And, contd because LJ doesn't like long comments. All of which makes the last comment a bit ironic - seems I'm halfway to that blog post. ;-)
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On why Sherlock had to assassinate CAM... well, this is why I find my breakdown in critical thought so embarrassing. I suspect, if Mycroft was in on this situation at all (a theory I like; there's simply no reason for the laptop to be at their parents' house otherwise), I don't think he intended it to go that far. Sherlock's job was probably to reconnaissance, to work out just what kind of threat CAM was. I can see Mycroft telling Sherlock to go in there, engage CAM in a battle of wits, get him to slip up and say something we can use to deal with him, because one you know just what kind of a threat he poses then you can abduct him or kill him or whatever. I don't think Sherlock was ever supposed to kill CAM himself, certainly not in such a sloppy, obvious way. He was supposed to fall back, tell Mycroft what he knew, and let Mycroft take it from there. But then Sherlock cracks a bit... why, exactly? because he's saying a replay of the Moriarty situation, where there doesn't seem to be a way to save John through unravelling the puzzle? Because his recent mind palace escapades have him thinking he can't trust Mycroft? I'm not sure exactly. But it does seem like Sherlock's actions on that porch were him going rogue. Which is stupid in its own way because as you point out, Sherlock has the perfect ammunition to blackmail the blackmailer. If he was at all on his game, he'd turn to CAM and do exactly what you suggest.
The only way that porch makes sense to me is if Sherlock is seriously off his game. Which he is. He's not feeling comfortable in his skin, he's estranged from his beloved London at some level. He's lost his flatmate and seems increasingly likely to not have him as a partner in casebusting, particularly as John and Mary are patching things up. And he's been shot, nearly fatally, and is dealing (or more properly not dealing) with the emotional fallout from that. This seems more like a snap than a premeditated decision, and the only real rhyme or reason I can draw from that is that it's the final plank in just how badly messed up BBC!Sherlock's headspace is. Which it really shouldn't be, and there's much more to say on that topic. Maybe I'll write my own blog piece later on this scene.
no subject
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On why Sherlock had to assassinate CAM... well, this is why I find my breakdown in critical thought so embarrassing. I suspect, if Mycroft was in on this situation at all (a theory I like; there's simply no reason for the laptop to be at their parents' house otherwise), I don't think he intended it to go that far. Sherlock's job was probably to reconnaissance, to work out just what kind of threat CAM was. I can see Mycroft telling Sherlock to go in there, engage CAM in a battle of wits, get him to slip up and say something we can use to deal with him, because one you know just what kind of a threat he poses then you can abduct him or kill him or whatever. I don't think Sherlock was ever supposed to kill CAM himself, certainly not in such a sloppy, obvious way. He was supposed to fall back, tell Mycroft what he knew, and let Mycroft take it from there. But then Sherlock cracks a bit... why, exactly? because he's saying a replay of the Moriarty situation, where there doesn't seem to be a way to save John through unravelling the puzzle? Because his recent mind palace escapades have him thinking he can't trust Mycroft? I'm not sure exactly. But it does seem like Sherlock's actions on that porch were him going rogue. Which is stupid in its own way because as you point out, Sherlock has the perfect ammunition to blackmail the blackmailer. If he was at all on his game, he'd turn to CAM and do exactly what you suggest.
The only way that porch makes sense to me is if Sherlock is seriously off his game. Which he is. He's not feeling comfortable in his skin, he's estranged from his beloved London at some level. He's lost his flatmate and seems increasingly likely to not have him as a partner in casebusting, particularly as John and Mary are patching things up. And he's been shot, nearly fatally, and is dealing (or more properly not dealing) with the emotional fallout from that. This seems more like a snap than a premeditated decision, and the only real rhyme or reason I can draw from that is that it's the final plank in just how badly messed up BBC!Sherlock's headspace is. Which it really shouldn't be, and there's much more to say on that topic. Maybe I'll write my own blog piece later on this scene.