How else could you stop Mikkelsen though? His brain would still be capable of wreaking havoc if he were slung into prison. Perhaps they wrote themselves into a corner there, but I can't think of any alternative.
Sherlock Page 96
I dunno wipe his memory, get a secret on him he didn't want revealed, stick him in solitary for ever, get someone else to shoot him,
It wasn't much of a corner.
Mikkelson gave an awesome performance, stunning really, just a bit wasted.
The scene where he just looms over Watson and flicked his face was just awesome, like a big mocking, python in a nice suit.
Also once Holmes saw the glasses were fake, then frankly Benny from Crossroads could have figured out the McGuffin.
Quote: sootyj @ 14th January 2014, 12:27 PM GMTAlso once Holmes saw the glasses were fake, then frankly Benny from Crossroads could have figured out the McGuffin.
They weren't fake, just normal prescription lens.
There were other things they could have done, but the original character was killed in the story, so they decided to go with that. And dramatically it's better if either Sherlock or Watson do the deed, I think. That being the case, it makes sense, from the way they've been building the relationship, that Sherlock would willingly take the step to save his friend.
Quote: sootyj @ 14th January 2014, 12:27 PM GMTget someone else to shoot him,
That would've work better, in my opinion. Mycroft's men should have.
I would even have been happy with Holmes, or Mary, preforming 'bullet surgery' on him. Not killing him but destroying the part of his brain responsible or memories, as they'd already established this earlier.
By that I mean they weren't Google glasses with a hitech display
I'm not sure Id get so many anal responses on flipping Gaydar.
Quote: sootyj @ 14th January 2014, 12:34 PM GMTBy that I mean they weren't Google glasses with a hitech display
I'm not sure Id get so many anal responses on flipping Gaydar.
Maybe you should explain yourself more clearly then. 
Quote: Nil Putters @ 14th January 2014, 12:33 PM GMTThat would've work better, in my opinion. Mycroft's men should have.
It's a bit one step removed if one of the helicopter guys just plugs him at the end. Emotionally, one of the main guys had to do it for it to have a bigger impact. Especially for a finale episode.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ 14th January 2014, 12:35 PM GMTIt's a bit one step removed if one of the helicopter guys just plugs him at the end.
Not if Sherlock had planted Watson's gun on him. He would then be a threat, and he'd already said Mycroft had been waiting for a chance to get rid of him.
Quote: Nil Putters @ 14th January 2014, 12:37 PM GMTNot if Sherlock had planted Watson's gun on him. He would then be a threat, and he'd already said Mycroft had been waiting for a chance to get rid of him.
That still feels a bit ho-hum to me for a big ending. Maybe in a first or second episode you could do that, but this is ramping it up for the big series finale; they would want something major to happen, and this was certainly the bigger option on the table. One of the characters pushed to some place new, some place over the line.
You see I can buy Sherlock shooting someone, when Tenant didn't in his final episode it was a real let down. Especially after all the Chekov's gun build up with the revolver.
The problem is it lacked any real build up. The villain hadn't really done anything and his threat to reveal secrets, well they weren't very big.
What should have been an ultimate crossing of the line, before the ultimate threat. Felt more like petulance.
Oh well, it just didn't sit well with me, Sherlock killing (like Superman in Man of Steel).
Quote: sootyj @ 14th January 2014, 12:39 PM GMTYou see I can buy Sherlock shooting someone, when Tenant didn't in his final episode it was a real let down. Especially after all the Chekov's gun build up with the revolver.
The problem is it lacked any real build up. The villain hadn't really done anything and his threat to reveal secrets, well they weren't very big.
What should have been an ultimate crossing of the line, before the ultimate threat. Felt more like petulance.
This whole series has felt like trying to really build on the relationship between Watson and Holmes, even at the detriment of the mystery elements. What this man clearly posed a threat to was Watson, and to Watson's wife, which we had plenty of screen time given over to; that was basically the threat he was taking out. So it was more a personal reason than saving the country or people in power. That's why Holmes would step over the line.
Good comparison, Man of Steel was stand out stupid and just binned decades of story.
A hero can change and in episode one Holmes was pretty happy for Watson to do the shooting. But it just wasn't earned, it didn't fit in with this sloppy messy show.
Quote: sootyj @ 14th January 2014, 12:43 PM GMT. But it just wasn't earned, it didn't fit in with this sloppy messy show.
They spent the whole of this third series 'earning' it in my eyes. The whole thing was about Holmes seeing more and more how much Watson meant to him, to finally have this friend who he had let in. I mean, they weren't exactly subtle about it, they've been kicking the concept to death in the previous two episodes!