SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERSA couple of things:
Irene is well aware of Sherlock's ability to read people, so when she appeared naked (in "battle dress") as she called it, it was to block him, he was "drawing blanks" because without clothing or grooming to go by, he couldn't read her. Sherlock has been shown to zero in on these attributes and can read a person or a suspect like a book.
The problem I had with this Marina is that Sherlock has deduced things from index fingers, calluses on feet, hair color, veins in the eyes, women's jewelry and makeup before (Molly, the Pink Lady, the art museum guard in Season 1 and Jim from the hospital). Irene wears heavy makeup and jewelry and obviously has hair, feet and hands, yet he draws a complete blank?
That was unbelievable.
I don't think Sherlock was moved by her, other than gaining a healthy respect for her intellect. He is not someone who lets convention nor emotion affect him. In any battle of wits, someone has to lose, and I don't think Sherlock's turning the tables on her made her any less worthy an adversary. I think she admired his reputation and intellect and was challenged by it. Maybe they are two of a kind in that way.
I didn't get this at all. At the end, he knows she fell for him because of the pulse thing.
Yet earlier, in her meeting with John ("We're not a couple", "Oh, yes you are.") she told John she was gay.
Is she gay or bi or just a liar? That completely throws doubt on the end.
And why would Sherlock rescue her 'intellect', help her out, when she's aiding and abetting terrorist groups who now have free rein to blow up an airplane thanks to her - and Sherlock?
I found that fact just indicative of Sherlock's callousness and extremely disturbing.
What did Lestrade say in the first Season?
"He's a great man. And one day, if we're lucky, he might even be a good one."
This is certainly Sherlock NOT being a good man.
And Sherlock's own words,
"Don't make people into heroes John, heroes don't exist and if they did, I wouldn't be one of them."
You can say that again.
He's only interested in her for what she can do for him. The fact many many people will die and have died because of her and his actions for her is not a concern of his. When that plane blows up, Sherlock has their blood on his hands as much as her and her cohorts.
It was pretty heart-stopping when Sherlock cracked the code to her mechanical heart - I felt it!
The ending, when he finally figures it out, is one of the best scenes. Mycroft rips Sherlock a new one - and deservedly so. And I wish Sherlock had been sincere in his distance from her, but IMO, he wasn't - that was born out by his actions at the very end.
He helped a fucking murderer, blackmailer, terrorist and extortionist get away from her just desserts and he smiles about it.
I was SO disappointed.
I always like to think that he has such an affect on Dr. Watson too - not necessarly because of his gender but because he is such a charismatic person. Irene is very observant, and wears many hats herself - the exchange with her and Dr. Watson was interesting.
He is charismatic, but he's also a pain. She had zero interaction with Sherlock except for a few stupidly stereotyped moments. And yet she 'falls for him'? She invited him out many times and not only did he not go, he never responded to her texts. What in the world did either of them fall for?
Her intellect was not astonishing at all. She was just a survivor and a liar and though Sherlock is used to dealing with them as we've all seen, yet he doesn't do it with her. The biggest part of her character? She's a dominatrix. What would be your first idea on how to handle her? By acting passive, letting her dominate and then not doing what she wants but thinking he's letting her get her way.
But he lets her get her way.
Why?
I have no answer other than bad writing.
I hated the cliff hanger resolution, the Irene Adler arc, but the other parts of the episode I loved. His interactions with Molly, Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade were all classic Sherlock. His scenes with his brother were intense and extremely well done. His scenes with John were great. The Palace scene and fight scene were hysterical. I burst out laughing in my seat. John realizes how good it feels to punch Sherlock and then takes the opportunity to purge his months of frustration by throwing down on the man.
When you mention caring though...when the CIA were threatening to shoot John and had the gun to his head, Sherlock was all but frantic to save him. IMO, despite his moping when he thought Irene was dead, I think John's death would have hit him much harder.
I wonder if she will turn up again in future episodes? There may be more to the ending than meets the eye.
I have been told yes, but I didn't want to be spoiled, so I didn't read any further. I was SO hoping we'd seen the last of her and fan outcry against her character would keep the writers from writing her back in.
Do I think Sherlock could infiltrate a terrorist cell between American and British intelligence? Absolutely.
Me, too. But not an radical Muslim one, which is what we're expected to believe he did in order to save Irene. The US couldn't do it in 10 years with Bin Laden with ethnic and native speaking spies, yet Sherlock can do it in such a quick time that John doesn't even notice he's missing?