Quote: Matthew Stott @ 14th January 2014, 12:42 PM GMTThis 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.
That's such a huge misstep in terms of character.
Not just because he is supposedly the archetypal hero, but also because Sherlock doesn't care for anyone except the intellectual thrill.
So neither one of those characters would have shot an unarmed man.
Reminds me of the famous Magnum PI episode, Have you ever seen the sun rise.
Now in that one Magnum kills a guy in cold blood. After 2 episode, of increasing threat, where his friends are hurt etc. So when he guns down the KGB officer it's a completely understandable action. Where as here it's 5 minutes of squabbling at the end of an episode mostly about Watson shtupping Nikita.