Love = Disadvantage?

Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia

            This episode of the British series, “Sherlock” was about Sherlock Holmes and his good friend, John Watson trying to crack the passcode of a phone that belongs to a woman whom Sherlock seems to have an interest in. What Sherlock doesn’t realize however, is that the phone is not only wanted by the British government, but also by the American government.

            John Watson served in the British army as a doctor in Afghanistan before he met Sherlock Holmes, his housemate. Through Watson’s relationship with Sherlock’s brother, we get the message that life isn’t about money (Sherlock’s brother, a member of the British Parliament offered a lot of money to Watson to keep an eye on Sherlock and report if anything out of the ordinary was happening, but Watson refused). This artifact seems to say that life isn’t about how much money you have or how much you own, but rather about doing what you love.

            Sherlock Holmes is portrayed as an extreme post-modernist. Near the beginning of the episode, as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are looking for more cases to solve, Sherlock says this to one of his clients, “Tell us from the start, and don’t be boring.” The phrase “don’t be boring” didn’t stand out at first, but the more I thought about it the clearer it became that Sherlock is constantly on the search for something new and not boring since redemption to Sherlock is found in solving complex problems.

            Sherlock Holmes is very cynical and pessimistic about relationships. He thinks love is a hindrance to work. However in this episode, Sherlock Holmes meets a woman who makes Holmes question his view on love. Near the end when it seems the woman has won in keeping the passcode a secret, Sherlock suddenly connects the dots and says, “Love is a dangerous disadvantage.” Because of the woman’s love for him, Sherlock Holmes figured out the passcode had to do something with him only affirming his pessimistic view on love. In this episode, love is portrayed as a burden through Sherlock and a false hope through failed relationships Watson has with different girls. However, the last scene of the episode shows Sherlock Holmes secretly saving “the woman“ who is about to be executed, which begs a few questions.

        1.)  What is it about love that is so frustrating yet appealing?

        2.)  Is love a dangerous disadvantage?