Favorite Characters: John Watson (Sherlock)

While Sherlock’s titular consulting detective is of course the eye-catching one, a whirlwind of deductive genius and dramatic flourishes, the series wouldn’t be nearly what it is without the presence of Martin Freeman’s John Watson.  I really love this take on the character and appreciate all he brings to the show.

The generally-accepted role of Watson in Sherlock Holmes stories is to ask questions and marvel at Holmes’s brilliance – not saying that that’s his true function or only purpose, just that there’s a prevailing idea that that’s what he’s there for.  And different adaptations of the stories have portrayed him that way, some going as far as to make him a little dim and blundering.  But on Sherlock, that’s not what John is about; if Sherlock calls him an “idiot,” it’s only with the qualification that “practically everyone is.”  When you hold him up to Sherlock’s brain, he’s not going to compare, but he’s not supposed to.  The show doesn’t need two Sherlocks – it does, however, need a John.

So what does John bring to the table?  There’s his medical knowledge, of course – although Sherlock knows a lot about nearly everything, John’s the one with tangible, applicable skills when it comes to physical injuries, and in a dangerous line of work, that’s an important skillset to have around.  He’s also a trained soldier, an adept marksman who can more than hold his own if the situation calls for it (Sherlock knows his way around a fight as well, but John’s talents are different than his.)  And, significantly, because his mind isn’t wired the way Sherlock’s is, he’s sometimes in a position to see a big picture when Sherlock can only see the puzzle.  I love the moment in “The Sign of Three” when Sherlock notes that he was intent on solving a murder, he couldn’t see what John saw – that the victim was still alive and could be ressussitated. 

A big part of his role might be considered being Sherlock’s “handler.”  It’s most definitely a thankless job, and there are times when John gets fed up with doing it, but given Sherlock’s deficiencies in tact and empathy, it’s an important one.  When Sherlock, say, steamrolls his way through questioning a grieving family, it’s John who pulls him back and reminds him of the actual human beings involved.  John is the one to smooth things over, to observe the niceties Sherlock doesn’t bother with, and to deescalate the situation when Sherlock irritates or offends someone.  Additionally, although he has his moments when he can’t take Sherlock’s callousness anymore, John generally recognizes the Sherlock that most – even, sometimes, Sherlock himself – can’t see.  He knows that Sherlock isn’t as uncaring or untouchable as he pretends, that he’s affected by things even when he shrugs them off, that he sometimes needs help even if he won’t ask for it.

Apart from his role on the show as it relates to Sherlock, I just like John’s characterization.  I especially love how he’s portrayed in the pilot as a man who’s been through war and trauma but who, rather than wanting to get away from danger, thrives on it.  He’s not swept up in Sherlock’s crazy life – he dives into it.  And as much as he’s a solid, grounding presence amidst the insanity in 221B Baker St., he ultimately wouldn’t want it any other way.

A Few Thoughts on Sherlock and John (Sherlock)

I go back and forth a little on Sherlock and John.  I always come down on the side of loving and appreciating this devoted friendship, but there are definitely times when I wish I could love it more than I did.  Today’s post is just shy of a Relationship Spotlight, exploring this duo without quite giving it my full stamp of approval (some John-Sherlock-related spoilers.)

I think a big part of it is that, in my opinion, the pilot gets John and Sherlock absolutely pitch-perfect right.  I mean, the guys meet, Sherlock does his usual thing and John gets caught in the whirlwind, not quite sure what’s even going on but hanging on for dear life because he enjoys the rush.  In this episode, we see a lot of what’s rough in their relationship – Sherlock making ridiculous demands of John, forgetting about him entirely for long stretches, doing secretive/manipulative things without much apparent reason for it, and John is understandly annoyed at all of this.  But we also see a lot of what’s good about it (note:  for the most part, the show makes it entirely clear why John is good for Sherlock, so while I’ll touch a little on both, I’m mainly looking here at the extent to which Sherlock is good for John.)  As I said, Sherlock’s insane life gives John the thrill he’d been missing, and even as it’s by turns baffling and frightening, John ultimately loves it.  Right from the start, John shows what he brings to the table, and even as John admires Sherlock’s amazing deductive abilities, Sherlock admires John’s talents as well.  By the end of the pilot, it’s obvious why John throws his lot in with Sherlock.

The potential in this relationship is shown best, I think, in the sequence that starts at the restaurant and leads to them chasing the cab.  This is a case of Sherlock’s manipulative tendencies being used in a meaningful way and most definitely for good.  It’s true that Sherlock benefits from John parting ways with his psychosomatic limp, since it means a partner who can keep up when the action starts, but orchestrating this scenario really isn’t about Sherlock.  It’s for John, getting him up and running for the sake of something vital and really bringing home the point afterward to make sure John realizes all he was capable of doing without his cane – it’s a very kind, albeit unusual, thing to do for his new friend, and Sherlock was under no obligation to do it.  He just did.

This is where the pilot strikes the right balance, and the balance is crucial to me.  Sherlock can be both rude/oblivious and considerate, much like John can be both irritated and understanding.  And I get that, once the initial rush of getting pulled into Sherlock’s life wears off, his eccentricities and callousness can be wearing in the day-to-day – no doubt Sherlock is an abominably-difficult man to live with.  So it makes sense that there’d be some growing pains.  But as the show goes on, it feels like their day-to-day is more of the difficult stuff, Sherlock bulldozing through John’s life and John coming across somewhere between long-suffering and had-it-up-to-here.  The balance is there, but more often in the big moments, the grand declarations and emotional climaxes.  Sherlock demonstrates how important John is to him when one or both of their lives are in imminent danger (usually toward the end of a season,) or on special occasions like John’s wedding, but for me, I don’t see much in the way of “cab chase” moments, smaller ways Sherlock shows he cares that don’t involve an incentive like a gun pointed at one of their heads.  They show up here and there – I really like, “Listen, what I said before, John.  I meant it.  I don’t have friends.  I’ve just got one.”  But that’s not where the overall thrust of the series tends, and that’s disappointing to me.  The balance is often more skewed than that, and while I still enjoy these two together, every time I rewatch the superb dynamic between them in the pilot, I feel a little wistful for what we could have gotten.