01 month, 11 days, 1.5 hours*

Originally posted at LiveJournal on Dec. 8, 2013.

Guys.  It's almost here.  It's.  Almost.  HEEEEEERRRREEEE!!!!!!!  *does the headless chicken dance*  

                It's

actually Jan. 19th for us U.S. fans and I am inwardly -- like so many of the Sherlocked have already expressed on Twitter and YouTube and who knows where else -- screaming exactly like Mrs. Hudson (poor Mrs. Hudson.  Really, Sherlock, you should take your own advice and think it through next time). That lovely lady with John is Mary Morstan, played by Martin Freeman's wife, Amanda Abbington.  Now, I'm still totally in the Johnlock camp in terms of fanfiction, but I've become pretty comfortable picturing Mofftiss' John and Sherlock as platonic best friends, and I do think that kind of friendship has room for other people.  Just look at Turk and J.D., from Scrubs!  They're both totally in love with their ladies, but they're also totally in guy-love with each other.  

                

Though apparently Sherlock hasn't yet boarded the John's-life-doesn't-revolve-completely-around-me train.  He'll get there ^_^  But in the meantime there are so many FEEEEEEELLLLLSSSSS I have to deal with!!!

• Impatience -- did I mention the U.S. premiere is almost three weeks after the U.K.?  Part of me wants to ask for plane tickets for Christmas, so I can spend New Year's (and the two weeks afterwards) in London, sitting alone in a hotel room on Jan. 1st, 8th, and 15th with my eyes blissfully plastered to the TV screen.  Even though that's kind of ridiculous, and it would be much more financially adult-like to just wait those three extra weeks for the U.S. premiere.  Which would mean, though, that I'd pretty much have to stay off the internet for all of January and a bit of February.  YOU SHALL NOT SPOIL ME, FORCES OF SPOILAGE!!!

• Reichenbach sadness (the return thereof)...fellow fans, have you seen the new entries on the "official" John Watson blog (http://johnwatsonblog.co.uk ...I'd hyperlink, but LJ's being weird and not letting me)?  Yes, people outside the fandom (and fans not as obsessed as me), I do indeed know that these are fictional characters who do not actually exist, and that the "blog" isn't actually written by John Watson, since -- my awareness of which I just assured you -- he's not a real person.  But reading those "posts" still makes me weepy inside.

• Worry -- SPOILERS ahead for season 2 and the original A.C. Doyle stories, particularly "The Empty House."

• So, going back to Mary Morstan.  I may or may not have talked here about the show's Bechdel-failing portrayal of women, especially Irene Adler.  Long story short, the woman who supposedly "makes her way in the world," in the end can't survive without a man's protection.  In general, the original stories portrayed women more respectfully. Except in the case of Mary Morstan.  It seems like her only purpose was to provide a romantic sub-plot for The Sign of Four, and after that she was just Watson's wife.

Until Doyle apparently decided she was in the way -- in order to bring Watson and Holmes back to their original living situation, he killed her off.  Or so we must assume, from Holmes' very vague words of condolence to Watson in "The Empty House."  Yep, that's how much regard Doyle had for Mary -- couldn't even be bothered to write one sentence explaining what happened to her.           Now, considering Mofftiss' long-ago comments about how they want to handle The Reunion (i.e. although they mostly want to follow the A.C. Doyle guidelines, they couldn't picture Freeman!Watson just fainting when he sees Sherlock; he'd probably do a lot of yelling, and maybe throw a few punches instead), I don't think they'd shove such an awful event like the death of John's wife offscreen.  So that could be a small point toward female characterization.  On the other hand, killing her off at all, for the sake of the bromance or even just to follow the original stories, seems just as wrong as an off-screen offing.  If for no other reason than this: hasn't John suffered enough losses?  He's spent two years grieving for his best friend, having that last image of a bloody Sherlock lying on the pavement constantly in his head, and now he has to actually lose his wife?

• Pre-emptive Sherlock withdrawal -- We've been waiting for two years, people.  And it's finally almost here.  The Reunion.  The Explanation (of how Sherlock faked his death).  The looks on Donovan and Anderson's faces when they find out they were wrong about Sherlock being the villain (though, as much as I hate giving Moriarty any points, he was right about Sherlock setting himself up for mutiny by being such a "Boast-a-lot").  The joy of seeing Team Baker Street back in action.  And then you know what's going to happen?  It's going to be over -- another three week season done, and then what do we do?  Assuming there's going to be a fourth season, what kind of cliffhanger have Mofftiss created this time? Reichenbach was wrenching enough; I don't think I can handle them trying to top that.

I know, I'm being an ungrateful pessimist.  I never said my feels all made sense, did I?

 ________________ 

 * I'm assuming it'll air at 10pm in my region, just like last season.