Analysing The Great Game PART 2: The Pool Scene

Analysing the Great Game PART 2: The Pool Scene

The pool scene was something that always confused me, but to be fair, I never really paid attention. in this post(all the parts, there will be like 5) I’m going to analyse it chronologically (if you call 10 minutes of tv history) based only on what we know from series 1, with some occasional (extremely rare and brief) references to later episodes. I did this because I haven’t analysed them and because I believe series 1 had the strongest vision and characterisation of Sherlock, Moriarty and John. I also wanted to stay as focused on the scene(and episode) as possible, and not let things that I know influence my analysis too much. so yes, some things might sound crazy in the context of what we know, but if you isolate this episode and series 1 it makes sense.

why does Sherlock choose the pool as a place for meeting? It’s a connection to Carl Powers - first crime, first case, first meeting (first date). Moriarty mentions it as being a nice touch – pretty romantic. Sherlock wanted a private meeting with Moriarty, as we can understand from him hiding the fact that he was texting Jim from John. He was even willing to risk the country’s safety(missile plans). And yet Moriarty uses John for Sherlock’s final test.

let the flirting begin. Sherlock: “Bought you a little getting-to-know-you present”. The way Sherlock so casually offers the plans is almost like he’s proving that “yeah, I don’t think it’s that deep either”. And during the whole conversation the plans only came up again when Sherlock wanted Moriarty to release John. And even then Moriarty dismisses them(“I could have gotten those anywhere”).

Sherlock wrongly assumes that Moriarty created the game (“of 5 pips” if you will) to distract him from dealing with the missile plans case. and I should mention that Mycroft’s role in this episode is interesting as well. throughout the whole episode he’s been nagging John about it, who was lying to Mycroft that Sherlock is working on it. it might’ve been just a red herring for the viewers which I accept wholeheartedly, but it could also be the first hint of Mycroft’s association with Moriarty. But this isn’t about Mycroft as few things are.

Sherlock looks unhappy when he sees John. naturally 1. John is in danger 2. he wanted to meet his rival privately. the distain in his face can be explained by his sudden realisation that he will have to keep up appearances, act in front of John.

now, in the whole scene sherlock doesn’t seem too worried about John’s safety and not at all angry at Moriarty for involving him in this. so he either feels safe or is indifferent about safety.

“I gave you my number, I thought you might call” I find it interesting that Moriarty actually called sherlock multiple times during their game, but he only did so as a criminal mastermind. He had the victims talk for him and all the dialogue meant business. To me this line is a subtle hint at needing an increased level of intimacy. in a way it’s Moriarty’s invitation for Sherlock to see behind his constructed personas. Let’s also take in account that he said this line in a sort of sing-song, which later will be very clear that it’s a way to deflect, avoid vulnerability. now he was talking to Sherlock as Jim, not some puppet master. he was implying that this relationship they share transcends the classic villain-hero dynamic. They share their untreatable boredom and loneliness though being misunderstood. Something so simple – a phone call - is the crumb of tenderness needed to free their connection from the boxes of their roles. now that the game was over they could allow themselves to be less formal about it, less conventional(in their interaction as Hero and Villain).

But then again there’s the issue of John being there. which seems counterintuitive. why would, if not only to raise the stakes, Moriarty involve john in this intimate meeting? 

One possibility is that Moriarty simply isn’t ashamed of his eccentricity(which in Moriarty’s and Sherlock’s case is the fact that danger, risks and proving their intelligence turns them on) and wants to encourage Sherlock to also embrace that darker part of him. he put Sherlock in a situation where he has to face his internalized need to conform. But, if that’s the case, then it’s odd that Moriarty doesn’t fight the performance that Sherlock makes for John. He expects Sherlock to be a hero who wants to defeat the villain and save the day and Sherlock acts accordingly. Even if it's obvious later that it is just theatre. Moriarty plays his part perfectly and possibly only because he respects Sherlock more. More than he wants Sherlock to become someone who lives like him, that's selflessness right there. Moriarty understands that Sherlock needs it, he needs to feel right by John and thus - society.

Another reason for John being there could also be that Moriarty wanted to create the contrast between someone who is doomed to misunderstand Sherlock - John and someone who gets him perfectly - himself. which considering the emotional subtextual subtlety of the whole scene feels more likely. although they’re not mutually exclusive. 

on a more surface level note I do think the line was supposed to just be a hint that he was Jim from IT. but at the same time, he was behind a door, and we, and only we as viewers could see his face. which in film usually means that the emotion is genuine, because there’s no one to perform to. and in that moment, he was doing his detached, creepy thing, which for me always read as very raw and desperate. Pretending to be scary, especially in privacy, is a coping mechanism. maybe there was a part of Moriarty that wanted a more “normal” relationship with Sherlock. Moriarty is conflicted about how much freedom he can create for himself and someone just like him, how far can he break the system and defy what's "meant" for him (being treated like a psychopath and nothing else). that's what this moment means. Sherlock and Moriarty share a unique bond that is often seen as wrong or sick, by people like John. perhaps here Moriarty was willing to be Sherlock's true friend or partner, even if it was just the residue of what’s expected of him by society. Something that’s understood by others, something rooted in proximity and mundanity, something more proper than their intellectual game. because doesn’t every outcast dream of being normal, even if just for a moment of weakness?