy the relationship between them and exploring it, so that too was a really great part of this. Everybody's hearts are going to get broken and it's kind of beautifully painfully angstily lovely.
I very much enjoyed this episode, but I do have one little thing that I have no real basis for but am worried about anyway, so I'm just gonna put this here: IF MORIARTY IS WORKING FOR MYCROFT I AM GOING TO BE SO FUCKING PISSED OFF THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW. (I... don't have any reason to believe this. But her whole thing about "I had a mentor" just makes me cautious. I have been burned SO BADLY by other Irenes is all. I am trying not to get my hopes up only to have them dashed to pieces, so I'm coming up with worst-case scenarios.)
Anyways yes, I need to watch the ep again so I can think about people other than Moriarty - like Joan, who was pretty damn awesome in this as well. Very pleased this show is back so I can hide from all those other Sherlockian things going on. *G*
(also I'm trying to get this song out of my head don't judge)
I need a better tag for this show. And where does one even go to discuss telly around here any more anyways? *looks vainly for a reblog button* WHERE ARE THE GIFS.
(This does not stop me from wanting the next thing I write to be a splitting-off-from-canon AU, however.)
Speaking of guessing, yes, I guessed (in fact, I said out loud to the television, "WHY didn't they name her Patricia?" /Russell fandom joke) as soon as the Elementary writers tweeted that the episode name was from canon; "The Diabolical Kind" comes from "The Final Problem": But the man had hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind. A criminal strain ran in his blood, which, instead of being modified, was increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers. Oh yes, that is so subtle, PERHAPS the adorable moppet kidnapped this episode is Moriarty's daughter. *facepalm*
I am not yet sure what I think of Moriarty as mother! (I... actually can't remember if Moriarty-as-father is ACD canon or if I'm just putting it in there from Russell? Well, wiki says he was unmarried in ACD.) I like the way it has been done here: the daughter isn't really part of Moriarty's life, she's used as leverage but then there isn't some bit soppy reunion scene, she doesn't look set to become part of Moriarty's life, there wasn't some weird thing where Sherlock took the kid in or anything, all remains status quo except for Moriarty playing on Sherlock's desire to see her change. I mean, there's certainly development and room for the relationship to evolve - and I love that we've got Sherlock taking the stereotypical "I want to change her" position and no clear answer on whether Moriarty might change or whether she's just playing him; given the parallels she's been so keen to tease out, it could easily go either way. And of course, as we've now learned, she is fully cognizant of what 'love' is, is not in fact a pure sociopath, and is presumably more cognizant of her own feelings than Joan would have suspected.
I also love how much the show is visually pitting Joan and Moriarty against each other. There's blonde versus brunette, naturally, but it's carried through into their clothing really nicely (the trenchcoats were great). I have a lot of feelings about the relative hardness and softness of them, visually, too. It's interesting, because of course in ACD canon Irene is the woman, who "eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex," but the genderswapped Watson means that Joan has become the woman in Sherlock's life, and it's fascinating to see that play out - and so lovely that it doesn't come down to a catfight. I think it's because both women feel that they're perfectly and entirely secure in that role, and we don't fully get an answer as to which is right (at least, not from a Watsonian point of view, hur hur hur I see what I did there).
I don't ship Sherlock and Moriarty so much as I enjoy the relationship between them and exploring it, so that too was a really great part of this. Everybody's hearts are going to get broken and it's kind of beautifully painfully angstily lovely.
I very much enjoyed this episode, but I do have one little thing that I have no real basis for but am worried about anyway, so I'm just gonna put this here: IF MORIARTY IS WORKING FOR MYCROFT I AM GOING TO BE SO FUCKING PISSED OFF THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW. (I... don't have any reason to believe this. But her whole thing about "I had a mentor" just makes me cautious. I have been burned SO BADLY by other Irenes is all. I am trying not to get my hopes up only to have them dashed to pieces, so I'm coming up with worst-case scenarios.)
Anyways yes, I need to watch the ep again so I can think about people other than Moriarty - like Joan, who was pretty damn awesome in this as well. Very pleased this show is back so I can hide from all those other Sherlockian things going on. *G*
(also I'm trying to get this song out of my head don't judge)
I need a better tag for this show. And where does one even go to discuss telly around here any more anyways? *looks vainly for a reblog button* WHERE ARE THE GIFS.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-01-03 05:56 am (UTC)(our tumblrs are all going to rise up against us and kill us in our sleep)
(no subject)
Date: 2014-01-03 06:01 am (UTC)