Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper of BBC's Sherlock

Originally published at my Sherlock Tumblr, Oddly Sherlockian, this is an analysis of the dynamic between Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper on BBC's Sherlock.

This blog is new, so you don't know me yet. (Unless you know me in real life, in which case, hello!) But among the various things I like, at probably the top of the heap is BBC's Sherlock. My interest wanes from time to time - 3 episodes every 1 to 2 years isn't quite enough to keep me fully engaged, no matter how great the show is - but when I'm in Sherlock mode (as I am right now), I go full out.

After two years of waiting, series 3 is finally upon us. The first episode - The Empty Hearse, penned by Mark Gatiss - has now aired in the UK. (America has to wait until January 19th to see it on PBS... if they don't want to track it down online before then.) 

As an admittedly huge Sherlock fan, I have, of course, already seen it the episode. And I am overwhelmed with very fangirlish things to talk about! 

I may be kind of a tomboy, but I'm still a girl. I like relationships and romance in my fiction. Sherlock, by the nature of its premise and titular character, never really had any of that in previous episodes, so fanfiction sustained me before. As someone who prefers reading het (rare in the fandom world!) only so I can imagine myself in the role of the lucky girl, "Sherlolly" was the only obvious pairing in the show at first. Irene Adler came later, but I was devoted to the very mismatched, incredibly unlikely pairing of Sherlock/Molly. (And Irene is paired with practically every screen version of Sherlock Holmes... I want something different!)

Now listen, I'm not a fool. Not about this kind of stuff. I knew Sherlock and Molly could never possibly be a "thing," no matter how much I liked the idea. This version of Sherlock would never have a "thing," with anyone, and certainly not the geeky little unsexy Molly, who doesn't even exist in Arthur Conan Doyle's canon. I knew this. It sucked, but I dealt with it.

But after watching The Empty Hearse, I feel like I really have to re-evaluate... everything. Everything I thought I know about this show, these characters, and even the writers.

So, if you're interested in this topic, please read on for my spoiler-filled personal feelings about The Empty Hearse, and what I think may possibly be going on between Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper.

WARNING - SPOILERS FOR SHERLOCK S3E1, "THE EMPTY HEARSE"

I have always shipped Sherlolly even when there was ZERO reason to, but I absolutely NEVER EVER thought this show would allow Sherlolly to be mutual - until this episode happened. 

No matter how much I want Sherlolly to be real, if I think any ship goes against canon, for me that puts it the realm of fanfic only. And that's where I always thought it was. All bets are off when it comes to fanfic, and I love it. But my favorite thing (obviously) is when a relationship is canon.

After seeing The Empty Hearse, I am convinced Sherlock has feelings for Molly that are stronger than "just friendship." How much stronger is completely debatable... and I could be misreading "more than friendship" in Sherlock's looks he gave her. Perhaps he only respects her for being a better person than he could be. Perhaps he admires her, or wishes he could love her but can't, and feels apologetic toward her because he cares about her feelings as a friend. These, I think, are the worst-case possibilities.

I try not to wear shipper goggles, and canon is incredibly important to me. I try not to see things that aren't there in the performances of the actors, or in the dialogue. Maybe sometimes I read too much into things, but I try very hard not to.

Whether or not anything would become of Sherlolly, I have no idea. But you see, that's an improvement, because before seeing The Empty Hearse, I would have said, "NOTHING will ever become of Sherlolly, ever. No way in hell." But now, I'm literally unsure - I am split right down the middle. I honestly cannot tell where Mofftiss is headed with the Sherlock/Molly relationship.

Normally, on any show, I'd say there is NO WAY Sherlock could ever love Molly, no matter how much she loves him. The real world doesn't like characters like Molly. She's dorky. She's not "hot." I can hear the naysayers now:

They'd say Molly is so mousey and too sweet for dashing, intense Sherlock. Even though I, as a shipper, think they'd be great together, TV shows NEVER let these sorts of relationships exist. Even if they'd be fascinating, or adorable, or healthy - these relationships NEVER exist on TV, because the unimpressive girl NEVER gets the guy.

By the rules of TV relationships, Sherlock is too flamboyant and sexy for frumpy, plain little Molly. They don't dress in the same kind of clothing; they LOOK mismatched. Molly, while not unintelligent, is not as impressive as Sherlock is in any way. Irene literally looks like Sherlock, is meant to be his match, and is just as haughty as he can be at his worst. Irene could have anyone on earth practically, but she wants Sherlock. Sherlock could have anyone, too - why the hell would he want an "unattractive" woman like Molly? That's what most people, non-fandom type people, would say. That is how TV is written, and I am cynical when it comes to this sort of thing.

Only, if that were so, I don't think any of the Sherlock/Molly scenes would have played out the way they did in this episode, and this is what has me so confused. Why draw this out for so long, why keep it obvious at the end that Molly is not over Sherlock? Why, if Sherlock doesn't care for Molly in any way other than friendship, does he look so regretful when he wishes her happiness with her fiance? Why does he sniffle when he leaves? Why does he give her so many fond looks, when she isn't even looking at him, throughout the day he spends with her?

You could say it was because it was cold when they walked outside, that that's why Benedict and Louise sniffed. But man, that'd be BAD ACTING. And Benedict and Louise are not bad actors. I don't think they'd sniffle on camera unless they had a reason. A reason like crying, because it's emotional, because the feelings are strong for both characters in that scene. And why would they be strong for Sherlock? Molly, sure, I get that completely. She's always loved Sherlock. But why is Sherlock upset at all, unless it's because he feels something for her? (EDIT: I got friendly message from someone who told me that these episodes were filmed during spring and were of course being acted as if it was November. In that case, we could say that the sniffles really in fact were just the actors pretending it was cold. So I'll concede the point, cuz it's logical, and I have enough proof even without Sherlolly sniffling.)

I *NEVER* in a million YEARS, imagined that there would ever be as much Sherlolly in this show as there was in The Empty Hearse. I was utterly gobsmacked by it, to be honest. I literally could not believe what I was seeing as I watched their scenes play out.

And I know this is Sherlock Holmes we're talking about, so I'm CERTAIN if he ever loved anyone - something he never does in book canon - it would be incredibly complicated and difficult for him, and he would not be very affectionate, or the most attentive guy to be with, etc. No relationship with Sherlock could ever be anything close to normal. And I think Molly is smart enough to know that. I don't think she WANTS "normal." I also think she would be up for the challenge of dealing with all of Sherlock's bullshit and emotional hangups. She would WANT to put up with it, because it's Sherlock, and he is a good man, who deserves to be loved by someone, and she loves him. Warts and all. 

And I think Sherlock could genuinely be happy with her if he tried. I don't think she'd demand the stereotypical girlfriend treatment. She would understand that that isn't something Sherlock can provide, and she would be fine with it. She'd be like Mary in that way; she'd fully support Sherlock and John going out and solving cases. She'd still help him at St. Bart's. She'd just go home to 221b at night, too.

She'd be with him when he was available, be there for him if he needed her. I don't think SHE would be needy at all. Their relationship would maybe not even look like a romance to outsiders. And I think their personality types could work very well together, now that Sherlock respects her in a way he didn't before series 2. She could have a calming influence on him when he needs it, and ground him when John couldn't.

I actually think Sherlolly could have really, truly, (EVENTUALLY) happened in this episode, if Molly wasn't engaged.

By "could have happened," what I mean is if the writers ever chose to write Sherlock and Molly "in love," after this episode, I think it would be believable. I think the characters have been pivoted into a position where that would not be an unreasonable thing for them to do someday.

I do NOT mean that I think the writers would choose to write it that way, because writers don't usually give men like Sherlock to girls like Molly. (Which is heartbreaking, but that's just how people tend to write TV. Sigh.) I just mean that the characters have gotten closer to each other, and that can't be argued, no matter what you feel about the ship. They've gotten one step closer to a place where a romance could blossom, if the story decided to go in that direction.

Again, it would not (SHOULD not) be a normal romance in ANY way if it ever happened. And realistically, the show would and maybe even should play it for laughs. Like sweet, heartwarming, embarrassing, delightful awkward laughs. Trust me, anything can work and still be in-character if the writers try hard enough. Even something as nuts as Sherlolly.

So, if Sherlock really has feelings for Molly, what was happening when he kissed her cheek at the bottom of the stairs? He seemed to be passing her off to her fiance, right? But he looked sad about it, or at least bittersweet; happy for her, but sad that he missed his chance.

Say that that's the end of it all. No romance ever, but there was that small possibility right there. A spark. It could have happened, but didn't.

Even if things went down like that, I think that while Sherlock would be sad that he can't be with Molly, it would be more of a bummer and "I wonder what might have been" kind of feeling than an all-encompassing heartbreak. This is still Sherlock we're talking about. He's okay with being alone if he has to be. He's just starting to realize that even though he's okay with being alone, he doesn't want to be.

Basically, even if Sherlock actually full on loves Molly even after the stairs kiss (I think it was more the beginning of love that he was feeling... the possibility of "maybe this could work")... I think Sherlock still doesn't like the idea of being in a romantic relationship, in general. He would only be willing to try it because it would be with Molly. Molly, who he trusts implicitly, and who he knows loves him very much, not for his public image, but for who he is. The REAL him, the one he tries to hide. (Like when he tells her, "You can see me," in series 2. She really does. She sees him, for all he is, for better or for worse, and she still loves him.)

Honestly, whether you ship Sherlolly or not, I think it's safe to say Sherlock actually may have considered giving a relationship with Molly a go, just to see if it would have worked. Just to see if he could have actually successfully connected to another human being like that.

His thoughts probably being something like, "If I was ever going to settle down with a woman, it'd be Molly Hooper." (No offense to Molly, but she's sort of the only option. Even if there's chemistry with Irene - I personally don't think so - I think ultimately Adlock would not work as a couple, at all. They're too similar, they don't complement each other the way Sherlock and Molly do, or even Sherlock and John do. Sherlock and Molly are like yin and yang, and that's precisely why I think they could work.)

NONE OF THIS means that Sherlock is desperately in love with Molly, mind you. Even as a massive Sherlolly shipper, I don't think he is actually in love with Molly. But I *do* think he could fall in love with her if he tried, you know what I mean? The potential is there, and I think he sees it, and for once, I think he's interested in it and wanted to see what could become of it, and I think at the end, when he leaves Molly at the bottom of the stairs, he's disappointed that it can't happen now. That she's moved on from him. (So he thinks.)

And I think all the affection and kind and fond looks he gave her in The Empty Hearse were because he recognizes that what he feels for her has the potential to grow into love (Sherlock's version of it anyway), and by spending the day with her and seeing what it could be like if it was always them, he was almost trying it out. Taking Sherlolly out for a test drive. Testing the waters.

I find it interesting that Molly didn't mention her engagement the entire day she was with Sherlock. And Sherlock didn't bring it up either until almost the end of the day. If he didn't care for her fairly strongly, I think he would have brought it up far sooner. And if Molly was over Sherlock, I think she would have been excited to tell him about it. But instead, both are quiet about it, until Molly finally asks what the day was about, and Sherlock immediately leads into "you're engaged."

Tell me: If Sherlock only wanted Molly to be his partner-in-crimesolving, then why does it matter that Molly is engaged? Because she still loves Sherlock and he knows it? I don't know, I think he thinks she's actually over him, hence the engagement. I feel like there's a lot of miscommunication at the end of this scene, which is why it ends with Sherlock walking away, sniffling, and Molly sniffling and looking sad and upset. Neither of them realizes that the feelings haven't passed, whatever they are.

This, to me, was the end of it. No more Sherlolly. I thought the show was nipping the whole thing in the bud with this scene.

Until we meet Molly's fiance, Tom. 

Wow, I mean, so much happening there? Sherlock wants to leave as soon as Molly arrives and begins introducing her fiance. He doesn't look at Molly, if I remember correctly, though does smile in her general direction. He politely goes to introduce himself to Tom, and then, of course, his face goes slack in shock, because Tom obviously is a bad doppelganger of Sherlock himself. In that moment, Sherlock realizes Molly is not over him, even if she thinks she is. (I don't know if I think she really thinks that. I think she just wants to be over him and is trying really hard.)

Rather than say anything about it, Sherlock leaves immediately, never looks or speaks to Molly, and when John brings it up, he brushes it off. As he puts on his scarf, Sherlock kind of stops tying it for a second, because Tom was wearing his scarf the same way. I find it interesting that Sherlock didn't laugh about Tom at all, not even when he left the room. John was laughing, but not Sherlock. And then Sherlock heads for the door.

Obviously, the last of the Molly stuff we see is Lestrade asking if it's "serious" between her and Tom, and Molly eagerly says, "Oh yeah, I've moved on!" She seems to mean it, but I also think she looks a bit deluded if she doesn't consciously realize Tom's resemblance to Sherlock.

Normally, I would have said the show would NEVER do ANY of this. I feel like I watched Sherlolly fanfiction in this episode - without getting shot down in the end with a "haha but seriously Sherlock could never love her." 

After that episode, I no longer have any idea where the show is going with their relationship. From Sherlock and Molly's first ever episode together in A Study in Pink, I never expected Sherlock to even be nice to Molly, let alone eventually hint at loving her someday. But I really think this episode played out in such a way as to give Sherlolly the possibility of a romantic future. I just hope if they ever do, that it's nice, that Molly doesn't get hurt, and that it's in character. Or else really, what's the point?

(For the record, I think both Sherlock and Molly were entirely in character throughout this episode. If the romance would be more of this, I'd think it was the bee's knees.)

I'll end this with this fascinating Benedict quote. Benedict may have already had knowledge of the series 3 scripts when he told Louise Brealey, "There's always hope for Molly. That's the cruel thing."

ETA: I forgot to mention a few other things, and I may continue updating this post to mention things as I remember them.

1) The episode literally cuts between Sherlock & Molly and John & Mary,  almost as if to show the two "couples" both working together. Yes, it's showing that Sherlock and John are a better crimesolving team than Sherlock & Molly. But it's also showing that while John has his fiancee, Sherlock has his Molly. It's hard not to notice that parallel, especially when the editing keeps switching back and forth between the two "couples."

2) After revealing himself to John, the first person he sees when he gets back to London is Molly. Molly knew Sherlock was alive, so there was no real reason for him to rush to reveal himself to her. He could have revealed himself to more people who thought he was dead, such as Mrs. Hudson or Lestrade. But no. He goes to Molly, and then, he smiles at her when she sees him in her locker mirror. He did not strictly need her for anything at this point, either. He met up with her because he wanted to.

3) How could I forget? When Sherlock is solving the case about the woman who lost her pen pal. First off, he's holding her hand kindly (and I don't think he's taking her pulse, hah). Then when he says, "You thought he was the love of your life," he immediately looks at Molly. Molly's look back actually doesn't say nearly as much to me as Sherlock's look does.

She looks like she's just watching him work, but to him it seems much more meaningful. At the very least, when Sherlock thinks of a woman being in love, he associates that concept with Molly. (Even if that's only because he knows Molly loves him, that's still kind of amazing just as general Sherlock character development.) And then when he turns on the step-father, he really starts laying into him, yelling and calling him a "pisspot" (more or less).

Why would Sherlock be so upset unless he felt like this situation was personal? And how strange that Sherlock is mad that someone posed as a man that this woman fell in love with, when Sherlock was doing almost just that back in The Blind Banker, when he complimented Molly's hair just to get her to show him a body.