"But I think the Rathbone and Nigel Bruce films are the ones that we keep coming back to. That plus..."

“But I think the Rathbone and Nigel Bruce films are the ones that we keep coming back to. That plus the Billy Wilder’s film, The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes, in 1970. Those are the big touchstones for us.”

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Mark Gatiss, X

So two famous adaptations in which Watson is not married are their big touchstones. And there is of course the Granada version as well:

“The character of Mary Morstan was removed from the stories in which she originally features: nothing ought to get in between Holmes and Watson. She would have got in the way. Watson was more in love with Holmes - in a pure sense - than he could have been with a woman.” (Jeremy Brett)

And in BBC Sherlock, it is not Mary Morstan OR Mary Watson who gets in the way, but A.G.R.A., the empty box. So in a way Moftiss have remained far more true to their favourite adaptations than to Canon, all three of which chose to omit the Watson marriage. Which reminds me of their wishing  to fix some things in Canon. This leaves room for lots of interesting speculations but I think one thing is indisputable: A.G.R.A. will have to go. Or she has never been there.  

(via gosherlocked)

Yessss ….. to all of this. The woman we know as Mary Morstan/Watson/AGRA does only exist in Sherlock’s mind. She is a ghost, an empty box.

(via ebaeschnbliah)

Great points! And I agree, I think we will lose Mary Morstan.

After these very good details about some of Moftiss’ inspirations, what interests me is why Moftiss made the decision to include Mary in this version (And a baby for Heaven’s sake). So we could hurl rocks at her, or look forward to her erasure? That seems like a grim kind of entertainment.

I suspect, as with everything else in this show, the things that disturb us are the things that can teach us something, if we pay attention.

What do we know about Mary Morstan? Not much. She appears to be a player, or a pawn, in a bigger game; it seems she has family that CAM has under threat.

We saw her shoot Sherlock. (We saw Sherlock jump off a roof).

We heard Sherlock say she saved his life; he seems to want to save hers. (We know that Sherlock is skilled at lying and deception).

Mary’s motives and actions are unexplained; Sherlock’s attitude toward her is unexplained. I think that’s all I really know for sure.

I don’t know what Moftiss has in mind. It’s entirely possible that I won’t understand even after the very last episode has aired! But I’m looking forward to exploring the message behind Mary Morstan.

(via longsnowsmoon5)