They both view the other as someone who strives for cold rationality, but inevitably is swayed by their emotions. In this way, the two brothers regard each other similarly. What gives? Well, my take on this is that Sherlock’s perception of Mycroft is anything but of the ice man. In contrast to the popular stereotype of Mycroft as “the ice man”, we have him very blatantly overindulging. But now, we have this new construct where the decidedly goldfish-free Mycroft is swimming in a sea of food. We already have the well-established metaphor of food = sex. Sherlock couches his “studies” in very clinical language, as is his wont, and John teases him for the fact that he feels the need to impress Mycroft with his vast knowledge about the metaphorical solar system.

The thread continues in the cab over to the Diogenes club, where it is revealed that Sherlock has been studying the Obliquity of the Ecliptic in order to prepare for his visit with Mycroft. And yet, Sherlock is still basically rotating around him like the earth around the sun, speaking to him when he hasn’t been present for months. Then, after this exchange, we learn that John isn’t even present. And are, in fact, his relationship with John. Sherlock doesn’t know everything, he specializes. Sherlock: “What’s so important about five boring murders?” Lestrade: “Then what’s so important about this?” Sherlock: “Of course not, that would be an appalling waste of brain space. Lestrade: “I thought you understood everything.” Sherlock: “I don’t know, I’m still trying to understand it.” Sherlock: “The Obliquity of the Ecliptic, I have to understand it.” Sherlock: “Hush please, this is a matter of supreme importance.” This metaphor starts up before we even make it to the Diogenes Club – in his conversation with Lestrade earlier, Sherlock is reading up on the theory while Lestrade is practically tearing his hair out trying to get him to pay attention to the case of the Ricoletti murders. Now he is desperately trying to relearn it, in depth. In The Great Game, Sherlock had deleted the solar system. The non-sequiturs are always our biggest give away that important metaphorical shit is happening, and this is no different. Suddenly, we have Sherlock, in an apparent non-sequitur, taking great interest in the relationship between the earth (himself) and the sun (John), and how his relationship to John is the main thing that determines his “seasons”.

Metaphorically speaking, John has been equated with the sun - Sherlock refers to John as his conductor of light, and the camerawork backs up this metaphor both in transitions and lighting. Here’s why it’s interesting that they chose to use this particular theory, out of all the theories that science has to offer, in the script. This tilt is what produces our seasons - how close or how far away the earth is from the sun, and what direction the earth is leaning in will determine how much light, dark, heat, or cold the earth experiences. Wikipedia tells me that this is a scientific theory regarding the rotation of the earth on its axis in relation to the sun. The second layer of subtext is Mark Gatiss talking directly to the viewer about TJLC. The first layer of subtext is Mycroft talking to Sherlock and John about their relationship via the metaphor of the case. The top level, the textual level, is Mycroft talking to Sherlock and John about the case of Lady Carmichael.

Here we go!įirst of all, let’s break down the three layers we get in this exchange. I’m going to break down the dialogue of this scene on each of its three metaphorical layers and also illustrate how this conversation branches out, metaphorically, across the rest of the episode. Because it turns out that while we’re being encouraged to pay attention to the man in the (fat) suit, there is truly spectacular dialogue being slipped under our noses.ĭo you remember in The Sign of Three, when we have mind palace Mycroft show up to simultaneously help Sherlock solve the case of the Mayfly Man, help Sherlock solve the case of John Watson’s sexuality, and speak directly to the audience about TJLC? If you were someone who was bothered by the appearance of Mycroft in a fat suit, hopefully what I’m about to discuss will help you all to feel a little better about this scene. I’m going to ask you to spend some time with me revisiting the Victorian era Diogenes Club.

Mycroft holmes diogenes club