Sherlock: 1x02 "The Blind Banker"

SHERLOCK REWATCH: SERIES ONE, EPISODE TWO: “THE BLIND BANKER”

Sherlock: 1x02: “The Blind Banker” by Steven Moffat

The Summary: (In brief)

Sherlock is called in by an old acquaintance to look into the disappearance of a banker.  It turns out the banker is dead and not just dead but murdered!  More people die under the same unusual circumstances – killed in a way that looks like a suicide with all doors locked from the inside and up too high from the ground to have had someone climb to a window.  Sherlock figures out that it must be a Chinese murderous acrobat who is killing smugglers for a Chinese gang who might have stolen from the gang.  Sherlock tracks down Soo Lin, a smuggler turned ancient Chinese pottery expert, who dies before she can tell Sherlock anything but a few cryptic clues, which Sherlock puts together just in time to save John and his date from being killed by the leader of the gang – General Shan (who apparently answers to Moriarty).

The Women:

Soo Lin, Molly Hooper, Mrs. Hudson, Sarah, General Shan

The Conversations:

None.

Bonuses:

I am loathe to do this with the episodes's rampant sexism, but I didn't make exceptions in the rules...

Modified Bechdel Test 1:

1. Are there two or more PoC with names?  Shan, Soo Lin Yao, and Zhi Zhu

2. Do they speak to each other?  Yes, in the museum Soo Lin and her brother Zhi Zhu talk before Zhi Zhu murders Soo Lin.

3. Is their conversation about something other than a straight white cis-man (SWCM)?  Presumably.  Considering these are their first words to each other in years and their last ever, it is doubtful they are talking about a SWCM.

The Rating: 1.5

The Tally:

Episode 1x02 Total: 1.5

Series 1 Total: 1.5

Program Total: 1.5

Sherlock: 1x01 "A Study in Pink"

SHERLOCK REWATCH: SERIES ONE, EPISODE ONE: “A STUDY IN PINK”

Necessary Note:  I’m sure most of the people reading this are familiar with the idea that fans must be the most critical of the works they love, but just in case, let me just say that I do enjoy Sherlock.  But this blog’s purpose is not to fangasm but critically analyze the representation of women in works I’m a fan of.  And… I think we all know where this is headed.

Sherlock Holmes and John Watson meet, decide to share a flat, and solve serial murders together all in the span of a couple days.

Sherlock: 1x01: “A Study in Pink” Written by Steven Moffat

The Summary:

In contemporary London, a bunch of people are killing themselves for no apparent reason and in the exact same way.  Meanwhile, Dr. John Watson has come back from war with a limp and no means of supporting himself.  His therapist wants him to write everything that happens to him in a blog as a means of readjusting to civilian life.  While walking through town, he meets an old friend from Barts (St. Bartholomew’s Hospital) who he tells of his need for a flat-share.  Said friend had just spoken to another friend looking for a flat-share, and so John is introduced to Sherlock Holmes who has been using the Barts morgue and labs as his own and has been completely ignoring the attempts at flirting from Molly Hooper, who he cruelly cuts down with commentary on her appearance.  Sherlock automatically deduces everything about John immediately (except the gender of his sibling) and decides they must become roommates at 221B Baker Street.  After knowing each other for approximately two seconds, Sherlock invites John to come with him to a crime scene and John accepts.  Sherlock’s a dick, but knows his shit and realizes the woman did not kill herself but was murdered due to the lack of a cellphone or suitcase (she had obviously been travelling).   After Sherlock runs off without John, he’s forced to walk home, but ends up getting a ride and a bribe attempt from Mycroft (who introduces himself only as Sherlock’s archenemy).  Meanwhile, Sherlock quickly finds the suitcase (but not the phone) and keeps it from the police.  Then, he gets John to send a text to the victim’s phone which the killer has; this is in order to lure the killer to a place which Sherlock determined, but why he thought the killer would appear there is not completely clear.  Sherlock and John then chase a cab across the whole city, thinking the passenger is the killer, by taking back streets to cut it off, again why Sherlock thought he knew where the cab was going is unclear – but hey! It’s Sherlock and he was right!  The passenger was not the killer, so Sherlock and John head back home only to find a warrant being executed on it.  Lestrade is using this drugs bust in order to bully Sherlock into being cooperative but this fails since Sherlock realizes the cabbie Mrs. Hudson says is downstairs for him is the real killer.  Sherlock goes with the cabbie to a school of some kind (something like a continuing education/community college in the US, right?) because the cabbie says that if Sherlock calls the police that he’ll never find out how the cabbie convinced a bunch of people to kill themselves.  The cabbie uses a gun to pressure Sherlock into “playing the game” which is guess which pill is the placebo and which is the poison.  Sherlock knows the gun is fake, but decides to play the game anyway in order to sate his ego.  Just as he is about to take the poison (or the placebo, who knows?), a wild John Watson appears!  John Watson uses perfect kill shot through two windows and across a courtyard!  It’s super effective!  Sherlock didn’t see the person who killed the killer, but as he is describing what the person must be like to Lestrade, he realizes it must be John and shuts up to protect him, retracting everything he had already said.  John and Sherlock ride off into the sunset together (note this last bit does not actually happen.  To the chagrin of Johnlock shippers everywhere).

The Women:

Molly Hooper, Mrs. Hudson, Sgt. Sally Donovan

            Dead Women with No Lines: Beth Davenport, Jennifer Wilson

The Conversations:

Two women aren’t even in the same scene together…

The Tally:

Episode 1x01 Total: 0

Series 1 Total: 0

Program Total: 0

For Further Discussion: Sherlock Interacts with Women: The Hecate Sisters

"The Hecate Sisters" is a trope that divides women into the Virgin, the Mother, and the Bitch (or Whore when married with the "Three Faces of Eve").

Sherlock Interacts with Molly Hooper (Virgin):  Despite how horrifically Sherlock treats Molly, she’s hopelessly infatuated with him.  She’s shy but she puts herself out there and he treats her like a maid.  (And before anyone tries to defend Sherlock’s actions as not understanding that she is attracted to him or flirting with him, let me remind you that he flirts with her the very next episode in order to manipulate her into doing something for him.)

Sherlock Interacts with Mrs. Hudson (Mother):  Mrs. Hudson is Sherlock’s (and John’s) landlady, and she’s very sweet to both of them, which is lovely in and of itself – she’s a lovely lady.  My problem isn't with the fact that she owes Sherlock a debt for his work on her murderous husband’s case; people are allowed to be thankful to other people, including women to men.  My problem is this scene that keeps happening:

Mrs. Hudson: “Not your housekeeper.”  *Proceeds to clean or cook or make tea for the “boys” because they’re not grown ass men who can do it themselves*

Sherlock Interacts with Sgt. Sally Donovan (Bitch/Whore):  Sgt. Donovan is the only woman of color (person of color in general) and police officer on Lestrade’s team, so it isn't surprising (so unfortunately) that she is immediately villainized (for the simple fact that she is one of two people who don’t fawn over Sherlock) and sexualized (for her affair with Anderson).  What’s the insult Sherlock levels at her?  Oh right, he could tell she was “cleaning” by “the state of her knees.”  Because wittiness makes misogyny ok.