Houndsssssss!

[tardis_stowaway]

I have been largely absent from LJ lately for no good reason.  I hope to catch up on my flist over the next few days, but for now, the fast version of a Hounds of Baskerville reaction.


Squeee!  That was an altogether wonderful episode!  I contained everything I wanted with just two omissions:

1) Sherlock spending ages living in a tiny cabin on the moor like he does in the book, because the idea of Cumberbatch!Sherlock doing this is HILAROUS.

2) actual Sherlock/John making out.  

Since the latter had a snowball's chance in hell of actually happening, this episode counts as a rousing success.  My favorite bit was (predictably) Sherlock saying how John was amazing, fantastic, a conductor of light (canon allusion!), really hot when he pulled rank in the military base, etc.  Okay, I may have made the last one up.  However, in an episode that had John remarking on Sherlock's cheekbones, it wasn't much of a stretch.

Other highlights:

-Sherlock and John breaking into a military base with Mycroft's ID
-Sherlock posing on top of the rock, looking majestic *fans self*
-John doing lots of investigating, including the "Morse code" headlights
-Sherlock rode the tube while covered in blood and carrying a harpoon.  Bless his heart.
-John and Mrs. Hudson conspire to keep Sherlock away from cigarettes when he's trying to quit
-Sherlock's mind palace.  WHITE TEXT OF GREAT BRILLIANCE.  Also, Elvis!
-Unexpected Lestrade! GREG Lestrade.  I also laughed my head off at the fact that Lestrade was sent by Mycroft.  Gatiss gave the Mycroft/Lestrade shippers a teensy bit of canon suport!  I don't personally ship it, but I liked this as one more way the episode felt like a big, beautiful piece of fanfic.
-John and Sherlock played Cluedo, and Sherlock deduced a solution outside the rules of the game. ♥
-Wait, Sherlock can drive?????!?  Surprise!
-I nominate Martin Freeman's acting for ALL THE AWARDS. 
-Except the writing awards, those are for Mark Gatiss

And next week, the fall.  I am worried, both for the characters and for the episode quality.  Why get Steven Thompson to write this pivotal episode?  I really hope he's stepped up his game since Blind Banker.  So far the writers have been performing according to type (Moffat:  shiny, hilarious, in many ways awesome but marred by some typically Moffat Woman Issues.  Gatiss:  the internet calls him Godtiss for a reason.)

But that is for next week.  For now, everything is made of lovely scenery and feelings. 

Comments

[mistyzeo.livejournal.com]

JOHN PULLING RANK. SHERLOCK'S DRAMATIC CHEEKBONES AND COAT. I loved this episode. Loved it!

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

TRULY IT WAS GLORIOUS. MUCH LIKE SHERLOCK'S CHEEKBONES.

[sylvansafekeepe.livejournal.com]

I quite liked the episode as well, and there were multiple moments that actually reduced me to helpless giggling (like, well, then entire first 5-10 minutes or so, minus the intro).

I feel I should note that the 'pose dramatically on top of the rocks' thing actually happened in the books, too. As does Lestrade showing up, though it's Sherlock that summons him.

Agreement that large chunks of the episode felt like nods to all sorts of fanfictioneers.

Also, agreement on being nervous about the next episode, for pretty much the same reasons you've mentioned.

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

The initial sequence in Baker street was completely hilarious.

Thanks for the book notes; it's been a year or two since I last read the original, long enough for some details to get lost in a back closet of my mind palace (well, mind cottage). I think ability to pose dramatically on rocks and/or rooftops is (or at least should be) a requirement when auditioning to play the part of Sherlock Holmes.

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

-Wait, Sherlock can drive?????!? Surprise!

OMG YES, this freaked me out. I'm not sure why, it's not so much that I didn't think he could drive, but it seemed like something John should be doing. Do you think they fought bitterly over would be behind the wheel, a la Mulder and Scully? Were there jokes about John's little feet not being able to reach the peddles?

Clearly this is a very important issue.

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it seems like John usually takes care of mundane sorts of things like buying milk, so driving seems like a natural extension of that. It seems like a task Sherlock would deem boring unless it took the form of a high speed pursuit. Then again, Sherlock does love leading John around, and I guess that would make him inclined to take the wheel. I do like your idea of them bickering like Mulder and Scully.

Were there jokes about John's little feet not being able to reach the peddles?

Well, it was a rather large car. ;)

[sahiya.livejournal.com]

"Godtiss"? Really? I have to say, most of the time Gatiss's writing leaves me pretty unimpressed. "The Great Game" was good, but his DW eps are only okay, in my opinion, and "Night Terrors" was downright disappointing. But yeah, I thought this was the best thing I've ever seen him do.

[mysticalchild_isis]

I was so very pleased that Lestrade finally got an official first name.

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

Yes!!! I am also endlessly amused that Sherlock, despite having picked Lestrade's pocket many times for his badge, apparently didn't know this. (He probably deleted the information if he ever saw it.)

[stupid-drawings.livejournal.com]

CLUDO!