Yup yup yup all of this. This is how I felt the first time around, and it's why I haven't come back to Sherlock S3/TAB/S4 after 1 or 2 watches. It just makes no sense. ESPECIALLY when S4E1 aired, and we saw that John really meant it when he forgave Mary, and that was so OOC that I don't even have words for it. But yeah. If the show jumped the shark at any point, it was definitely HLV.
And I am still going to pin most of this on Moffat, because he did the SAME DAMN THING with Doctor Who. He kept trying to up the stakes every season and eventually it just got ridiculous. Matt Smith's swan song and Hell Bent / Heaven Sent were prime examples of this. The thing that makes Doctor Who fun is this alien who travels all over time and space, solving problems, and relating to their friends. The thing that makes Doctor Who meaningful is those relationships that they have. Same with Sherlock - the fun part is Sherlock and John solving cases. The meaningful part is the relationship between Sherlock and John (as friends and flatmates in the show), the domestic moments, the banter and the arguments. That's the number one relationship in the show, and if you damage it - if you separate Sherlock and John, you don't have much of a reason to keep watching. It works BECAUSE of the two of them. And yes, it's fun to see Sherlock deduce and solve cases. But without John, it would be boring.
Idk, I'm just rambling here. But I think you and I have been on the same track re: Sherlock for a long time. And it's nice to know I'm not alone in how I feel.
no subject
And I am still going to pin most of this on Moffat, because he did the SAME DAMN THING with Doctor Who. He kept trying to up the stakes every season and eventually it just got ridiculous. Matt Smith's swan song and Hell Bent / Heaven Sent were prime examples of this. The thing that makes Doctor Who fun is this alien who travels all over time and space, solving problems, and relating to their friends. The thing that makes Doctor Who meaningful is those relationships that they have. Same with Sherlock - the fun part is Sherlock and John solving cases. The meaningful part is the relationship between Sherlock and John (as friends and flatmates in the show), the domestic moments, the banter and the arguments. That's the number one relationship in the show, and if you damage it - if you separate Sherlock and John, you don't have much of a reason to keep watching. It works BECAUSE of the two of them. And yes, it's fun to see Sherlock deduce and solve cases. But without John, it would be boring.
Idk, I'm just rambling here. But I think you and I have been on the same track re: Sherlock for a long time. And it's nice to know I'm not alone in how I feel.