For the record:
I love a good baddie. I feel like I’m asking questions about Mary that I’m supposed to be asking, because there are clues inside the text itself that things aren’t quite right with the on-the-nose reading, much the same way things weren’t quite right with the on-the-nose reading of The Reichenbach Fall. I’m not asking these questions about her because I think the writers did a bad job or because I don’t like Amanda Abbington (I love Amanda Abbington, and I love every second of her on screen, and her ability to go from intensely loveable to terrifying, cold hard killer with a stare that will stop your heart in two seconds flat is nothing short of spectacular). I’m asking because I feel like they left us a puzzle to work on while they create series 4, and Mary is that puzzle.
And I love how complicated she is! I love it! I love that I’m not entirely sure if she’s the best thing that ever happened to John Watson or the absolute worst! I love that, in spite of spending so much time in Sherlock’s head, I don’t know whether he’s telling me the truth or not, because the evidence of my own eyes contradicts his interpretation, but I trust him so much to interpret things that I doubt my own eyes.
And before someone tells me I’m being a misogynist for asking questions about Mary: I love that we get a woman on screen with this many complications and so much depth. What a feat, really, to pull off that level of ambiguity, and have a woman at the heart of it. She’s a bad, bad girl, but she’s the most likeable thing on screen. It’s amazing. And I love it, no matter what happens.
But I still have a million questions and a million doubts. Which doesn’t mean I’m not having a good time. That means I’m definitely having a good time.
YES THIS.
Especially the trusting Sherlock/not trusting Sherlock. That’s what’s bugging so many of you, isn’t it? Cognitive dissonance. Like the narrative CAN’T MAKE SENSE with what we’re being given and yet we seem to be expected to believe it makes sense.
And granted, Moffat’s good at writing stories like that.
BUT ALSO Sherlock has proven himself to be a massively unreliable narrator. He lies to everyone, including us and including John. So, there’s that possibility that maybe things don’t quite make sense BECAUSE HE’S LYING TO US.
(God I love him, that horrible manipulative heartbreaking lying bastard.)
And of course, we’ll find out in S4.
