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Interesting observation. I got the impression from Sherlock (the series) that it's not really something that he can control, it just happens. That and, it's qui

Interesting observation. I got the impression from Sherlock (the series) that it's not really something that he can control, it just happens. That and, it's quite "low key", but definitely does affect his life in bad ways, but -- let's face it -- this is entertainment, so he doesn't end up destitute on the streets as a madman, but rather ends up as a sort of quaint Victorian (anti-hero)-hero who's "just a bit odd". Plus, it's fiction. If you had that kind of thing happening all the time in real life, you'd go insane or be autistic[1]. [1] Let me just be clear that I don't mean that in a derogatory manner. I'm not even a layman when it comes to autism, but I've read a couple of well-regarded books (by professionals in the field) and they describe it (among other things) as being in a state of constant sensory overload where e.g. repetitive actions become a sort of coping mechanism to deal with the overload.

leephillips 10y ago
I think that you're right, that it's supposed to "just happen". But I don't think it causes him any distress - what distress he does experience is caused by his having to live among normal people, who can't keep up. His conversations with his brother show that the latter experiences this impatience even more keenly. This is faithful to Conan Doyle's stories, where his Holmes is always many steps ahead of the normals, and resorts to recreational drugs to deal with something like boredom from lack of stimulation. In another TV adaptation of the Holmes stories, "House, MD", the main character shares a similar frustration with having to live among people who are merely highly intelligent.
- lomnakkus 10y ago
  True, he probably doesn't feel any distress, but he's somewhat shunned by society as a "weirdo", I think. (Not as much as he would be if it weren't fiction, but...) Anyway, I'm off for the night, so I'll just leave this marvel of Sherlockia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5JEJiiSZCM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5JEJiiSZCM
  - leephillips 10y ago
    Oh, quite right. The original, an eccentric; House, an "ass"; BBC Sherlock, somewhat sinister and creepy.

leephillips 10y ago

I think that you're right, that it's supposed to "just happen". But I don't think it causes him any distress - what distress he does experience is caused by his having to live among normal people, who can't keep up. His conversations with his brother show that the latter experiences this impatience even more keenly. This is faithful to Conan Doyle's stories, where his Holmes is always many steps ahead of the normals, and resorts to recreational drugs to deal with something like boredom from lack of stimulation. In another TV adaptation of the Holmes stories, "House, MD", the main character shares a similar frustration with having to live among people who are merely highly intelligent.

lomnakkus 10y ago
True, he probably doesn't feel any distress, but he's somewhat shunned by society as a "weirdo", I think. (Not as much as he would be if it weren't fiction, but...) Anyway, I'm off for the night, so I'll just leave this marvel of Sherlockia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5JEJiiSZCM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5JEJiiSZCM
- leephillips 10y ago
  Oh, quite right. The original, an eccentric; House, an "ass"; BBC Sherlock, somewhat sinister and creepy.