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So! Once was not enough. We have already begun to rewatch Sherlock s2; we do what we must because we can (as Jonathan Coulton might say). First, I'd like to note that I prefer the way White Collar does commentary: you can hear the episode and the commentary. Two minutes in, we switched off commentary on 2.01 of Sherlock because we couldn't hear a blessed word of dialogue. I wanted to hear the actors and writers, but I wanted to hear the dialogue more.
Here's my problem: I've identified a major bloophole that I haven't seen anyone else mention.
Irene says at the end that Sherlock has had her phone for six months. She hasn't added anything to that phone in six months. It seemed pretty clear that she had the MOD man's information even before that; she called Jim not about the royal whose photos she took, but this information that she couldn't understand. Six months from Christmas is late June. Sherlock seemed to meet Irene long before late June; I'd say it was summer by the fact that a sheet seemed to be sufficient clothing (for some value of "sufficient clothing", but we can even say fall (that's autumn to you Brits). So that information had been on the phone for six months to a year before the Flight of the Dead that had to be canceled because Sherlock figured it out and told Irene, Irene told Jim, and Jim told everyone.
Why on earth would the MOD have an e-mail setting up the flight six to twelve months in advance? Those terrorist cells must plan really far in advance, if MOD already knew which flight and already planned what to do!
There's also the amazing coincidence that Irene manages to manipulate Sherlock the day before the flight, unless the date is in that e-mail somewhere and that's why she has to move on that day.
Moreover, there seem to have been multiple flights. Dusseldorf, the flight Mycroft was arranging from inside Sherlock's flat (why would he do that in his brother's earshot?), and the flight that had to be canceled. It would be hard to pull it off once; every reporter in creation would want a human interest story from the families and friends of victims, and that's a lot of victims' families and friends to fake! Brilliant Husband says maybe Dusseldorf was a test run to make sure they could fake it, and that Mycroft was setting up the same flight ("Bond Air," heh heh) that Sherlock scuttled.
I still think the terrorist cells are doing impossibly long-range planning to give MOD six months to a year to think about how to make it look as though they've succeeded when they haven't. Plan how to do it? I have no doubt terrorist do that kind of planning in advance. The specific flight? Nope.
I might add that terrorist are more concerned about causing terror than ending lives, so that even if no one dies in these fake flights, if the public believes they have, the terrorist have, in a very real sense, won. But I won't add that because I'm really supposed to be working now.
I have loads more to say about Irene Adler, Buckingham Palace, Mrs. Hudson, jumpers, girlfriends, sock indexes, and so on, but later. . . .
Here's my problem: I've identified a major bloophole that I haven't seen anyone else mention.
Irene says at the end that Sherlock has had her phone for six months. She hasn't added anything to that phone in six months. It seemed pretty clear that she had the MOD man's information even before that; she called Jim not about the royal whose photos she took, but this information that she couldn't understand. Six months from Christmas is late June. Sherlock seemed to meet Irene long before late June; I'd say it was summer by the fact that a sheet seemed to be sufficient clothing (for some value of "sufficient clothing", but we can even say fall (that's autumn to you Brits). So that information had been on the phone for six months to a year before the Flight of the Dead that had to be canceled because Sherlock figured it out and told Irene, Irene told Jim, and Jim told everyone.
Why on earth would the MOD have an e-mail setting up the flight six to twelve months in advance? Those terrorist cells must plan really far in advance, if MOD already knew which flight and already planned what to do!
There's also the amazing coincidence that Irene manages to manipulate Sherlock the day before the flight, unless the date is in that e-mail somewhere and that's why she has to move on that day.
Moreover, there seem to have been multiple flights. Dusseldorf, the flight Mycroft was arranging from inside Sherlock's flat (why would he do that in his brother's earshot?), and the flight that had to be canceled. It would be hard to pull it off once; every reporter in creation would want a human interest story from the families and friends of victims, and that's a lot of victims' families and friends to fake! Brilliant Husband says maybe Dusseldorf was a test run to make sure they could fake it, and that Mycroft was setting up the same flight ("Bond Air," heh heh) that Sherlock scuttled.
I still think the terrorist cells are doing impossibly long-range planning to give MOD six months to a year to think about how to make it look as though they've succeeded when they haven't. Plan how to do it? I have no doubt terrorist do that kind of planning in advance. The specific flight? Nope.
I might add that terrorist are more concerned about causing terror than ending lives, so that even if no one dies in these fake flights, if the public believes they have, the terrorist have, in a very real sense, won. But I won't add that because I'm really supposed to be working now.
I have loads more to say about Irene Adler, Buckingham Palace, Mrs. Hudson, jumpers, girlfriends, sock indexes, and so on, but later. . . .
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As for her goading him just 24-48 hours before flight time - she had him set up in advance. All she had to do was wind him up and watch him go. She had some time - and she knew she was firmly planted in his mind (endless texts didn't hurt) so she just made sure she timed it JUST RIGHT and she'd have what she needed.
*HUGS*
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Yeah, I'm afraid that's true!
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Do we know that? Maybe she had some kind of backdoor into it. Although that wouldn't explain Sherlock not finding it fishy.
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I don't know how you'd add a photo of an e-mail to a phone not in your possession. You could send it as an attachment, but then you'd have to open the message and the attachment, and I'd expect Sherlock to notice that. I don't know how she'd know to set him up in advance on the chance someone would give her information she couldn't fully understand herself.
I have a lot of other complaints (which I hope to enumerate later), but what really struck me about this was that I've seen people complain and even rant about the other things that bothered me, but no one had taken on this one! I had to plant my flag on this rant!
I loved a lot about this episode too (which I will also get into later).
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Anyway, what I do when I watch commentary is I turn on the English subtitles and listen to the commentary so I'm not missing both.
[And man, I really need get/make a Sherlock icon.]
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I had never thought of turning on the subtitles! I might do that sometime. I just love the actors' voices, though, so it would be hard for me to do on Sherlock.
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I also question how the terrorists themselves would had things planned. Was there a suicide bomber planned to be on board? If so, the MOD would have to intercept that person (or there could be more than one), then keep them captive to interrogate for more information.
Terrorist cells can plan far in advance, but decide on the specific flight closer to the date. MOD could have known something was in the works, but not specifics, and once they did, the Flight of the Dead was gathered. They could keep people on ice if they had to for weeks before it happened. Even if bodies are recovered, it's not like it wouldn't be a government inquiry, so no one would notice the bodies found were people who were already dead once Mycroft had a hand in things.
I'm with you; the appearance of the crash would be a win for terrorists. I think what the writers were trying to get across is they got the information through a method unknown to the terrorists, and they wanted to not give away their source, so faking the crash might actually prevent something much worse. But how many Flights of the Dead would they be willing to do before just shutting down a cell?
I get the concept, but if it was a bomb brought on board, wouldn't it be easier to catch the person in a normal way? No giving away of the source. Or were they planning on a 9/11 scenario with hijackers taking over the plane? That's a lot more difficult to do these days, with cockpit doors locked and pilots having the option of being armed (at least in some countries).
So... get the plane in the air, living pilot (government issue) jumps out, then the plane goes on autopilot for a crash into the ocean to really cover things up? Speaking of pilots... covering up for the family members of fake pilots and crew seems like it would be much more difficult than it would for the average person, not to mention the airline involved. Too many questions asked by people who know what to ask, who might very well know the people onboard, or realize they're fake.
Doesn't make sense to me, but I think the writers try to make too many things a "just roll with it" scenario. There's no way things would work, but government skullduggery and presto, that covers everything!
As for Buckingham Palace, I only have this to say...
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I should be more willing to let it go, but I'm a little ticked by some other things. I should do a full entry. All the episodes have bloopholes, but I was surprised no one seemed to be discussing this one.
But not all episodes have Sherlock naked at Buckingham Palace, which is an awesome scene in so many ways. . . .
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I'm thinking this may have just distracted people from the errors. ;)
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